Employment that is inappropriate for the qualifications as a consequence of industry-specific training strategies

Abstract

"The future survival of the dual system of vocational training depends not least on the extent to which the knowledge and skills acquired during the apprenticeship can also be used in a later occupational activity. It is already well-known that the chances of a later job being appropriate for the training depends heavily on personal characteristics. This paper goes into the question as to whether in addition to these known risk factors, firm-specific or industry-specific training strategies can also help to account for inequalities of opportunity with regard to the subsequent careers of those successfully completing apprenticeships. In the theoretical part various company training strategies are derived which can be attributed above all to considerable industry-specific differences in the costs incurred by a firm for vocational training and the expected returns from it. Depending on these training strategies, which are accordingly closely linked with the industry, those successfully completing training are expected to have very different chances of being able to perform an activity suited to their qualification after finishing training. In the empirical part, which is based on the BIBB-IAB survey conducted in 1991/92, the occupational situation of people who successfully completed training courses is examined at two points in time: immediately after completion of training and - on average - around five years later. In particular the transition from training to occupation is examined in great detail, for instance under the combined aspect of whether an activity appropriate for the training is being performed and whether the person concerned left the training firm for this activity; whether the individual had a spell of temporary jobs or unemployment immediately after completion of training; whether another course of training was taken after the first one; whether military or community service or a voluntary social year was done; or whether the status of voluntary non-employment was first chosen after training. In our model estimates we control for personal characteristics of the respondents and characteristics of the training firm in addition to the industry in which the training took place. The empirical findings show that - in addition to well-known personal risk factors such as for example an inadequate school education - at both points in time the industry to which the training firm belonged has a considerable effect on the individual career opportunities of those completing training. These findings are supported by an additional study of changes of occupation which have occurred in the meantime. Furthermore we confirm the fact which has already been well researched that an unsuccessful entry into employment has long-lasting negative effects on the further career. On the whole the empirical results confirm the theoretical expectations that the probability of people who have completed training finding employment suited to their training is strongly influenced by training strategies which differ from industry to industry." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Büchel, F. & Neubäumer, R. (2001): Ausbildungsinadäquate Beschäftigung als Folge branchenspezifischer Ausbildungsstrategien. In: Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 269-285.