From autumn 1998 to spring 2000, about 3,000 graduates each from nine
countries in the European Union (Austria, Finland, France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), one EFTA country
(Norway), one of the Central and Eastern European countries in
transition (the Czech Republic) and one econo- cally advanced country
outside Europe (Japan) provided information through a wr- ten
questionnaire on the relationship between higher education and
employment three to four years after graduation. In total, over 40,000
graduates from higher education institutions answered questions on their
socio-biographical background, study paths, transition from higher
education to employment, early career, links between study and
employment, job satisfaction and their retrospective view on higher
education. The study provided a unique opportunity to examine how far
the relationships - tween higher education and the world of work are
similar or different in the Western European countries. This became
clearer through the inclusion of one country of the Central and Eastern
European countries and one country outside Europe. The study also helped
to understand the common elements and differences between various fields
of study and occupational areas. It made it possible to analyse current
salient issues of higher education, e. g. equality, the role of
educational levels, the demand for specialized or general competences,
the growing role of international mobility and lifelong education, the
regional diversity in higher education.
