Tracking the careers of graduates in sport and sport-related programmes: a European perspective

Abstract

As part of the work of a European Observatory on Sports Occupations (EOSE), and building on previous national studies, a questionnaire and a methodology were developed to facilitate the tracking of graduates in physical education, sport and recreation in various European states. The questionnaire consisted of five major sections: personal data, education curriculum, career curriculum, specifications about current job and future employment aspirations. It was tested in 1998 in a Flemish and a German survey and, partly, in a French survey. The preliminary results of these pilot studies indicate that education is (still) the most important employment sector for Flemish and French graduates. In Germany, the sports sector seems to be the most important. Consequently, for Flemish and French graduates "handling pupils/children' and "(oral) communication' are seen as the most important skills. The German graduates indicated "commitment' as most important, and "(oral) communication' as second. The pilot reinforces the need for a consistent European methodology to investigate graduate employment in this field.