Abstract
Generation Y can be taken to be the group of people born between 1977 and 2000. The aim of this paper is to investigate the initial career entry and long-term career employment expectations of UK undergraduate Generation Ys, in order to inform employability skills development in higher education. The empirical research comprises 26 focus groups with 172 undergraduates of this generation in 2 universities in the UK. The focus group participants are found predominantly to have high expectations of their employment in enjoyment, opportunity and progression. Overall, the respondents appear enthusiastic and optimistic, with a positive work ethic and healthy mindset. Fundamentally, recognising and appreciating undergraduate Generation Ys’ opinions on their employment expectations enables development of their employability skills while they are in university. The paper sets out implications for higher educational stakeholders including students, graduates and employers on the development of employability skills.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2267-2283 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Studies in Higher Education |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 12 |
Early online date | 20 Jan 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Feb 2016 |
Keywords
- Generation Y
- undergraduates
- employment expectations
- employability