Eurostat news release 139/2019
Eurostat regional yearbook 2019
Is it easier to find a job in your region than in other regions of the European Union (EU)?
Is the median age of the population higher or lower than elsewhere in the EU?
What are the main business activities of your region?
How much money is invested in research and innovation?
Is your region richer than others?
Which region has the highest internet use?
You can find answers to these and many more questions in the 2019 edition of Eurostat’s regional yearbook, published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. It presents statistics on population, health, education and training, the labour market, the economy, structural business statistics, research and innovation, the digital economy and society, tourism, transport and agriculture. It also includes a chapter on EU cities and a chapter on regional socioeconomic developments. This news release focuses on the median age of the population, the employment rate for recent graduates and a ranking of the most populated cities (including their commuting zones).
Continue reading Five-page PDF with useful charts and maps.
Showing posts with label graduates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graduates. Show all posts
Friday, 20 September 2019
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
‘Talent-spotting’ or ‘social magic’? Inequality, cultural sorting and constructions of the ideal graduate in elite professions
an article by Nicola Ingram (Lancaster University, UK) and Kim Allen (University of Leeds, UK) published in The Sociological Review Volume 67 Issue 3 (May 2019)
Abstract
Graduate outcomes – including rates of employment and earnings – are marked by persistent inequalities related to social class, as well as gender, ethnicity and institution. Despite national policy agendas related to social mobility and ‘fair access to the professions’, high-status occupations are disproportionately composed of those from socially privileged backgrounds, and evidence suggests that in recent decades many professions have become less socially representative.
This article makes an original contribution to sociological studies of inequalities in graduate transitions and elite reproduction through a distinct focus on the ‘pre-hiring’ practices of graduate employers.
It does this through a critical analysis of the graduate recruitment material of two popular graduate employers. It shows how, despite espousing commitments to diversity and inclusion, constructions of the ‘ideal’ graduate privilege individuals who can mobilise and embody certain valued capitals.
Using Bourdieusian concepts of ‘social magic’ and ‘institutional habitus’, the article argues that more attention must be paid to how graduate employers’ practices constitute tacit processes of social exclusion and thus militate against the achievement of more equitable graduate outcomes and fair access to the ‘top jobs’.
Abstract
Graduate outcomes – including rates of employment and earnings – are marked by persistent inequalities related to social class, as well as gender, ethnicity and institution. Despite national policy agendas related to social mobility and ‘fair access to the professions’, high-status occupations are disproportionately composed of those from socially privileged backgrounds, and evidence suggests that in recent decades many professions have become less socially representative.
This article makes an original contribution to sociological studies of inequalities in graduate transitions and elite reproduction through a distinct focus on the ‘pre-hiring’ practices of graduate employers.
It does this through a critical analysis of the graduate recruitment material of two popular graduate employers. It shows how, despite espousing commitments to diversity and inclusion, constructions of the ‘ideal’ graduate privilege individuals who can mobilise and embody certain valued capitals.
Using Bourdieusian concepts of ‘social magic’ and ‘institutional habitus’, the article argues that more attention must be paid to how graduate employers’ practices constitute tacit processes of social exclusion and thus militate against the achievement of more equitable graduate outcomes and fair access to the ‘top jobs’.
Tuesday, 10 April 2018
Anticipatory Socialization and the Construction of the Employable Graduate: A Critical Analysis of Employers’ Graduate Careers Websites
an article by Karen Handley (Oxford Brookes University, UK) published in Work, Employment and Society Volume 32 Issue 2 (April 2018)
A discourse of employability saturates the higher education sector in the UK. Government and employers call on universities to produce employable graduates who are attractive to the labour market and can sustain their future marketability by taking responsibility for protean self-development.
While the neoliberal assumptions behind this call have attracted robust critique, the extent to which employers shape graduating students’ subjectivities and sense of worth as (potentially employable) workers has escaped scrutiny. Inspired by Foucauldian analyses of human resource management (HRM) practices, this article examines employers’ graduate careers websites and explores the discursive construction of the ‘employable graduate’.
The article contends that these websites function as a mechanism of anticipatory socialization through which HRM practices extend managerial control into the transitional space of pre-recruitment, with the aim of engaging students’ consent to particular norms of employability.
Abstract
While the neoliberal assumptions behind this call have attracted robust critique, the extent to which employers shape graduating students’ subjectivities and sense of worth as (potentially employable) workers has escaped scrutiny. Inspired by Foucauldian analyses of human resource management (HRM) practices, this article examines employers’ graduate careers websites and explores the discursive construction of the ‘employable graduate’.
The article contends that these websites function as a mechanism of anticipatory socialization through which HRM practices extend managerial control into the transitional space of pre-recruitment, with the aim of engaging students’ consent to particular norms of employability.
Saturday, 24 March 2018
Only the truly ignorant would rank universities according to graduate earnings
an article by Suzanne Moore published in the Guardian
The government thinks education can be bought and sold like a vacuum cleaner – how spectacularly stupid can you get?
University workers and students on strike
Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA
There ain’t half been some clever bastards, as Ian Dury once said. It is a pity none of them are involved in running our universities. Those who do appear unable to evaluate evidence, understand data or do comparative analysis. They lack in basic skills. What else could explain this “idea” that universities be ranked on the earnings of their graduates? Obviously, graduates’ earnings do not depend just on where they did their degree, but on several factors. D’oh! Do I need to spell this out? Earnings vary according to subject and career choice. Some jobs may never produce high incomes, but they enrich society, whether this be in nursing or the arts. Wages in all sectors vary according to location, with people in the south-east earning more.
