Background -- policies on the transition from higher education to employment since the 1990s -- Higher Education Experiences -- Competencies acquired at university and required in the workplace -- University and college differences in the returns to education in japan and the netherlands -- University education and its relevance to working life -- Transition and Professional Careers -- On the use and generation of knowledge economy competencies -- Influence of diversified employment on the initial career of higher education graduates -- Career and mobility in japan and the netherlands -- Values and Work Orientations -- Japanese and dutch graduates' work orientations and job satisfaction -- Individualism and collectivism -- Does Higher Education Provide Opportunities For Career Development Of Men And Women? -- Final Reflections -- The relationships between higher education and employment in japan and the netherlands.

This book investigates how social and cultural factors affect the education, training and career development of graduates of higher education in Japan and the Netherlands. Despite their different historical paths, both countries are now subject to the common pressure of globalization. As a result, the higher education sector in both countries is becoming more universal and available to a larger population, and the economy and society are becoming increasingly knowledge-intensive. The aim of this book is to explore how Dutch and Japanese graduates choose and develop their careers in reference to the above-mentioned challenges. It is based on a unique data set consisting of surveys held among graduates 3 and 8 years after leaving higher education.