Preparing University Graduates for Sustainable Careers: Qualitative Insights From the UK

Introduction

The neo-liberalization of higher education in the United Kingdom (UK) frames students as consumers and places significant emphasis on the marketization and employment outcomes of graduates (Donald et al., 2017; Nash, 2019). Critics of the approach highlight that the demands of employers for graduate talent within contemporary labor markets sit outside the locus of control of universities (Clarke, 2018). Moreover, global chance events and their associated career shocks can disrupt labor markets and act as catalysts for change (Akkermans et al., 2021). Two global-level chance events that have impacted the UK in the 21st century are the Global Financial Crisis (2007-2009) and the COVID-19 pandemic (since 2020).

The Global Financial Crisis was triggered by a collapse in the subprime housing market in the United States of America (USA) and resulted in ripples of economic turbulence worldwide (Johnstone et al., 2019). Successive UK Governments responded with a decade of austerity measures involving cuts to public services whilst simultaneously increasing university tuition fees for students (Donald, 2020). The same report evidenced how the UK Government subsequently responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to balance health and economic impacts and protect the National Health Service (NHS) from becoming overwhelmed. A succession of lockdown and social distancing guidelines impacted students' education and work experience opportunities and dramatically impacted the world of work (Eringfeld, 2021).

Moreover, different global chance events can have similar impacts (e.g. short-term drops in demand for graduates, reneging of contracts, or deferred start dates for employment) or other effects (e.g. salary stagnation due to the Global Financial Crisis compared to working from home mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic) (Akkermans et al., 2020). However, career scholars have predominantly focused on underemployment, how employees react to job loss, and how they navigate adverse circumstances (e.g. Cohen & Duberley, 2015; Sofritti et al., 2020). Limited focus in the vocational behavior literature has been placed on understanding how the future of work will evolve, despite this being paramount to universities, graduates, and employers to adequately prepare individuals for sustainable careers. For example, a lack of resources available for university career services in UK universities often means that the students who need career support the most are the least likely to receive it (Buckholtz & Donald, 2022; Donald et al., 2018; 2022).

In response, this chapter aims to understand how graduates from 2008 and 2020 believe the future of work will evolve concerning demands and resources from early career talent and organizations and what steps can be taken to enhance the career readiness of individuals undertaking the university-to-work transition. The theoretical contribution comes from empirically validating conceptual links between chance events, career shocks, sustainable career theory, and the Job Demands-Resources model. Practical implications come from empirically informed strategies to prepare university graduates for sustainable careers based on graduates’ views with lived experience in university and workplace contexts.