The Disarticulation between Education and Work: A Systemic Analysis of the Relationship between University Achievement, Professional Achievement and Career Mobility

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of university education on professional achievement, observed from different subfactors and dimensions, and in particular, on career mobility and socioeconomic status in contexts of profound change and uncertainty. The results of two studies conducted at different times with university students are presented: the first was quantitative-explanatory/predictive; the second, focused on International Academic Mobility (IAM) in relation to current professional mobility, was qualitative-comprehensive. The populations consisted of university graduates in the first case and, in the second, exchange students who participated in international academic mobility programs (Argentine students and students from other countries). The techniques used were semi-structured surveys, semi-structured interviews, hierarchical recall, and short life stories. A comparison of the findings reveals a decline in the importance and appreciation of excellent higher education as a means to professional/economic advancement and quality of life, as argued by human capital theorists. Likewise, a devaluation of the “tool” or policy of internationalization of higher education is observed with respect to professional mobility and employability (the Bologna Process). The observed disconnect between training and the labor market, mediated by the problem of "missing" skills, places institutions and individuals before the challenge of professionalization and the need for retraining and updating of skills.