First year law students' perceptions on joining university: skills, employment and socio-economic realities in the new higher education landscape

<p dir="ltr">In recent years, the landscape of higher education has changed due to factors like the massification and marketisation of the sector. This has led to growing pressures on graduate employability and attainment of requisite skills whilst at university. Obtaining law students’ perspectives on these issues has become relevant due to an increasingly diverse student population. This paper explores first year law (FYL) students’ perspectives on why they joined university, their value of certain employability skills, and the wider socio-economic impacts they face at university. The study was conducted in a research-intensive university in the UK. This work analysed quantitative data from questionnaires (n=113) and qualitative data from six focus groups (n=35).</p><p dir="ltr">Results indicate, firstly, that law students join university to improve their future career prospects. Secondly, students’ views on the importance of specific employability skills from HE and employer perspectives was found to be misaligned. Finally, the study shows the need to acknowledge the voices of the growing diverse body of FYL students. This paper suggests improving communication among HE, employers, and student representatives to understand better the importance of certain skills, and to support FYL students from non-traditional backgrounds and acknowledge the barriers they face. At an institutional level, open communications with students will enable them to be heard, and inclusive employability activities will help FYL students from non-traditional backgrounds. This could improve the confidence, well-being, and employability of our diverse student body, enabling them to become the employees and citizens they aspired to be when they joined university.</p>