In the UK, transition to university has become regarded as the ‘normative’ next step for young people following completion of their post-16 education. This paper examines the views of 23 young people who, despite being suitably qualified to progress to university, were anticipating alternative pathways and options. The paper illuminates the centrality of young people’s ‘learning identities’ in their decisions and the role of wider social contexts in structuring their opportunities to embark on higher education. Their ‘learning identities’ informed their views on the value of higher education and other options in securing future employment. The implications of these findings are highly significant in the context of congested and competitive UK labour markets in which obtaining a degree has become, in very many contexts, the bare minimum for securing employment. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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