Journey from academics to employment: labor market insertion of the Fitness and Motor Performance Master Physical Education Faculty of Timisoara West University Alumni 2011-2016- a pilot study

Introduction: The great changes that occurred in the domain of sports and physical education requested the formation of a high qualified human resource. The concept of sport science greatly supported and promoted within European academic area was adopted also by Physical Education and Sport Faculty of The Timisoara West University (PESF-TWU) that has aligned its educational offer by developing the Master degree program in the field of Fitness and Motric Performance (FMPM). Thus, the framework for preparing a highly qualified human resource, capable to adjust to the changes of the labor market was established. Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the dynamics of the professional insertion journey of FMPF Alumni. We evaluated the following category of parameters: alumni demographic indices, education level and parameters that characterize the job insertion. Results: The data analysis showed a significant increase of the alumni during the last 5 years with a particular dynamics of age distribution during the study period: 80% of the participants were included in the 28-31 years of age category. The evaluation of dynamics during the years revealed that extreme age categories: 24-27 years and > 31 years presented a constant increase during the years comparing to the most representative age category. In terms of education, over 50% of the Alumni followed complementary courses and specializations in order to increase their expertise with an interesting gender distribution in favor of male group (male: 74% vs. female: 26%, p< 0.0001). Referring to the parameters that characterize job insertion data showed an increased speed in terms of first job employment: 82% of the Alumni were employed within a 6 month interval after graduation and only 3.8% of the Alumni are jobless even after 3 years. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study indicate that FMPM Alumni are well trained and able to adapt to the specific labor market needs in the field of sports and physical activity and education, suggesting that PESF-TWU through its education programs respects the high standards of performance promoted by the TWU.