Labour market issues and international employability

1
Labour market issues and international
employability

• Brenda Little
• Principal Policy Analyst
• CHERI
• Employability seminar, Sheffield Hallam
  University, 22 March 2007

2
Relationships between higher education and work

• Dimensions of HE relevant to work
• Quantitative and structural aspects
• Curricula and socialisation
• Educational provision and students options
• Linkages between HE and work
• Labour market and transition
• Regulatory system
• Lifelong learning and work
• Dimensions of work relevant to HE
• Employment and career
• Work tasks and requirements
• Profession
• Quality of work and employment (from Brennan,
  Kogan and Teichler, 1996)

3
A note on definitions

• UK
• Employability ESECT definition a set of
  achievements- skills, understandings and personal
  attributes that make graduates more likely to
  gain employment and be successful in their chosen
  occupations, which benefits themselves, the
  workforce, the community and the economy

4
A note on definitions

• Mainland Europe
• Employability groups of people at risk of being
  unemployed
• ..processes of helping graduates in job search
  and employers in staff recruitmentsmoothness of
  transition.exchange value of studyoverall
  course of career and individuals control over
  itbundles of knowledge and skills that match
  bundles of work assignments (after Teichler,
  2004)
• But changing, post Lisbon Declaration (stresses
  relationship between HE and labour market)

5
International (European ) dimensions

• Two EC-funded studies
• CHEERS (1994/1995 graduates, 3 years after
  graduation)
• REFLEX (1999/2000 graduates, 5 years after
  graduation)

6
Dimensions of HE relevant to work

• Quantitative and structural aspects
• Supplying job-related knowledge and competences
  (human capital)
• Screening or pre-selection function ( prior
  selection in compulsory education systems)
• Curricula and socialisation
• Job-related knowledge and competences (differing
  emphases)
• Lifelong learning and work (concepts of part-time
  study)
• Educational provision and student options
• Variety of subject-specific and thematic
  programmes
• Mandatory or optional aspects

7
Knowledge and skills developed through HE
programmes

• Strong points Europe UK
• Mastery of own field 42 25
• Analytical thinking 36 34
• Ability to rapidly acquire new knowledge 31 24
• Writing reports, documents 23 21
• Working productively with others 20 27
• Weak Points
• Foreign language proficiency 41 51
• Ability to assert authority 26 32
• Ability to negotiate effectively 24 26
• Presenting products, ideas, reports 22 28
• Using computer and the internet 18 15
• (REFLEX study of 1999/2000 graduates,
  forthcoming)

8
Socialisation aspects in relation to work

• Europe UK
• Study related work experience before HE 26 19
• Non study related experience before HE 53 45
• Study related work experience during HE
  45 21
• Non study related work experience during HE
  51 40
• No work experience 18 33
• No placement/internship 48 68
• note programmes shorter in UK
• (REFLEX study of 1999/2000 graduates,
  forthcoming)

9
Educational provision

• Average duration - Europe 60 months
• UK 39 months
• Academic level - Europe Masters
• UK Bachelors
• Followed vocational - Europe 38
• courses UK 27
• (REFLEX study of 1999/2000 graduates,
  forthcoming)

10
Linkages between HE and work

• Labour market and transition
• Role of intermediary agencies
• Transition in to, or continuing with
  pre-existing, work
• Regulatory system
• First degree as conferring professional status
• Tight linkage or looser coupling
• Lifelong learning and work (concepts of part-time
  study)
• Lifelong education and work
• Expectations in relation to continuing personal
  and professional development

11
Labour market and transition

• Top five methods of job search (multiple
  responses)
• Europe UK
• Applied for advertised vacancy 71 68
• Contacted employers on spec 52 40
• Personal connections 31 27
• Public employment agency 36 26
• Used HEI careers/placements office 22 37
• (CHEERS, 1994/1995 graduates)
• Got job through(single response)
• Europe UK
• Contacted employer on own initiative 23 16
• Advert in newspaper 15 24
• Personal connections 14 11
• Approached by employer 11 5
• Through placement during HE 9 5
• (REFLEX, 1999/2000 graduates)

12
Regulatory system

• Tight linkage or looser coupling ?
• High ratings of HE as good basis for
• starting work Europe 59 UK 49
• performing tasks Europe 50 UK 40
• Own or related field needed for 1st job Europe
  82 UK 59
• No particular field needed for 1st job Europe
  12 UK 32
• Initial training (formal) in 1st job Europe
  15 UK 23
• Initial training (informal) in 1st job Europe
  29 UK 24
• (REFLEX, 1999/2000 graduates, forthcoming)

13
Dimensions of work relevant to HE

• Work tasks and requirements
• top ten competences highly required in current
  job (five years after graduation)
• Using time efficiently performing well under
  pressure work productively with others
  co-ordinate activities
• Mastery of own field rapidly acquire new
  knowledge come up with new ideas and solutions
• Make meaning clear to others write reports,
  documents use computers and the internet

14
Dimensions of work relevant to HE

• Work tasks and requirements
• UK top ten competences highly required in
  current job same as Europe overall, but
• more likely to indicate using time efficiently
  working productively with others and making
  meaning clear to others and co-ordinating
  activities
• less likely to indicate mastery of own field, and
  rapidly acquiring new knowledge

15
Dimensions of work relevant to HE

• Work tasks and requirements
• Set of competences highly required in current job
  similar, irrespective of employment sector
• But UK graduates working in public sector much
  more likely (than graduates overall) to rate
  using time efficiently, working productively with
  others, and ability to assert authority as highly
  required

16
Match or mis-match?

• Deficits and surpluses of competences

17
Is there a problem?

• 95 graduates employed ..
• Alignment of skills and knowledge? ..

18
Post Bologna?

• Bachelors to become more likely for entry in to
  labour market?
• Certain elements squeezed out?
• Shifts in UK pattern ?
• Looser link..more flexibility?