Universities Australia was quick to point to the positives in yesterday’s ABS education-employment stats.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson said, “while no-one was ever guaranteed employment, the data showed that having a degree significantly enhanced people’s chances. ‘These figures put paid to claims that dispute the value of a university qualification,’ she said. “It continues to be the case that graduates are less likely to be unemployed and will have higher lifetime earnings on average.”

CMM wonders if the peak lobby despatched the UA herald, in full livery accompanied by trumpeters to deliver Ms Robinson’s statement to NXT MP Rebekha Sharkie. Last month Ms Sharkie announced the party would block the government’s funding cuts if they were introduced to the Senate, (which UA liked). But in her speech she also spoke about graduate unemployment “Currently, we have students who are leaving university with high debts and little opportunity of securing stable employment in their area of study. We have too many highly qualified young people, with PhD degrees, stacking supermarket shelves or making lattes. We need to do better than this.” Whicb UA disagrees with – and know they have more stats that make their case.