Factors contributing to the (un)fulfilment of employment aspirations of recent Chilean university graduates

ABSTRACT

The benefits of growth in university enrolments are contingent on the articulation of university expansion with changes in other areas, particularly the economy. The costs of a mismatch are felt at the societal level, but especially by individual graduates. This article describes problems faced by professionals in one country that has experienced very rapid expansion of higher education in a highly privatised market economy. While not uniformly generalisable to other countries, the results are illustrative of what can occur. The study is based on subjective information provided by Chilean university graduates who have recently sought employment. The graduates’ narratives can be aligned along three major dimensions of dissatisfaction: labour force entry; earnings; and working conditions. The themes are linked and combine to describe a difficult transition from university to work in a context of low salaries and unstable and uncertain employment. Among factors contributing to unfulfilment of aspirations are the graduates’ social capital and socioeconomic status, the geographic location of the job, the university from which they graduated, and activities while a student. Unsynchronised expansion of different social institutions can reduce social equity and cohesion.

KEYWORDS:

• Aspirations
• employment
• perceptions
• graduates
• higher education

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the data provided by the universities participating in the research. We are acknowledged for the valuable support provided by the graduates who agreed to be interviewed. We also appreciate the support given by the Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Educativa (IESED-Chile).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The term ‘graduates’ in this paper refers to those who have completed all requirements for their degree. In Chile working graduates are known as professionals.

2. Dollar values calculated as reported during the second half of 2021.

3. The two major types of labour contracts in Chile are permanent, and by honoraria (part-time, hourly, fee for services). Permanent employment signifies a dependent relationship with the employer and protects the rights of the worker including attention to health and social welfare. Contracts with hourly rates for a specified period, do not include vacation pay or worker compensation. Nor do they include health care or payment into a pension fund. About 20% of university graduates work with contracts

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Agency of Research and Development of Chile (ANID) through the FONDECYT Project N°1220635 and the FONDECYT Project N°1230080. The authors are solely responsible for the contents of this report.

Notes on contributors

Oscar Espinoza

Oscar Espinoza is full time professor at the Universidad de Tarapacá. In the past, he has worked in research projects funded by international and national agencies in issues associated with access, equity, quality assurance, academic performance, quality assurance, and higher education policies. Currently, he participates in various networks including Comparative International Education Society, Latin American Studies Association, and Network of Epistemological and Theoretical Studies in Educational Policy (RELEPE). Author of numerous publications, including: 10 books, 60 book chapters and 170 articles. He holds an Ed. D. in Policy, Planning and Evaluation in Education from the University of Pittsburgh (USA).

Luis González

Luis González is senior researcher at the Programa Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Educación. His research focuses on higher education, educational policies, social mobility, technical and vocational education, youth and development. He is author of more than 50 books and 400 articles. He also works as external consultant in various International organizations such as UNESCO, ECLAC, Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, and World Bank. He holds an Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Planning from Harvard University (USA).

Luis Sandoval

Luis Sandoval received his master’s degree in political science from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is Teaching Director at the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana and associate researcher at the Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Educativa (IESED-CHILE). His research focuses in issues related to equity, employment, management, and higher education policies.

Yahira Larrondo

Yahira Larrondo received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Chile. She also holds a master’s degree in educational research from the University of Chile. Yahira has been a research assistant in projects related to education and communication. She has experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Her areas of interest are education policy, higher education and rurality.

Bruno Corradi

Bruno Corradi received his bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Chile. Actually, he is assistant researcher at the Universidad de Tarapacá. Bruno is pursuing a master degree in Social Sciences at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado.

Noel McGinn

Noel McGinn received his PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. He is Professor Emeritus at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Fellow Emeritus of the Harvard Institute for International Development. His authored books include Build a Mill, Build a City, Build a School: Education and the Modernization of Korea; Framing Questions, Constructing Answers: Linking research with education policy for developing countries; Decentralization of Education: why, when, what and how?; and Learning to Educate: Proposals for the reconstruction of education in developing countries. He is the co-editor of the Handbook of Modern Education and Its Alternatives and Comparative Perspectives on the Role of Education in Democratization: and editor of Crossing Lines: Research and policy networks for developing country education; and Learning Through Collaborative Research. He is Past President of the Comparative and International Education Society. In 1998 he received the Andres Bello Award of the Organization of American States for Outstanding Contribution to Education in Latin America.

Karina Maldonado

Karina Maldonado received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Chile. She also holds a master’s degree in sociology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica. Karina has been a research assistant in different projects related to education. She has experience in public policy evaluation and quantitative and qualitative methodological consultancy. Her areas of interest are social inequality, higher education, public policies and gender perspectives.