We study both quantitative properties such as supply and demand for professional labour and the individual’s motivation and career.
Norwegian higher education and professional labour markets are highly segregated, and questions concerning gender, ethnicity and social background are central in the understanding of them.
Furthermore, we emphasise the importance of comparing different professions, educational programmes and groups. The research is often based on large quantitative data sets, such as StudData or register data, but qualitative approaches are also required.
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Characteristics of professional education and labour markets and their development
This thematic area deals with professional labour markets from a societal perspective. Studies investigating the relationship between supply and demand as well as the factors affecting this relationship are of particular interest. Some possible research questions include the following:
- Is the number of educated professionals sufficient? Are the recruited students sufficiently competent? How widespread is attrition in the professions?
- How are wages set and incomes determined in different professional labour markets?
- In what kinds of organisations are professionals employed? How and why does organisational type matter?
- Which labour market theories provide the best descriptions of professional labour markets?
Recruitment, careers and motivation
This thematic area includes research on students in professional programmes and professional careers. Studies investigating recruitment, academic achievement, motivation and the importance of motivation for further career development are central. Research into professional careers comprises horizontal and vertical mobility, attrition and affiliation.
Some possible research questions are as follows:
- How do job values differ amongst professions? Do job values change while studying in a professional programme or while making the transition from a professional education programme to professional work?
- How do the recruitment patterns and the compositions of various professional education programmes and professions differ in terms of ethnicity, social background and gender?
- What aspects characterise professional careers, and how do gender, social class and ethnicity affect such careers?
- Who gets the best grades in professional educations? How do grades matter for further careers?
