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. 2022 Sep;79(4):456-468.
doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12739. Epub 2022 May 3.

The Australian and New Zealand dietetics graduate outcomes survey: A cross-sectional study

Merran Blair  1 , Claire Palermo  2 , Simone Gibson  3 , Lana Mitchell  4
Affiliations

The Australian and New Zealand dietetics graduate outcomes survey: A cross-sectional study

Merran Blair et al. Nutr Diet. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Aim: There is a paucity of comprehensive and current employment data for dietitians. It is unclear if, and where, dietetics graduates are being employed and if they are sufficiently prepared to meet workforce and community needs. The aim of this study was to identify employment outcomes for recent dietetics graduates from Australia and New Zealand at 4-6 months post degree completion.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to graduates from accredited dietetics degrees across Australian and New Zealand. Those who completed their university study in 2020 were eligible to participate. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were analysed and open text answers underwent summative content analysis.

Results: A total of 294 usable survey responses were received from 631 eligible graduates (response rate 47%). Seventy-five percent of graduates were employed in any field and 60% were employed in a role that required their degree. The most common area of dietetics employment was private practice, followed by hospital practice. Most commonly, graduates who did not need their degree to get their job were employed in healthcare-related roles, or nutrition- and food-related roles.

Conclusions: These findings are important for curricula development to ensure that students are suitably prepared for available employment opportunities. Work-integrated learning experiences may need to shift focus to skill development, rather than a specific job role, to better prepare graduates for the jobs of the future. Further monitoring of employment outcomes is necessary to track changes over time.

Keywords: dietitian; education; employability; graduate; workforce.

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Conflict of interest statement

Claire Palermo is an Editorial Board Member of Nutrition & Dietetics. They were excluded from the peer‐review process and all decision‐making regarding this article. This manuscript has been managed throughout the review process by the Journal's Editor‐in‐Chief. The Journal operates a blinded peer‐review process and the peer reviewers for this manuscript were unaware of the authors of the manuscript. This process prevents authors who also hold an editorial role to influence the editorial decisions made. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Perspectives on employability and preparedness for practice of Australian and New Zealand dietetics graduates who completed their degree in 2020, and responded to the dietetics graduate outcomes survey at 4–6 months post degree completion (a)Percentages do not total 100, due to rounding. (b)Respondents could select multiple options and some categories are synthesised from multiple categories: Prior work experience skills (n = 354), Psychological factors (n = 295), Networks: university (n = 200), Networks: family and friends (n = 105), Networks: extra‐curricular (n = 73), Professional help with job applications (n = 49). (c)Respondents could select multiple options for each job reported (n = 117 jobs): Communication (n = 62), Teamwork (n = 48), Planning and organisation (n = 43), Problem identification and solution (n = 38), None (n = 32), Nutrition knowledge (n = 31), Professionalism (n = 29), Intercultural competence (n = 24), Initiative and enterprise (n = 20), Use of tools and technology (n = 20), Creativity and innovation (n = 19). (d)Private practice skills (n = 47), Job seeking skills (n = 44), Diverse areas of practice (n = 32), Reality of the job market (n = 19), Networking opportunities (n = 14), and Placement (n = 10)
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