National Graduates Survey (NGS)

Page Logic

1. Stream with only SDDS number in the parameter
• If valid SDDS, retrieve the Survey related to :
• the latest displayable Instance a Data Release time frame
• or the latest displayable Instance if a Data Release time frame does not exist
2. Stream with Instance Item_Id parameter (link via Other reference periods)
the parameters could be modified manually in the URL so validate :
• Instance is displayable
• Instance is related to the Survey

The 404 page is displayed if any validation fails in either display stream.

Survey_Item_Id=1444
Survey_Data_Id=20168
Survey_Version=2
SDDS=5012
Instance_Item_Id=6012
Instance_Data_Id=15771
Instance_Version=8

Detailed information for 1997 (class of 1995)

Survey title = Preferred (Abbreviation)
Date modified on the page = Instance ADMIN_RECORD.UpdateTime

• SURVEY.Continous_Type
• SURVEY.Frequency
• SURVEY.SDDS
• SURVEY NOTE_TERM=Purpose
• Detailed information for INSTANCE Reference Period
• INSTANCE Data Release Date
• TOC hyperlinks are Survey h3 headings and Methodology h3 and h4 headings.

The National Graduate Survey (NGS) is designed to measure the short to medium-term labour market outcomes of graduates from Canadian public university, community college and trade-vocational programs.

Data release - March 13, 1998 Release from TimeFrame

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description logic

• Description heading = script assigned. Survey preferred TET.ItemDescription
• Statistical Activity Heading=COMPONENT_TERM.Name, Description=preferred TET.ItemDescription. DOCUMENTATION links.
• Survey Reference Period
• Survey Collection Period
• Subject Heading = script assigned. Primary CLASSIFICATION.Classification_Type=Theme CET.Tag linked to the Survey. Ordered Alphabetically.

Description

This survey was designed to determine such factors as: the extent to which graduates of postsecondary programs had been successful in obtaining employment since graduation; the relationship between the graduates' programs of study and the employment subsequently obtained; the graduates' job and career satisfaction; the rates of under-employment and unemployment; the type of employment obtained related to career expectations and qualification requirements; and the influence of postsecondary education on occupational achievement. The information is directed towards policy makers, researchers, educators, employers and young adults-interested in postsecondary education and the transition from school to work of trade/vocational, college and university graduates.

This survey has been conducted periodically upon a graduating class from a specific calendar year. Each graduating class is interviewed twice: two years after graduation (National Graduates Survey) and five years after graduation (Follow-up Survey of Graduates).

Subjects

• Education, training and learning CL_Item_Id=97413 CE_Id=377 CE_StartDate=01010001 CE_Code=1821 Classification_Code=06
• Employment and unemployment CL_Item_Id=97413 CE_Id=439 CE_StartDate=01010001 CE_Code=1803 Classification_Code=06
• Fields of study CL_Item_Id=97413 CE_Id=381 CE_StartDate=01010001 CE_Code=1586 Classification_Code=06
• Labour CL_Item_Id=97413 CE_Id=438 CE_StartDate=01010001 CE_Code=2621 Classification_Code=06
• Outcomes of education CL_Item_Id=97413 CE_Id=341 CE_StartDate=01010001 CE_Code=3073 Classification_Code=06

Methodology Display Logic:
Headings=COMPONENT_TERM.Name:
Preferred TET.ItemDescription followed by an additional DOCUMENTATION link.

Items are displayed, if they exist, in the following order.
- Target population (Universe AI)
- Instrument design
- Sampling
* boiler text for SURVEY.Census_Type
- Data sources (Collection)
* includes Instance Collection period,
* boiler text for SURVEY.Direct_Type, Derived_Type and Administrative_Type fields
* link to Instrument
- Imputation (Suppress if no data release)
- Estimation (Suppress if no data release)
- Quality evaluation (Suppress if no data release)
- Disclosure control (Suppress if no data release)
- Time Series (Suppress if no data release)
- Non-response (Suppress if no data release)

Data sources and methodology

Target population

UNIVERSE_SURVEY_MAP Returned Item_Id=41018 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=1444 Graduates from Canadian public postsecondary education institutions (universities, colleges, trade schools) who graduated or completed the requirements for degrees, diplomas or certificates during the reference calendar year. Excluded are: graduates from private postsecondary education institutions; completers of continuing-education programs (unless these led to a degree, diploma or certificate); part-time trade course completers; persons who completed vocational programs lasting less than three months; persons who completed vocational programs other than in the skilled trades (e.g. basic training and skill development); completers of provincial apprenticeship programs and those living outside of Canada at the time of the survey.

