School-to-work Transition Research Articles

Building a sustainable career during the initial transition to work: a multiple-stakeholder perspective on proactive behaviors and contextual factors

PurposeThe initial transition into work has become less predictable. Therefore, emerging adults should take charge and be proactively engaged in their careers during the preparation stage of the school-to-work transition (STWT). We explored which behaviors emerging adults display during the STWT to foster their happiness, health, and productivity, how various contextual factors enable or hinder these behaviors, and to what extent these behaviors can be considered proactive.Design/methodology/approachTaking a qualitative approach, we conducted 44 semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students at an Applied Sciences University in the Netherlands six months before graduation. Additionally, we held nine focus groups (n = 55) and four interviews (n = 6) with contextual stakeholders (i.e. parents, faculty/staff, employers, the board of the university, higher education policymakers, and the Ministry of Education).FindingsThe students mentioned three main behaviors to foster their health, happiness, and productivity, namely, eating healthy food, maintaining social contacts, and reflecting on their motivations. Our analysis shows that, conceptually, none of these behaviors can be considered truly proactive. Moreover, the findings revealed multiple systemic underlying contextual hindrances to portray these behaviors, such as educational system characteristics, which make proactive behaviors less likely.Originality/valueAs the STWT is affected by multiple contexts, adopting a multi-stakeholder perspective is imperative when studying the phenomenon. We adopted the sustainable careers framework as a lens to uncover how emerging adults may build early career sustainability—additionally, we nuance current research on proactivity by concretizing the conceptualization of proactive behaviors.

Pathways from school to work: A sequence analysis of non-engaged youth.

Research on heterogeneous pathways in school-to-work transitions (SWT), particularly longitudinal research, has been limited, as have empirical studies examining effective interventions for facilitating multiple SWT pathways among non-engaged youth (NEY), who are generally at risk of being not in education, employment, or training (NEET). To develop a typology of SWT pathways, we conducted sequence analysis with longitudinal data from a sample of 630 NEY aged 14-29 (M = 19.78; 63.65% males) in Hong Kong during a 22-month period beginning in September 2020. We also performed multinomial logistic regressions to assess the impact of career and life development (CLD) interventions on SWT outcomes. Our analysis yielded a fivefold typology of SWT pathways: the Employment/Entrepreneurship cluster (31.27%), the Vocational Education and Training cluster (13.49%), the Generic Education cluster (16.83%), the Serious Leisure Development cluster (15.24%), and the long-term NEET cluster (23.17%). NEY in the intervention group receiving CLD services, inspired by the expanded notion of work (ENOW) and youth development and intervention framework (YDIF), demonstrated significantly higher likelihoods of being in the Employment/Entrepreneurship (OR = 34.5, 95% CI [10.53, 105.08]), Generic Education (OR = 3.74, 95% CI [1.81, 7.74]), Vocational Education and Training (OR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.05, 6.26]), and Serious Leisure Development (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.04, 4.46]) clusters than the long-term NEET cluster. Our findings highlight the dynamic, heterogeneous nature of NEY's CLD journeys, including that CLD interventions based on ENOW-YDIF have had a beneficial effect on NEY's multiple SWT pathways.

Automation risks of vocational training programs and early careers in the Netherlands

In this article, we study the role of automation risks in the school-to-work transition (STWT) of secondary vocational education (VET) graduates in the Netherlands. We use a combination of administrative and survey data, enriched with estimates of automation risks. Using sequence analysis, we find four ideal-type school-to-work trajectories representing the first 10 years in the labor market: employment, further education, further VET, and NEET. Multinomial regressions show that automation risk is not consistently associated with the type of school-to-work trajectory. We also investigate the relation between automation risk and starting wages and wage growth. We find that automation risk is negatively associated with starting wages, but not with wage growth.

Is Academic Agency Relevant for the School-to-Work Transition of Lower Attainers? Evidence from Canada and England.

