The Changing Inter-relationship of Higher Education and the World of Work: Development of a Comparative Approach Focusing Finland and Portugal

Author(s):

Vesa Korhonen(presenting / submitting)Mariana Gaio Alves(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2017

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 01 A,

Paper Session

Time:

2017-08-22

13:15-14:45

Room:

K5.04

Chair:

Georgeta Ion

Contribution

Recognising the changing inter-relationship of higher education and the world of work is the starting point of this paper, which intends to contribute to the understanding of these changes throughout a comparative analysis of the situation in two European countries: Finland and Portugal. The changing inter-relationship of higher education and the world of work is approached from three different levels: society, institutions and individuals.

At the societal level, it must be signalled that society and working life have become more uncertain and complex in European societies in recent years implying that individuals have to make choices concerning transitions between education and work under increasingly uncertain and unpredictable conditions. Being so, the concept of ‘transition regimes’ proposed by Walther (Walther, 2006; Walther et al., 2006) refers to different national and local configurations of the regulation of transitions, stressing European diversity. Nevertheless, within previous joint research (Alves & Korhonen, 2016) we concluded that significant similarities are also identifiable regarding higher education graduates’ transitions between education and work in Finland and Portugal. Namely, the general ideas about transition patterns becoming increasingly complex and trends of working while studying for a master’s degree being significant are supported by the data previously analysed, as well as the intention to continue studying in higher education after concluding a master’s degree must also be marked in groups of graduates from both countries (Alves & Korhonen, 2016).

When looking more closely at the institutional level and drawing on the conceptualisation by Leuze (2010) there are special features to be contemplated related to the labour market segmentation in each country, institutional reputation for employment of concrete universities and occupational specificity of higher education degrees as important factors to be considered in comparative studies of transitions. These factors appear to be linked to differences within transitions between higher education and the world of work experienced by groups of graduates in Finland and Portugal, as well as other variables (such as gender, age and socioeconomic position) might also affect the individuals’ transitions in various ways (Alves & Korhonen, 2016). Overall, a theoretical framework that comprises the mentioned societal factors, local constellations of institutional systems (in higher education and in the world of work) and individual agency is outlined in the paper in order to guide the analysis.

Evans and Heinz (1994) introduced the concept of transition pattern in a European comparative framework and it has been used as modelling the transition between higher education and work (e.g. Kivinen & Nurmi, 2003; Lindberg, 2007; 2008). According to Plug and du Bois-Reymond (2006) transition patterns result from the interplay between the structural dimension of different trajectories and the agency dimension of different transition strategies what individuals apply. By following these definitions, we defined the non-problematic, fluid pattern as “smooth” pattern and the other alternative patterns further as “uncertain” and “prolonged” patterns in our previous research (Alves & Korhonen, 2016).

Within this framework, this paper’s overall aim is to further develop a comparative approach focusing Finland and Portugal enabling both to enrich the understanding of the changing nature of the relationship between higher education and the world of work and to deepen the knowledge about the situation in both countries. The research assembles available data-sets (like Eurostat, OECD report) regarding national trends in each country, as well as data from the employability surveys of a Finnish and a Portuguese universities. Thus, the analysis will allow us to characterise the transitions of higher education graduates in different national contexts, aiming at illustrating the European diversity and promoting the reflection upon societal, institutional and individual factors and variables that also frame transitions.

Method

The research reported in the paper assembles data regarding national trends in Finland and in Portugal, as well as data from the employability surveys of one university in each of these two countries. Data about national trends is collected from the statistical reports issued by the Eurostat about the situation of tertiary education graduates regarding activity and employment rates; temporary employees; occupations’ adjustment to education; young people not in education, employment or training (NEET); and mean income. Additionally, data from the OECD’s report “Education at a Glance 2016” enables to characterize the evolution in the number and profile (gender, area and level of studies) of higher education students and graduates in both countries. Furthermore, this contribution draws on the secondary analysis of data collected throughout the employability surveys answered by graduates from two universities (Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Tampere University) in different countries (respectively, Portugal and Finland), following previously joint research (Alves & Korhonen, 2016). Taking into account the analysis of employment data collected in 2011 (graduates questioned one year after graduating) in both universities already reported (Alves & Korhonen, 2016) we additionally consider in this paper data from similar employment surveys collected in 2015. Overall, the current research will enable to update the analysis of the surveys’ results considering graduates that have finished higher education recently, as well as it allows to consider additional data on the national situation in each country throughout using Eurostat and OCDE data sets. Thus, we intend to consider the changing inter-relationship of higher education and the world of work within the current European context of global crisis and economical downward envisaging possible future developments of graduates’ employability in Finland and in Portugal. Two main research questions guide the current comparison: (1) What is the overall picture of transitions patterns (smooth, uncertain, prolonged) between higher education and work in compared universities and disciplinary fields and in different years (2011 and 2015 surveys)? (2) What kinds of factors are possibly connected to the applied transition patterns in compared universities at individual (gender, age and socioeconomic position), at institutional (occupational specificity of the education, institutional reputation, regulative labour market dynamics) and at societal level (regulative societal trends)?

