International mobility and employability: The impact on human and social capital of youth

Abstract

In recent years, significant emphasis has been placed on international mobility as a strategy to improve youth employability. The main reasons for supporting it are the possibilities that it offers for the development of human and social capital in a knowledge economy. On this basis, the aim of this work is to analyze the influence of mobility on human and social capital as employability dimensions. To do this, a qualitative methodology has been followed, focused on a documentary review of the main studies conducted in the national and international context. The results report a bidirectional influence of capital on the relationship between mobility and employability: its effect is prior (in the decision-making process) and subsequent (acquisition of skills, together with the establishment of a contact network). However, the impact on employability is determined by the socioeconomic characteristics of the country, showing that mobility will be more beneficial in territories where the unemployment rate or educational mismatch is high.