University graduate employment rate is 92% and is back to pre-pandemic levels.

92% of University of Navarra graduates are working or continuing their education. This figure is 91.7% for master´s degree graduates.

These findings were published in the latest study by the Institute of Market Research and Strategic Marketing Ikerfel for the University of Navarra and "which are very positive when compared with national youth employment figures.  The study of the first quarter of 2021 conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows national youth unemployment at 36.5% (28% in Navarra)," says Roberto Cabezas, Director of Career Services at the University of Navarra.  

Ikerfel conducted the study between February and April 2021 and included students who graduated in 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years. In total, 2,471 (1,738 undergraduate and 733 master's degree alumni) responded to the survey.

The report reveals that degree graduates in employment found their first job relatively soon after completing their degree. 74% of degree graduates and 71% of master's graduates took less than six months to find their first job, and 61% of degree graduates and 57% of master's graduates took less than three months.

University graduates are working in the following places in Spain: 48.6% in Navarre, 16.1% in Madrid, 15.2% in the Basque Country and 6.3% in Catalonia.

"It is very important to discover what you want to contribute to society during your studies. Curricular and extracurricular internships bring students closer to companies, allow them to apply the knowledge they have acquired and facilitate their insertion into the labor market. I also believe that the new generations can contribute a lot to companies," says Roberto Cabezas. According to the study, 82% of those surveyed who completed an undergraduate degree at the university said they had done an internship during their university career, with 66% of master's graduates confirming this.

"Employer satisfaction of the University’s talent continues to increase year after year. This shows that companies continue to value our students and graduates potential," says Roberto Cabezas. In five years, "employer satisfaction" has grown from 7.7 to 8.36.

A plan to tackle youth unemployment

The University of Navarra worked on 10 measures to address the employment consequences of the pandemic, especially for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021. Some of these measures implemented through Career Services included: alliances with job platforms that offer employment in national and international companies; employability training with the collaboration of company managers, specific programs designed for students and graduates and individual support and career guidance by professional guidance counselors.

“We believe that the University's efforts have borne fruit, as shown by the Ikerfel study. But, of course, we will continue to work to understand and respond to the needs of our graduates and the demand for talent from companies, trying to minimize the level of uncertainty as much as possible," says Roberto Cabezas.