Abstract
The completion of vocational education and training (VET) and the subsequent school-to-work transition are important steps on the career pathway. The school-to-work transition is a long-term process with unclear boundaries involving a number of potentially difficult aspects. Psychological resources for successful schoolto-work transitions are reflected in the multidimensional psychosocial construct of career adaptability. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of selected demographic and school-related variables in predicting career adaptability and four components of career adaptability (concern, control, curiosity, and confidence) among VET graduates. Participants in this study were 3,028 Czech students approximately 1–2 months before graduation from vocational education and training, aged from 18 to 26 years (M = 18.97, SD = 1.09). The 24-item Career Adapt-Abilities Scale was used to measure career adaptability. Results from multiple linear regression analyses found that five out of ten predictor variables positively predicted the career adaptability or career adaptability components. These variables were the gained paid work experience in the field of study, one-off or multiple use of career guidance services, male gender, tertiary education of the father, and the field of study completed with a school-leaving examination. The variables that did not statistically predict career adaptability were family structure, maternal education, grades (GPA), repetition of a grade, and change of the field of study. Implications for career guidance are discussed.
Highlights
Developing and planning tentative vocational goals and career choices can be regarded as one of the major developmental tasks in adolescence (Super, 1990) with important implications for psychological well-being, adjustment, and social integration (Skorikov, 2007) as well as for career development and achievement throughout the life course (Hirschi, 2011)
According to their own stated opinions, vocational education and training (VET) graduates have the strongest developed career adaptability in the component of control (M = 3.91, SD = .68). This is followed in descending order by confidence (M = 3.88, SD = .72), concern (M = 3.56, SD = .76), and curiosity (M = 3.53, SD =.74)
With respect to the lack of knowledge about the career development of youth graduating from VET, the present study focused on examining career adaptability in this specific group
Summary
Developing and planning tentative vocational goals and career choices can be regarded as one of the major developmental tasks in adolescence (Super, 1990) with important implications for psychological well-being, adjustment, and social integration (Skorikov, 2007) as well as for career development and achievement throughout the life course (Hirschi, 2011). Graduates moving from VET directly into the work force struggle with perhaps the most challenging developmental tasks of their lifetimes, requiring important career-related decisions that can determine their future career success (Sos, 2018; Koen, Klehe, & van Vianen, 2012; Blustein et al, 2002). Based on a literature review, Ling (2009) stated that such graduates tend to have difficulty finding employment, drift from one job to another, and end up in jobs lacking advancement opportunities. VET graduates entering the labor market tend to lack traditional support systems and services, and some researchers refer to them as “disconnected.”
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