Mobile Students and the Labour Market
Individuals enter postsecondary education (PSE) through diverse pathways and life situations. Many students transition to PSE directly after completing high school, while others take “gap” years to work or travel. Mature students enter new PSE programs with a wide range of prior experiences, whether gained through years in the workforce or periods of unemployment. The prior experiences of students shape the programs and fields of study they pursue, whether and how they transition between programs and institutions, and their later education and labour market outcomes.
In this project, the education and employment histories of students are sequenced to better understand patterns of mobility and how they relate to a range of education and employment outcomes. The study uses linked administrative data to follow cohorts of students from when they transition into PSE to assess how their level of mobility, both prior to beginning an education spell and during their time spent in school, is associated with these outcomes.
This project aligns with ONCAT’s mandate to support learner mobility in Ontario through collaboration with postsecondary institutions to develop transfer pathways, streamline credit transfer processes, and facilitate transitions to the labour market.
Project Details
Capability: Data Sciences - Policy Research
Policy Area: Adult Learning, Post-Secondary Education - Graduate Labour Market - Access and Persistence
Population: Students
Start Date: February 2026
Completion Date: February 2027
Sponsors: Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT)
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