New initiative strengthens the link between education and working life in Jönköping

This autumn, Jönköping University (JU) is launching two parallel studies with support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Region Jönköping County. The aim is to increase understanding of why so few students remain in the region after graduation and to lay the foundations for a larger project that will strengthen the supply of skills and innovation in Jönköping County.

Leona Achtenhagen, Professor of Business Administration at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS), JU, is leading a qualitative study focusing on the experiences of international students. The project is called Stay and is being carried out by a research team from the Media, Management and Transformation Centre (MMTC) at JIBS. Although JU attracts around 2,400 international students from over 100 countries to Jönköping every year, statistics show that only a third remain in the municipality one year after graduation.

What influences students' decisions?

The Stay study examines the obstacles and the needs that shape students' decisions to stay or leave Jönköping. Through interviews and focus groups, the study maps out, among other things, at what time during their studies this decision is made and which factors carry the most weight, such as access to work, housing, public transport and cultural integration.

“For the competitiveness of businesses and the future of the region, it is crucial that more students choose to stay. It will be interesting to hear the students' reasoning about what makes them remain in the region or not. We currently know some things about this, but not everything,” says Leona Achtenhagen.

Where do students settle down?

Lucia Naldi, Professor of Business Administration at JIBS, is leading a quantitative study that analyses where JU students settle after graduation, which industries attract them and what influences their willingness to stay in the region. The Place study is being conducted by a research team from the Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership (CeFEO) and is based on register data from Statistics Sweden, survey data from one of the world's largest research projects on entrepreneurship among students, and a new survey aimed at JU students.

"We are looking at both geographical establishment and the factors that influence the decision to stay. It is also about understanding the differences between Swedish and international students, as well as between women and men," says Lucia Naldi.

JU's role is important for the region's development

The two studies complement each other and will together form the basis for a larger project whose goal is to create a sustainable structure for matching skills between students and small and medium-sized enterprises in the region.

Both projects contribute to several goals within Agenda 2030, including sustainable growth, innovation and reduced inequality. By strengthening the link between education and the labour market, JU can play an even more important role in the region's development.

“It's not just about getting more people to stay, but also about us as an educational institution having to think about what courses we offer and how we collaborate with the business community,” says Lucia Naldi.

Reference groups with representatives from all of JU's faculties, Jönköping Student Union, Jönköping University Enterprise and the Jönköping Chamber of Commerce ensure that the project has broad support and relevance.