The prime factor that determines the lot of graduates remains the wealth of the student’s family. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies in 2016 showed that the top 10% of highest-earning men from rich backgrounds earned 20% more than the top 10% of highest-earning men from poorer ones. Social mobility had already stalled before the introduction of tuition fees, but the monetisation of this whole sector means it is but a pipe dream.
Continue reading
The government thinks education can be bought and sold like a vacuum cleaner – how spectacularly stupid can you get?
University workers and students on strike
Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA
There ain’t half been some clever bastards, as Ian Dury once said. It is a pity none of them are involved in running our universities. Those who do appear unable to evaluate evidence, understand data or do comparative analysis. They lack in basic skills. What else could explain this “idea” that universities be ranked on the earnings of their graduates? Obviously, graduates’ earnings do not depend just on where they did their degree, but on several factors. D’oh! Do I need to spell this out? Earnings vary according to subject and career choice. Some jobs may never produce high incomes, but they enrich society, whether this be in nursing or the arts. Wages in all sectors vary according to location, with people in the south-east earning more.
The prime factor that determines the lot of graduates remains the wealth of the student’s family. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies in 2016 showed that the top 10% of highest-earning men from rich backgrounds earned 20% more than the top 10% of highest-earning men from poorer ones. Social mobility had already stalled before the introduction of tuition fees, but the monetisation of this whole sector means it is but a pipe dream.
Continue reading
Monday, 19 March 2018
Employability: a contemporary review for higher education stakeholders
an article by Lynlea Small, Kate Shacklock and Teresa Marchant (Griffith University, Southport, Australia) published in Journal of Vocational Education & Training Volume 70 Issue 1 (March 2018)
Abstract
Higher education institutions are under pressure to produce employable graduates who are required to contribute to the sustainability of strong economic growth and development. As such, the onus is on the higher education sector to present graduates to the labour market who are both work ready and have attained employability.
This article contributes to the discussion surrounding the employability of graduates by:
Importantly, the article summarises the contemporary theoretical bases of employability in the one place. Recommendations are made regarding further research and the need for further theoretical contributions.
Abstract
Higher education institutions are under pressure to produce employable graduates who are required to contribute to the sustainability of strong economic growth and development. As such, the onus is on the higher education sector to present graduates to the labour market who are both work ready and have attained employability.
This article contributes to the discussion surrounding the employability of graduates by:
- enhancing understanding and discussing contemporary evidence and debate around employability;
- showing the genesis, influence and synthesis of the major models associated with employability;
- summarising the boundaries and barriers to graduate employment;
- and exploring the determinants of employability from the employer’s perspective.
Importantly, the article summarises the contemporary theoretical bases of employability in the one place. Recommendations are made regarding further research and the need for further theoretical contributions.
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Latest Longitudinal Outcomes (LEO) shows that the gender pay gap is present just one year after graduation
via AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) on 19 June 2017
The Department for Education (DfE) have released the third in a series of higher education data releases using Longitudinal Outcomes (LEO) data. LEO data shows how much UK graduates of different courses at different universities were earning, after one, three and five years after graduation. The data, which is still in a very raw format and comes with a number of caveats, has allowed analysts to start to identify a number of significant trends within the graduate labour market and see how these evolve over time.
Emerging data trends
Indeed, one of the most alarming trends to emerge from initial analysis of the data was the influence of gender. The data clearly indicates that the gender pay gap exists from the very beginning of the graduate career. The DfE found that in twelve subjects, male earnings are greater than female earnings at more than 75% of institutions. They also found that only one year after graduation, men’s median salaries outperform women’s by £2,000, rising to a gap of £3,400 after three years. Whilst university admissions have overall seen a higher proportion of women than men enrolling in recent years, the gender pay gap remains a problem for women entering the graduate labour market.
In addition to the clear gender differential, the data allows highlights a number of other factors that influence graduates’ medium to long term earning potential.
Unsurprisingly, the analysis shows higher earnings potential for STEM courses compared to arts and humanities courses. This shows that the labour market continues to have greater demand for graduate skills in STEM subjects. However, these courses remain the most expensive courses to teach, often requiring cross-subsidy from cheaper courses in the arts.
Issues with the data
It is important to remember that the LEO data is not contextualised in any way, meaning that certain factors are ignored when comparing different institutions, such as regional variations in salary. The DfE states in the supporting document that further analysis will be conducted which will look to contextualise this data set.
The 23 subject areas are based on an amalgamation of JACS codes. These depend heavily on how institutions have coded their courses and can throw up some anomalies in analysis. The subject areas also amalgamate courses where the career trajectories and destinations may be hugely different - Architecture, Building and Planning is a good example where Architecture students would have a very different career trajectory to those choosing Town Planning, for example.
An important element of the dataset revolves around graduates’ attainment prior to commencing their undergraduate degree. However, the assessment of students’ prior attainment merely covers their A-level scores and still doesn’t factor in any other qualifications (e.g. BTECs). It is also possible that other factors could be at play, such as gender, which could account for the large discrepancies in the data.
