European Mobility of United Kingdom Educated Graduates. Who Stays, Who Goes?

Abstract

AbstractOfficial figures from the Home Office show an increase in mobility of the highly‐skilled from the United Kingdom (UK) to other European countries. This paper analyses the social composition of intra‐European mobile graduates from the UK in the context of recent political developments (Bologna‐Process, European Higher Education Area). Using quantitative and qualitative data from a longitudinal study of students and its follow‐up study, the paper compares the social composition and current activity of intra‐European mobile graduates with those remaining in the UK. Personal and higher education‐related variables together with the current type of employment were significant for the distinction between intra‐European mobile graduates and ‘UK stayers’. UK‐educated mobile graduates were identified as ‘Eurostars’, who come from high social classes or studied at high tariff higher education institutions. Mobility was identified as one way for UK‐educated graduates to avoid employment in non‐graduate jobs and add further value to their undergraduate degrees.