Search Results

Amidst increasing immigration, immigrant knowledge can encounter barriers to recognition in the host country. Immigrant professionals in particular often experience non-recognition of their international credentials and expertise. Using the [search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis] SALSA methodology, this article presents an integrative review of the literature on the recognition of immigrant professionals' prior knowledge. I selected 11 articles (1) directly addressing issues of immigrants and prior knowledge or recognition (2) published in a peer-reviewed journal (3) empirically-based (4) published in the last 20 years (2003–2023). In addition to empirical articles, I selected 17 conceptual articles and two books that met measures (1), (2), and (4) or contributed significantly to the topic. I synthesised the articles by identifying key themes of transnationalism, mobility of knowledge, and recognition. I found that within a transnational framework, recognitional justice allows for mobility of immigrant knowledge, facilitating lifelong learning. Conversely, non-recognition halts mobility of knowledge at the bordered knowledge of the host country, producing devaluation and underemployment. Recognition and non-recognition are primarily determined by policies and processes established by societal structures that either allow for or erect barriers to the acceptance of prior knowledge. Implications for future research include adding empirical studies from the United States and exploring the role of governments, institutions, and policies in perpetuating this problem.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) National Report examines short-term (i.e., four to six months after course completion) labour market outcomes (rates of full-time employment, overall employment, labour force participation and median full-time salaries), further study outcomes and graduate satisfaction with their completed course. The report also discusses some areas of focus such as the gender pay gap, skills utilisation across graduate occupations, reasons for skills-based or time-based underemployment and how well qualifications prepared graduates for their current jobs. The 2023 GOS was conducted as a national online survey among 126 higher education institutions, including all 42 Table A and B universities and 84 Non-University Higher Education Institutions (NUHEIs). A total of 116,250 valid survey responses were collected across all study levels, representing a response rate of 38.7 per cent, which is a slight decrease from the 39.4 per cent achieved in 2022.

Key findings include: (1) Graduate employment outcomes have continued to improve, with the full-time employment rate for domestic undergraduates increasing from 78.5 per cent in 2022 to 79.0 per cent in 2023. Graduate full-time employment rates are at their highest level since the GOS survey commenced in 2016. The overall undergraduate employment rate has also increased, from 88.3 per cent to 88.9 per cent; (2) Higher level qualifications generally lead to higher salary outcomes for graduates. Median salaries increased year on year across all study levels, up 4.4 per cent for undergraduates, 5.5 per cent for postgraduate coursework graduates and 4.2 per cent for postgraduate research graduates; (3) Female full-time annual salaries were lower than male salaries across all study levels in 2023, however, the gap has narrowed over time. The gender pay gap is most pronounced at the postgraduate coursework level where domestic graduates tend to be older and often already established in their careers by the time they complete their qualification; (4) In 2023, 18.0 per cent of undergraduates were engaged in further full-time study four to six months after course completion, which was a slight decrease from 2022 and the lowest rate since the survey commenced in 2016. This lower rate of further full-time study for undergraduates corresponds with the high rates of graduates entering into employment in 2023.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website and publications. Show less

Higher education has become inextricably linked to the American Dream. College often is seen as a singular gateway to economic opportunity and upward mobility. Many students choose college under the assumption that a degree will unlock a lucrative career and secure their place within the middle class. However, the promise of higher education is not always fulfilled. While college graduates typically enjoy a significant advantage in the labor market over those with only a high school diploma, many find themselves grappling with an unexpected reality - a disconnect between their academic achievements and their economic prospects. For some underemployed graduates, the path to professional fulfillment may materialize over time, as they gradually ascend the career ladder. For many others, however, their potential may remain permanently untapped.

In this report, we examine outcomes both for college haves and have-nots: Those who secure access to college-level jobs and those who find themselves underemployed after graduating - that is, employed in an occupation that doesn't require or make meaningful use of a college degree. Specifically, we examine post-completion employment outcomes of graduates with a terminal bachelor's degree in terms of their access to college-level jobs. We measure the prevalence and severity of underemployment and the cost in lost earnings and analyze how these vary by degree field, student characteristics, institutional characteristics, internship participation, and geography. Finally, we analyze how labor market outcomes play out for initially underemployed graduates: Who manages to exit underemployment, and what routes do they follow to escape?

