Across regions, students are graduating into labour markets defined by uncertainty. While education continues to be framed as a pathway to opportunity, the reality many encounter is more complex. Underemployment, short-term contracts, and unstable working conditions are increasingly common entry points into the workforce. For some, this transition begins even earlier, as students combine their studies with low-paid or insecure work in order to support themselves.
Internships, often presented as essential stepping stones, have in many contexts become a source of concern. Unpaid or underpaid positions remain widespread, limiting access to those who can afford to work without compensation and reinforcing existing inequalities. At the same time, the growing mismatch between qualifications and available jobs leaves many graduates navigating roles that do not reflect their skills or aspirations.
These challenges are not isolated. They reflect broader transformations in labour markets worldwide. Economic volatility, technological change, and shifting employment models are reshaping how work is organised and experienced. For students and recent graduates, this means entering a world of work that is less predictable and, in many cases, less secure than in previous generations.
Students are not separate from these dynamics. They are already part of the workforce and are continuously preparing to enter it more fully. Early experiences of precarious work, limited protections, or unequal access to opportunities can have lasting effects on career paths, financial stability, and overall well-being.
At the same time, these experiences shape how the next generation understands work itself. Expectations around stability, fairness, and opportunity are being renegotiated in real time. The transition from education to work is where the pressures of today’s labour markets are felt most clearly, and where the future of work is already being defined.
Recognising this transition as a central issue for students is essential. It sits at the intersection of education policy, labour rights, and justice. Ensuring that education leads to meaningful and dignified opportunities is more than a question of individual success; it is about building more equitable and sustainable societies.
As we mark International Workers’ Day, it is important to acknowledge students as part of the broader world of work, not only as future workers, but as individuals already navigating its realities. Their experiences offer critical insight into the direction labour markets are taking, and the kind of future that is being built.
