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Just over half of the applicants for new graduate nursing jobs in the July round were successful but 47 per cent missed out. 

Statistics released by the Ministry of Health today show that 332 new nurses were matched with jobs in the latest round of ACE nurse graduate job clearinghouse process.

This is the equivalent of 53 per cent of the 648 graduates who applied which is up on the same time last year when 43 per cent of the 662 applicants were successful.*

This latest round saw job applicants slightly down on the previous year while total jobs on offer were up from 285 last year to 350 this year.  Not all jobs on offer in government-subsidised NETP (nursing entry to practice) programmes were filled in the latest round but the 18 unfilled positions are expected to be filled shortly bringing the percentage of successful applicants up to a potential 56 per cent.

Of the 441 first time applicants, that is graduates who sat state finals this month, nearly 62 per cent were successful in getting jobs which was up on the 53 per cent success rate last year.

Graduates from November last year made up 174 of the July round applicants with 53 being successful in their second attempt which leaves 10 per cent of the November 2015 graduates still actively seeking work through the ACE system eight months after graduating.

The Ministry said this was a similar pattern to previous years and it anticipated employers would continue to employ graduates as vacancies arose.

Of the 27 applicants applying for the third time six were offered jobs leaving 4% of last year's July 2015 applicants still seeking work through ACE 12 months after graduating.  There were also six applicants applying for the fourth time and it is understood one of those was successful in this round.

*NB 27 applications were withdrawn prior to the job matching process; either because they gained employment or failed to complete their degree.

(Original article amended at 4.45pm July 21 to add information on application withdrawals)