The LEO data has not been designed to identify the universities with the best teaching or ‘value added’ potential, nor can it be viewed as a performance or earning indicator. Instead it is purely historical data, and whilst it is very useful, future labour market outcomes are arguably far too complex for predictions to be made based upon previous outcomes. However, the stark gender and subject contrasts revealed in this report are simply too great to be ignored and need to be addressed within future policy making.
View the full report
The Department for Education (DfE) have released the third in a series of higher education data releases using Longitudinal Outcomes (LEO) data. LEO data shows how much UK graduates of different courses at different universities were earning, after one, three and five years after graduation. The data, which is still in a very raw format and comes with a number of caveats, has allowed analysts to start to identify a number of significant trends within the graduate labour market and see how these evolve over time.
Emerging data trends
Indeed, one of the most alarming trends to emerge from initial analysis of the data was the influence of gender. The data clearly indicates that the gender pay gap exists from the very beginning of the graduate career. The DfE found that in twelve subjects, male earnings are greater than female earnings at more than 75% of institutions. They also found that only one year after graduation, men’s median salaries outperform women’s by £2,000, rising to a gap of £3,400 after three years. Whilst university admissions have overall seen a higher proportion of women than men enrolling in recent years, the gender pay gap remains a problem for women entering the graduate labour market.
In addition to the clear gender differential, the data allows highlights a number of other factors that influence graduates’ medium to long term earning potential.
Unsurprisingly, the analysis shows higher earnings potential for STEM courses compared to arts and humanities courses. This shows that the labour market continues to have greater demand for graduate skills in STEM subjects. However, these courses remain the most expensive courses to teach, often requiring cross-subsidy from cheaper courses in the arts.
Issues with the data
It is important to remember that the LEO data is not contextualised in any way, meaning that certain factors are ignored when comparing different institutions, such as regional variations in salary. The DfE states in the supporting document that further analysis will be conducted which will look to contextualise this data set.
The 23 subject areas are based on an amalgamation of JACS codes. These depend heavily on how institutions have coded their courses and can throw up some anomalies in analysis. The subject areas also amalgamate courses where the career trajectories and destinations may be hugely different - Architecture, Building and Planning is a good example where Architecture students would have a very different career trajectory to those choosing Town Planning, for example.
An important element of the dataset revolves around graduates’ attainment prior to commencing their undergraduate degree. However, the assessment of students’ prior attainment merely covers their A-level scores and still doesn’t factor in any other qualifications (e.g. BTECs). It is also possible that other factors could be at play, such as gender, which could account for the large discrepancies in the data.
The LEO data has not been designed to identify the universities with the best teaching or ‘value added’ potential, nor can it be viewed as a performance or earning indicator. Instead it is purely historical data, and whilst it is very useful, future labour market outcomes are arguably far too complex for predictions to be made based upon previous outcomes. However, the stark gender and subject contrasts revealed in this report are simply too great to be ignored and need to be addressed within future policy making.
View the full report
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Review of literature on Graduate Employability
an article by Erabaddage Gishan Tharanga Sumanasiri, Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid and Ali Khatibi (Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia) published in Journal of Studies in Education Volume 5 Number 3 (2015)
Abstract
There is increasing pressure from governments, funding organizations, students and parents on universities around the world since graduate employability has been clearly recognized as one of the main objectives of university education. Accreditation bodies also appear to measure quality of education through the contributions made towards employability.
In such a context one would assume that employability of university graduates to be clearly understood and extensively researched area. However, the real situation appears to be one which requires the urgent attention of all stakeholders of university education.
A review of literature on graduate employability is a clear need today and current paper achieves this by summarizing the major articles on university graduate employability theoretical frameworks and empirical studies. Despite the large number of studies, graduate employability appears to be suffering from the problems of lack of theoretical control and politicization which appear to have become major obstacles for future developments of the concept.
Full Text (PDF 14pp)
Hazel’s comment:
Is university education only about employability?
Is it even about employability?
Abstract
There is increasing pressure from governments, funding organizations, students and parents on universities around the world since graduate employability has been clearly recognized as one of the main objectives of university education. Accreditation bodies also appear to measure quality of education through the contributions made towards employability.
In such a context one would assume that employability of university graduates to be clearly understood and extensively researched area. However, the real situation appears to be one which requires the urgent attention of all stakeholders of university education.
A review of literature on graduate employability is a clear need today and current paper achieves this by summarizing the major articles on university graduate employability theoretical frameworks and empirical studies. Despite the large number of studies, graduate employability appears to be suffering from the problems of lack of theoretical control and politicization which appear to have become major obstacles for future developments of the concept.
Full Text (PDF 14pp)
Hazel’s comment:
Is university education only about employability?
Is it even about employability?
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Recovery position
The View from HECSU by Charlie Ball
Today’s AGR survey findings reinforce that we are in a recovery – or at least a recovery for graduates. This builds on the High Fliers report from last week, and is very much along the same lines. That’s not surprising, as they’re both surveying the same employers – but the AGR has twice as many.
Let’s not fixate too much on the specific numbers – public sector recruitment will not be up 13% this year, the figure merely represents how important Teach First is to the sample. The AGR survey is excellent data for the AGR sample, but it’s not yet representative of the entire graduate jobs market. In that vein, it’s refreshing to see that the AGR have not included a salary figure in the press release as their salary figures, although fine in context of their high profile, high status graduate training schemes, are some way away from the experience of most graduates.
