Employment for college grads planned to rise

By Amanda Phipps
phippsa@mytjnow.com

Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@mytjnow.comCollege is still worth the cost.

Though the economy means college is becoming more expensive, the employment rate for college graduates is higher than non-graduates, Amy Sullivan said.

Having a degree increases a person’s chance of finding a job by 50 percent, she said.

Employers plan to hire 9.5 percent more graduates in 2011-12 than last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Job Outlook 2012.

Sullivan said people feel a degree is worth the money and effort because it allows them to work in more than just skill-labor jobs.

“Even if the pay isn’t fabulous, it is worth it do they type of work (you) love to do,” she said.

Sullivan said many employers won’t consider employees without a degree.

More than 50 percent of new employees in several industries were new college graduates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2010 Recruiting Benchmarking Survey.

The ability to relocate, network and start searching early can help students find a job, Sullivan said.

Gaining experience through paid internships, community service and by volunteering can improve students’ chances of finding a job, she said.

If students come just to get a degree, Sullivan said they are “missing out on what they are supposed to learn here.”

Saving money

Since college has become more expensive, universities have to find a cost-effective way to provide the same high-quality education.

Winthrop has done this in many ways, said J.P. Mckee, vice president of finance and business. While 60 percent of students borrow money to pay for school, the students have to decide whether college is worth the cost, McKee said.

Winthrop’s energy management contract allows the university to use the money it saves on energy for upgrades and other needs, he said.

“(We are) doing things to increase efficiency and decrease costs for the future,” McKee said.

While the new energy contract means a different lighting system, McKee said the changes will not negatively impact the way the university operates.

“We are not doing anything that will adversely affect the instructional part of the education process,” he said.

McKee said that if anyone has suggestions for how the university can do something more efficiently, to bring them to his attention.