PhD
PhD by Research
Our PhD by research programme is based on independent study, guided by your assigned supervisors and support system. It typically [...]
Research Project Overview
Rebecca Figueras’s PhD research examines how young people in Gibraltar transition from education into employment, training or further education. It focuses particularly on young people who leave compulsory education without formal qualifications or who do not access Further Education pathways.
The study explores the factors that facilitate or impede these transitions. It considers young people’s experiences, aspirations and perceptions of opportunity, alongside the perspectives of educators, youth workers, employers and other relevant professionals. It also examines how education, training and employment provision responds to the needs of young people in a small and distinctive labour market.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the research will identify barriers, enabling factors and existing strengths across Gibraltar’s transition landscape. The aim is to produce locally relevant evidence that can inform policy and practice, strengthen inclusive pathways and support more young people to move towards sustainable employment and positive future opportunities.
Project Team
Project lead: Ms Rebecca Figueras
Supervisors: Dr Joey Britto (Primary Supervisor), Dr Malcolm Maclean (Secondary Supervisor)
Significance of the research
The transition from education into work is an important stage in young people’s lives, but opportunities are not experienced equally. Young people who leave education without formal qualifications may face limited access to Further Education, vocational training, apprenticeships and entry-level employment. Their progression can also be influenced by careers guidance, work experience, family circumstances, confidence, employer expectations and the availability of appropriate support.
This research is significant because it examines these issues within Gibraltar, where the small size of the territory, the structure of its education and training provision, and the characteristics of its labour market create a distinctive context. Evidence from larger countries cannot simply be transferred to Gibraltar without considering local culture, community relationships, available services and employment opportunities.
The study adopts a strengths-based perspective. It does not focus only on what young people lack or on the reasons they may be excluded. It also examines their capabilities, aspirations, resilience and practical strengths, as well as the relationships, organisations and opportunities that help them progress.
The research will contribute to discussions about inclusive education, post-compulsory education and training, youth development, employability and sustainable economic participation in Gibraltar.
The research aims to understand how young people in Gibraltar transition from education into employment, training or further education, with particular attention to those who leave compulsory education without formal qualifications or who do not access Further Education pathways.
The study will:
- explore young people’s experiences of leaving education and planning their next steps
- examine the barriers that affect access to training, employment and further education
- identify the forms of support, relationships and opportunities that enable progression
- investigate how employers, educators, youth workers and other professionals understand young people’s preparedness for work
- assess the relationship between existing education and training provision and local labour market needs; and
- develop evidence-informed recommendations for more inclusive and effective transition pathways in Gibraltar
Research methods
The research uses a mixed-methods approach within a strengths-based and community-participatory framework. This enables the study to bring together quantitative evidence about patterns and perceptions with qualitative accounts of lived experience and professional practice.
Qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with relevant participants, including young people, educators, youth workers, employers and other professionals involved in education, training, employment or support services. The interviews will explore experiences of transition, perceptions of opportunity, barriers to progression, existing support and possible improvements.
The qualitative data will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Interview transcripts will be read closely, coded and developed into themes that represent patterns of meaning across the dataset. The analysis will attend to both barriers and strengths, including confidence, relationships, inclusive practice, skills, aspirations and opportunities for progression.
Quantitative data will be collected through online surveys with relevant professionals and stakeholders. Survey findings will be used to identify patterns in perceptions of preparedness, provision, labour market alignment and support. These findings will be considered alongside the interview data rather than treated in isolation.
Secondary data will include relevant academic literature, education and employment policies, the Gibraltar Census, and material relating to post-compulsory education and training, youth employability and inclusion. Findings from the different data sources will be compared through triangulation to develop a fuller account of the Gibraltar context.
Collaboration and participation
The research will engage with a range of stakeholders, including:
- young people, including those who have not accessed Further Education pathways
- educators
- youth workers
- the Gibraltar Training Centre and other training providers
- employers and businesses involved in entry-level work, apprenticeships and training
- government departments and relevant public services
- NGO community organisations; and
- professionals involved in employment, inclusion and support
The study is designed to value the knowledge and experience of participants. Young people are not treated simply as recipients of services, but as people with insight into the strengths and limitations of current pathways and the changes that could improve them.
Relevance to Gibraltar
The research is directly relevant to Gibraltar because it addresses how the territory prepares and supports its future workforce. It recognises that transitions are shaped by the local labour market, the small-community context, family and community expectations, and the relationships between education, training, youth work and employers.
The study also contributes to understanding Gibraltar’s culture and sense of identity by examining how young people experience belonging, opportunity and their place within the community. Supporting young people to access meaningful education, training and employment can strengthen social participation, economic well-being and the long-term sustainability of Gibraltar’s way of life.
The research is anchored in the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly the right to education, the right to be heard, the right to non-discrimination and the principle that the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. By focusing on young people’s experiences, aspirations and access to opportunity, the study upholds the commitment to ensuring that all young people, regardless of background or qualification level, are supported to participate fully in society and to prepare for adult life.
Pathways to impact
The findings will be shared with relevant stakeholders through presentations, reports, academic publications and engagement. Recommendations will focus on practical improvements to careers guidance, work experience, skills-based recruitment, inclusive training, employer engagements and coordination between departments.
The research aims to support a clearer and more connected pathway from education into adulthood and work. Its long-term contribution will be to help ensure that young people in Gibraltar are recognised for their different strengths and are given realistic opportunities to develop, participate and contribute to the Gibraltar community.
Project funding
The research is funded by the Department of Education, Gibraltar.
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