In Finland, many studies have shown that university students consider that their education is too theoretical and is not able to respond to the needs of the changing world of work. For example, university graduates have reported that that their studies rarely develop the kind of skills required in the working life (Tynjälä et al., 2006). On the other hand, students in some studies have not perceived that certain skills that they had learned in the university, such as research skills, thinking skills and problem-solving skills, are necessary skills in the working life (Murtonen et al., 2008; Tynjälä, Helle & Murtonen, 2002). At the same time, research findings show that in addition to domain-specific academic knowledge, employers emphasise more and more what are called generic skills in newly graduated employees (e.g. Tulevaisuusluotain, 2006; Barrie & Prosser, 2004). Therefore, it is not surprising that the developing the connections between universities and the world of work has been emphasised in the Finnish higher education policy at the moment (Education and research 2007-2012). Expanding practical training periods has often been presented as one solution, although teachers are already now worried about how working life can manage with the constant stream of students (Virtanen, Tynjälä & Stenström, 2009). Another solution would be the development of university pedagogy towards models which integrate theory and practice (e.g. Tynjälä, 2008; Guile & Griffiths, 2001; see also Helle et al., 2006; Dochy et al., 2003).

While previous studies have focused more on the sufficiency of the generic skills among graduates, in this study we will examine university students’ experiences of their studies as regards working life connections and the development of generic skills. First, we intend to survey what kind of knowledge and skills the students learn during their higher education. Second, we will examine how university students see the connections between their education and working life and, third, we will analyse what is the relationship between the students’ self-assessed generic skills acquisition and the nature of working life connections of their study programme.

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