Students expect to clawback some of the money spent on high-tuition fees and the cost of living from the generous post graduate work rights but they need a lot more help from the universities to do this particularly in getting jobs in their field of study, according to a report in The Australian.

A survey of 1700 students from 30 countries found Australian universities need to do a lot more to encourage the growth of the education sector.

Costs, course selection and disappointing post-study work opportunities for foreign students were among the major concerns raised by the respondents.

One in three students who chose to study somewhere other than Australia said the high cost of fees (35 per cent) and high cost of living (32 per cent) had been the main deterrent. While this factor has eased by the fall in the Australian dollar, it may not be low for long as analysts are now predicting that the dollar may have bottomed out and is starting to make its way back up again.

David Coulter, market research analyst at IDP Education told The Australia that Australian universities need to do much more for students particularly in helping them get jobs in their field of study following graduation.

“Students are getting work, just not the work they want,” Mr Coulter said.

Phil Honeywood, executive director of the International Education Association of Australia, told The Australian that graduate jobs was an issue that needed to be tackled on three fronts.

“There is a joint responsibility when it comes to the provisions of skills for employment,” Mr Honeywood said. “Australian employers need more information, education providers need to enhance their on-campus careers and jobs advice, but students also can do far more to increase their chances of being employed.”