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Bruin, Marieke, Vidmantas Tūtlys, Meril Ümarik, Krista Loogma, Lina Kaminskiené, Inna Bentsalo, Terje Väljataga, Biruta Sloka & Ilze Buligina (2025): Participation and learning in Vocational education and training - a cross-national analysis of the perspectives of youth at risk for social exclusion. In: Journal of vocational education and training, Jg. 77, H. 3, S. 706-727. DOI:10.1080/13636820.2023.2283745

Abstract

"The article explores the experiences of youth at risk for social exclusion and is part of cross-national research involving Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. 79 young people aged 16-29 who are at risk of becoming economically and socially marginalized were interviewed about circumstances that may support or hinder their participation and learning in VET. The study draws on sociocultural theory, emphasizing learning as participation in social practices. Thematic analyzes indicate that negative experiences in the past affect current participation in VET. In all countries, VET offers opportunities for participation for students at risk of social exclusion. However, vulnerable youth do not navigate the paths of social engagement well on their own. In the case of VET-students at risk for social exclusion, the mere development of knowledge and skills relevant for employment in the labor market does not suffice. VET institutions will need to facilitate students participation in learning communities. Building social capital for youth at risk through developing relationships that generate motivation, trust, and confidence enhances students opportunities for participation and subsequent learning. VET teachers and workplace supervisors will need guidance on how to develop the pedagogical competencies necessary to nurture social capital for students at risk for social exclusion." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marques Hill, Agustina & Heike Solga (2025): School-to-work transition in Chile and Uruguay from the education-occupation linkage perspective. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 63. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100654

Abstract

"This study examines school-to-work transitions (STWTs) in Chile and Uruguay, focusing on education-occupation linkages. For the first time, we apply the linkage strength approach to Latin American countries, using cross-sectional household survey data. Since STWT research is highly segregated across the different world regions, we do so in a comparative perspective with France, Germany, and the United States. Although Chile and Uruguay are high-income countries, they still face STWT challenges common to Latin America, such as high levels of informal and agricultural work. However, Chile has higher educational attainment than Uruguay, similar to the comparison countries. Our analysis reveals strong education-occupation linkages not only among higher qualified young adults, but also among low-qualified entrants – thus a “linkage trap” into low-skilled jobs – in Chile and especially in Uruguay. Moreover, unlike in France and Germany, general education provides stronger linkages than vocational programs. Informal employment does not differ significantly from formal employment in terms of linking education to occupations in STWTs. In fact, informal employment is associated with stronger linkages for low-qualified young workers in Uruguay. Furthermore, in Uruguay, strong linkages are associated with lower earnings for both tertiary and less-educated entrants, challenging the positive interpretation of high linkage strength drawn from the comparison countries. Overall, the linkage strength patterns are not as different across the different world regions: Chile’s andUruguay’s patterns are in some aspects closer to France and Germany than the United States is to either European country." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Hans Dietrich, Golo Henseke, Ning Xiang & Ingrid Schoon (2025): Socio‐Economic and Gender Differences in Post‐Secondary Pathways in the UK, Germany, and Australia. In: Social Inclusion, Jg. 13, S. 1-23., 2025-02-10. DOI:10.17645/si.9601

Abstract

"This study investigates variations in school‐to‐work transitions (SWTs) by socio‐economic status (SES), gender, and socio‐cultural context. Leveraging data from three nationally representative longitudinal panel studies, we compare the experiences of young people coming of age in the 21st century (2011 to 2023) in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. We examine the role of different support systems that scaffold the SWT process along various post‐secondary pathways, including university, further education/vocational training, and employment tracks, with a particular focus on variations by parental education and gender. Utilizing longitudinal data from the Understanding Society Panel in the UK (N = 15,692 observations), the German Socio‐Economic Panel (GSOEP; N = 5,464), and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey (N = 5,759), we track synthetic cohorts born between 1993 and 1995 from ages 18 to 27 in the three countries. We employ linear probability models to conduct a cross‐national comparative analysis, identifying variations in post‐secondary pathways across the three country contexts. The choice of countries is motivated by their shared status as developed economies with distinct features in their SWT systems—contrasting the neoliberal deregulatory frameworks of Britain and Australia with Germany’s employment‐focused dual system. The findings reveal significant effects of parental education on post‐secondary transitions, as well as the differing roles of gender across various educational policy contexts. These results underscore the complexity of SWT when considered in different national settings. The insights generated by this analysis highlight the importance of dedicated policies to support low‐SES youth and promote gender equality in education and employment outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cefalo, Ruggero & Yuri Kazepov (2024): Toward a modular understanding of school-to-work transitions: Comparing Italy and Austria. In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology. DOI:10.1177/00207152241295985