The crucial thing is that employment is on the up, and for graduates, the recession is essentially over and we’re well into recovery. Another sign that this is taking place is in the AGR noting that vacancies are going unfilled and students are turning down job offers. Some of the offers that business has become used to making in the last few years will look less attractive in a job market that is improving, and with applicants who are more confident that they have other options. And there are outright skills shortages - the AGR mention IT, where all the reports agree there are developing shortages of graduates.
So, the signs are that after a long period where employers held the all the cards when dealing with students and graduates, that the advantage may be moving back towards applicants. That doesn’t mean graduates won't have to work hard to get jobs, but it does mean that this year’s finalists can be a little more confident about the future.
Today’s AGR survey findings reinforce that we are in a recovery – or at least a recovery for graduates. This builds on the High Fliers report from last week, and is very much along the same lines. That’s not surprising, as they’re both surveying the same employers – but the AGR has twice as many.
Let’s not fixate too much on the specific numbers – public sector recruitment will not be up 13% this year, the figure merely represents how important Teach First is to the sample. The AGR survey is excellent data for the AGR sample, but it’s not yet representative of the entire graduate jobs market. In that vein, it’s refreshing to see that the AGR have not included a salary figure in the press release as their salary figures, although fine in context of their high profile, high status graduate training schemes, are some way away from the experience of most graduates.
The crucial thing is that employment is on the up, and for graduates, the recession is essentially over and we’re well into recovery. Another sign that this is taking place is in the AGR noting that vacancies are going unfilled and students are turning down job offers. Some of the offers that business has become used to making in the last few years will look less attractive in a job market that is improving, and with applicants who are more confident that they have other options. And there are outright skills shortages - the AGR mention IT, where all the reports agree there are developing shortages of graduates.
So, the signs are that after a long period where employers held the all the cards when dealing with students and graduates, that the advantage may be moving back towards applicants. That doesn’t mean graduates won't have to work hard to get jobs, but it does mean that this year’s finalists can be a little more confident about the future.
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Graduate labour market buoyant, report heads of university careers services
A new survey from the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) reveals that the vast majority of the heads of careers and employability services believe that the graduate labour market improved further in 2014.
Continue reading
Continue reading
Monday, 12 August 2013
Graduates in media industries - degrees, institutions and grades
To use a cliché that would not I normally “does what it says on the tin”
Statistics and charts from HECSU
Statistics and charts from HECSU
Monday, 5 August 2013
Does your university choice affect your job choice?
A blog post from HECSU provides the obvious affirmative answer and then goes on to provide detail of the occupations and the institutions
Fascinating, especially if, like me, you find graphs and charts easier to read than text.
Read it for yourself here.
Fascinating, especially if, like me, you find graphs and charts easier to read than text.
Read it for yourself here.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Graduate earnings premium 'drops by a third' in 20 years
via Telegraph Education by Graeme Paton
The value of a degree has slumped by almost a third in the last 20 years because of a sharp rise in the number of people taking university courses, according to research.
Continue reading
Hazel’s comment:
Are we supposed to be surprised by this?
The value of a degree has slumped by almost a third in the last 20 years because of a sharp rise in the number of people taking university courses, according to research.
Continue reading
Hazel’s comment:
Are we supposed to be surprised by this?
Monday, 25 March 2013
Who attends work-related training five years after graduation? A comparison across European countries
an article by Liv Anne Støren (NIFU, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, Norway) published in International Journal of Lifelong Education
Volume 32 Issue 2 (March-April 2013)
Abstract
What are the driving forces behind the unequal distribution of training after graduation among higher education graduates? Participation in lifelong learning is restricted here to work-related training.
The paper aims at examining the mechanisms that cause variation in training rates, by taking into account fields of study, personal competency profiles, preferences, motivation and effort, as well as job and workplace-related characteristics and social- and human-capital related variables.
International survey data (the Reflex study) five years after graduation are employed.
The results indicate that participation in work-related training is mainly triggered by push-factors at the workplace, as well as by motivational factors.
The training rates vary across countries, with an especially low participation rate in Norway, and a high participation rate in Finland.
The paper discusses the possible reasons for this variation.
Abstract
What are the driving forces behind the unequal distribution of training after graduation among higher education graduates? Participation in lifelong learning is restricted here to work-related training.
The paper aims at examining the mechanisms that cause variation in training rates, by taking into account fields of study, personal competency profiles, preferences, motivation and effort, as well as job and workplace-related characteristics and social- and human-capital related variables.
International survey data (the Reflex study) five years after graduation are employed.
The results indicate that participation in work-related training is mainly triggered by push-factors at the workplace, as well as by motivational factors.
The training rates vary across countries, with an especially low participation rate in Norway, and a high participation rate in Finland.
The paper discusses the possible reasons for this variation.
Monday, 14 January 2013
Giving students equal opportunities to reach university is not enough
via Guardian Education news, comment and analysis by Charlotte Leslie
To reach the professions, the less well-off need support to develop vital networking and social skills
Sometimes in politics there’s a tendency for the best of intentions to surreptitiously breed assumptions. So much energy builds up around solving one issue that other problems surrounding it fade into the background, and it becomes easy to assume that everything else is OK. One of these assumptions is about social mobility.
Devastating statistics show that only 16% of students eligible for free school meals go on to university, as opposed to 96% of private school students. Facts such as these are shocking and rightly gather a focus of political will to ensure that children from state schools have an equal opportunity to reach a university that can enable them to fulfil their potential.
