The changing world of work and youth: a comparative research of Australian and Turkish university students' perceptions about the changing world of work

Abstract

The world of work is changing for many people living in post-industrial countries across the globe. The aim of this paper is to compare Australian and Turkish university students’ perceptions about the changing nature of work in relation to their future prospects as employees. This research found that university students in post-industrial Australia were relatively optimistic about the changing nature of work as well as the opportunities for finding employment after graduating from university. By comparison Turkish students were more concerned about issues such as global competition and the perceived lack of opportunities for finding permanent full-time employment after graduating from university. Turkish students were also concerned about the dearth of opportunities for finding flexible employment which would allow them more time to engage in leisure activities. Despite the divergence of perceptions between these two cohorts of students, there were shared positive views that engagement in tertiary studies would lead to better life outcomes.