Calum Shand, 26, found it very hard to get a job when he returned to Australia from working in the UK

A student who made 80 different versions of his CV to try and find a job has called for all higher education facilities in Australia to offer work experience placements to better prepare students for the work place.

Calum Shand, 26, from Melbourne, studied a graphic design course at college before going to the UK to work for a shoe company in their marketing and design department.

With youth unemployment at an all time high when he returned to Australia he says he found it impossible to find a job in design and ended up managing a fashion store temporarily while he sent out applications.

'In those two years I must have applied for over 80 jobs and that was from barista positions to junior design positions,' Mr Shand told Daily Mail Australia.

'It is more important than ever that all higher education establishments have work placements in their courses so these students can be properly prepared for the workplace.

'When I got back to Melbourne I found that the competition was high for jobs so I knew I needed my BA to be given a chance, even though I had had bits and pieces of work over the years.

'I knew the store I worked in was not a stable job, but I used my time there to talk to people and make contacts.

'I actually got quite a lot of freelance work from there.'

While working at the shop Mr Shand got talking to a lecturer from the Billy Blue College of Design based in Melbourne.

He told Mr Shand about the 'alternative approach' the college offered and he later enrolled on a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design and will soon graduate.

Mr Shand says he sent off more than 80 applications in the two years he was job hunting before his degree

'Most of our lecturers are actively working in design, which makes the whole experience more meaningful and relevant as we can keep up to date with what's happening,' he said.

Mr Shand is now studying in a 'functional studio' and building industry connections – something that is invaluable for designers.

The college also has lots of work experience programmes built into their courses to prepare students for the work place.

New research shows that youth unemployment is climbing, reaching as high as 20 per cent in some areas of Australia.

Mr Chand added: 'It is getting harder for young people to find jobs and sometimes it is like full time job trying to find a job.

'It takes an enormous amount of time to apply for jobs. I made 80 different versions of my CV and tailored them all to different jobs. You have to make your applications stand out.'

Data from the Department of Education shows that up to 30 per cent of university students are out of work four months after finishing their degree.

Linda Brown, CEO of Think Education says there is an 'experience shortage' in Australia

Youth unemployment hit a 12-year high in June and a growing number of people in part-time jobs say they are not working enough hours, ABC reported in June.

Youth unemployment is climbing, reaching as high as 20 per cent in some areas.

Linda Brown, CEO of Think Education and who has 24 years experience, which runs Billy Blue College of Design, says the problem isn't a skills shortage but an 'experience shortage', and that we need to be rethinking education to ensure students are 'work ready'.

Think Education has carried out research and found that he top three things young Australians want from their education are knowledge and skills that lead to a job (37 per cent), a broad and varied knowledge (26 per cent) and a recognised qualification (19 per cent).

Ms Brown told Daily Mail Australia: 'I was surprised with the results, one of the the key points was that just 61 per cent felt empowered by their education.

'At Think Education we make sure every student has work experience built into their courses.

'We are working in partnership with education and businesses.

'They need to work together, it's an experience shortage.

'The students need to get that experience and it can be by volunteering or just liaising with employers.

'Students need to have the education as well as the vocation and they need to be able to learn with passion.'

Billy Blue College of Design in Melbourne where Mr Shand has just finished studying

A student taking a practical approach to learning at Billy Blue College of Design in Melbourne

A spokesman for Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, said: 'The quality of university teaching and learning is an important issue.

'A high-quality university education includes many elements, including the acquisition of knowledge, student satisfaction and engagement, and employment readiness.

'Australian universities are amongst the best in the world, but their capacity to get better and deliver better outcomes for graduates is under threat.

'The Abbott Government's plans to impose massive cuts on universities, along with increased fees and compound interest on student loans will hurt and hinder this effort.'

Education minister Chris Pyne said his government would be carrying out surveys this year

Mr Pyne told Daily Mail Australia the government would be carrying out 'surveys for higher education, that cover the student life cycle from commencement to employment'.

He said they would be carrying out specific surveys in university experience, graduate outcomes ad employer satisfaction and the results would be out in August 2015.

TOP TIPS TO FINDING A JOB 1. People looking for jobs need drive, you need to chase your dream. 2. You need to talk to people, face to face, and on social media sites like LinkedIn. 3. You need to always make new connections. 4. Tailor your CV to different jobs. 5. Go in and meet people face to face if you can or make a call, don't just rely on sending applications from the internet. Advertisement

A spokesman for Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, said: 'The quality of university teaching and learning is an important issue.

'A high-quality university education includes many elements, including the acquisition of knowledge, student satisfaction and engagement, and employment readiness.

'Australian universities are amongst the best in the world, but their capacity to get better and deliver better outcomes for graduates is under threat.