Abstract

"Comparative analyses investigating school-to-work transitions (SWT) aim to explain how institutional characteristics shape national differences in the transition from education to employment. Researchers often rely on typologies and classifications to simplify the complex processes involved. While typologies serve as useful heuristic tools, they can also lead to oversimplification and neglect of the multilevel governance structures and territorial disparities. Our modular approach integrates various research strands to enhance understanding of the relational and spatial dynamic underlying the transition from education to the labor market. We use analytical dimensions from previous studies to structure a small-N comparison, accounting for a higher degree of complexity. Empirically, we explore the theoretical argument through the in-depth comparison of SWT systems in two diverse cases with contrasting outcomes: Italy and Austria. The analysis reveals significant hybrid traits in both countries that are often overlooked by SWT typologies. In addition, we gain insights into how multilevel institutional configurations interact with the socio-economic context contributing to diverging SWT outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gogescu, Fiona (2024): Mapping the distinct patterns of educational and social stratification in European countries. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 3, S. 271-288. DOI:10.1177/09589287241240966

Abstract

"This article analyzes how educational and initial vocational training systems in Europe vary regarding the way in which they structure educational routes for pupils of different academic ability. The study uses cluster analysis to explore the degree of similarity between 25 European countries, including variables related to: stratification within compulsory education; vocational orientation; links between initial vocational education and the labor market; transitions from secondary education; stratification within tertiary education; and links between educational qualifications and labor market outcomes. I identify three clusters of countries that have distinct patterns of stratification. This article contributes to the literature on educational regimes and school-to-work transitions by adding countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and integrating multiple dimensions pertaining to the link between educational and social stratification. Thus, it develops a more encompassing representation of the architecture of educational pathways in different European countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hansen, Jorgen & Nicolai Kristensen (2024): The bottom 20 percent: early career paths of youth with low grade point average. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 126, H. 4, S. 810-839. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12562

Abstract

"Across nations, large proportions of younger birth cohorts obtain no professional qualifications. Using rich administrative data from Denmark and a semi-structural dynamic approach, we analyze different policies targeted towards young people who leave grade 9 with a grade point average in the bottom quintile. We find that preparatory courses, offered to students who are unable to commence a qualifying degree, have no positive impact on future labor market outcomes. Further, unobserved heterogeneity is more important for this group than are cognitive skills. Our results show that education is a good option for many, but not for all." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Herdman, Paul, Anthony Mann, Alison Burke & Patrick Signoret (2024): Innovation in career pathways across five countries. (OECD education working papers 320), Paris, 87 S. DOI:10.1787/742bcd05-en

Abstract

"Since the Great Financial Crisis (2007–08) many countries have explored how education systems can better prepare students for their working lives in order to reduce youth unemployment and enhance educational engagement and achievement. This paper focuses on Career Pathways, learning programmes delivered in general secondary education that allow students to undertake a deep exploration of a vocational field of interest while keeping their options for the future open. In a first-of-its-kind analysis and building on understanding of historic provision, the study considers innovation in programme development in five predominantly Anglophone countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and the United States) since 2010. While historically participation in Career Pathways has been strongly associated with better employment outcomes for learners, evaluations have highlighted important challenges to their delivery at scale for the full range of learners. This paper reviews a range of responses to historic challenges based on study visits to five countries and closes with policy recommendations for future enhancement of provision." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marczuk, Anna (2024): Literature review of comparative school-to-work research: how institutional settings shape individual labour market outcomes. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 58. DOI:10.1186/s12651-024-00375-w

