EAU CLAIRE — Despite a tight job market and struggling economy, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire graduates are finding jobs, a Career Services survey found.
Ninety-seven percent of the 2003-04 UW-Eau Claire graduates responding to the survey were employed or continuing their education a year after graduation, said Jeanne Skoug, director of Career Services.
And a majority of the graduates included in the survey — 59 percent — are working for businesses and organizations in Wisconsin, Skoug said, noting that 23 percent are working in the Chippewa Valley.
“UW-Eau Claire students are choosing to remain in Wisconsin after graduation, adding to the state’s brain gain,” Skoug said. “Wisconsin’s businesses and communities are benefiting from the graduates’ talent, energy and knowledge.”
Seventy-four percent — or 1,322 of the 1,797 graduates — responded to the survey. Eighty-two percent reported they were employed full or part time, and 15 percent reported they were continuing their education. Less than 1 percent reported they were seeking employment.
“Employers recruit from UW-Eau Claire because of the outstanding reputation of our graduates,” said Skoug. “Research shows that employers value strong communication skills, initiative and interpersonal skills. And those are the same qualities and skills our graduates say they believe are important as they begin their careers. They’re a perfect match.”
Members of the 2003-04 class are employed in diverse fields and have job titles such as nurse, financial analyst, auditor, morning show anchor, graphic designer, truancy social worker, police officer, copy editor, behavioral therapist, Web developer, personal trainer, computer programmer, software developer, marketing coordinator and biology teacher. Those continuing their education attend more than 50 colleges and universities, among them John Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Hamline Law School, UW-Madison Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Fuller Theological Seminary and Cornell University.
“Our grads are prepared to enter the workforce or to continue their education,” Skoug said. “When students leave UW-Eau Claire, they are not only well educated but well prepared for the future.”
The following statistics reflect the organizational structure of UW-Eau Claire when the class of 2003-04 graduated. The university has since reorganized into four colleges: Arts and Sciences; Business; Education and Human Sciences; and Nursing and Health Sciences.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, 515 of 751 graduates responded to the Career Services survey. Of the respondents, 345 were employed full time, 22 were employed part time, 128 were continuing their education, and 20 were seeking employment. No information was available for 236 of the graduates.
In the College of Business, 380 of 512 graduates responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 338 were employed full time, 13 were employed part time, 15 were continuing their education, and 14 were seeking employment. No information was available for 132 of the graduates.
In the School of Education, 255 of 299 graduates responded to the survey and reported they were working in more than 100 school districts. Of the respondents, 164 were employed full time, 40 were employed part time, 28 were continuing their education, and six were seeking employment. No information was available for 61 of the graduates.
In the School of Human Sciences and Services, 94 of 130 graduates responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 67 were employed full time, 4 were employed part time, 21 were continuing their education, and two were seeking employment. No information was available for 36 of the graduates.
In the School of Nursing, 88 of 105 graduates responded to the survey and indicated they were working in more than 50 hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and schools. Of the respondents, 86 were employed full time, one was employed part time, and one was seeking employment. No information was available for 17 of the graduates.
In addition to on-campus interviews and internship programs, employers can recruit UW-Eau Claire graduates and students as employees or interns through an online recruiting system. For more information call Career Services at (715) 836-5359.
