Young men’s experiences of transition to higher education

This thesis investigates the experiences of five young men who moved into higher education after disrupted success at school and experience of the workforce. The study showed their experience of school reflects inherited understandings of the relationship between education and work, with aspiration modelled largely upon their fathers’ experiences. Workforce experience at the end of school increased their knowledge about the value of higher education to their careers, and stimulated higher aspiration. Their journeys demonstrate the label ‘non-traditional’ student to be losing relevance in contemporary society, as many young people now experience fluid and non-linear educational journeys after school.