Abstract

"Comparative school-to-work research has long emphasised the role of institutions in shaping youth labour market integration. This paper provides an overview of this research stream, consisting of four main sections. The first section introduces a variety of labour market outcomes of young graduates within Europe and identifies country clusters with higher and lower outcomes; this empirical evidence has so far remained limited in the multivariate oriented research stream. The second section links these labour market outcomes to the institutional settings of the education systems prevalent in the country clusters. By considering a wide country sample, it introduces a reliable country classification of transition regimes (along the OLM–ILM continuum), which has so far been partly inconclusive in research. The third section links labour market outcomes in turn to labour market institutions of the country clusters. This section emphasizes why labour market institutions drive only particular individual outcomes. Finally, the fourth section connects the previous three: it describes how certain institutional complementarities affect the youth labour market integration in the identified European country clusters. The review further identifies theoretical inconclusiveness or data-related desiderata, for which recommendations and solutions are proposed. The paper thus aims to assist both familiar and unfamiliar researchers to access the research stream by offering a comprehensive introduction and clear country classifications, linking research streams, and providing solutions to identified issues." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Buttler, Dominik, Maciej Ławrynowicz & Piotr Michoń (Hrsg.) (2023): School-to-Work Transition in Comparative Perspective. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 316 S. DOI:10.4337/9781800370111

Abstract

"Incisive and forward-thinking in its approach, this prescient book investigates the conditions of the often unstable school-to-work transition (SWT) period, calling for an improvement in labor market entry processes in order to facilitate the smooth integration of school leavers into employment. It captures the complex nature of SWTs by proposing and evaluating a new set of metrics which can act as a composite indicator of early employment security." (Publisher information, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Li, Junmin & Matthias Pilz (2023): International transfer of vocational education and training: a literature review. In: Journal of vocational education and training, Jg. 75, H. 2, S. 185-218. DOI:10.1080/13636820.2020.1847566

Abstract

"The transferability of vocational education and training (VET) systems is a central issue within international comparative VET research. However, scholars working in related disciplines also focus on the international cooperation associated with VET. This literature review presents relevant findings from the field of VET research, but also from the fields of comparative political economy, comparative educational research, and international human resource management. It explores differences and parallels in research about policy transfer between these fields. For example, scholars working in the comparative political economy and educational sciences tend to focus on transfer activities at the systemic level, while those working in international human resource management tend to focus on regional management strategies, and scholars working in VET research focuses on successes and obstacles associated with cooperation. All of these features are interconnected, providing important insights into the transferability of VET systems. The following discussion begins by exploring the rationales underpinning different disciplinary perspectives on policy transfer in VET. Next, it reviews empirical research on the transfer of VET policies from different disciplinary perspectives. It concludes with a critical reflection on the transfer potential – and how scholars in all relevant disciplines stress the need for cultural sensitivity, adaption, and long-term planning when transferring policy from one country to another." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Michelsen, Svein, Håkon Høst, Regula Julia Leemann & Christian Imdorf (2023): Training agencies as intermediary organisations in apprentice training in Norway and Switzerland: general purpose or niche production tools? In: Journal of vocational education and training, Jg. 75, H. 3, S. 522-542. DOI:10.1080/13636820.2021.1904437

Abstract

"In recent years Norway and Switzerland have introduced local training agencies (TAs), local intermediary organisations consisting of firms involved in apprentice training. In both countries, the starting point for the formation of the TA was roughly similar: enabling more firms to participate in apprentice training. Despite similar tasks, TAs have developed differently in the two countries. In Norway TAs have evolved as general-purpose tools in the governance of apprentice training while in Switzerland they are restricted to small niches. The article investigates these different outcomes using theories of intermediary organisations in the governance of collective skill formation systems at the local level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Morris, Katy (2023): Where DESO Disappears: Spatial Inequality and Social Stratification at Labour Market Entry. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 85-103. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcac027