Excerpts from publication. Show less

While the ill luck of graduating during a recession is understood to potentially result in job mismatch, less is known about the drivers of underemployment outside of business cycles. This paper shows that the college subsidy investments undertaken as part of the [World War Two] WWII, Vietnam War, and Post-9/11 G.I. Bills led to persistent and sizable increases in the underemployment rate among bachelor's degree holders. In turn, underemployment explains approximately a quarter of the earnings penalty experienced by recent college educated veterans, over and above lost labor market experience, lower rates of graduate school completion and combat exposure effects.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The focus of this Special Issue by NORRAG [Network for international policies and cooperation in education and training], in collaboration with the ILO, is on the discontinuities that currently exist between education, training and decent work, arguing that existing discontinuities between these three fields create and reinforce exclusions and inequalities for already marginalised groups. It is proposed that treating the three fields as a continuum would improve the inclusion of people who continue to be excluded from the 'standard' journey between education, training and work. This collection of 28 contributions from 25 countries across 5 continents offers perspectives and solutions to enhance the socio-professional inclusion of disadvantaged youth and adults. Part 1 puts education-training-work continuums in historical perspective and Part 2 reviews continuum innovations in the 1980s and 1990s. Part 3 then focuses on remediation systems for 'uneducated' youth and related un- or under-employment. Part 4 describes practices of improving the education-training-work continuums from a vocational perspective, and the promise of education-training-work continuums as a way out of crisis is the focus of Part 5. Finally, Part 6 challenges current narratives about education, training and work to give a future-oriented perspective on continuum approach and practices.

Edited excerpts from publication.

The contents are as follows: Part 1, 'Education-training-work continuums in historical perspective: from upgrading 'traditional' apprenticeship and community training towards e-learning', contains the following chapters: Informal apprenticeships for an emerging economy / Salim Akoojee, Patrick Werquin; The modernised apprenticeship model in Senegal: development of a new paradigm / Ousmane Adama Dia; Digital services transform learning in Africa / Cyr Davodoun; Blending modern technology and traditional apprenticeships to scale technical and vocational education and training (TVET) / Terry Neal, Robert Okinda, Ibraheem Abdul, Phillip Miyoba, Francis Wambua; The relevance of gender in the (re)production of education, training and work (dis) continuities / Alba Castellsague; From vertical to horizontal knowledge transmission through intergenerational learning in Mali / Tengande Francois Niada.

Part 2, 'Looking for solutions to education, training and work discontinuities: innovations and experiments in the 1990s', contains: 100 years of vocational education and training (VET) discourses / Kenneth King; Supporting education-training-work continuum: an activity theory analysis of national qualifications frameworks / Hannah Esther Manogaran; Complementing vocational training, secondary education and youth integration in Argentina / Claudia Jacinto; Hybrid governance and innovation in education-training-work continuums through public-private partnerships / Marc van der Meer, Siria Taurelli. Part 3, 'Youth (un)employment, NEETs and education-training-work continuums: building interactions between 'under-educated/-employed targets' and remediation systems', contains: NEETs in Africa: the role of core skills and active labour market programs / Clement Kouadio Kouakou, Tieregnimin Yaya Yeo; Breaking the continuum of socio-economic inequalities in Peru / Miguel Jaramillo, Maria Balarin; How young people combine education and work: an under-explored phenomenon / Erica Smith; How the second chance school helps prevent school dropouts from becoming NEETs / Brahim Toumi.

Part 4, 'Education-training-work continuums and professional experience: the proof of the pudding is in the eating', contains: Technological innovation and training: how to avoid discontinuities / Yves Chardonnens Cook; The paradox of planning and implementation of South Africa's 2030 Human Resources for Health Strategy / Laetitia Rispel, Eric Buch; The recognition of prior learning (RPL): success factors, proven benefits and system enablers / Deb Carr; The role of career services in tertiary students' transition to employment: voices from Africa / Samuel Asare, Pauline Essah, Francis A. Gatsi, William Ohene Annoh, Richard Cliff Ekumah, Akua Ampah, Jennifer N. Udeh. Part 5, 'Education-training-work continuums as a transitional way out of crisis', contains: Digital tech, migration and learning for work: the Janus effect in times of crisis / Tim Unwin, G. Hari Harindranath, Maria Rosa Lorini; Eco-ed: pathways to sustainability / Anne Ryan; Do development initiatives in Sierra Leone contribute to (dis)connections in the education-training-work continuum? / Jamelia Harris; The significance of the education-training-work idea for managing the global crisis of youth unemployment / Crain Soudien.

