A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Capitals, capabilities, and the conversion of commodities: the case of neurodivergent graduates’ transitions to the labour market




AuthorsTomlinson, Michael; Vincent, Jonathan

PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC

Publication year2025

Journal: Higher Education

ISSN0018-1560

eISSN1573-174X

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01451-x

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-025-01451-x

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/508702412

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

The employment opportunities and outcomes of disabled graduates has gained increased international attention among researchers, policymakers and HE practitioners. This article explores the early employment transitions and experiences of neurodivergent graduates, a group who have been shown to experience significant barriers in accessing competitive employment. We offer a new framework which incorporates aspects from both capabilities and capitals perspectives to appraise the personal and socially mediating influences that shape graduates’ initial labour market opportunities and outcomes. Drawing on a qualitative dataset from 228 survey responses and interview data from 14 recent neurodivergent graduates, we analyse the experiences of graduates to understand how they convert the graduate capitals they have garnered in HE into meaningful capabilities and employment functionings. As such, this article adds empirical insight and conceptual novelty in illuminating the personal, contextual and environmental conversion factors which facilitate and/or constrain early career outcomes. Our findings raise implications for policymakers, practitioners, and employers in the UK and beyond for supporting neurodivergent graduates towards developing meaningful employment outcomes.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.




Funding information in the publication
The data on which this project was based was funded by Research England (Higher Education Innovation Fund).


Last updated on 02/02/2026 09:24:12 AM