Paul, Jean-Jacques

Teichler, Ulrich

Velden, Rolf van der

English

Research Papers in Economics

Editorial
JEAN-JACQUES PAUL, ULRICH TEICHLER & ROLF VAN DER VELDEN
The employment and work situation of graduates is one of the issues most
frequently referred to in the current debates on the social function of higher
education. Irrespective of the views held about the extent to which higher
education is expected to pursue the search of knowledge for its own sake or to
serve professional training, information about graduate employment and work is
generally considered as a core area of knowledge which can stimulate reflections on
the function of higher education.
Information on this theme, however, is far from satisfactory. In most
European countries, basic statistical information is available on awards of degrees
and the educational attainment of the labour force. Statistical data are less
satisfactory as regards the transition from higher education to employment.
Moreover, international comparison on those issues is hampered by the different
ways of definining higher education, course programmes and types of institutions
and degrees in the various countries.
A substantial part of the relevant information on the relationships between
higher education and the world of work is not covered by the prevailing official
statistics. Surveys can fill this gap to some exent, for example by allowing us to
analyse the study and career paths as well as `the subjective' views of students and
graduates, e.g their study and career motives or whether they can use their
knowledge on the job. But these studies may not be sufficienfly representative and
focus only on single fields and institutions. They are not conducted regularly as a
rule.
The aim of this issue of the Journal is both substantive and methodological.
Major findings on study, transition to employment and graduate employment are
provided and the articles focus on the strengths and weaknesses of official
statistics and surveys. The introductory article by Ulrich Teichler presents the
major statistical data on selected European countries as compiled by OECD and
discusses the limits of statistical data and surveys. Nine country studies present
major findings on graduate employment and work as visible in statistics and
surveys. These articles address the pattern of the higher education system,
available data on enrolment and graduation quotas, transition to employment, the
graduates' careers and the impact of higher education on graduate employment
and work. Most articles study the development since the 1970s and stress the
situation in the mid-1990s.They are shortened versions of reports compiled in the
framework of the project Higher Education and Graduate Employment in Europe.
The CHER project is supported by the European Commission during the years
1998±2000 in the framework of the Targeted Socio-Economic Research
European Journal of Education, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2000
ß Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2000. Published by Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK and
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.Programme (TSER). These reports aim to summarise major findings available
before this major European survey was designed. The survey on higher education
and graduate employment and work is based on responses by some 40,000
graduates about three to four years after graduation in 12 countries (Austria,
Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the
United Kingdom as well as Sweden, the Czech Republic and Japan). It is hoped
that the results will provide insights which go beyond the current state of
knowledge.
140 European Journal of Education
ß Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2000

Editorial: Higher education and graduate employment.

http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=10323

Editorial: Higher education and graduate employment.

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Research Papers in Economics