Alicia Keir is in her final year of a teaching degree and expects that it will take about two years to find a full-time job once she graduates, but is worried it could take much longer.

"I know people who go up to seven years without finding a permanent position," said Ms Keir, 26, who is studying primary education at the University of Newcastle and lives in Sydney's south-west.

Alicia Keir, who is studying to become a primary school teacher, is worried it could take up to seven years to find a job. Credit:Wolter Peeters

"Each year, I've seen how many teaching graduates come through, it's the luck of the draw whether a spot [in a school is] available."

Across Australia, about 22 university graduates are competing for every new graduate position and many will need to settle for low-paying entry roles "just to get their foot in the jobs market", a new national report has found.