Universities of (Employers’) Choice

COME the end of May hundreds of thousands of high school graduates will fight for a ticket to tertiary education. Many still believe university education is the fastest lane to a job and better future. Up till early 2007, official figures put the number of unemployed Indonesians at 10.9 million, 20 percent of them university graduates. Results of research conducted by THE Tempo Data & Analysis Center in January in Jakarta identified 10 universities whose graduates are most sought-after by employers. The findings were published in a book, Panduan Memilih Perguruan 2007, Meraih Kerja Sesuai Program Studi (2007 Guide to Universities and Job-Matching Programs of Study), launched three weeks ago. Outside of the 10 top universities, this Special Report also focuses on a number of other higher learning institutions whose graduates also receive a high rating from employers, thanks to their programs of study which match the needs of the market.