Wits produces ‘ready-for-work’ graduates
- Wits University
Wits graduates voted most employable in SA by directors and recruiters.
The Global Employability Survey and Ranking 2017, which measures the employability of graduates and employer satisfaction with graduates, has found that directors and talent management specialists are highly satisfied with Wits University graduates.
Polling the views of respondents from 22 countries, the survey focuses on the practical skills of ‘ready-for-work’ graduates developed by universities. The respondents were asked which of their local universities produce the best graduates.
Ranked at 150, Wits is the only university in South Africa and in Africa to make it to the top 150, the cut-off line by the rankings.
The 7th annual ranking was published in the Times Higher Education, and commissioned by French HR consultancy, Emerging, with the assistance of Trendence.
Wits Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, Professor Andrew Crouch welcomed the news: “The employability of our graduates and their preparedness for the workplace are the true measure of the quality of our institution. As a University, we pride ourselves on equipping our students with a range of skills that make them valuable players in the workplace from day one.
We will continue to develop ‘graduate-ness’ attributes in our students by providing them with the right balance between academics, co-curricula studies, and cutting-edge programmes that are in line with the demands of the changing world.”
Research output at Wits has catapulted by over 45% in the last four years, with over 85% of Wits academics publishing in quality, international journals.
“This is the very core of why universities matter — we create new knowledge and the high level skills required to address the challenges that societies face today, but also equip graduates with the skills to tackle problems that may arise in the future,” concludes Crouch.
This ranking complements other major global rankings focusing on the research and stature of the University:
Centre for World University Rankings
Wits University is ranked #number1 on the continent and placed in the top 0.7 percent of leading universities in world. The CWUR measures the quality of education, alumni employment, quality of academics, publications, and the number of international patents, amongst other indicators.
Academic Ranking of World Universities (‘Shanghai ranking’)
Wits University retained top spot in Africa in the latest Shanghai ranking. The University had three subjects ranked in the TOP 100 subject list and nine others in the TOP 500 list.
Times Higher Education
This ranking evaluates universities across their core missions, including teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Wits placed in the Top 300.
QS World University Rankings
These rankings compare and rank the world’s top 800 tertiary institutions. Wits is placed in the Top 400.
Highly Cited Researchers
Paleoanthropologist Professor Lee Berger and microbiologist Professor Lynn Morris were featured in the Highly Cited Researchers annual list compiled by Clarivate Analytics that recognises leading researchers in the sciences and social sciences globally.