A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya
That there is a high degree of satisfaction with the recent graduates hired among employers is the main conclusion of the seminar "Employability and university education in the field of Biosciences", held on 15 December.
The Employers project, launched in 2014, aims to analyse the employability of recent graduates in order to make proposals for improving the bachelor's degree programmes analysed in each field. This involves studying the data most closely related to the employability of recent graduates from the latest satisfaction and employment outcomes surveys, both of which are also coordinated and carried out by AQU Catalunya. This information is complemented by an analysis based on an ad hoc survey of employers' opinions on the recent graduates they have hired. In this case, the fieldwork for the employer survey was carried out in collaboration with the Association of Biologists of Catalonia and focused on bachelor's degrees in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy.
At the seminar, presented by AQU Catalunya director Jaume Valls, Marián Ros, research professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), gave a talk in which she reflected on the importance of biosciences in precision medicine.
José Luis Mateos, expert in charge of the project at AQU Catalunya, then presented the main conclusions of the report, among the most notable of which is the greater demand for these degree programmes than places offered, and the overall satisfaction of graduates with their degree, the external work placements and the final degree project. Although the quantity and quality of employment in the Biosciences group are similar to those of the Catalan Higher Education System (SUC) as a whole, there is greater job instability among Bioscience graduates.
According to employers, the skill in most need of improvement in graduates hired is the ability to lead and manage RDI projects.
Finally, the third part of the day focused on a round table made up of academic experts, a representative from the Association of Biologists of Catalonia, and a former student. The discussion covered the main findings of the report and proposals for improvement were put forth, which are summarised in the table below: