Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

of the mathematics majors, 24.2 per cent of the electronics majors and 14.2 per cent of the physics majors. Social Science Graduates The percentage of graduates entering the commercial and industrial sector was 41.5 in 1990, representing a drop of 5.6 per cent from the figure of the previous year. The number of graduates joining the education sector was however increased by four per cent. Employers About 40 per cent of the graduates working in the business sector were employed by local companies. The rest were working in companies owned by American (18.7 per cent), British (15.9 per cent), Japanese (5.9 per cent), PRC (5.7 per cent), and other (14.1 per cent) interests. Of those who became secondary school teachers, close to 90 per cent were teaching in subsidized schools, and 5.6 per cent in private schools. T e r ms and Co n d i t i o n s of Employment The average monthly salary showed an increase of 11 per cent over the previous year's figure. The median monthly salaries for graduates entering the government, the education sector, the commercial and industrial sector and the social and public service sector are $10,652, $10,231, $7,612 and $10,361 respectively. About 20 per cent of the graduates had their remuneration packages supplemented by an annual bonus; 56 per cent were entitled to pension schemes; 53.1 per cent were entitled to medical coverage; and 5.1 per cent enjoyed housing benefits. Job Satisfaction Close to 90 per cent of the graduates were found to be satisfied with their current employment. They indicated that they were interested in their jobs and had cordial working relationships with their colleagues. However, about one quarter of the respondents were not satisfied with the management style of their employers and the fringe benefits they enjoyed. Some 23 per cent were concerned about the prospect for advancement, while 30 per cent were concerned about the training opportunities provided. Job Search Process As in the past years, the University's Appointments Service was the major source of job information for the graduates, as 43.1 per cent of the respondents learnt about their current jobs through the Service. Advertisements in the newspapers ranked second, having provided job information for about 38.8 per cent of the respondents. About 10 per cent of the graduates secured their jobs through the assistance of friends, relatives or teachers. The average number of first interviews attended by each respondent was eight. About 91 per cent of the respondents had their first appointment offers by the end of August, while 37.9 per cent of the respondents received thei r first offers before June. The overall average number of job offers for the 1990 graduates was 2.5, same as in the previous year. About 68.7 per cent of the graduates in employment received two or more offers. Close to 70 per cent of the graduates started work by the end of August. About 26.5 per cent began work in September. Fu r t her Studies The percentage of graduates who proceeded to further studies continued to drop, from 17.3 in 1985 to 9.7 in 1990. The percentage of those who took the Diploma in Education courses dropped drastically from 34.2 in 1989 to 13.7 in 1990. Those who engaged in further studies in 1990 tended to opt for subjects related to their undergraduate specializations. The percentage of graduates who pursued further studies abroad increased from 1.9 in 1989 to 3.8 in 1990. Among the 43 graduates who left Hong Kong for postgraduate studies, 27 went to the USA, six to the UK, four to Canada, three to France and one each to Holland, Italy and Japan. Forty-five per cent of the graduates in further studies had to bear the cost themselves; 35 per cent were given teaching assistantships; 6.4 per cent received various forms of government assistance; 5.5 per cent were on full scholarships; and 0.9 per cent were on scholarships supplemented by their own resources. Part-time Degree Graduates A total of 81 valid questionnaires were collected from 83 part-time first-degree graduates. Of the 81 respondents, 73 were engaged in full-time employment, two were travelling, two emigrated abroad, one was pursuing further studies, one was still seeking suitable employment at the time of the survey, and two remained unemploye for personal reasons. Sixty per cent of the business administration majors were employed in the business sector while 80 per cent of the music graduates were employed in the STUDENTS 28