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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
This article explores non-traditional student and graduate views of the
university in Ireland and Portugal as it relates to their expectations of,
and experiences in, the labour market. The research is based on in-depth
biographical interviews with 61 non-traditional students and graduates
conducted longitudinally (85 interviews in total). The article contextualises the research in relation to the expansion of higher education internationally as well as national and EU policies aimed at supporting
a ‘knowledge-based economy’. It offers an overview of the meaning of
precarity. It then outlines key empirical findings from the research
related to student expectations of their degree and their postgraduation experience in the labour market. In particular, it explores
the phenomenon of precarity amongst graduates how this is experienced and handled in various ways. Using a critical and egalitarian lens
the overall aim of the research is to widen the focus of widening
participation debates and explore how educational and institutional
initiatives impact, or not, on wider social and employment inequalities.
Description
Keywords
Higher education Precarity Non-traditional students Equality Biographical methods