Part 6, 'Education-training-work continuums in a future-oriented perspective and challenging current narratives about changing education, training and work', contains: In defence of discontinuities: strengthening the barriers between education and work / Mike Douse, Philip Uys; The evolution of credentials: a call to action to rethink the education-training-work continuum / Borhene Chakroun, James Keevy; Governance infrastructure of education-training-work continuum: some missing dots / Raymond Saner, Lichia Yiu; The education-training-work continuum for socio-economic inclusion: the case of Singapore / Johnny Sung; Searching for quality in work training programmes in vulnerable sectors: digging into the basics / Enrique Pieck; Rethinking education, training and work: time for a great re-think? / Gideon Arulmani. Show less

The Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) National Report focuses on the main indicators over time as outlined on the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website such as labour market outcomes (rates of full-time employment, overall employment, labour force participation and median full-time salaries), further study outcomes and graduate satisfaction. The report also discusses some areas of focus such as the impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic gender differences and the gender pay gap, skills utilisation across graduate occupations and reasons for skills based or time based 'underemployment'. The GOS also collects information relevant to themes beyond the scope of this report, such as the importance of the course, how well the course prepared graduates for work and further study, and more detailed labour force breakdowns, including graduates working in their own businesses, unpaid work, and unemployment levels.

Reporting of graduate labour market outcomes, skills utilisation and further study in the National Report focus on domestic graduates only. Graduate satisfaction focuses on all graduates, that is, both domestic and international graduates combined. The International Report focuses on the main indicators over time such as labour market outcomes (rates of full-time employment, overall employment, labour force participation and median full-time salaries) and further study outcomes. The report also discusses some areas of focus such as the impact of COVID-19 on labour force outcomes, skills utilisation including graduate occupations and reasons for skills based 'underemployment'.

Key findings include: (1) There has been a large increase in graduate employment rates for both domestic and international graduates in 2022, following a broad decline in graduate employment rates between 2019 and 2020. This decline was associated with general weakness in the Australian labour market observable from 2019, which was worsened in 2020 by measures introduced to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, and only saw slight improvement in 2021. International graduates were affected by this downturn to an even greater extent than domestic graduates. Results from 2022 suggest a strong recovery of the Australian labour market, with undergraduate full-time employment rates up by 14.7 percentage points for international graduates and 9.6 percentage points for domestic graduates; (2) Although international graduate employment rates continue to be lower than for their domestic counterparts across all levels of study, the difference between the cohorts decreased in 2022. For undergraduates, the 2022 full-time employment rate for international graduates was 57.7 per cent compared with 78.5 per cent for domestic graduates. This represents a difference of 20.8 percentage points, compared to 25.9 percentage points in 2021. A similar trend was seen at postgraduate coursework level, with a difference of 31.5 percentage points between international and domestic graduates in 2022, compared to 41.0 percentage points in 2021. The gap was narrower at postgraduate research level at 8.7 percentage points and remained relatively unchanged from 2021; (3) The proportion of undergraduates in full-time employment who reported that their course had prepared them well or very well for their current job was higher in 2022 at 74.8 per cent compared to 74.5 per cent in 2021, but lower than 78.5 per cent in 2020; (4) In 2022, four months after graduation, 18.6 per cent of undergraduates were engaged in further full-time study which is a decrease from 21.1 per cent in 2021. Results from 2022 are comparable to those reported in 2020, 18.5 per cent, and 2019, 18.9 per cent. Both postgraduate coursework and postgraduate research graduates were less likely than those who had completed an undergraduate program to move into further study after completing their qualification, at 7.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively; and (5) Study areas with the highest proportion of undergraduates proceeding to full-time study in 2022 included Science and mathematics, 35.9 per cent, Psychology, 32.6 per cent, Humanities, culture and social sciences, 23.7 per cent, Creative arts, 21.8 per cent and Tourism, hospitality, personal services, sport and recreation, 21.6 per cent. Undergraduates who completed degrees in study areas with a strong vocational orientation tended, not surprisingly, to be less likely to proceed on to further full-time study in 2021. These included Rehabilitation, 3.6 per cent, Nursing, 4.6 per cent, and Social work, 9.1 per cent.

