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In 1998 is onder auspiciën van de VSNU de WO-Monitor van start gegaan. Aanleiding hiervoor was de behoefte om over landelijke gegevens te beschikken met betrekking tot de arbeidsmarktintrede van afgestudeerden. Weliswaar werd op diverse plaatsen reeds onderzoek verricht naar de overgang van het WO naar de arbeidsmarkt, maar door de uiteenlopende designs en vraagstellingen leverde dit geen onderling vergelijkbare gegevens op. Het Algemeen Bestuur van de VSNU heeft daarom besloten tot invoering van een landelijke WO-Monitor, waarin alle universiteiten participeren.

Met de eerste verslaglegging van de resultaten van de WO-monitor (ROA, 1999) is een mijlpaal bereikt in het Nederlandse onderwijs- en arbeidsmarktonderzoek. Voor het eerst beschikken we over een het gehele onderwijssysteem dekkend overzicht van de posities en bestemmingen van schoolverlaters op de arbeidsmarkt. Opleidingen kunnen nu systematisch worden vergeleken op hoe het hun leerlingen na afloop vergaat. Deze arbeidsmarktpositie is deel van het ''civiele effect'' van opleidingen en geldt daarmee een belangrijke kwaliteitsmaatstaf voor de scholen. Uiteraard moet, net als in het op de leerprestaties gerichte schoolvergelijkend onderzoek (Dronkers 1998; Bosker en Scheerens 1999), bij de interpretaties rekening worden gehouden met verschillen in instroomkenmerken tussen de scholen en uiteraard tevens met regionale en sectorale arbeidsmarktomstandigheden (voor voorbeelden, zie Bosker, Van der Velden en Van de Loo, 1997; Van der Velden en Wolbers, 1999a; Allen, Ramaekers en Verbeek, nog te verschijnen). Maar dat laat onverlet dat de systematische monitoring van arbeidsmarktposities met zich meebrengt dat scholen zich ook op dit terrein niet aan een verantwoordingsplicht kunnen onttrekken.

In an explorative study, the value of four personality constructs in predicting success in the labour market entry has been analysed with a sample of graduates in economics from Maastricht University. The research question is: do personality characteristics predict labour market entry success and how much weight do these ‘soft’ factors have compared to the traditional ‘hard’ human capital factors like study results? Two out of the four constructs, i.e. (internal) Locus of control and Type A behaviour appear to have a positive effect on labour market success. The effects are independent of the effects of study results and other traditional human capital variables. Locus of control affects getting a job soon after graduation and having tenure, whereas Type A behaviour affects having tenure and wages. Study results merely affect job quality indicators. For obtaining an academic job, the human capital factors have a positive effect while personality has no effect at all. The findings underline the relevance of further labour market research with respect to the importance and role of the so called ‘soft’ factors like personality characteristics. At the same time, the role of ‘hard’ human capital factors is not to be neglected. Both types of factors seem to have their own and independent effects. Future research directions are given and implications of the study are discussed.

Since ‘soft factors’ gain more interest for their relevance for the labour market, this study explores the effect of learning style on labour market entry. Learning style is considered to be a relative stable educational concept representing an individual’s learning preferences. This study links the educational concept of learning style with labour market research. The sample has been composed of graduates in Economics of the Maastricht University who graduated in between 1991 and 1995. They all started their studies in 1986 or 1987, in which years their learning style data were collected. Learning style aspects were tested for their effect on job chances, quality of work and type of job (job match) at the time of the survey one and a half year after graduation. Analyses were applied within a two step model. In the first step only learning style data and control variables were included. In the second step, relevant covariates like study results were included in the analyses in addition to the learning style data. Logistic and normal lineair regression analyses point out that the motivational aspects of learning style tend to have an effect on most of the labour market indicators, whereas the cognitive information processing aspects merely affect the chance of getting an academic job. Results of multinomial logistic regression analyses reveal some effects on entering an accounting job in comparison with a managing job (job match). The learning style aspect ‘holism’ shows a limited, although unexpected positive effect in this respect. For globalism a negative effect on entering an accounting job appeared. Extendedness appeared to have a limited negative effect on entering an accounting job as well. For research jobs in comparison with managing jobs, no effects are found. Altogether, the effects of learning style aspects appear to be more profound than the effects of study results with respect to labour market entry. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.