abstract: 'Life outcomes for people who spent time in the care of the state as

  children (''care-experienced'') are known to be significantly lower, on

  average, than for the general population. The reasons for this are

  complex and multidimensional, relating to social upheaval, disrupted

  schooling, mental and physical health issues and societal

  stigmatisation. Previous studies across several countries have

  demonstrated that they are significantly less likely to participate in

  higher education and more likely to withdraw early. However, little is

  currently known about their outcomes after graduation. This paper

  therefore explores the initial outcomes for the 1,010 full-time students

  identified as care-experienced within the cohort graduating from an

  undergraduate degree programme in the UK in 2016/17-the most recent year

  for which data are available. They were found to be slightly more likely

  to be unemployed and less likely to be in work (and particularly

  professional work) than their peers, but, conversely, more likely to be

  studying. These differences largely disappeared once background

  educational and demographic factors were controlled. The paper discusses

  the relationship between care-experience and other sites of inequality,

  concluding that care-experienced graduates are crucially

  over-represented in groups that are disadvantaged in the graduate labour

  market-e.g. by ethnicity, disability or educational history. This

  intersectional inequality largely explains their lower graduate

  outcomes. While there are important limitations with the data available,

  this speaks for the transformational potential of higher education in

  enabling care-experienced graduates to transcend childhood adversity.

  Recommendations for national policy and local practices conclude the

  paper.'
affiliation: 'Harrison, N (Corresponding Author), Univ Oxford, Dept Educ, Rees Ctr,
  Oxford, England.

  Harrison, Neil, Univ Oxford, Dept Educ, Rees Ctr, Oxford, England.

  Baker, Zoe, Sheffield Hallam Univ, Ctr Dev \& Res Educ, Sheffield, S Yorkshire,
  England.

  Stevenson, Jacqueline, Univ Leeds, Lifelong Learning Ctr, Leeds, W Yorkshire, England.'
author: Harrison, Neil and Baker, Zoe and Stevenson, Jacqueline
author-email: neil.harrison@education.ox.ac.uk
author_list:
- family: Harrison
  given: Neil
- family: Baker
  given: Zoe
- family: Stevenson
  given: Jacqueline
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/s10734-020-00660-w
earlyaccessdate: DEC 2020
eissn: 1573-174X
files: []
issn: 0018-1560
journal: HIGHER EDUCATION
keywords: 'Care-experienced students; Care leavers; Graduate outcomes; Inequality;

  Widening access; Widening participation'
keywords-plus: FOSTER-CARE; HIGHER-EDUCATION; YOUNG-PEOPLE; TRANSITION; LEAVERS; ACCESS
language: English
month: FEB
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '53'
pages: 357-378
papis_id: d25e17266d572c865b39b7f674766f6c
ref: Harrison2022employmentfurther
times-cited: '1'
title: Employment and further study outcomes for care-experienced graduates in the
  UK
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000600543900001
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '18'
volume: '83'
web-of-science-categories: Education \& Educational Research
year: '2022'