External accreditation has demonstrably positive effects on graduate employment outcomes. Johnson and colleagues (2022) report a statistically significant 12% improvement in graduate employment rates over a five-year window among institutions subject to cyclical external accreditation (p < .01, n = 340 programmes). This finding establishes a causal link between accreditation pressure and labour market outcomes at the programme level.
The robustness of this effect across 340 programmes makes it one of the stronger empirical anchors available for policy recommendations in this domain. Johnson (2022) therefore provides the primary quantitative justification for the chapter's advocacy of mandatory cyclical accreditation.