KPI Graduate & Employer Surveys: FAQs for Niagara College – Toronto Graduates
The KPI Graduate Outcomes and Employer Survey measures the satisfaction of Ontario’s public college – private partnership (PCPP) program graduates with their college education and employment outcomes following graduation. It assesses perceptions on how well the college experience has prepared them to meet their goals after graduation as well as the needs of their employers.
In collaboration with the provincial government, graduates are contacted by Forum Research Inc., an independent research firm, and requested to complete the survey regarding their education and employment status.
The Graduate Survey is conducted six months after graduation, and it provides data for three of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) developed in 1998:
- Graduate Satisfaction Rate: % of graduates perceived their college education was useful to them in achieving their goals;
- Graduate Employment Rate: % of graduates working full or part time within 6 months of graduation;
- Employer Satisfaction Rate: % employers satisfied with the college graduate that they hired. Graduates are optionally asked on the survey about their current employer, and a follow up survey with employers provides data for this KPI.
It also provides data for the 2020-25 Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA3) metric “Graduate Employment in a Related Field”.
A similar survey is also conducted two years after graduation.
Any questions about this survey and/or opt-out requests may be directed to [email protected].
Purpose of the Survey
The Graduate Survey is a measure of graduate satisfaction with college programs and the percentage of college graduates who found employment within six months of graduation.
Niagara College – Toronto uses the feedback from surveys to make changes to programs that benefit future students, such as:
- strengthening programs offered;
- help ensure job-readiness for graduates;
- help ensure programs are current and relevant.
The information is used by Niagara College – Toronto to help students
and graduates make informed career decisions and to review programs for quality assurance and continuous improvement purposes.
What Participation Involves
Graduates will receive an email to complete the survey online, six months after graduation, with a reminder sent by SMS invite, followed by telephone outreach.
This survey is conducted by Forum Research on behalf of the provincial government and Ontario colleges.
It provides an opportunity for graduates to comment on their career success and satisfaction as a college graduate. Survey questions focus on:
- satisfaction with aspects of college programs and services six months after graduation;
- graduates who found employment within six months of graduation;
- graduate satisfaction with the usefulness of their education to achieve their goals.
Completing the survey is optional, however a few moments of your time to provide input can guide future strategic decisions for NCT.
Eligibility to Participate, Fielding Periods
The respondent must have graduated from an eligible PCPP program in Ontario within a specified period. Please refer the schedule below:
INCENTIVES
As a token of appreciation for your time and effort, each respondent who chooses to complete the survey is eligible to receive a $5 gift card.
Confidentiality
The information from this survey is being collected under the authority subsection 8(2) of Ontario Regulation 34/03 made under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act.
All responses are confidential. Responses will be reported in aggregate, except for comments which will be anonymized but otherwise reported as submitted.
Niagara College Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Policy
Survey Questions
N/A
FULL SURVEY:
Please see Forum Research website here: https://collegekpi.com/Empl00en.pdf
ABBREVIATED VERSION – prepared by NCs Planning & Institutional Research (as at May 24, 2024):
Please see question set below. Note: Skip logic is not shown below due to complexity.
EMPLOYER SURVEY
First of all, I’d like to confirm that ______________ (GRADUATE’S FIRST AND FAMILY NAME) has been employed by you during the week of _________?
How long has _______________ (GRADUATE’S FIRST AND FAMILY NAME) been working for your organization (NOT SELF-EMPLOYED IN Q15/have you been self-employed (SELF-EMPLOYED IN Q15) /have you been freelance (FREELANCE IN Q15)?
PROGRAM EVALUATION
I’m going to read out a number of skills and abilities that may be required of this employee. For each skill and ability, please tell me how important that skill and ability is to performing this employee’s work. Please tell me if the skill is extremely important, important, neither important nor unimportant, unimportant or not at all important.
- Specific job-related knowledge
- Specific job-related skills
- Oral communication
- Written communications
- Comprehension
- Math skills
- Computer skills
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Research and analysis
- Teamwork
- Organization and planning
- Time management
- Quality of work
- Productivity
- Creative and Innovative
- Adaptable
- Responsible
When ______________ (GRADUATE’S FIRST AND LAST NAME) first started working with you after his/her graduation how satisfied were you with his/her educational preparation for the following skills and abilities. Please tell me if you were very satisfied, satisfied, neither satisfied or dissatisfied, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
- Specific job-related knowledge
- Specific job-related skills
- Oral communication
- Written communications
- Comprehension
- Math skills
- Computer skills
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Research and analysis
- Teamwork
- Organization and planning
- Time management
- Quality of work
- Productivity
- Creative and Innovative
- Adaptable
- Responsible
In general, how would you rate your satisfaction with this employee’s overall college preparation for the type of work he/she was doing?
Are there other skills that we have not talked about that are required for the type of work which this employee is doing?
What would those other skills be?
Are there other skills that you feel will be in demand in the future and should be included in the educational preparation of college graduates?
What would those other skills be?
Accessibility
Should you require alternative accessible options to complete the survey, please email [email protected]. You can also visit in-person to the reception desk or the student advising team directly at the Niagara College – Toronto campus.
Background
In a collaborative initiative between Ontario colleges and the provincial government, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were developed as a means of measuring impact, improving transparency, and providing outcomes-based accountability measures for public investment in college education. Since 1998, Ontario colleges have been mandated by the provincial government to collect and report performance data, evaluating how well they are meeting the needs of students, graduates, and employers. The information also informs colleges and the government in continuous improvement efforts in planning, delivery of programs, and policy-making.