Sampling

This is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design and a longitudinal follow-up.

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=37876 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 The sample design included a core sample and a buy-in sample. The sampling unit was individuals who had completed a certificate, diploma or degree from a post-secondary institution in 1995. The core sample was drawn from a stratified systematic random sample plan, with the stratification based on the province of the institution, the certification level and the field of study. The buy-in sample was added to allow better precision of estimates in specific institutions.

United States residents were not included. Instead, a separate Survey of graduates who moved to the United States (Survey #4436) was carried out in 1999.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: 1997-05-01 to 1997-07-25

Responding to this survey is voluntary.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=37918 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with respondents living in Canada.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .

Imputation

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=38866 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 Imputation was not appropriate for most items and thus 'not stated' codes were usually assigned for missing data. Records which were judged to have insufficient or irreconcilable data were removed from the file.

However, it was determined that there were 1,368 records with missing ages of graduates (GRADAGE), due to missing date of birth information from the institution files for these records. While the number of records affected was relatively small, nevertheless it was felt that, since 'age' was a major classification variable, imputation of the missing data was worthwhile.

The imputation strategy adopted to provide the 1,368 records with the missing age data was to use a similar record substitution approach. Basically, this technique allowed for a search of edited survey records in order to select a donor record age to impute to a missing age record. The following search criteria were used to determine the potential donor records according to the basic sample design and data requirements for the survey:

- Province of institution (PRIN) was used for the respondents' geographical / institutional characteristics;
- Degree / Certificate level (CERSTRAT) and Field of Study strata (FOSSTRAT) to insure similar educational backgrounds; and
- Gender (GNDN) for the sex of the recipients and donors.

For each imputed record, an imputation flag (FAGE) was set to indicate that the derived variables GRADAGE (age at graduation) and AGE9706 (age at the time of interview) were imputed.

Estimation

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=37858 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 Total non-response was handled by adjusting the weight of households who responded to the survey to compensate for those who did not respond.

The basis for measuring the potential size of sampling errors is the standard error of the estimates derived from survey results.

However, because of the large variety of estimates that can be produced from a survey, the standard error of an estimate is usually expressed relative to the estimate to which it pertains. This resulting measure, known as the coefficient of variation (C.V.) of an estimate, is obtained by dividing the standard error of the estimate by the estimate itself and is expressed as a percentage of the estimate.

Disclosure control

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=38100 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

In order to prevent any data disclosure, confidentiality analysis is done using the Statistics Canada Generalized Disclosure Control System (G-Confid). G-Confid is used for primary suppression (direct disclosure) as well as for secondary suppression (residual disclosure). Direct disclosure occurs when the value in a tabulation cell is composed of or dominated by few enterprises while residual disclosure occurs when confidential information can be derived indirectly by piecing together information from different sources or data series.

Display logic after methodology:
- Data Accuracy
- Documentation links with Preferred name, description related to the Survey and Instance
- Datafile

Data accuracy

METHODOLOGY_AI_MAP Returned Item_Id=38863 with Displayable=1 using Query Item_Id=6012 The sample allocation to the strata was made to allow analysis at useful levels of detail with acceptable and equal reliability levels for all provinces, levels and groups of fields of study.

An independent systematic random sample of allocated size was selected from each stratum.

Once the 'base sample' of 57,560 graduates had been selected, an additional sample of 4,199 graduates was selected. These additional sample units had been purchased by several institutions and provincial agencies in order to supplement their base sample so that better levels of reliability could be attained for their particular institution or province. The additional sample was allocated in such a manner as to meet the reliability requirements specified by the institution or province.

The response rate was 79.6%.