Labour market integration of Social Work graduates: a case study in Andalusia

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to examine the labour market integration of social work graduates from the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville between 2019 and 2022. Socioeconomic, training and employment-related information was obtained from the completion of a questionnaire by68 young people aged between 20 and 32 years and holding a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a double degree in Social Work and Social Education and/or a double degree in Social Work and Sociology. The results indicate that recent graduates have faced more significant difficulties in finding employment in the profession. Respondents who had previously completed vocational training and then studied for a degree had a higher probability of finding a job than those who had only completed a degree. Furthermore, membership of a professional association increased the likelihood of working in the field of study. Finally, we should continue to explore the complex personal and social situations that hinder entry into the labour market and clarify the elements that make direct entry into the labour market easier.