Continue reading
Hazel’s comment:
This piece reminded me, painfully, of the interview for a place on the fast track programme for the Civil Service. I, with many others, was in a waiting room when I was asked by this toff about my university experience.
“I don’t have one, I’m an in-service candidate.”
“How interesting. Which department are you with?”
On admitting that I worked in the Employment Exchange in Ramsgate and hearing his drawled, “that’s somewhere on the coast, isn’t it?” I lost any confidence I might have had.
Passed the exam, failed the interview!
The following year (only just under the age-limit) I failed the exam.
To reach the professions, the less well-off need support to develop vital networking and social skills
Sometimes in politics there’s a tendency for the best of intentions to surreptitiously breed assumptions. So much energy builds up around solving one issue that other problems surrounding it fade into the background, and it becomes easy to assume that everything else is OK. One of these assumptions is about social mobility.
Devastating statistics show that only 16% of students eligible for free school meals go on to university, as opposed to 96% of private school students. Facts such as these are shocking and rightly gather a focus of political will to ensure that children from state schools have an equal opportunity to reach a university that can enable them to fulfil their potential.
Continue reading
Hazel’s comment:
This piece reminded me, painfully, of the interview for a place on the fast track programme for the Civil Service. I, with many others, was in a waiting room when I was asked by this toff about my university experience.
“I don’t have one, I’m an in-service candidate.”
“How interesting. Which department are you with?”
On admitting that I worked in the Employment Exchange in Ramsgate and hearing his drawled, “that’s somewhere on the coast, isn’t it?” I lost any confidence I might have had.
Passed the exam, failed the interview!
The following year (only just under the age-limit) I failed the exam.
Monday, 22 October 2012
What Do Graduates Do? 2012 edition published
via AGCAS News Feed
What do Graduates Do? 2012 is now available to download.
It is a collaboration between the AGCAS Education Liaison Task Group and HECSU: HECSU provides the facts from the DLHE returns; AGCAS writers provide the expertise and articles to make sense of the figures.
New layout
The 2012 version of the publication has a new layout, including more easily understood graphs and charts. It is an invaluable resource for HE careers advisers wanting to grasp the essence of the destinations of students from distinct disciplines, as well as gain an overview of issues such as graduate employment, regional variations, self-employment and further study.
How to access What Do Graduates Do? 2012
All AGCAS member services will receive a hard copy of the publication from HECSU. A PDF is also available. The AGCAS Education Liaison Task Group will be seeking feedback in early November about how future issues of the publication might be improved.
Download the latest edition (2012) of What Do Graduates Do? (PDF 80pp)
Download separate PDFs of the discipline sections (a little confusing as the cover and the contents pages are identical to the full version but the actual content is as per the list below).
What do Graduates Do? 2012 is now available to download.
It is a collaboration between the AGCAS Education Liaison Task Group and HECSU: HECSU provides the facts from the DLHE returns; AGCAS writers provide the expertise and articles to make sense of the figures.
New layout
The 2012 version of the publication has a new layout, including more easily understood graphs and charts. It is an invaluable resource for HE careers advisers wanting to grasp the essence of the destinations of students from distinct disciplines, as well as gain an overview of issues such as graduate employment, regional variations, self-employment and further study.
How to access What Do Graduates Do? 2012
All AGCAS member services will receive a hard copy of the publication from HECSU. A PDF is also available. The AGCAS Education Liaison Task Group will be seeking feedback in early November about how future issues of the publication might be improved.
Download the latest edition (2012) of What Do Graduates Do? (PDF 80pp)
Download separate PDFs of the discipline sections (a little confusing as the cover and the contents pages are identical to the full version but the actual content is as per the list below).
- All subjects (PDF 9pp)
- Science (PDF 15pp)
- Maths, IT and computer science (PDF 9pp)
- Engineering and building management (PDF 13pp)
- Social science (PDF 17pp)
- Arts, creative arts and humanities (PDF 17pp)
- Business and administrative studies (PDF 11pp)
- Foundation degrees (PDF 7pp)
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Apprenticeships in England: an overview of current issues
an article by Dionne Lee (Teesside University, Middlesbrough) published in Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning Volumne 2 Issue 3 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
Apprenticeships in England are currently experiencing a revival. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of apprenticeships in England, examine current government policy, and explore current issues around the further development of apprenticeships.
Design/methodology/approach
Desk research, including reviewing other research articles and labour market intelligence has been carried out to provide a general overview of the issues.
Findings
Apprenticeships have traditionally been regarded as the vocational route to stable employment. Although they have sometimes suffered from a poor reputation they are now becoming an increasingly popular option for both younger and older people. The knowledge economy is driving up the demand for higher level skills and concurrent with this is the notion that, in today’s competitive labour market, experience is vital. Not only has this impacted on the popularity of apprenticeships but also upon more traditional “academic” routes such as higher education (HE). In addition it has raised questions about higher level skills and vocational education. The introduction of Higher Apprenticeships and work experience/real world interactions built into HE courses are establishing synergies between the two elements of the skills/education system; however, developing these synergies further is a critical issue for future consideration.
Originality/value
There is a proliferation of publications tracking the nature and value of apprenticeships. This paper traces apprenticeships and their evolution and examines how practices adopted can be applied to newer vocational options being integrated into HE. The paper considers apprenticeships and other vocational options, building on the author’s own discussions with employers and recent graduates.
Abstract
Purpose
Apprenticeships in England are currently experiencing a revival. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of apprenticeships in England, examine current government policy, and explore current issues around the further development of apprenticeships.
