Discourses on Employability in Higher Education and Perceptions of the Labour Market Among Undergraduates in France

The massification of higher education in France has raised a number of questions about the transition of students to the labour market, leading to a series of reforms, in particular the vocationalisation of undergraduate courses. This includes reforms aimed at equipping students with professional skills and helping them to enter the labour market. The aim of this article is to analyse how these trends and the underlying discourse of employability influence students' perceptions of the labour market and their use of resources during their academic careers. Using a qualitative survey conducted at a French university, the study shows that undergraduates mainly adopt an individualised view of employability, focusing on the personal qualities needed to succeed in a competitive job market. However, it also underlines that students' perceptions are shaped by their disciplinary background, but also by their social and academic environment, as well as by their first experiences on the labour market.