Employability of higher education graduates in Portugal : trends and challenges in the beginning of the 21ST century

Abstract

This paper focuses on the employability of graduates and assuming an approach in which em­ployability is understood as the result of the interaction between higher education and the labour market. This interaction is framed by various factors and variables including the ones related to the characteristics of the social and economic contexts and specific policies. Drawing on statis­tical data available from Eurostat and OECD the analysis intends to highlight the main trends concerning participation in higher education and involvement of graduates in the labour market in Portugal since the year 2000, taking into account how these trends converge (or not) with the ones observable at European level. Additionally, trends are contextualised in search of possible explanations, namely related to the ongoing global crisis that started in 2008 and to the debt crisis that has contributed to the deterioration of the social and economic situation in the country.

“It's a very different world”: work transition and employability of higher education graduates

“…As a result, permanent work contracts, where individuals tended to work in the same organization for their entire lives, were replaced by temporary and precarious contracts, requiring individuals to be able to adapt rapidly to new contexts and new demands (Coutinho et al, 2008;Tomlinson, 2007). This conjunction has led to increasing difficulties for new graduates to enter the labour market, compared to two decades ago, with a decrease of 2.5% in employment rates among tertiary education graduates in the Euro area and almost 14% in Portugal (Alves et al, 2018).…”

Impact of grade retention and school engagement on student intentions to enrol in higher education in Portugal

“…Higher education in Portugal is pursued only by about 25% of adults, which is significantly lower than the average figure for the European Union (40%) and distant from the European Commission benchmarks for 2020 (the share of 30–34‐year‐olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40%; Alves et al, 2017; OECD, 2019). Additionally, since 2010, there has been an observable decline in enrolments in higher education (Alves et al, 2017). This decrease is associated with an overall deterioration of the economic situation in Portugal (Alves et al, 2017).…”

“…Additionally, since 2010, there has been an observable decline in enrolments in higher education (Alves et al, 2017). This decrease is associated with an overall deterioration of the economic situation in Portugal (Alves et al, 2017). In the more recent academic years (2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18) a slight increase in the number of students enrolling in higher education has been registered.…”

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“…102-103), sugerindo, portanto, que nestas duas dimensões o doutoramento é efetivamente valorizado no mercado de trabalho português. Está ainda por determinar como é que essa mais-valia evoluiu na presente década, dado que para a globalidade dos jovens graduados portugueses o ciclo económico negativo já instalado em 2010 (Costa e Caldas, 2013) traduziu-se no aumento dos níveis de inatividade (económica), desemprego e trabalho temporário, assim como na diminuição dos rendimentos obtidos através do trabalho, particularmente até 2014, pois em 2015 já se observavam alguns sinais de retoma nestes indicadores (Alves, Morais e Chaves, 2017).…”