O Educador Social no século XXI: perceções dos recém-licenciados de uma instituição de ensino superior privada em Portugal

In this study, we start from the following question: what the professional situation and the socio-educational intervention of graduates in Social Education is, in 2017/18 and 2018/19, in a private Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Portugal. We listed as objectives: to characterize the professional situation of the graduates and to analyse their socio-educational intervention, after the conclusion of the course. An open and closed questionnaire was built, tested and applied. The information was processed using the descriptors: (i) characterization of the participants; (ii) motivations and expectations; (iii) level of academic satisfaction; (iv) professional opportunities. Precariousness and low wages were found in terms of the professional situation of graduates; high level of satisfaction in relation to training; difficulty in obtaining employment in training, due to little job offer, due to the lack of knowledge of the area and its potential. It concludes about the importance of disseminating the formation of a holistic profile of the Social Educator (SE), sustained by socio-professional competences and a specific pedagogical and social knowledge that consolidates itself as a vector of employability, in diverse territories and contexts, capable of responding to contemporary challenges.