The intra-European transferability of graduates’ skills gained in the U.K.

Abstract

Mobility has been seen as the hallmark of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) with student and graduate mobility being promoted and facilitated through the Bologna process. This paper follows the experiences of twelve UK educated mobile graduates of British and other European Union (EU) nationality and analyses both their skills gained by studying at a UK higher education institution and the obstacles they experienced to transfer their UK qualification to a different country. We demonstrate that graduates not only developedas part of their course and within the opportunities that the UK higher education environment offersbut also used various skills ranging from subject specific to language and generic skills in their current activities. While a UK degree is reputable and well known in other European countries, there seem to be limitations in relation to its transferability and recognition for studying and working beyond the UK which contribute to unequal treatment in the local labour market between domestic and foreign educated graduates. More than a decade after the inception of the Bologna process and the introduction of tools to facilitate mobility, structural barriers still exist which prevent the smooth recognition of skills and qualifications of mobile students and graduates within the EU. This has implications for further study and employment outcomes for mobile graduates but also for mobility decisions before and after higher education.

The early career paths of UK-educated intra-European mobile graduates

“…However, mobility of graduates also poses specific problems on a European level: Returning graduates must be aware that the achievement of a degree from a foreign country does not make them more employable in the labour market per se; they will need to prove that they actually increased their relevant knowledge and skills. As local employers and/ or higher education institutions might not be aware of the skills and knowledge graduates acquired as a part of their degree, it is essential that HEIs promote their curriculum and the quality of the education they provide (Wiers-Jenssen 2008, Cai 2013, Tzanakou and Behle, 2016. A recent study (Tzanakou and Behle, 2016) reported substantial barriers for mobile UK-educated graduates to transfer their skills and knowledge for a different labour market or HEI.…”

“…As local employers and/ or higher education institutions might not be aware of the skills and knowledge graduates acquired as a part of their degree, it is essential that HEIs promote their curriculum and the quality of the education they provide (Wiers-Jenssen 2008, Cai 2013, Tzanakou and Behle, 2016. A recent study (Tzanakou and Behle, 2016) reported substantial barriers for mobile UK-educated graduates to transfer their skills and knowledge for a different labour market or HEI. Ten years ago, when analysing the circumstances of Greek returners, Lianos and Asteriou (2004) criticised the lack of reliable and efficient methods of professional orientation and labour market information systems; however, it is currently unclear if this has since improved.…”

“…Employment of UK movers in non-graduate employment is initially lower compared to the other two groups; however, it remains stable at this level. In a recent qualitative study (Tzanakou and Behle, 2016), mobile UK-educated graduates reported barriers getting their UK degree accepted by HEI admission officers and employers.…”

Stickiness in academic career (im)mobilities of STEM early career researchers: an insight from Greece

“…For example, 'an academic is a free agent and can move his or her career and research agenda fairly easily from one university to another' (Baruch and Hall 2004, p.249). Mobility has often been investigated as a resource for career development of individuals (Tzanakou and Behle 2017;Murphy-Lejeune 2001;Crossman and Clarke 2010), establishing an international profile (Leemann et al 2010;Morano-Foadi 2005) or contributing to national economic growth and advancement (brain-drain/brain-gain) (Gibson and McKenzie 2011).…”

Introduction: international academic mobility and inequalities

“…Finally, the paper by Tzanakou and Behle (2017) addresses the structural barriers in the transferability of degrees, focusing on the experiences of (European and British) UK graduates in British and European labour markets. They show that despite the positive outcomes generally associated with mobility in academic and policy discourses, mobile graduates often experience significant difficulties when aiming to work in another country.…”