Design/methodology/approach
Desk research, including reviewing other research articles and labour market intelligence has been carried out to provide a general overview of the issues.
Findings
Apprenticeships have traditionally been regarded as the vocational route to stable employment. Although they have sometimes suffered from a poor reputation they are now becoming an increasingly popular option for both younger and older people. The knowledge economy is driving up the demand for higher level skills and concurrent with this is the notion that, in today’s competitive labour market, experience is vital. Not only has this impacted on the popularity of apprenticeships but also upon more traditional “academic” routes such as higher education (HE). In addition it has raised questions about higher level skills and vocational education. The introduction of Higher Apprenticeships and work experience/real world interactions built into HE courses are establishing synergies between the two elements of the skills/education system; however, developing these synergies further is a critical issue for future consideration.
Originality/value
There is a proliferation of publications tracking the nature and value of apprenticeships. This paper traces apprenticeships and their evolution and examines how practices adopted can be applied to newer vocational options being integrated into HE. The paper considers apprenticeships and other vocational options, building on the author’s own discussions with employers and recent graduates.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Degrees of Insecurity: Graduate employment issues in Scotland
a paper by Matthew McLister published by Citizens Advice Scotland
Executive Summary
In April 2012, CAS launched an online survey aimed at recent graduates who are unemployed, have struggled to find a graduate level job or have faced difficulty since leaving university. The survey aimed to explore issues that are affecting graduates who have suffered from unemployment, underemployment or who have struggled in some form since graduating. The survey featured a range of questions on issues that affect graduates including; the support they have received in finding employment, internships, attitudes to the government and employers, as well as what advice they give to current students to increase their employment prospects.
The number of graduates has increased over the decades but the number of graduate level positions has not kept pace, particularly since the recession hit the UK in 2008. Many graduates can therefore find themselves unemployed, in a lower skilled position than they might have expected to achieve with a University education, or in a position of financial insecurity.
The destination of a graduate matters not just to the individual but also to other workers. Many graduates enter jobs at a different level or field than they are qualified for, or undertake part-time employment which can have the effect of displacing other workers down and out of the job market. The problems experienced by graduates can therefore cause ripples throughout the wider workforce.
The problems that graduates experience in employment can also have an impact on the future health of the economy. Graduates who fail to find employment in their chosen field may not develop the skills and experience gained through work to carry on from a retiring work force. The struggles of graduates may therefore lead to a displacement of skills in the economy.
This report examined the support that is available to graduates before, during and after they leave university. The transition from full-time education into employment is a crucial time for a graduate as the problems that they may experience can affect their employment prospects for a number of years. Their success in making this transition can be closely related to the support and guidance that the individual received at school, from the university careers service, during their degree, from internships, and from the Jobcentre if they found themselves unemployed. This report found many instances of good practice in providing support and guidance to students and graduates, but also identified areas which could be improved.
This report outlines a number of ways in which better support can be provided to graduates to make a successful transition into the workforce. Failure to do so will impact not just on the graduates themselves, but on other workers and on the future health of the economy.
These introductory paragraphs are followed by very useful and clearly set out pages on Key Findings and Recommendations.
I would also refer you particularly to pages 14-22 where the survey respondents provide information on support to find employment throughout education.
Full text (PDF 36pp]
Executive Summary
In April 2012, CAS launched an online survey aimed at recent graduates who are unemployed, have struggled to find a graduate level job or have faced difficulty since leaving university. The survey aimed to explore issues that are affecting graduates who have suffered from unemployment, underemployment or who have struggled in some form since graduating. The survey featured a range of questions on issues that affect graduates including; the support they have received in finding employment, internships, attitudes to the government and employers, as well as what advice they give to current students to increase their employment prospects.
The number of graduates has increased over the decades but the number of graduate level positions has not kept pace, particularly since the recession hit the UK in 2008. Many graduates can therefore find themselves unemployed, in a lower skilled position than they might have expected to achieve with a University education, or in a position of financial insecurity.
The destination of a graduate matters not just to the individual but also to other workers. Many graduates enter jobs at a different level or field than they are qualified for, or undertake part-time employment which can have the effect of displacing other workers down and out of the job market. The problems experienced by graduates can therefore cause ripples throughout the wider workforce.
The problems that graduates experience in employment can also have an impact on the future health of the economy. Graduates who fail to find employment in their chosen field may not develop the skills and experience gained through work to carry on from a retiring work force. The struggles of graduates may therefore lead to a displacement of skills in the economy.
This report examined the support that is available to graduates before, during and after they leave university. The transition from full-time education into employment is a crucial time for a graduate as the problems that they may experience can affect their employment prospects for a number of years. Their success in making this transition can be closely related to the support and guidance that the individual received at school, from the university careers service, during their degree, from internships, and from the Jobcentre if they found themselves unemployed. This report found many instances of good practice in providing support and guidance to students and graduates, but also identified areas which could be improved.
This report outlines a number of ways in which better support can be provided to graduates to make a successful transition into the workforce. Failure to do so will impact not just on the graduates themselves, but on other workers and on the future health of the economy.
These introductory paragraphs are followed by very useful and clearly set out pages on Key Findings and Recommendations.
I would also refer you particularly to pages 14-22 where the survey respondents provide information on support to find employment throughout education.
