Does students’ international mobility increase their employability? Cover Image

Does students’ international mobility increase their employability?
Does students’ international mobility increase their employability?

Author(s): Leszek Wincenciak, Gabriela Grotkowska, Tomasz Gajderowicz
Subject(s): Economy
Published by: Uniwersytet Warszawski - Wydział Nauk Ekonomicznych
Keywords: international mobility; employability; human capital theory; signalling theory; job search time

Summary/Abstract: During the last 20 years international mobility of Polish students grew significantly. The article addresses the issue of consequences of international mobility for graduates’ employability. Theoretical literature suggests several channels through which internationalmobilitymay affect graduates’ attractiveness in the labour market: by accumulation of additional human capital, by signalling high abilities of a job candidate, by increasing search intensity of jobseekers. In fact, simple comparison of employment rates and duration of a post-graduation job search suggest that mobility experience increases employability of higher education graduates. However the results of Cox proportional hazard model with a control for other graduates’ characteristics reveals a different picture: mobility per se does not impact job search duration but is correlated with graduates’ characteristics associated with higher abilities. It seems, therefore, that international mobility experience may serve as a screening device and be used by firms for the purpose of recruiting better candidates.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 30
  • Page Range: 59-74
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English