Health, engineering degrees have best return : Report

Canadians are spending more time in school, only to wind up with careers unrelated to their high-priced university degrees, a Workopolis study says.

An overwhelming 73 per cent of online poll respondents told the job site Workopolis that they work in jobs unrelated to their educational backgrounds, while 56 per cent said they are over-educated for their current jobs.

According to Workopolis, since 2000 Canadians have spent 13 per cent longer in school and over that period, 16 per cent more have acquired bachelor degrees. Post-graduate studies are also on the rise: 43 per cent more Canadians have earned Master’s degrees, and 25 per cent more boast a PhD. But do employers care?

“The majority of Canadians told us that they believe that educational choices should be tied to employment prospects – and our data shows that people are spending more time in school, adding to their credentials. At the same time, we’re seeing that a candidate’s education is among the last things employers look for.” says Tara Talbot, Vice President of HR at Workopolis. “So we decided to take a look at which fields of study are most likely to get someone hired with a related job, the degrees that provide the best return-on-investment, and generally where different areas of education can take you in today’s job market.”

The degrees most likely to pay off with a job in their field

For those obtaining education specifically as an investment for the job market, here are the five degrees (bachelor, masters and PhD) that are most likely to land you a job in your field soon after graduation. The greatest number of people graduating from these disciplines were hired for a relevant job in their field within the first year of leaving school:

Human Resources (88 per cent)
Engineering (90 per cent)
Computer Science (91 per cent)
Pharmacy (94 per cent)
Nursing (97 per cent)
Where will your Liberal Arts degree take you?

Workopolis also took a look at what the first jobs were for graduates of some other popular disciplines that have less clearly defined career paths. Canadians who earn a degree in liberal arts most often appeal to employers who need candidates with solid analytical and communications skills – often starting in customer-facing positions, but quickly moving into leadership roles. Here are the most common first job titles for graduates of the following disciplines:

Economics
Customer Service Rep
Business Analyst
Administrative Assistant
Financial Analyst
Account Manager

History

Administrative Assistant
Customer Service Rep
Teacher
Sales Representative
Receptionist

Philosophy

Administrative Assistant
Customer Service Rep
English Teacher
Sales Associate
Account Manager

Political Science

Administrative Assistant
Customer Service Rep
English Teacher
Researcher
Sales Associate
Psychology
Administrative Assistant
Customer Service Rep
Sales Associate
Human Resources
Assistant Receptionist

Sociology

Customer Service Rep
Administrative Assistant
Human Resources
Assistant Sales Representative
Receptionist

Agencies/Canadajournal