Academic agency is recognized as an important predictor of higher education attainment among the general population during the school-to-work transition. However, there is little evidence on whether (a) academic agency is associated with higher education attainment among young people facing education difficulties (i.e., lower attainers), (b) academic agency is associated with a smooth entry in a meaningful job among lower attainers, and (c) these associations vary across educational contexts. This study draws on longitudinal data from lower attainers in the province of Québec (Mage = 16.31, SD = 0.98; 48% females) and in England (Mage = 15.86, SD = 0.72; 42% females), two regions with similar education systems, yet different vocational training provision. In both samples, fewer than one in four participants reach higher education by age 20. Also, in both countries academic agency is associated with a greater likelihood of being in higher education compared to other employment and education outcomes at age 20, but not with rapid entry into meaningful employment. Thus, focussing on higher education attainment and academic-related factors such as academic agency is of limited relevance for understanding lower attainers' success over school-to work transitions. For them, understanding this transition also requires considering rapid entry in meaningful employment, as well as non-academic forms of agency supporting such work-oriented outcomes.

Video-based instruction in social-emotional skills for youth with intellectual disabilities in a summer vocational rehabilitation program

Social-emotional skills work collaboratively with academic skills to help students connect content to real-world challenges. For successful future employment, today’s students will need to master social-emotional skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. Students with intellectual disabilities, however, possess severe deficits in mental capacity and emotional skills. For those students with intellectual disabilities, who already possess multiple employment and educational challenges; lack of social-emotional skills has been identified by their schoolto-work transition support team members as a common barrier to employment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a vocational rehabilitation program for students with disabilities that would have included a face-to-face class of 40 participants was cancelled. As a substitute, a hybrid, Google Classroom-based delivery of a social-emotional skills intervention program was hosted at the computer lab of the vocational rehabilitation agency with only five student participants. Although a small group, almost all student participants increased their pro-social skills knowledge as well as were observed by their counselors to have improved their pro-social behaviors post-program. This case study provides some, but very limited, data to suggest that delivery of social-emotional learning curriculum by means of remote learning for students with intellectual disabilities should be further studied.

Determinants of school to work transition and COVID-19

PurposeThis is Part 1 of the two special issues on the topic, “School to work transition around the world – the effect of the pandemic recession.” The first part focuses on the determinants of the school-to-work transition (STWT) and the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the young worker and their response to uncertain labor market conditions. The second issue will explore the country-specific experiences around the globe in tackling the problem of a smooth STWT. The purpose of this introductory article is to elaborate on the transition of young workers in the labor market. Discussion on the status of various indicators of the youth labor market (unemployment, underemployment and not in employment, education and training [NEET]) is also integrated. The determining factors of school-to-work transition (STWT) and the role of technical and vocational institutions and universities are analyzed. Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market is also evaluated. After the pandemic, there was a dreadful change in the job market; this study dives into those diverse factors and carves out the multiple impacts on youth unemployment.Design/methodology/approachThe study analyses relevant literature on STWT, NEET and COVID-19 implications for the labor market, based on the other papers in this special issue. Using the review method, the authors identified similar research articles and reports which helped in strengthening the study’s argument. The primary focus of the study was on the smooth transition of young workers in the labor market and the impact of the pandemic on youth unemployment. Hence, literature supported the authors in giving the justifications from various economies and societies.FindingsThe paper finds that youth worldwide have suffered from the repercussions of COVID-19, especially in their early career (STWT). Skill mismatch, underemployment, job losses, salary cut downs, health issues, vocational education importance, vulnerable employment, etc. were some of the significant impacts the authors identified by analyzing the various reports and papers. Furthermore, this paper also discusses the role of active labor market policies and hiring incentives for promoting youth employment.Social implicationsThe paper finds that the times ahead are challenging ones. There is a dearth of productive job opportunities due to slow economic growth. The unemployment rate among youth and adults is high, and labor markets have become more competitive. The young generation is now left with no choice but to upgrade and improve their skill set or some other expertise. On the one hand, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and universities need to enhance their marketable knowledge and skills, and on the other hand, there is a need for active labor market policies to encourage their participation in the labor markets.Originality/valueThis paper strongly contributes to highlighting the professional and societal hit backs faced due to the aftermath of COVID-19. The study summarizes the specific details of STWT and employment issues faced by youth in various parts of the world.

