The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) program consists of four survey elements:
Student Experience Survey (SES) which measures five aspects of the student experience (referred to as focus areas): skills development, peer engagement, teaching quality and engagement, student support and services, and learning resources; as well as other aspects of students’ higher education experience.
Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) which measures short-term employment outcomes, salaries, skills utilisation, further study activities and graduate satisfaction 4-6 months after course completion.
Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal (GOS-L) extends the assessment made in the GOS, by measuring graduates’ medium-term employment outcomes and further study activities 3 years after completing their studies.
Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) which measures how well higher education institutions prepare graduates for the workforce from the perspective of their direct supervisor.
Personal information is collected to facilitate each of the QILT surveys. Covering study levels from undergraduate and above, and both domestic and international students, QILT is the only comprehensive system of higher education surveys in Australia covering the student life cycle from commencement of studies in higher education, to employment after course completion. Importantly, this depth within QILT provides an evidence base to:
This privacy notice relates specifically to the Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS).
The Social Research Centre has been engaged by the Australian Government Department of Education (the department) to conduct the suite of QILT surveys, including the ESS.
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified or reasonably identifiable individual. Personal information includes your name, the name of the company you and the graduate work for, and either your work email address, or your work phone number, or both.
These details were provided to the Social Research Centre by the graduate employee you supervise for the purpose of administering the data collection for the Employer Satisfaction Survey.
Both the department and the Social Research Centre must comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as well as additional legislative obligations for handling information collected and used in the QILT surveys under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth) and the Student Identifiers Act 2014 (Cth).
To protect personal information, the Social Research Centre uses a secure portal for the transfer of information from your institution, and a secure platform for the completion of online surveys.
For the duration of the survey, the Social Research Centre stores all personal information and survey responses on secure servers located within Australia.
4.1 What information is collected in the Employer Satisfaction Survey?
If you choose to participate, further information will be collected by the Social Research Centre on behalf of the department in this survey.
This will include your opinions about the skills and attributes important for recent graduates to have when coming into your organisation, and whether the higher education institution that your graduate has attended prepared them well for their role and employment
4.2 Collection of personal information about others
The ESS asks you to provide personal information about the graduate you supervise, as set out above.
We need consent to collect personal information from someone other than the individual concerned.
By providing your contact details in response to the Graduate Outcomes Survey, the graduate you
supervise has consented to the collection and handling of their personal information under the ESS.
4.3 Is my participation voluntary and what are the consequences of not participating?
Your participation in the ESS will provide highly valued feedback about the skills and attributes graduates need when coming into your organisation.
However, participation in the QILT surveys, including the ESS, is completely voluntary. If you decide not to participate, it will not adversely impact you.
4.4 Disclosure of personal information
Your personal contact information (such as your name, work email address and work phone number) is only used for the purposes of administering the survey.
Personal information may be disclosed to other parties where the individual whose personal information it is has agreed, or it is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act. Your personal information is unlikely to be disclosed to overseas recipients.
4.5 Who to contact
For general queries about the survey, please contact the Employer Satisfaction Survey Helpline on 1800 055 818 (free call within Australia) or email ess@srcentre.com.au. This includes queries or complaints concerning your personal information, or to request access to, or make a correction to, your personal information.
The department’s Privacy Policy contains more information about how the department will manage your personal information, including information about how to make a complaint and seek access to and correction of your personal information.
To contact the department about your personal information, email privacy@education.gov.au.
To contact the department about the QILT program, email qilt@education.gov.au.
The Social Research Centre’s Privacy Policy also contains information on how they protect your privacy rights including information about complaints and how you can access the information they hold about you.