{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T22:29:09Z","timestamp":1770071349814,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,19]],"date-time":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1642550400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Education Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Since higher education qualifications and digital transition are considered key factors for economic development and individual opportunities, distance learning has been presented as a solution to improve the labor force\u2019s skills and employability. However, such links were seldom studied systematically in specific contexts, and doubts exist regarding online programs. Based on the results of three successive follow-up surveys to the graduates of the Portuguese distance learning public university (Universidade Aberta), from 2011 to 2018 (n = 1358), our article examines the graduates\u2019 perception of acquired transversal competences, in relation to employability and social mobility gains. The statistical analysis points out a positive perception of transversal competences development, especially analytical capacity, autonomy, and communication, although some concerns were raised regarding digital skills, teamwork, job search skills, and social capital. The impacts on employability and socioeconomic mobility are positive for most students, but variable according to analyzed competences, and tend to occur mostly through internal mobility rather than through job search skills or entrepreneurship. Although exploratory, such findings allow some final considerations regarding the effective ability of higher education distance learning to enhance economic growth and employability, through transversal competences, as well as to sketch some suggestions to improve such ability.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/educsci12020065","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,19]],"date-time":"2022-01-19T08:20:57Z","timestamp":1642580457000},"page":"65","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Transversal Competences and Employability: The Impacts of Distance Learning University According to Graduates\u2019 Follow-Up"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9572-9563","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Abrantes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Estudos de Sociologia, Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, 649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Ci\u00eancias Sociais e Gest\u00e3o, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1606-2188","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Paula","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gabinete de Gest\u00e3o Acad\u00e9mica e Curricular, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5844-3854","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00e1rbara","family":"Backstrom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Ci\u00eancias Sociais e Gest\u00e3o, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8175-4749","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cl\u00e1udia","family":"Neves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LE@D\u2014Laborat\u00f3rio de Educa\u00e7\u00e3 a Dist\u00e2ncia e ELearning, Departamento de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o e Ensino a Dist\u00e2ncia, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8271-0695","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Fal\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Humanidades, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Lingu\u00edstica, Universidade de Lisboa, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1157-060X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marc","family":"Jacquinet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Ci\u00eancias Sociais e Gest\u00e3o, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"CIEO\u2014Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o sobre Espa\u00e7o e Organiza\u00e7\u00f5es, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9114-0807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria do Ros\u00e1rio","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Ci\u00eancias e Tecnologia, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"CMAFcIO\u2014Center of Mathematics, Fundamental Applications and Operations Research, Faculdade de Ci\u00eancias, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9661-6261","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olga","family":"Magano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Estudos de Sociologia, Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, 649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Ci\u00eancias Sociais e Gest\u00e3o, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7506-1401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susana","family":"Henriques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Estudos de Sociologia, Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, 649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o e Ensino a Dist\u00e2ncia, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Yorke, M. 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Pap."}],"container-title":["Education Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-7102\/12\/2\/65\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T22:03:59Z","timestamp":1760133839000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-7102\/12\/2\/65"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,19]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2]]}},"alternative-id":["educsci12020065"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/educsci12020065","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-7102"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-7102","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,19]]}}}