A tracer study done in 2004/2005 by Trevor Hamilton and Associates Centre for Excellence revealed that among
University of Technology ( UTECH) graduates get over 12 per cent real incomes annually after allowing for 15% annual inflation.

Highest income earners, that is in the region of $1,350,000 said another 2007 Career and Placement unit study are in the areas of Business Administration, Computing, Marketing and Hospitality.

The 2007 tracer study was conducted over a six months period and includes data from mostly full time students from all five faculties of the University. The study reflects the feedback and opinions of approximately four hundred and ninety four users of the unit.

The school of Business Administration had the most employed graduates, followed by School of Engineering and School of Computing. This was attributed to the size of the those faculties as they represent more than 60% of the total number of graduates surveyed.
Come Fall 2009, some 2,720 students are expected to graduate from the University of technology (UTECH) an increase over the 1,820 graduated in 2008.
Meanwhile, the communications department at the University points out that the most demanded programme in the School of Business are Accounts, Finance and Marketing. In the School of the Engineering the programs most demanded are mechanical engineering, power, and Communication. In the School of Computing the most demanded programs are Hospitality & Tourism Management, Enterprise Computing and Data Communication.

The demand for the School of Business Administration graduates was mainly in the areas of Accounting, Finance and Marketing. The School of Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering programs also had what the career unit described as " very high employment rates."

The tracer study done in 2004/2005 by Trevor Hamilton and Associates Centre for Excellence revealed that among 2005 graduates .:

-98 per cent were employed
-51 per cent were employed in their jobs of first choice
-43 per cent were employed in their industry of first choice
-3 percent were in their own business
- 11 per cent were pursuing high education
- -2 percent were unemployed
- 1 per cent was engaged in what was called innovation work

-83% of graduates got employed in the first 6 months of graduation.

According to the 2005 study, employers gave 7.5 out of 10 rating for graduates' work related knowledge. 100 per cent are judged to have basic job related competencies


*aviaustanny@gleanerjm.com