Expected Outcomes

It has been frequently pointed out in Europe that the “smooth” or “linear” transition from education to work has never been the routine for all and that it has increasingly being replaced by de-standardised and prolonged transitions (Walther & Pohl, 2005). In our previous comparison, based on 2011 survey data, differences between transitions experienced by Portuguese and Finnish university graduates were signalled and an increasing trend noticeable specially amongst Finnish graduates towards “uncertain” or “prolonged” transitions was identified (Alves & Korhonen, 2016). Additionally, the comparative analysis of the employability data from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Tampere University indicated that labor market segmentation in each country, institutional reputation for employment of concrete universities and occupational specificity of higher education degrees are also important factors to be considered in comparative studies of transitions (Alves & Korhonen, 2016). Moreover, variables such as gender were also recognized as framing transitions and gender inequality emerged as more pronounced in the Finnish case, given that the percentage of women amongst graduates is particularly high but they are more frequently involved in uncertain and prolonged transition pattern (Alves & Korhonen, 2016). Therefore, we expect to characterize changes that might have happened in recent years regarding transitions patterns (smooth, uncertain, prolonged) between higher education and work in the context of economic crisis in Europe. Also, we expect to further explore which factors and variables are possibly connected to transition patterns at individual (gender, age and socioeconomic position), at institutional (occupational specificity of the education, institutional reputation, regulative labour market dynamics) and at societal level (regulative societal trends). Actually, with the support of new data-sets (country specific statistics, employment surveys from 2015) we anticipate achieving a more clear and profound picture of the complexity of the changing inter-relationship of higher education and the world of work.

References

Alves, M.G. & Korhonen, V. 2016. Transitions and trajectories from higher education to work and back – A comparison between Finnish and Portuguese graduates. European Educational Research Journal, DOI: 10.1177/1474904116661200. Evans, K. & Heinz, W.R. (eds.) 1994. Becoming Adults in England and Germany. London: Anglo-German Foundation. Kivinen, O. & Nurmi, J. 2003. Unifying higher education for different kinds of Europeans. Higher education and work: A comparison of ten countries. Comparative Education 39(1): 83–103. Leuze, K. 2010. Smooth Path or Long and Winding Road? How Institutions Shape the Transition from Higher Education to Work. Leverkusen Obladen: Budrich Unipress Ltd. Available at: www.pedocs.de/voll-texte/2011/3558/pdf/Leuze_Smooth_Path_2010_D_A.pdf (accessed 3 March 2016). Lindberg, M. 2007. Connections between the segmentation of participation and the distribution of occupational status – Comparison of higher education participation and graduate employment in nine European countries. In: Rinne R, Heikkinen A and Salo P (eds) Adult Education – Liberty, Fraternity, Equality? Jyväskylä: Finnish Educational Research Association, 275–296. Lindberg, M. 2008. Diverse routes from school, via higher education, to employment. A comparison of nine European countries. Research Unit for the Sociology of Education. Report 70. University of Turku. Plug, W. & du Bois-Reymond, M. 2006. Transition patterns between structure and agency. In: Walther A, du Bois-Reymond M and Biggart A (eds) Participation in Transition. Motivation of Young Adults in Europe for Learning and Working. Berlin: Peter Lang, 107–125. Walther, A. 2006. Regimes of youth transitions: Choice, flexibility and security in young people’s experiences across different European contexts. Young 14(2): 119–139. Walther, A. & Pohl, A. 2005. Thematic Study on Policy Measures concerning Disadvantaged Youth. Final Report. Volume 1. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_inclusion/docs/youth_ study_en.pdf (accessed 9 January 2014). Walther A, du Bois-Reymond M. & Biggart, A. (eds) 2006. Participation in Transition. Motivation of Young Adults in Europe for Learning and Working. Berlin: Peter Lang.

Author Information

Vesa Korhonen (presenting / submitting)

University of Tampere

Faculty of Education

Univ. Of Tampere

Mariana Gaio Alves (presenting)

UIED - FCT/Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Caparica

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