ECS in focus: Sait Bayrakdar

Tell us a little bit about your research background...

During my PhD studies, I studied the educational outcomes and social mobility patterns in Turkish families in Europe. Before joining ECS and King's, I worked on projects on housing transitions in young adulthood, and LGBTQ+ inequalities across the life course. So overall, I can say my research focuses on social inequalities and stratification from a life course perspective. Within this broad area, I look at different life outcomes across different contexts.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on an ESRC-funded project, 'Young Lives, Young Futures', which focuses on post-16 transitions, particularly for those who do not plan to go to university.

What is the research trying to achieve?

It is a quite big project, so we have a lot on our plates. We aim to map what kind of vocational education and training (VET) offerings are available to young people and how these are distributed across students from different backgrounds and localities. We also want to amplify the voices of young people through our quantitative strand, as the policy-making processes seem to lack young people's input.

We are conducting this research as a brand-new qualification is introduced – T-levels. We want to understand how young people see these new qualifications as well. Finally, as is the case with most research being conducted at the moment, we want to know how the COVID-19 pandemic affected young people. We also have plans to start a conversation with colleagues working on youth transitions in different countries across the world to understand how macro-level factors may shape young people's experiences and outcomes.

Why is it important and why does it matter to you?

Education is often considered a means for social mobility and equality, but it often contributes to the existing inequalities by better serving those from advantaged backgrounds at the expense of others. Unfortunately, VET in England has been an example of this for a long time. Many young people in VET are not fully aware of their options, neither do they have a clear plan for the future. Our research will give some vital insights into why this is happening and inform policy to change VET for the better.

What are your colleagues like?

I am really lucky to work with a fantastic team. My colleagues are very inspiring, and their expertise in the field is immense. I am grateful for having had the chance to work with them. They are also very friendly and easy to work with. I must say ECS is a very welcoming place, and I am very happy to work with such wonderful colleagues.

How do you balance your career and personal life?

This last year has been a strange one because of the pandemic. The main aim for me was to keep things going as much as possible, although I must admit it wasn't always straightforward. I go out for a run regularly, which I think helps to let off some steam. I also try to connect with friends whenever it is possible.

What is your favourite travel destination?

I love visiting cities a bit more than nature and I immediately think of Paris when asked this question.

What is your favourite food?

It must be Turkish food, which offers quite a range!

What are you short-term and longer term aspirations?

Professionally, I feel like I am growing every day. Working on such a big and ambitious project keeps me quite busy. Having a bit more stability with a long research project also allowed me to venture out in different directions, and I am now trying to nurture my teacher side.

Is there any research you would like to undertake or be involved in?

I would be interested in any research that examines social inequalities and explores the diversity of experiences across the life course. One thing I am challenging myself to do at the moment is qualitative data analysis. I am a quantitative researcher by training, but I am curious about qualitative methods. Thanks to my lovely colleagues, I have had a chance to dip my toe in the water. We will see how that will turn out!