Abstract

"At country-level, a host of evidence suggests there is a sizeable direct effect of social origin (DESO) on initial labour market outcomes, net of educational attainment. What is true at country-level is not always true below country-level, however. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey and the German Socio-Economic Panel, we show that variable spatial opportunity structures moderate the size of DESO at labour market entry, such that there are places where DESO disappears. Social origins assume greater importance as local labour market conditions deteriorate: in weak local labour markets, non-graduates are approximately 16 percentage points less likely to find employment if their parents are care workers rather than secondary school teachers, while graduates typically obtain first jobs that are 7–9 ISEI points lower in status. These findings highlight the distinctive geography of social stratification processes at labour market entry and potentially beyond." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Szpakowicz, Dorota (2023): Problematising engagement with technologies in transitions of young people identified as 'Not in Education, Employment or Training' (NEET) in Scotland. In: Journal of Youth Studies, Jg. 26, H. 9, S. 1200-1218. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2022.2080538

Abstract

"Dominant debates and digital upskilling strategies in Scotland have been long underpinned by the notion that engagement with technologies can transform young people’s lives. This paper offers a critique of such dominant understandings and contributes to the scarce research on the impact of technologies on disadvantaged young people’s life chances. It reports on qualitative fieldwork exploring everyday lives, transitions and technology use amongst 22 NEET-identified Scottish young people aged 16–24, drawing on thinking tools from Bourdieu. Findings show that participants followed ‘accelerated’ transitions towards vocational pathways, whilst technologies played a liminal role in making occupational choices. Furthermore, processes underpinning the post-16 transitions policy field were found to strongly shape the young people’s trajectories, directing them towards the least valuable options in terms of work and training. Concurrently, uncertainties about how to navigate the realm of work and perform the self in relation to the labour force constituted a common feature of participants labouring subjectivities and these were reflected in the ways they used technologies while looking for opportunities. However, even when the young people acquired digital employability skills, these had little impact on their transitions as the old social divisions were a much stronger influence." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"The transition to an environmentally sustainable, circular and climate-neutral economy has significant social, economic and employment impacts. Ensuring that all citizens obtain the necessary knowledge, competences, skills and attitudes to cope with these changes is vital to a socially-just transformation of the EU. Vocational education and training (VET) has a key role to play to help young people and adults develop skills so they can thrive in their careers and lives. The European Education Area Working Group on VET and the Green Transition enables technical exchanges and contributions to help countries implement the principles and objectives of the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training, and the Osnabrück Declaration. As part of its mandate, this Working Group has collected a set of inspiring practices from across Europe, presented in a Compendium. These are the key lessons from those practices." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Barslund, Mikkel & Laurène Thil (2022): The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s perspectives on the future. (Social Situation Monitor), Brüssel, 57 S. DOI:10.2767/027253

Abstract

"This research note explores the impact of COVID-19 on young people’s perspectives on the future in absolute terms and comparatively with older age groups when possible. It also examines the impact of COVID-19 (from outbreak until Spring 2022) on young people’s views of the education system, their ability to be heard in the decision-making process at EU and country level, levels of optimism about their future, and their subjective well-being. The paper consists of two sections. The first section presents a review of recent surveys conducted after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at both inter-national and national level. The second section presents the results of a new survey carried out for this study (‘2022 HIVA survey’) in five Member States – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. The survey was innovative in that it used existing questions – keeping the exact wording – from previous surveys to allow for comparisons over time, sometimes as far back as the 1980s. This allows for some insight into the size and scale of observed changes in the longer term. The main drawback is that the timeframe for comparison extends beyond the period of COVID-19 and thus changes cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic. For example, the latest point of comparison for the question on confidence in the education system for Denmark is 2017-2018. A second note of caution in interpreting the results is that the survey was fielded in May 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While this may not matter so much for the question on confidence in the education system, it may have had an effect on the subjective well-being question (Ronen and Seeman, 2007)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Georg, Walter (2022): Internationalisierung, Akademisierung, Marginalisierung: Berufliche Bildung in Japan. In: S. Bohlinger, G. Scheiermann & C. Schmidt (Hrsg.) (2022): Berufsbildung, Beruf und Arbeit im gesellschaftlichen Wandel, S. 309-322. DOI:10.1007/978-3-658-37897-4_19

