On the meaning of higher education in professional practice: the case of physicians and engineers

Abstract

This article draws on a longitudinal qualitative study of graduate transitions from higher education programmes to the world of work. In the study, 23 physicians and 20 master's level engineers in information technology, recently graduated from four different universities in Sweden, were interviewed. The aim of this article is to explore the graduates' perceptions of the function and impact of professional education in relation to professional practice. In the case of medicine, the educational and professional competence bases overlap significantly, and the professional education programme is viewed as a direct vocational preparation. However, the physicians argue that the transition to the workplace is associated with a need to reprioritise knowledge. The engineers consider the educational and professional competence bases to be only loosely coupled. Rather than focusing on the substance of the educational programme, the engineers consider the educational programme to constitute a broad foundation facilitating further learning and professional development in the workplace.

Transitioning from University to Employment in Engineering: The Role of Curricular and Co-curricular Activities

“…All three graduates acknowledged that their education provided them with a foundation without which they would not be able to perform their jobs. These results are consistent with Nillson's study which found that engineering programs equip students with generic competences ranging from analytical skills to flexibility and that engineers learn the specifics of their profession on the job [21]. However, in regards to Nillson's assertion that "the specialist competence [theoretical knowledge] learned and developed during the educational program [has] limited relevance to the engineers' professional practice" [21, p. 263], our findings indicate that the situation is more nuanced.…”

Adult learning, education, and the labour market in the employability regime

“…Many studies have shown that there is a mismatch between education and the world of work (Livingstone, 2010;Nilsson, 2010b). Formal educational job-entry requirements have increased since the Second World War, but the actual requirements to perform such jobs may not have increased to the same extent.…”

“…Education may have use-value in the labour market by increasing the productive capabilities of graduates in different ways. However, education may not always be capable of directly preparing individuals for the specific tasks that they will encounter in professional practice (Helms Jørgensen, 2004;Nilsson, 2010b). Adult education and training can be viewed as a means of preparing individuals to cope with challenges by contributing to an individual's ability to develop and change jobs.…”

“…Such competence includes learning abilities, sociocommunicative skills, leadership skills, critical thinking, reflexivity, flexibility, selfefficacy, creativity, initiative, working capacity, awareness of quality aspects, problem solving, and analytical abilities. Thus, to prepare adult learners for increased complexity and specialisation in the world of work, educational activities must focus on the development of generalist meta-competence and general enlightenment of the students in educational design (Nilsson, 2010b). Today, being employable is often primarily associated with being a generally knowledgeable and educated person who is able to adapt easily and learn specific procedures (Bowden & Marton, 2004).…”

“…Employers expect their employees to be hardworking, dedicated, and loyal. Employees must create strategies, invest time, energy, and other resources that are necessary to exploit opportunities, and avoid obstacles in their organisations (Nilsson, 2010a(Nilsson, , 2010bPool & Sewell, 2007;Smith, 2010).…”