Policies, the labour market, and higher education through the narratives of social educators

Policies, the Labour Market, and the University are three key actors in the professional development of social educators and appear in various theoretical models of the profession. This study analyses professionals’ perceptions of how these elements influence their professionalization processes. A qualitative, phenomenological design was employed with a purposive sample of 14 active social educators from Valencia and Murcia (Spain). The study used semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis with researcher triangulation. The findings reveal that social policies are perceived as distant and prescriptive, the labour market as precarious and only partially known, and university training as overly theoretical and disconnected from practice. However, participants also proposed constructive solutions: stronger involvement of professionals in policy design, recognition of practice-based experience as a critical learning source, and more practice-oriented, context-sensitive training. The results highlight the interdependence of these three actors and the need to align educational, political, and labour frameworks to promote recognition and stability within the profession. Ultimately, the study calls for rethinking training and policy through a situated, participatory approach that addresses the real challenges of socio-educational practice and strengthens Social Education as a profession committed to equity, critical reflection, and social transformation.