As the innovation economy continues to push on the concept of traditional education and how it aligns with purposeful careers, many entrants have entered the space. Since 2012, Startup Institute, a career accelerator which I cofounded, has been one of the largest and earliest players. By the day and the handful, clusters of organizations have created programs for individuals looking to gain skills with the intent of more gainful employment opportunities immediately thereafter.
Unfortunately, not many these organazitions live up to magnitude of their claims; whether in purported salary figures, satisfaction, or employment. While self-reporting can be challenging in some cases, accuracy and transparency are needed, as individuals use these data and reviews to make decisions that impact their bank accounts and lives everyday.
At Startup Institute, we've released the results of an external audit by edBridge Partners. This report not only discloses the hiring rates at Startup Institute, but also the stats that lead to gainful employment, such as interviews, offers, and job satisfaction.
According to edBridge, 63 percent of recent graduates took a job within a month of graduating from Startup Institute. That number continued to grow to 86 percent after 90 days, and post-audit rose to over 92 percent.
- 74 percent said the same or a higher salary than their previous job
- 80 percent said their new job aligns well with their personal aspirations
- 88 percent said their new job is better or significantly better than jobs prior
Numbers like those may be hard to put into context when gauging measures such as career fulfillment. However, it is more apparent, when considering a recent Gallup poll cites that only 39 percent of recent college graduates felt serious commitment to, and enthusiasm about, their jobs.
Audits may seem, in general, cringeworthy and something most would like to avoid. Instead, for Startup Institute, these are proof points that have always existed in what we do, both anecdotally and one student at a time. I encourage you to read the full report, here, and to push for further transparency when pursing any educational endeavor.