Employers’ perception of the role of higher education in Portugal: The varying solutions for skill problems

Abstract

Higher education is under great pressure to provide skills that smooth graduates’ transition into the labour market, prepare them for the world of work and, ultimately, contribute to their employability. This supply-side perspective does not, per se, reflect employers’ view of the mission of higher education. Our research provides empirical evidence on how employers in Portugal perceive the role of higher education. It relies on data gathered in 2020 through an original online survey applied to N = 162 employers in Portugal. A k-means clustering distinguishes three groups of employers: those that acknowledge the autonomy of higher education; those who prefer to train their workforce; and those that blame higher education for their skill problems. The latter employers report skill shortages and propose different answers to mitigate them. Ultimately, the findings indicate that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for skill problems; firms have agency in finding appropriate solutions.