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Bruin, Marieke, Vidmantas Tutlys, Meril Ümarik, Krista Loogma, Lina Kaminskiené, Inna Bentsalo, Terje Väljataga, Biruta Sloka & Ilze Buligina (2023): 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 online erschienen am 24.11.2023, S. 1-22. 1-22. 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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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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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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Europäische Kommission. Generaldirektion Beschäftigung, Soziales und Integration (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))

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Cefalo, Ruggero & Rosario Scandurra (2021): Territorial disparities in youth labour market chances in Europe. In: Regional Studies, Regional Science, Jg. 8, H. 1, S. 228-238. DOI:10.1080/21681376.2021.1925580

Abstract

"Comparative research on youth employment has mostly focused on differences between countries or regimes of youth transitions. The territorial differentiation below country level has been less explored, notwithstanding the potential impact on youth-life chances and the territorial cohesion of the European Union. This paper aims at deepening into the investigation of regional variations in patterns of youth labour market chances. To do this, we build on a composite indicator measuring regional youth labour market integration (YLMI) as a comprehensive measure of contextual fragilities (or strengths) of regional youth labour markets. We provide both comparative and longitudinal views over 15 years (2004–18). Furthermore, we explore the impact of contextual factors related to economic conditions, labour market and demographic trends on the regional patterns of youth integration in the labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Corrales-Herrero, Helena & Beatriz Rodriguez-Prado (2021): Measuring Youth Living Conditions in Europe: A Multidimensional Cross-Country Approach. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 155, H. 3, S. 1077-1117. DOI:10.1007/s11205-021-02608-8

Abstract

"Since the onset of the Great Recession, it could be argued that it is the young who have been hardest hit in their living conditions. This paper offers a comprehensive description of youth living conditions and how they evolved during the recession period. To do so, we develop a synthetic index combining the indicators proposed by experts in the dimensions of Education and Training, Employment and Entrepreneurship, and Social Inclusion, through a multi-criteria approach based on the double reference point method. This technique enriches the debate by shifting the focus to acceptable and desirable thresholds for each indicator and by overcoming limitations inherent in previous youth indexes that allow for total compensation between the indicators, whilst ignoring potential imbalances. Results show that, in a context of convergence in policy instruments across countries during the Great Recession, there was an improvement in education performance, whereas cross-country divergences in terms of youth labour market prospects and social inclusion increased. This evolution has led to a more complex picture which is characterized by greater polarization in the spatial distribution of youth living conditions, with two noticeable poles: north-central Europe as opposed to the south and east of Europe. Differences in institutional configurations in the fields of education and training, active labour market policies, employment protection legislation and welfare provision together with macroeconomic trends, particularly levels of demand for youth labour and fiscal resources, have played an important role in shaping European youth living conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Deng, Liuchun, Pravin Krishna, Mine Zeynep Senses & Jens Stegmaier (2021): Trade, Human Capital, and Income Risk. (IZA discussion paper 14953), Bonn, 40 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, we empirically assess the causal links between trade and individual income risk and study the role that human capital plays in this relationship using a rich, worker-level, longitudinal data set from Germany spanning 1976 to 2012. Our estimates suggest substantial heterogeneity in labor income risk across workers in different entry cohorts and across workers with different levels of industry- and occupation-specific human capital. Our findings suggest that within-industry changes in imports and exports are causally related to income risk: Imports increase risk and exports decrease risk, and they do so in an economically significant manner. Importantly, we find there to be a complex interplay between human capital and the linkage between trade and risk: While, on average, individuals with higher levels of industry- or occupation-specific human capital experience lower income risk, a given increase in net-imports exposure in an industry increases risk for workers with higher levels of industry tenure more than it does for workers with lower levels of industry tenure. High levels of industry-specific human capital can be costly for workers in highly trade-exposed industries. By contrast, we find no evidence of any interaction between risk, industry trade exposure, and occupation-specific human capital." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giret, Jean-Francois & Janine Jongbloed (2021): Young people not in employment, education or training (NEET): the role of basic competencies. (Training & employment 154), Marseille, 4 S.

Abstract

"A top priority for public policies at both national and European levels, young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) face a risk of exclusion that varies in intensity from country to country. While education level plays a central role in these situations, viewing them through the lens of basic competencies sharpens the focus. After all, the international data show that the same level of qualification does not guarantee the same level of competencies everywhere. How can these differences be explained? To what extent do these basic competencies protect young people from becoming not in employment, education or training regardless of their level of qualification?" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Greve, Jane, Morten Saaby, Anders Rosdahl & Vibeke Tornhøj Christensen (2021): Uncertain occupational expectations at age 19 and later educational and labour market outcomes. In: Labour, Jg. 35, H. 2, S. 163-191. DOI:10.1111/labr.12194