Abstract

"In dem von Karin Büchter und Sonja Steier herausgegebenen Heft 4 (2020) der Zeitschrift „Bildung und Erziehung“, das dem Verhältnis von Allgemein- und Berufsbildung gewidmet ist, vertritt Dieter Münk eine wahrlich „steile“ These, die schon im Titel seines Beitrags zum Ausdruck kommt: „Komparative Wettbewerbsvorteile der Berufsbildung gegenüber der Allgemeinbildung“. Der Beitrag endet mit der Feststellung, „dass die berufliche Bildung gegenüber der Allgemeinbildung sowie auch gegenüber dem allgemeinbildenden Schulwesen national wie international […] seit den 1970er Jahren sehr deutlich an Gewicht gewonnen hat“ und dass gerade die Berufsbildung „als entscheidender Faktor für die internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit einer Volkswirtschaft betrachtet wird“ (Münk, Bildung und Erziehung 73:394–407, 2020: 403). Diese aus berufspädagogischer Sicht euphorisch-wohltuende Diagnose provoziert den Beobachter der japanischen Verhältnisse von Bildung und Berufsbildung zum Widerspruch, gilt das japanische Bildungswesen doch eher als Musterbeispiel für die Dominanz der Allgemeinbildung, die der Berufsbildung nur mehr eine Nebenrolle zuweist." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Springer)

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Hervelin, Jérémy & Pierre Villedieu (2022): The Benefits of Early Work Experience for School Dropouts: Evidence from a Field Experiment. (THEMA working paper / Université de Cergy-Pontoise 2022-07), Cergy-Pontoise, 57 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates whether work experience gained through a subsidized job program can improve the employment prospects of young school dropouts. Relying on a correspondence study field experiment conducted in France, we find that the chances to be invited for a job interview are more than doubled (from 7.6 percent to 19.3 percent) when youths signal a one-year job-related experience in their résumé - either in the private or public sector; either certified or not - compared to youths who remained mainly inactive after dropping out from high school. We show that this effect is fairly stable across firm, contract or labor market characteristics, and also when testing another channel of application where resumes were sent spontaneously to firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Speckesser, Stefan & Lei Xu (2022): Return to apprenticeships: a comparison between existing apprentices and newly recruited apprentices. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 74, H. 1, S. 14-39. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpab003

Abstract

"In England, half of all apprentices are now of adult age. Most of them—and many of younger age, too—worked with their training firm for some time before starting their apprenticeship. In this article, we estimate the benefit of apprenticeship completion making the distinction between groups of newly recruited and existing staff. To deal with sources of endogeneity resulting from apprenticeship completion, we exploit an exogenous change in minimum duration of training affecting apprenticeship completion. Our findings show much higher benefits for new compared with existing staff. Also, increasing apprenticeship training only creates positive effects for new entrants, but not for existing workers. Therefore, policy should aim to refocus apprenticeships to be a mechanism of labour market entry combined with education to provide access to and acquire competences required for actual occupational roles, but not as a generic mechanism to train existing staff." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2022): Young Europeans: employment and social challenges ahead. (Employment and social developments in Europe : annual review 2022), Brüssel, 133 S. DOI:10.2767/229768

Abstract

"The exceptional response of solidarity to the COVID-19 pandemic has helped to mitigate some of the socio-economic impact of the crisis, keeping income inequality and poverty in the EU at bay. This year’s edition of the Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) confirms the tentative findings of the previous one in this respect and provides further insights on the recovery. Nevertheless, during the last two years, some groups - such as young people - were more affected than others. These inequalities risk to be reinforced by the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particularly given the recent price spikes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bellés-Obrero, Cristina & Emma Duchini (2021): Who Benefits from General Knowledge? In: Economics of Education Review, Jg. 85. DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102122

Abstract

"While vocational education is meant to provide occupational-specific skills that are directly employable, their returns may be limited in fast-changing economies. Conversely, general education should provide learning skills, but these may have little value at low levels of education. This paper contributes to this debate by exploiting a reform introduced in Spain in 1990 that postponed students' choice between these two educational pathways from age 14 to 16. To identify exogenous changes in this policy, we instrument its staggered implementation with pre-reform province shares of students in general education interacted with cohort fixed effects. Results indicate that, by shifting educational investment from vocational to general education after age 16, the reform improves occupational outcomes and wages. However, these positive effects are concentrated among middle to high-skilled individuals. In contrast, those who acquire only basic general education have worse long-term employment prospects than vocationally-trained individuals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))