Employability, work placements, and outward mobility: views from England and Germany

Julie Fowlie, Clare Forder

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose - A central role of UK higher education institutes is preparing graduates for the global economy.However, UK outward mobility targets for students set in 2017 remain lower than the original set by the Bologna Process in 1999; with other European countries achieving substantially higher outward mobility. Research in this field concentrates primarily on studying abroad, prompting exploration of the work placement context. The purpose of this paper is to examine employability and outward mobility in the context of the perceived reluctance of UK students to undertake work placements abroad. The views of undergraduate business management students at the Brighton Business School were compared with those of German students studying at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. Staff from Brighton Business School and other UK universities were also surveyed to gather data on attitudes towards work placements abroad. Findings show that students from Brighton and Frankfurt displayed similar barriers to going abroad but were motivated by different drivers. The difference in these drivers is further echoed in the variations of their definitions of "employability". The research also found that lack of staff awareness or interest in placements abroad could negatively affect the students' decisions about going abroad. The research provides more scope to the existing literature on outward mobility by addressing work placements rather than typically focusing on studying abroad. It adds value to the debate by examining placements and mobility through two different cultural lenses.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)151-163
    Number of pages13
    JournalHigher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning
    Volume8
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 14 May 2018

    Keywords

    • Internationalisation
    • Employability
    • Placements
    • Outward mobility

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Employability, work placements, and outward mobility: views from England and Germany'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this