Overeducation in the Australian graduate labour market

The uptake of university education in Australia has increased in recent years. At the same time, studies in Australia and elsewhere have indicated that substantial imbalances exist between the labour demand for, and supply of, highly qualified individuals, and that this may result in unfavourable labour market outcomes. This thesis explores these types of issues in the Australian graduate labour market, using data on Australian university graduates from 1999 to 2009, with a focus on education-job mismatch and its consequences.In the empirical analyses, the incidence, determinants and labour market outcomes of education-job mismatch are explored. The research also examines the earnings impacts of education-job mismatch on segments of the Australian graduate labour market. Specifically, the gender, institutional and length of job tenure differences in education-job mismatch and earnings effects are explored. The research in these areas will be of help in providing information on issues such as the gender wage gap, and the deregulation of university fees. This thesis makes valuable contributions to the literature in at least two aspects. First, the increase in university education attainment in Australia has been fuelled by policy changes in the higher education sector in recent years. The findings of the thesis will, therefore, be timely in adding to the debate on these changes, at least from a labour market perspective. Second, the methodology used in the examination of education-job mismatch and graduate earnings has not been used in any other studies, as far as the author is aware.A substantial proportion of Australian graduates are found to be mismatched, in that they possess qualifications higher than that required for their jobs. This has been shown to lead to adverse earnings consequences, particularly for those with large extents of education-job mismatch. Policy implications arising from the findings of the analyses are provided, and directions for future research are given in the concluding chapter

THE INFLUENCES OF INSTITUTION ATTENDED AND FIELD OF STUDY ON GRADUATES’ STARTING SALARIES

This paper examines the determinants of Australian university graduates’ starting salaries, with an emphasis on the institution attended and field of study. It is shown that there is little difference between the starting salaries of students who attended Go8 universities and those who attended other universities. There are modest differences in starting salaries according to field of study. However, these differences are considerably less than those associated with the type of employment obtained. These results suggest it is what you do in the labour market, rather than where or what you have studied, that is the main determinant of labour market outcomes.

Influence of entry pathway and equity group status on retention and the student experience in higher education

Expansionary policies to widen participation in higher education have led to a growth in alternative entry pathways into university. This study considers the experiences and retention outcomes of those entering Australian universities through different pathways, and how these vary across diverse student groups. Data were drawn from linked student administrative records for 81,874 students from sixteen Australian universities who commenced a Bachelor degree in 2015, with academic enrolment status tracked over five years, as well as data from a national survey of student experience conducted in 2019. Students from alternative pathways were associated with lower retention outcomes in the first year of study and poorer course completion outcomes, except those entering via pathway provider and enabling programs who reported more favourable retention compared to secondary school entrants. Students from equity group backgrounds were also associated with poorer retention outcomes, particularly Indigenous students, mature-age students, and those with disability. Associations between entry pathways, equity group status, and student experience were mixed. For example, equity group students generally had positive assessments of student experience, apart from those with disability, yet were associated with increased probabilities of intention to dropout from study. Social and personal reasons were found to be main drivers of dropout intention across different student groups. Findings highlight the need to address the varying factors that affect students entering through different pathways and from diverse backgrounds, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The study’s recommendations inform stakeholders seeking to improve the experience and outcomes of diverse student groups entering higher education

Employment and Study Outcomes After Graduation An Australian Higher Education Equity Perspective

