(Mis)match between higher education supply and labour market needs: evidence from Portugal

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse whether there is an adjustment between the Portuguese higher education supply and the needs of the labour market.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study is performed, using a quantitative approach, relating the job offers for graduates registered at the employment centres and the number of graduates by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal, at an aggregate level and NUT II regions, by areas of education and training, over the 2003–2018 period. To understand how job offers and graduates are correlated, bilateral Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated.FindingsThe results show that, in large groups of educational areas, exists a match between the higher education supply and the labour market needs, with an emphasis on the fields of “social sciences, business and law”, “engineering, manufacturing and construction” and “health and welfare”. However, at a more disaggregated level, a mismatch in the sub-areas of “teacher training and education science” and “computing” was found since labour market needs are much greater than graduates by HEIs and the two variables are moving in opposite directions.Practical implicationsThe study has revealed important aspects that the educational policy should take into account in order to create the conditions for a gradual adjustment to the labour market needs. Also, the results demonstrate that some measures should be taken in short/medium term to avoid problems in the medium/long term.Originality/valueOne implication of this empirical study was the elaboration of a correspondence table to standardise the data analysis units from two different sources. As this correspondence did not exist prior to this study, this output is a relevant contribution to the research field. Another important contribution is the demonstration of a mismatch in some educational sub-areas that deserves special attention from educational policymakers.

Positioning higher education institutions as work-based ICT-integrated learning theatres for employee mid-career development; a strategy for HR capacity building

“…The employee in Uganda just like the rest of the world, is a victim of a highly metamorphic labour market, which is driven by dynamism in demand and supply of competencies, knowledge and skills. The unemployment problem is not only a threat to populations to African countries like Uganda but also in Europe since 2018 (Ornellas et al ., 2019; Olo et al ., 2022), the Arab World (ASDA’ A, 2019; Hassan and Dyer, 2017), however, the situation in Africa is alarming with serious cases of unemployment across the continent, catalysed by urbanisation (Tumwebaze Alicon, 2022). Unemployment is not only accruing from failure to access work due to mismatch in acquired and required skills, but also failure to keep up with the trending work demands, all of which are a product of disconnection between the education sector and employment world (Olo et al ., 2022; Tumwebaze Alicon, 2022).…”

“…The unemployment problem is not only a threat to populations to African countries like Uganda but also in Europe since 2018 (Ornellas et al ., 2019; Olo et al ., 2022), the Arab World (ASDA’ A, 2019; Hassan and Dyer, 2017), however, the situation in Africa is alarming with serious cases of unemployment across the continent, catalysed by urbanisation (Tumwebaze Alicon, 2022). Unemployment is not only accruing from failure to access work due to mismatch in acquired and required skills, but also failure to keep up with the trending work demands, all of which are a product of disconnection between the education sector and employment world (Olo et al ., 2022; Tumwebaze Alicon, 2022). The convergence zone for Employers and educators is that, much as the former should endeavour to empower potential recruits to get acquainted with work dynamics upon recruitment, the latter should have catered for the pre-professional career development to avoid career decision making difficulties (Olo et al ., 2022) (see Figures 1–4).…”

“…Unemployment is not only accruing from failure to access work due to mismatch in acquired and required skills, but also failure to keep up with the trending work demands, all of which are a product of disconnection between the education sector and employment world (Olo et al ., 2022; Tumwebaze Alicon, 2022). The convergence zone for Employers and educators is that, much as the former should endeavour to empower potential recruits to get acquainted with work dynamics upon recruitment, the latter should have catered for the pre-professional career development to avoid career decision making difficulties (Olo et al ., 2022) (see Figures 1–4).…”