Full text (PDF 36pp]
Monday, 13 August 2012
Up-skilling the middle: How skills policy can help ensure that low to middle income households share in future economic growth
a new paper by Anna Vignoles (Institute of Education and Centre for the Analysis of Youth Transitions) published by the Resolution Foundation in its series “Living Standards”
Introduction
Successive governments have placed skills policy at the heart of strategies to raise living standards and tackle low pay. The importance of up-skilling, for the adult population in particular, reached a high point under New Labour, with low skill levels seen as one of, if not the most important factors holding back businesses from pursuing higher productivity and higher wage strategies.1 Yet there is growing cynicism about the potential for increases in skills per se to improve the material well-being of people on low to middle incomes (LMIs). While those who have degrees continue to reap significant wage benefits from their higher skill levels, the picture looks quite different for the majority of LMIs who possess low and intermediate qualifications, where the returns tend to be much lower and more variable. This paper asks why, despite massive public investment, and a dramatic increase in qualifications, skills policies have failed to deliver significant wage gains for this group of non-graduates, and what could be done to improve their prospects.
There is broad agreement that our education system and labour market work relatively well for most graduates. Average returns to degrees have remained high, despite the increase in the number of graduates. This might suggest there is some scope to raise LMI incomes through increasing the numbers going to higher education still further. There is less agreement on why the gap between graduates and those with low and intermediate qualifications remains so large, and why returns to these qualifications are so variable. Broadly speaking, the debate amongst academics and policy makers is split: on one side are those who point to failings in the skills system and the UK’s relatively low supply of certain skills; on the other are a growing number who argue that the ‘hollowing out’ of jobs in the middle of the labour market has reduced the demand for intermediate level skills from employers, and that this is reflected in lower wages and productivity for some workers. This paper carries out a critical review of skills policy specifically as it applies to the low to middle income group. We argue that in the context of an increasingly polarised labour market, one key challenge for skills policy in the next decade will be making those with low and intermediate skill more competitive with graduates, reducing the big gap in earnings between these groups.
Section 1 provides a brief overview of why skills matter – both for individuals’ productivity and wages, and in terms of the growth of the economy as a whole.
Section 2 summarises the current state of the academic and policy debate.
Section 3 looks briefly at recent trends in skills supply and demand, before pulling these two stories together in an attempt to steer a course through these debates.
Section four draws out the implications of this discussion for policy.
The paper is part of a series of contributions to the Resolution Foundation’s Commission on Living Standards. It will inform the Commission’s discussions in the run up to a final report in the autumn.
___________
1 Lloyd, Caroline and Mayhew, Ken, Skill: the solution to low wage work?, Industrial Relations Journal 41:5, 429–445 (2010)
Full text (PDF 24pp)
Introduction
Successive governments have placed skills policy at the heart of strategies to raise living standards and tackle low pay. The importance of up-skilling, for the adult population in particular, reached a high point under New Labour, with low skill levels seen as one of, if not the most important factors holding back businesses from pursuing higher productivity and higher wage strategies.1 Yet there is growing cynicism about the potential for increases in skills per se to improve the material well-being of people on low to middle incomes (LMIs). While those who have degrees continue to reap significant wage benefits from their higher skill levels, the picture looks quite different for the majority of LMIs who possess low and intermediate qualifications, where the returns tend to be much lower and more variable. This paper asks why, despite massive public investment, and a dramatic increase in qualifications, skills policies have failed to deliver significant wage gains for this group of non-graduates, and what could be done to improve their prospects.
There is broad agreement that our education system and labour market work relatively well for most graduates. Average returns to degrees have remained high, despite the increase in the number of graduates. This might suggest there is some scope to raise LMI incomes through increasing the numbers going to higher education still further. There is less agreement on why the gap between graduates and those with low and intermediate qualifications remains so large, and why returns to these qualifications are so variable. Broadly speaking, the debate amongst academics and policy makers is split: on one side are those who point to failings in the skills system and the UK’s relatively low supply of certain skills; on the other are a growing number who argue that the ‘hollowing out’ of jobs in the middle of the labour market has reduced the demand for intermediate level skills from employers, and that this is reflected in lower wages and productivity for some workers. This paper carries out a critical review of skills policy specifically as it applies to the low to middle income group. We argue that in the context of an increasingly polarised labour market, one key challenge for skills policy in the next decade will be making those with low and intermediate skill more competitive with graduates, reducing the big gap in earnings between these groups.
Section 1 provides a brief overview of why skills matter – both for individuals’ productivity and wages, and in terms of the growth of the economy as a whole.
Section 2 summarises the current state of the academic and policy debate.
Section 3 looks briefly at recent trends in skills supply and demand, before pulling these two stories together in an attempt to steer a course through these debates.
Section four draws out the implications of this discussion for policy.
The paper is part of a series of contributions to the Resolution Foundation’s Commission on Living Standards. It will inform the Commission’s discussions in the run up to a final report in the autumn.
___________
1 Lloyd, Caroline and Mayhew, Ken, Skill: the solution to low wage work?, Industrial Relations Journal 41:5, 429–445 (2010)
Full text (PDF 24pp)
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
HEA study highlights student attitudes to sustainability in universities and. employment
via News feed – The Higher Education Academy
A report by the HEA and National Union of Students (NUS) shows students expect universities to address sustainability issues and that they would be willing to take a pay deduction if their employers had a strong environmental performance.
The report investigated “student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development” and is now available to view on the HEA website.