Abstract

"Many young people lack clear subjective occupational expectations. A concern is how they will perform later in life. We examine the impact of uncertain expectations at age 19 on education and labour market outcomes at age 30. We use the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 survey conducted on a nationally representative sample of 15-year-olds, a follow-up survey in 2004, and administrative registry data from 2004–2014. We find that uncertain expectations are associated with low educational attainment and weak labour market attachment. This result applies mainly for young men and for young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Heller, Sara B. & Judd B. Kessler (2021): The Effects of Letters of Recommendation in the Youth Labor Market. (NBER working paper 29579), Cambridge, Mass, 43 S. DOI:10.3386/w29579

Abstract

"Youth employment has been near historic lows in recent years, and racial gaps persist. This paper tests whether information frictions limit young people's labor market success with a field experiment involving over 43,000 youth in New York City. We build software that allows employers to quickly and easily produce letters of recommendation for randomly selected youth who worked under their supervision during a summer youth employment program. We then send these letters to nearly 9,000 youth over two years. Being sent a letter generates a 3 percentage point (4.5 percent) increase in employment the following year, with both employment and earnings increases persisting over the two-year follow-up period. By posting our own job advertisement, we document that while treatment youth do use the letters in applications, there is no evidence of other supply-side responses (i.e., no increased job search, motivation, or confidence); effects appear to be driven by the demand side. Labor market benefits accrue primarily to racial and ethnic minorities, suggesting frictions may contribute to racial employment gaps. But improved employment may also hamper on-time high school graduation. Additional evidence indicates that letters help improve job match quality. Results suggest that expanding the availability of credible signals about young workers—particularly for those not on the margin of graduating high school—could improve the efficiency of the youth labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pastore, Francesco, Claudio Quintano & Antonella Rocca (2021): The Duration of the School-To-Work Transition in Italy and in Other European Countries: A Flexible Baseline Hazard Interpretation. (IZA discussion paper 14832), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"Purpose: The Italian school-to-work transition (STWT) is astonishingly slow and long in comparison to the other EU countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze its determinants comparing the Italian case with Austria, Poland and the UK in a gender perspective. Design/methodology/ approach: The analysis is based on a Cox survival model with proportional hazard. The smoothed hazard estimates allow us to identify the non-linear path of the hazard function. Findings: We reckon that the actual length of the transition to a stable job is around 30 months. Conversely, it is less than one year in the other countries. Women are particularly penalized, despite being on average more educated than men. Attaining a tertiary degree or a vocational path of education at high secondary school strongly increases the hazard rate. The smoothed hazard estimates support the hypothesis of positive duration dependence at the beginning of the transition and slightly negative thereafter. Practical implications: Stimulating economic growth and investing in education and training are important pre-conditions for shortening the transition. Originality: Despite the duration of the STWT is one of the most important indicators to measure the efficiency of the STWT, it is not easy to measure. The authors build on their previous research work on this topic, but relaxing the assumption of a monotonic hazard rate and using the flexible baseline hazard approach to test for the existence of non-linear duration dependence. Furthermore, they extend the analysis by including student-workers who attended a vocational path of education, in order to detect its effectiveness in allowing young people finding a job sooner." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pastore, Francesco, Claudio Quintano & Antonella Rocca (2021): Some young people have all the luck! The duration dependence of the school-to-work transition in Europe. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 70, S. 1-18. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2021.101982

Abstract

"This paper provides sound, comparative empirical evidence on the duration of the school-to-work-transition (STWT) across 14 European countries using information available in the EU-SILC database. We define the duration of the STWT as the time needed for young people to secure their first regular job (at least six months) after completing their studies. We highlight the existence of dramatic inequality both across and within countries, namely by education level. The duration ranges on average from 13 (UK) to 34 months (Italy) and the gap still remains after 10 years. We then study the determinants of the duration by means of parametric survival models, with the distribution of hazard rates for finding a regular job being proxied by a Weibull distribution, which reveals the best fit based on a number of statistical tests. We test for omitted heterogeneity by means of the frailty survival model and find consistent evidence of positive duration dependence, suggesting that, as times passes, young people increase their hazard rate for finding a regular job as soon as they gain work experience and accumulate work-related competences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

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Scandurra, Rosario, Ruggero Cefalo & Yuri Kazepov (2021): School to work outcomes during the Great Recession, is the regional scale relevant for young people’s life chances? In: Journal of Youth Studies, Jg. 24, H. 4, S. 441-465. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2020.1742299

Abstract

"The debate on territorial cohesion and spatial inequality recognises the role and influence different scales have on individuals’ opportunities with extended effects especially for young people’s life chances. In particular, a regional perspective into territorial disparities of socio-economic conditions and welfare in Europe provides a more fine-grained view on the existence of territorially diverging income and labour market conditions for youth that a national level analysis is not able to grasp. This paper focus on regional differences in school to work outcomes of young people using macro-panel data covering the period from 2005 until 2016. We use a plurality of indicators to study to what extent school to work transitions are better studied at regional level and to characterise those transitions in a more comprehensive way. Our findings demonstrate that there are huge differences both in the level and in the dispersion of young people’s school to work outcomes across European territories. This tells us that the allegedly assumed national homogeneity of transition systems can definitely not be taken for granted. Moreover, we show that the Great Recession had strong but differentiated impacts at regional level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))