Overview   News

Peer Learning Activity: ‘Driving skills intelligence and VET policies: Graduate tracking data in practice’

The EUROGRADUATE 2022 Comparative Report has been published by the European Commission, together with its Executive Summary and the Methodological Report. The report “Careers, Competences, and Values of European Higher Education Graduates in 2022” confirms the vital role of higher education in shaping Europe’s labour markets and competitiveness through future-proof skills. With data from over 170,000 recent graduates across 18 European countries, the findings highlight strong employment outcomes, growing use of innovative teaching methods, and high prospects for STEM graduates.

The Eurograduate 2026 survey has been launched, building on the experiences of Eurograduate 2022. Eurograduate 2026 grows in breadth (since France and Spain are joining the new exercise) as well as in depth (since administrative data will complement the survey data). Integrated into the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO), the new round will deliver fresh evidence on graduates’ employment, skills, mobility, and social outcomes, supporting evidence-based policies under the EU’s Union of Skills strategy.

The 2025 Annual Network Meeting of the European Network of Graduate Tracking took place in Warsaw, Poland, on 16-17 April 2025. It successfully shared developments from the past year and identified priorities and next steps for the Network, which will be addressed and further elaborated upon in the indicative plan for 2026 and beyond.

The latest JRC report reveals how university characteristics - like funding, research activity, and student-teacher ratios - significantly shape graduate employment outcomes across Europe. Drawing on Eurograduate 2018 and ETER data, the study uncovers persistent gender pay gaps and highlights that better-resourced institutions consistently deliver stronger results in salary, employment, and skill alignment. These insights offer a powerful evidence base for policymakers and universities aiming to boost graduate success in an evolving labour market.

With over 40 years of history, the Irish Graduate Outcomes Survey is undergoing a refresh for 2026. This development follows a review of the survey in 2024 by the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA) Statistics Unit. Read on to learn about the findings of the review, based on two data validity assessments, as well as a consultative review with recommendations.

The Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) hub, was Beta-launched on 19 June 2025 and provides interactive access to data and indicators on research and innovation (R&I) careers across 53 countries. It is a joint initiative by the OECD and the European Commission with support from the EU Horizon programme. The ReICO hub comprises thematic and country-based statistical dashboards and information repositories on policies and studies for R&I talent and careers.

A member of the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA) network, Generation’s goal is to support people to achieve economic mobility and a better life. The Generation’s fifth annual Global Alumni Survey indicates that their graduates experience lasting positive impact, in terms of high-quality employment, financial security and well-being.

At the third peer learning activity (PLA) of the European Network of Graduate Tracking, further steps were taken to reach a consensus on a minimum set of administrative data items for education and employment to develop core indicators. It also identified practical and technical steps needed to create a central repository of data at the European level.

A new Working Group on ‘GDPR and data protection issues’ has been established to exchange experiences and review issues encountered in relation to implementing GDPR and data protection and support the European Network of Graduate Tracking in addressing these. It will explore national/European practices, share experiences and propose European solutions to ensure data protection while maintaining the effectiveness of graduate tracking systems. The working group is expected to contribute to a publication on data protection and GDPR compliance in graduate tracking with the aim to support country officials to develop and strengthen their data protection measures for tracking graduates in a GDPR-compliant manner. The first meetings of the working group were held in October and December 2024; the next meeting is planned to take place on 12 March 2025. A draft of the publication is expected in July 2025.

The European Higher Education Sector Scoreboard (EHESS) is set to change the way we monitor and compare higher education systems across Europe. As a key feature of the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO), the Scoreboard offers an interactive data visualisation platform that provides valuable insights into the progress of the European Education Area. With its thematic views and country-specific pages, this innovative tool allows users to explore indicators aligned with major EU policy objectives, including on graduate outcomes.

Over the past two years, experiences and lessons learned from current graduate survey implementation have been exchanged and discussed as part of the working group on ‘Preparing for the next European higher education graduate survey’, culminating in a series of guidance documents and a concluding report.

Important preparatory steps for Eurograduate 2026 were taken at a recent meeting organised by the Eurograduate consortium in cooperation with the European Commission. Representatives from 19 countries identified priority indicators for Eurograduate 2026 and gave feedback to the current questionnaire with the goal to improve and shorten it.

The results of Slovenia’s participation in the Eurograduate 2022 project were presented during the project final conference on 22 April 2024. Stakeholders discussed their different views on the need for monitoring graduate employability including experts in the field, university representatives, line ministries, national authorities for quality in higher education and other relevant publics. The discussion brought fruitful synergies.

Future Network activities and other related events

Future Network activities and other related events

The European Commission recently adopted the 2024 European Degree package which aims to increase employability and skills relevance, the adaptability and visibility of higher education systems, as well as drive strategic cooperation and global competitiveness in the EU. Graduate tracking will play a role in this package, as criteria for the European Degree will include a graduate tracking commitment and the European Commission plans to further support the implementation of the European graduate tracking system through the future Council recommendation on a European Quality Assurance and Recognition System in higher education.

The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), in partnership with the Ministry of Education in Romania, organised the national conference for the launch and dissemination of the Eurograduate 2022 national study in Romania on 27 March 2024 in Bucharest. The conference aimed to outline the major developments on higher education graduates tracking In Romania as well as the national participation in EUROGRADUATE consortium and European Graduate Tracking Initiative. It was the first time Romania participated in a Eurograduate pilot study and it is also expected to be part of the third wave in 2026.