International mobility of a community of students from the Univerdade do Algarve

Abstract

This study compiles data on the mobility of a group of Portuguese public higher education students. It aims to understand how these young people are seeing their professional future and the hypothesis of international labour and academic mobility in a period of economic and social crisis. Based on data from a survey applied to 425 students of the Universidade do Algarve in 2016, their predisposition for mobility is analysed according to their professional perspectives, demographic characteristics and language skills. The results show that most of the respondents (69.6%) consider the possibility of working abroad and that this intention is motivated by the disbelief of reaching, in Portugal, work that provides stability and security, good remuneration conditions and social prestige. The possibility of an international academic experience, considered by 60.7% of the students, is not associated with the benevolent self-assessment of language skills. However, in the case of labour mobility, it was seen that this predisposition is greater amongst those who express greater confidence in their English skills.