Higher Education, Place and Career Development: Learning from Rural and Island Students

Drawing connections between the findings of a research project following young graduates from the Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland, current international evidence, and theoretical literature, this book argues that understanding rural and island student transitions can expose the wider dynamics of place and mobility at play during student and early career experiences.

Highlighting the importance of a career perspective, Rosie Alexander encourages readers to consider how career pathways develop across time and across transition points, unsettling the notion of a straightforward transition through university into the workplace. The book uncovers how student trajectories are developed through interweaving dynamics of relationships, place, and career routes and unpacks the implications for policymakers and practitioners. It contends that a much greater spatial awareness is necessary to understand and support the educational and career pathways of higher education students.

This is a crucial read for higher education researchers, policymakers, and students interested in rurality as well as access to and transition from higher education.

Rosie Alexander is a lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, UK. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a careers adviser in some of the most rural and remote communities in the UK.