A Graduate Employment Program for Bachelor of Arts Students

Abstract

In 1996 and 1997, an innovative graduate employment program for final year Bachelor of Arts (humanities and social sciences) students was developed at the University of Ballarat. The program aims to enhance arts graduates‟ competitiveness in the professional employment market. It addresses some of the employment barriers encountered by graduates with a generalist, non-specific vocational degree. This paper describes the program so that it may be adapted for use elsewhere, and reports on an evaluation of the program. Positive outcomes of the program reported by participants include an enhanced understanding of their skills and knowledge, learning effective job-seeking strategies, and an awareness of the labour market.