“Being Flexible”: Graduates Facing Changes in Their Work Environment

According to the crucial importance of innovation for modern economies, the role of graduates regarding innovation appears to be a major topic when their performances in the labour market at stake. Five main questions are addressed in this chapter: (1) What does innovation mean? (2) Which organisations are likely to be more innovative? (3) What role do Higher Education graduates play regarding innovation? (4) Are they equipped to do develop innovation? (5) Which are the occupations more related to innovation, and are innovative activities rewarded? The results presented in this chapter confirm that higher education graduates are crucial actors in the innovation process. The jobs of innovative graduates show a number of specific characteristics: a high level of autonomy, more leeway to define their own goals and to perform their tasks. A paradox that emerged is the following: although innovation is more strongly developed in large organisations, small organisations offer graduates more opportunities to play a role in introducing innovations. When earnings are considered, innovative activities appear to be rewarded, in the private sector. That confirms the impression that innovation is recognised as valuable by organisations