Transformations in graduate employment are often explained through global labor market trends such as polarization, flexibilization, and professionalization. This study challenges such universalist accounts by highlighting the role of national education and labor market institutions in shaping distinct occupational outcomes. Using the hospitality sector as a case, the research explores how institutional arrangements mediate labor market change, offering insights relevant across a range of sectors. Drawing on the cases of Germany, Sweden, the UK, and Greece, the study examines how vocational education systems, regulatory frameworks, and wage-setting mechanisms influence occupational restructuring and career trajectories. It analyzes data from the Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey from 2010 to 2022: a period marked by economic recovery, regulatory reform, digitalization, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that institutional configurations, particularly those related to education and training, condition the effects of technological and economic change on graduate employability, skill development, and career mobility. The study demonstrates that sector-specific changes are deeply embedded in national institutional contexts, with significant implications for how we understand and address graduate transitions from education to employment. While hospitality serves as the illustrative sector, the broader conceptual framework offers transferable insights for analyzing workforce development across industries. The study contributes to a more context-sensitive understanding of graduate outcomes and offers practical implications for educators, policymakers, and employers aiming to design inclusive and sustainable education-to-employment pathways.

Authors:
Bayaz Mammadova, University of Bath, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Bayaz Mammadova is a PhD researcher at the University of Bath, interested in higher education, employability, and digitalization.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyaz-mammadova-a5959558/

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