Edited excerpts from publications. Show less

This year marks the fifteenth annual Go Home on Time Day (GHOTD), an initiative of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute that shines a spotlight on the maldistribution of working hours and the scale of unpaid overtime worked by Australians. Following the disruptions of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID pandemic and historic falls in real wages over recent years, 2023's stronger labour market conditions should benefit many workers. Wages have risen, labour force participation is relatively high and unemployment is low. With the introduction of the Government's 2022 industrial relations reforms, workers are in a better position to bargain, as shown in recent bargaining outcomes and improving wages growth. However, wages are not keeping up with prices, inflation is high and, for many workers, conditions of work are far from satisfactory.

As this year's GHOTD report shows, significant problems of overwork and underemployment co-exist, affecting many workers across all industries, occupations and age groups. Underemployment particularly affects workers in casual, temporary and other forms of insecure work, and it particularly affects workers in lower-paid roles. Women, younger workers, older workers and services workers are over-represented among those affected. At the same time long hours and overwork remain a problem, especially for full-time workers.

Summary from publisher's website. Show less

This article investigates young university graduates who actively engage with critical reconversion processes in their relationship to work, by abandoning a relevant field of study and embarking on self-made projects in other areas. They are motivated by meaningfulness, freedom and creativity, albeit having to remain in underemployment or even unemployment. The flexibility of young workers and the individual capacity to reconvert have been at the core of policy discourse for the knowledge economy. There is, however, little evidence of youth experience of mismatch and reconversion trajectories, especially for highly skilled youth. Based on biographical narratives of graduates in Cyprus, this article investigates transformations in young people's relation to work in a context of economic crisis and precarity. The findings suggest that new fluid relationships with work are being negotiated by young people, moving across the boundaries of matched and mismatched employment, work and non-work. These are founded on the development of new subjectivities that put into question the social construction of work and its relation to value for youth in post-Fordist societies. For these young people from upper-middle classes, a compromise seems to be forged between an agentive stance of search for emancipation and embodied neoliberal imperatives of the knowledge society.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Increasing graduate unemployment and underemployment in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and its negative impacts on young people and their communities are a growing concern across the continent. A major contributing factor is the 'skills gap' between what young people learn and what is in demand in the labour market. Students need effective career services to identify and develop relevant skills that will ease their transition to employment and help them make the right career choice. However, provision of career services in universities and colleges in SSA is limited. This report provides educators in universities and colleges and employers with evidence-based guidance on how they can work better together for the benefit of students.

The report presents a three-step approach to address this gap and improve employability outcomes for African students: (1) understand employer demand for skills; (2) take a holistic approach to career services; and (3) measure progress. Based on the findings, the report offers evidence-based recommendations for universities, colleges, and employers. The study was undertaken by Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) in partnership with the Education Collaborative at Ashesi University in Ghana and Kepler University in Rwanda. The study draws on multiple methods including systematic review, interview, focus group discussion and roundtable discussion. Universities and colleges are urged to collaborate with industry to assess the labour market and understand required skills, and to engage students in career service initiatives from the beginning. Employers are advised to proactively seek partnerships with universities, and share skills requirements with universities and establish a digital platform for industry data sharing.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

This report puts the spotlight on the disproportionate impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic on young Australians. Young people make up just 14 per cent of the workforce but bore 55 per cent of the job losses during the 2021 lockdowns. This crisis has compounded decades of high youth unemployment and underemployment, highlighted pre-existing problems for young people trying to find a job. The authors propose that now is the time for long-term policies to help and protect young people in the labour market.

Most policy approaches to youth employment in Australia focus heavily on what economists might call 'supply-side' employment measures, such as training jobseekers to improve their skills, and funding services that help people find and apply for jobs. However, the focus on supply-side policies ignores the fact that there simply are not enough jobs available for everyone who wants one. To address this issue, the following policy recommendations are put forward: (1) a Youth Job Guarantee, which should include private sector job creation programs; expanded public sector graduate programs; de-privatising and better funding employment services; and personalisation of employment support; (2) adequate income support - insufficiency of support can also undermine efforts to find work; (3) affordable tertiary education; (4) protection for casual employees; and (5) better targeting of stimulus spending towards labour-intensive industries and workers hit hardest.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less