However, graduates from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, or who were from non-English speaking backgrounds were found to be disadvantaged in the labour market, and policy action to address this ...Higher education policy in Australia has contributed to positive outcomes for equity groups, in terms of facilitating access, participation and completion of university. At the same time, prior research has indicated that labour market outcomes are comparable for graduates from equity groups to their non-equity counterparts. It is unknown, however, whether graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds have equitable outcomes in terms of participation in further study after the completion of their undergraduate degree. Given that research findings indicate superior earnings and positive labour market outcomes for postgraduates, it is of policy interest to examine post-study pathways for disadvantaged individuals, in comparison with their relatively privileged peers. This study uses data from the 2016 Australian Graduate Outcomes Survey, linked to student administrative records from 19 participating Australian universities, to examine post-degree study and employment outcomes. In particular, the study looks at how equity group membership, undergraduate degree characteristics, and undergraduate academic performance influences post-degree study and employment outcomes. The results from the multivariate analyses indicate that graduates from a low socioeconomic status (SES) background, or with disability, or from a non-English speaking background (NESB) were less likely to be in employment post-degree, relative to their respective counterparts. The estimated reduced propensity of employment for these groups were rather sizable, and were up to 16 per cent less for NESB graduates. However, in terms of further study post-degree, graduates from all equity groups, with the exception of graduates from regional and remote areas, were around two to five per cent more likely to be in further study after their undergraduate degrees were completed, relative to graduates from non-disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, academic ability, as proxied by Weighted Average Marks, and undergraduate degree field of study areas were found to be influential on the graduates’ propensity to be in further study or employment. Furthermore, graduates from the equity groups of low SES background, disability and NESB were found to be disadvantaged in labour market outcomes. For example, they were less likely to be in full-time employment, more likely to be mismatched in their jobs if there were employed, and earned less. In particular, graduates from NESB backgrounds were the most disadvantaged in these labour market outcomes. Despite poor labour market outcomes for the stated equity groups, the findings from this study are encouraging for postgraduate study for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. From the perspective of higher education participation, participation in further study, including postgraduate courses, appear to be accessible for individuals from equity backgrounds. Therefore, more needs to be done from the perspective of ensuring equitable employment outcomes, especially for students from equity backgrounds as they enter employment after post-graduate study

Tidal Barrier and the Asymptotic Mass of Proto Gas-Giant Planets

Extrasolar planets found with radial velocity surveys have masses ranging from several Earth to several Jupiter masses. While mass accretion onto protoplanetary cores in weak-line T-Tauri disks may eventually be quenched by a global depletion of gas, such a mechanism is unlikely to have stalled the growth of some known planetary systems which contain relatively low-mass and close-in planets along with more massive and longer period companions. Here, we suggest a potential solution for this conundrum. In general, supersonic infall of surrounding gas onto a protoplanet is only possible interior to both of its Bondi and Roche radii. At a critical mass, a protoplanet's Bondi and Roche radii are equal to the disk thickness. Above this mass, the protoplanets' tidal perturbation induces the formation of a gap. Although the disk gas may continue to diffuse into the gap, the azimuthal flux across the protoplanets' Roche lobe is quenched. Using two different schemes, we present the results of numerical simulations and analysis to show that the accretion rate increases rapidly with the ratio of the protoplanet's Roche to Bondi radii or equivalently to the disk thickness. In regions with low geometric aspect ratios, gas accretion is quenched with relatively low protoplanetary masses. This effect is important for determining the gas-giant planets' mass function, the distribution of their masses within multiple planet systems around solar type stars, and for suppressing the emergence of gas-giants around low mass stars

Cost-Effectiveness of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in Hong Kong

Objectives: The emergence of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has revolutionized the prevention of stroke related to nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Several DOACs are available on the market, while the cost-effectiveness comparison among DOACs and vitamin K antagonist (warfarin) in NVAF management in Hong Kong market remains scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of DOACs and warfarin from a Hong Kong public institutional perspective to inform formulary listing decisions. / Methods: A previously developed Markov model was adapted to simulate the lifetime disease progression of a hypothetical cohort of 1000 patients. Net monetary costs, quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were computed for the following competing alternatives: warfarin, apixaban (5 mg twice daily), dabigatran (110 mg or 150 mg twice daily), and rivaroxaban (20 mg once daily). Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to address study uncertainties. / Results: In base-case results, all DOACs were associated with greater QALYs improvements and lower costs than warfarin. Rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran 150 mg, dabigatran 110 mg, and warfarin resulted in net costs US dollar (USD) 8088, USD 8240, USD 8566, USD 8653, and USD 16 363 and net QALY 5.87, 6.017, 6.022, 5.98, and 5.829, respectively. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the probabilities of warfarin, rivaroxaban 20 mg, dabigatran 110 mg, dabigatran 150 mg, and apixaban 5 mg being cost-effective of 2000 iterations were 0%, 0%, 29.4%, 33.2%, and 37.4%, respectively. / Conclusion: Apixaban was the most cost-effective option compared with other DOACs and warfarin in the management of NVAF; this conclusion is consistent under all the tested uncertainty scenarios