The new study, covering the 2022-2024 graduate cohorts, confirms high, rapid and skilled employment outcomes, with external placements playing a major role in access to work
The results of the Fifth Graduate Employment Outcomes Study for the Master’s Degree in Techniques for Environmental and Territorial Management are now available. Produced by UVocupació’s Studies and Analysis Unit, the report examines the professional trajectories of graduates who completed the degree in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The study explores graduates’ employment status, the characteristics of the jobs obtained and the relationship between the education received and subsequent professional employment. It also considers external placements, skills development, time taken to find work, contractual stability, working hours and the qualification level required.
High participation
The population comprised 29 graduates, 21 of whom participated, giving a coverage rate of 72.4%. This improves on the Fourth Study, in which 27 of 42 graduates responded, a rate of 64.3%.
The sample comprises 15 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 29.4 years: five graduated in 2022, eight in 2023 and eight in 2024. Although the high coverage provides a meaningful picture of the degree, the results should be interpreted in light of the 21 participants and the maximum sampling error of ±11.4%.
Notably, 100% of respondents said that this Master’s degree had been their first choice. This exceeds the figures for the Faculty of Geography and History (90.9%), the Social Sciences and Law subject area (90.3%) and the University of Valencia overall (90.8%).
High and rapid graduate employment
All participants had gained some employment experience after completing the degree. At the time of the survey, 95.2% were economically active and 90% of this group were employed. This exceeds the Faculty figure of 83.5% and is similar to the subject-area and University-wide rates.
The transition into employment was also relatively rapid. Eighty-one per cent already had a job before completing the degree or obtained their first paid position within six months. The average time taken to secure a new job was 3.8 months, compared with 5.6 months for Faculty Master’s degrees and 3.9 months for both the subject area and the University.
Ninety per cent of first jobs obtained after graduation required a university qualification, while 70% were closely or very closely related to the degree. Combining both indicators, 70% showed a double match: they required university-level education and were related to the degree content. The corresponding figure in the Fourth Study was 45.8%.
Skilled employment and improved working conditions
In their first job, 84.2% of employees held technical posts or positions involving responsibility for others: 47.4% were senior technicians, 31.6% were technical officers and 5.3% were in middle management.
In their current or most recent job, 90% held technical or managerial positions: 60% as senior technicians, 20% as technical officers, 5% in middle management and 5% in director or senior management roles.
A total of 52.6% entered stable employment in their first paid job. Stability rose to 63.2% in the current or most recent job. In the Fourth Study, the corresponding figures were 33.3% and 54.2%.
Some 89.5% began on a full-time basis and 94.7% worked full-time in their current or most recent job. The latter exceeds the Faculty rate of 74%, the subject-area rate of 84% and the University-wide rate of 83.9%.
Average net monthly pay was €1,405.80 in the first job and €1,520.30 among those working full-time. In the current or most recent full-time job it reached €1,835.90, above both the Faculty figure of €1,611.90 and the University-wide figure of €1,798.30. Overall job satisfaction averaged 4 out of 5.
External placements as a key route into employment
A total of 90.5% of respondents completed some form of placement during the degree, clearly above the Faculty rate of 66%, the subject-area rate of 77.7% and the University-wide rate of 74%.
Some 26.3% were recruited by their placement organisation or a related employer. This continues the gradual improvement from 22.2% for the 2016-2018 cohorts and 25.9% for the 2019-2021 cohorts.
For 35% of graduates who worked after completing the degree, placements were the main route into their first job. This proportion is approximately twice the subject-area and University-wide benchmarks.
These results demonstrate the value of a module that enables students to engage with the labour market, apply their knowledge, work in multidisciplinary teams and develop professional skills in companies, public authorities and other organisations connected with environmental and territorial management.
Skills that support professional development
Graduates positively assess the degree’s contribution to professionally relevant skills. The highest ratings were for working in multidisciplinary and highly specialised settings (4.1 out of 5), managing one’s own academic and professional development (4.1), teamwork (4.0), critical analysis for complex decision-making (4.0) and digital skills (4.0).
Compared with the Fourth Study, ratings improved in six of the seven groups of Master’s-level skills under the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education. The strongest advances concern problem-solving and multidisciplinary work, critical analysis, applying knowledge in practice and managing one’s own professional development.
A clearly positive trajectory
Comparison across the three most recent studies shows a favourable trend, particularly in job quality. The double-match rate for first jobs rose from 33.3% for the 2016-2018 cohorts to 45.8% for 2019-2021 and 70% for 2022-2024.
Stable employment in the current or most recent job increased from 42.9% to 54.2% and then to 63.2%. Full-time employment rose from 57.1% to 83.3% and then to 94.7%.
Overall, the findings confirm that the degree not only supports entry into the labour market, but particularly helps graduates access skilled, technical employment that is largely related to environmental and territorial management.