Two-thirds of first and second year students responding to the 2011 study said they would willingly get paid £1,000 less a year if the company they worked for had a good environmental and ethical record.
Students believe employers value sustainability skills, according to the research, with almost 80% (79.6) of second-year students viewing universities as a key provider of these environmental, social and economic skills.
Simon Kemp, Academic Lead for education for sustainable development (ESD) at the HEA, was invited to talk about the HEA’s Green Academy programme at the World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities (WSSD-U-2012). The event was held in Rio de Janeiro in June.
He said: “This research is very valuable to institutions as it reflects the importance of addressing sustainable development. Environmental and ethical credentials are held in high regard by students, both while studying and as graduates when choosing a career.”
However, university and course reputation are still ranked above performance on sustainability issues when students are choosing an institution, according to student responses.
The report highlighted the need for HEIs to understand what qualities affect university choice and to view students as clients following the increase in tuition fees in England. The next phase of this study (to be researched this coming academic year and published in 2013) will focus on whether there has been a shift in sustainability attitudes as a result of the increased student tuition fees.
The current report supports and reinforces findings from the HEA’s first phase of this study area. The 2011 report focused on first year students only with 80% of respondents believing sustainability skills are going to be important to their future employers. The majority of first-year students involved believed that it is the role of universities and courses to prepare them for graduate employment. Respondents had similar attitudes to employment with 63% willing to sacrifice £1,000 from their salary to work in a responsible company.
Authors: Rachel Drayson, Elizabeth Bone & Jamie Agombar
Report (PDF 48pp) Copy of survey questions a further 69 pages.
A report by the HEA and National Union of Students (NUS) shows students expect universities to address sustainability issues and that they would be willing to take a pay deduction if their employers had a strong environmental performance.
The report investigated “student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development” and is now available to view on the HEA website.
Two-thirds of first and second year students responding to the 2011 study said they would willingly get paid £1,000 less a year if the company they worked for had a good environmental and ethical record.
Students believe employers value sustainability skills, according to the research, with almost 80% (79.6) of second-year students viewing universities as a key provider of these environmental, social and economic skills.
Simon Kemp, Academic Lead for education for sustainable development (ESD) at the HEA, was invited to talk about the HEA’s Green Academy programme at the World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities (WSSD-U-2012). The event was held in Rio de Janeiro in June.
He said: “This research is very valuable to institutions as it reflects the importance of addressing sustainable development. Environmental and ethical credentials are held in high regard by students, both while studying and as graduates when choosing a career.”
However, university and course reputation are still ranked above performance on sustainability issues when students are choosing an institution, according to student responses.
The report highlighted the need for HEIs to understand what qualities affect university choice and to view students as clients following the increase in tuition fees in England. The next phase of this study (to be researched this coming academic year and published in 2013) will focus on whether there has been a shift in sustainability attitudes as a result of the increased student tuition fees.
The current report supports and reinforces findings from the HEA’s first phase of this study area. The 2011 report focused on first year students only with 80% of respondents believing sustainability skills are going to be important to their future employers. The majority of first-year students involved believed that it is the role of universities and courses to prepare them for graduate employment. Respondents had similar attitudes to employment with 63% willing to sacrifice £1,000 from their salary to work in a responsible company.
Authors: Rachel Drayson, Elizabeth Bone & Jamie Agombar
Report (PDF 48pp) Copy of survey questions a further 69 pages.
Envisioning an Adult Learning Graduate Program for the Early 21st Century A Developmental Action Inquiry Study
an article by Leanne Dzubinski, Katherine L. Davis and Aliki Nicolaides (University of Georgia, Storrs) and Brian Hentz (University of Connecticut, Storrs) published in Adult Learning Volume 23 Number 3 (August 2012)
Abstract
The rapid pace of social and technological change in the early 21st century leaves many adults scrambling to meet the complexities that characterize their daily lives. Adult learners are faced with multiple, often competing, demands from work, education, family, and leisure, which requires adult education graduate programs to carefully consider how best to meet these changing needs of today’s students.
Using a developmental action inquiry approach, the authors collected data using multiple rounds of mutual inquiry from diverse groups of stakeholders in adult education.
We asked each group to explore the question, “ How does adult education as a profession, field, and practice help adults, organizations, and society meet the demands of 21st century life?”
The combined results indicate that responsive, dynamic graduate programs in adult education for the 21st century should support the cultivation of critical and timely reflection, create online learning environments predicated on intentional community and mutuality, and foreground the relationship between adult learning and developmental capacity to prepare adult education facilitators who stand confidently in the face of complexity and ambiguity.
Abstract
The rapid pace of social and technological change in the early 21st century leaves many adults scrambling to meet the complexities that characterize their daily lives. Adult learners are faced with multiple, often competing, demands from work, education, family, and leisure, which requires adult education graduate programs to carefully consider how best to meet these changing needs of today’s students.
Using a developmental action inquiry approach, the authors collected data using multiple rounds of mutual inquiry from diverse groups of stakeholders in adult education.
We asked each group to explore the question, “ How does adult education as a profession, field, and practice help adults, organizations, and society meet the demands of 21st century life?”
The combined results indicate that responsive, dynamic graduate programs in adult education for the 21st century should support the cultivation of critical and timely reflection, create online learning environments predicated on intentional community and mutuality, and foreground the relationship between adult learning and developmental capacity to prepare adult education facilitators who stand confidently in the face of complexity and ambiguity.
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