Institute for Employment Research » IER News & blogs (tag [higher education])

New publication: Exporting status differences? The stratification of British transnational higher education

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

A new article by IER’s Dr Sangwoo Lee and Dr Eva Hartmann (University of Cambridge) examines how institutional hierarchies within UK higher education are reproduced through transnational education (TNE).

The paper contributes to emerging critical perspectives on the internationalisation of higher education and highlights the need to consider how power, reputation and hierarchy shape the global circulation of UK qualifications.

IER literature reviews, commissioned as part of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, published

Thu, 30 May 2019 15:04:00 GMT

The Department for Education published three IER literature reviews commissioned as part of the Augar Review:

• Dickinson, P. (2019) Choices students make between different post-18 education routes. London: Department for Education. Read the short summary in the press release here.

• Baldauf, B. and Luchinskaya, D. (2019) Graduate choices in post-education jobs and careers - a literature review. London: Department for Education.

• Hunt, W. and Atfield, G. (2019) The wider (non-market) benefits of post 18 education for individuals and society. London: Department for Education.

The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, launched by the Prime Minister in February last year, was led by Philip Augar, and reported its findings on 30 May.

Daria Luchinskaya appointed as co-convenor of SRHE Employability, Enterprise and Work-based Learning network

Wed, 29 May 2019 20:16:00 GMT

Dr Daria Luchinskaya has been appointed as a co-convenor of the Employability, Enterprise and Work-based Learning network for the SRHE (Society for Research into Higher Education).

Together with convenors Dr Heike Behle and Dr Ciaran Burke, Daria will be organising SRHE network events and other network activities - look out for the Network's forthcoming events on the SRHE website.

Exploring collaborative research on graduates’ transitions into the labour market

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:30:00 GMT

In July 2018, Dr Giulio Pedrini and Dr Luca Cattani from the University of Bologna will visit the IER for a month, working with Dr Daria Luchinskaya (IER) and Dr Charoula Tzanakou (PAIS) to develop a collaborative programme of research on graduate employment between the University of Warwick and the University of Bologna.

Sally-Anne Barnes presented at Access to HE conference 2018

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 09:47:46 GMT

Sally-Anne Barnes contributed to the recent Access to HE conference 'Supporting the transition to higher study' held at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre on 5 April. Sally-Anne ran a workshop on 'Developing aspiration - overcoming barriers to lifelong learning' for those delivering the Access to HE course and working in adult education. She drew on findings from recent research on lifelong guidance and learning, education and employment programmes for young people, and adult education.

IER research informs the new British Academy report on the skills of graduates of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS)

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 10:50:42 GMT

The British Academy has launched its new report on the skills of AHSS graduates.

IER was commissioned by the British Academy to conduct mixed-methods research to identify AHSS graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of their skills, the benefits of AHSS graduates to the economy and to society and the need for any further skills development. The research, involving a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of 3 different quantitative data sources, focus groups with 22 graduates and postgraduates, and interviews with 6 employers, found that graduates with more creative approaches to work will be highly valued in the future and, if AHSS graduates can combine their creativity with good technical skills, they will be highly sought after. Those with narrow skill sets are more likely to struggle in the labour market, except in niche areas where there may be a shortage of particular skills. The research was led by Dr Clare Lyonette, with Dr Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf, and the IER report has been published on the British Academy website.

Upcoming seminar: Academic mobility and employability

Fri, 19 May 2017 09:00:04 GMT

Employability gain is often connected to international experiences, however, empirical findings are sparse. The Academic Mobilities and Immobilities Network (AMIN) and IER are organising a research seminar to explore research on academic mobility on 23 May. There will be presentations from Dr Toni Wright (Newham College), Eluned Jones (University of Birmingham) and Gaby Atfield (IER) focusing on: do students enrolled in UK Higher Education Institutions gain international experiences by studying or working in a different country, or by taking part in international events on the UK campus?; and do international students enhance their employability by studying in a UK higher education institution? To register and find out more here.

Credentials and self-reported skill gain do not measure the same

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 14:19:42 GMT

As a part of the LEGACY project, Dr Heike Behle recently presented a paper in which two ways to measure learning gain were critically assessed: Credentials and self-assessed improvement of specific skills.

Both ways have drawbacks: Credentials can be an effective way of measuring student learning within a particular class, since most institutions have a scaled grading system already in place. It is problematic, however, to use across classes and institutions and it does not measure the ‘distance travelled’ during higher education. On the other hand, self-assessed improvement of skills will always be subjective and will differ according to individuals’ personality and their personal and HE-related circumstances such as gender and subject studied. It is also important to notice that both data is censored, i.e. improvement is not unlimited.

Using Futuretrack data, Heike compared both ways and found that those who increased their learning gain using credentials are less likely to assess their skills highly, both variable correlate negatively. The findings are currently being prepared for publication. Reported in THES.

The role of higher education to produce employable graduates

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 19:53:04 GMT

Dr Heike Behle on invitation of the British Council at the Higher Education - Industry Dialogue in Sri Lanka gave a presentation on the role of higher education to produce employable graduates. Heike also demonstrated different ways to measure the employability of graduates based on her work for the LEGACY project.

New report - Graduates in non-graduate occupations

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:17:28 GMT

A recent IER report prepared for HEFCE and SRHE IER's Dr Heike Behle compares the early pathways of graduates from two leaving cohorts: those who graduated in 1999 (‘class of 1999’) and those who graduated from three year courses in 2009 and from four year courses in 2010 ('class of 2009/2010'). It shows that the proportion of employed graduates working in non-graduate jobs during their first year after graduation has remained high with approximately 36 per cent of all employed graduates from three year courses and, respectively 30 per cent of all employed graduates from four year courses working in non-graduate jobs fifteen months after graduation.

Behle, H. (2016) Graduates in non-graduate occupations (Report prepared for HEFCE and SRHE). London: Higher Education Funding Council for England.