The Foundation is Swamped at the 2026 Big Meet Events

Every year, the Australian Association of Graduate Employers hosts career fairs in capital cities for university students. As a long-time member of AAGE, the ACS Foundation is delighted to take part in these events. This year, the Foundation team staffed booths in Sydney and Melbourne to assist thousands of university students in exploring technology career opportunities.

High level view of the Sydney Big Meet - March 26, 2026

History of the 2026 Big Meet Events

Previously, each university's individual schools organized their own industry career fairs for students. This arrangement required employers looking for talented graduates to attend numerous events to connect with potential candidates. The Big Meet addresses this issue by consolidating a single career fair that includes all universities and disciplines in one location. This allows employers to meet job-ready students in one venue, while students can explore a comprehensive array of hiring employers.

Alya Emira participated in both the Melbourne and Sydney Big Meet events.

Overview of the 2026 Big Meet Events

This year, there was an especially high number of students looking for job opportunities. The Beg Meet lasted 4.5 hours, with Foundation staff continuously engaging with students. Students queued in two lines to speak with staff, and each line often had 15 people waiting.

This demand highlights the challenging job market for recent technology graduates. The availability of graduate positions is not matching the number of new STEM graduates. If the industry does not quickly increase entry-level STEM positions, Australia will face a significant IT unemployment problem among Generation Z.

The Cost of Ignoring the Imbalance

There are several factors at play, such as immigration policies and the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, which are affecting supply and demand issues. However, the social consequences of overlooking this imbalance should not be ignored. Australia takes pride in educating talented technology students. Each graduate is an individual, often with families to support. The social contract of encouraging students to pursue IT degrees as career paths must be matched by the industry's responsibility to offer new entry-level jobs. Failing to do so could disillusion an entire generation and be seen as an act of collective deception and immorality.

The ACS Foundation is committed to providing new graduates with entry level opportunities. If you would like to host a talented recent graduate within your business, please email us at info@acsfoundation.com.au