The impact of the school-to-work transition on self-rated health & subjective well-being in Germany

Abstract Background During the school-to-work transition (STWT), young people enter different states as vocational training, university or unemployment that may have immediate or long-term effects on health. Since research has not paid much attention to this, we investigate the development of self-rated health (SRH) and subjective well-being (SWB) during the STWT. Methods We used data from Starting Cohort 4 of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), a nationally representative cohort of 11,098 ninth graders (50.5% girls) followed over nine years. Linear panel regression analysis with fixed-effects (FE) was used to explore intra-individual changes in SRH and SWB when moving between different STWT states (school, prevocational program, vocational training, university, employment, unemployment, inactivity). FE impact functions were used to compare trajectories of SRH and SWB by states reached after school-leave. Time-varying control variables were age, household composition, and residential area. Results School-leave was linked to increases in SRH and SWB, whereas no impact was found for job entry after vocational training or university. Upward transitions (e.g. from a prevocational program to vocational training, from vocational training to university or from unemployment to employment) increased SRH or SWB, while downward transitions (e.g. from vocational training or employment to unemployment) were related to decreases. Over the years after school-leave, we found a decline in SRH and SWB, which was faster in case of transitions to unemployment or prevocational programs directly after school. Conclusions Findings suggest that a smooth STWT is key for good health in youth and adulthood. Health and labour market intervention programs should focus on the time after school-leave, especially on those who are not able to find an academic or vocational training position.

“But later you regret it". Roma youth navigating aspirational dilemmas

This article reflects on the Spanish Roma people’s aspiration dilemmas about their school-to-work transition (STWT). Study of the STWT of Roma young people casts light on the social and economic inequalities in Spanish society. Academic and occupational aspiration dilemmas reveal aspects of the interplay between structural-historical, societal, institutional and community-level factors that condition Roma people’s “capacity to aspire”, which Appadurai defines as a navigational capacity. Drawing on 31 interviews with Roma people living in a mid-sized Catalan city, we explore the following types of intermingled aspiration dilemmas: concrete vs. abstract, misaligned and insecure, misrecognised, interrupted, and postponed aspirations. We also unpack two cross-cutting aspects – young people’s capacity and strategies for navigating among aspiration-related resources and negotiating the meanings, terms, and conditions of aspiring school-to-work transition under multiple forms of pressure.

The role of family social capital in school-to-work transitions of young adults in Germany

The school-to-work transition (STWT) represents a challenge for many young people in Germany today. Previous studies have particularly focused on the influence of adolescents' socio-demographic background as well as national institutions and transition regimes. However, qualitative studies have shown that in addition to these factors, adolescents' and young adults' social environment, especially their parental relationships, may also contribute to a more or less promising STWT. Despite these findings, such factors have so far only played a minor role in quantitative research on young people's STWT trajectories. Our aim is to explain STWTs through young people's social embeddedness, assuming that the difficult transition into working life is also shaped by the young people's family context. To achieve this objective, data on the first cohort (birth cohorts 1991–1993) of the German Family Panel (pairfam) are analysed. A sequence and cluster analysis were conducted on these data, which yielded seven transition patterns. In accordance with the structure of the German labour market, these patterns can be described as more linear transitions or non-standard transitions. Multinomial logistic regressions reveal that in addition to parental financial and human capital, indicators of the family's social capital (family structure, parent-child communication as well as emotional security) are decisive for a successful STWT.

Young people's health and well-being during the school-to-work transition: a prospective cohort study comparing post-secondary pathways.

BackgroundAt the end of secondary education, young people can either start vocational training, enter university, directly transition to employment or become unemployed. Research assumes that post-secondary pathways have immediate and/or long-term impacts on health and well-being, but empirical investigations on this are scarce and restricted to few countries. Therefore, this study traced the development of health and well-being throughout the highly institutionalised school-to-work transition (STWT) in Germany.MethodsWe used longitudinal data of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), a representative sample of 11,098 school-leavers (50.5% girls) repeatedly interviewed between 2011 and 2020. We estimated the effect of post-secondary transitions on self-rated health and subjective well-being by applying fixed-effects (FE) regression, eliminating bias resulting from time-constant confounding and self-selection into different pathways. A multiple-sample strategy was used to account for the increasing diversity of STWTs patterns. Models were controlled for age, as well as household and residential changes to minimise temporal heterogeneity.ResultsFindings indicate that leaving school was good for health and well-being. Compared with participants who did not find a training position after school, direct transitions to vocational training or university were linked to higher absolute levels of health and well-being, but also to a lower relative decline over time. Furthermore, upward transitions (e.g. to programs leading to better education or from unemployment to employment) were associated with improvements in health and well-being, while downward transitions were followed by deteriorations.ConclusionFindings suggest that school-leave is a sensitive period and that post-secondary pathways provide young people with different abilities to maintain health and well-being. Youth health interventions might benefit when setting a stronger focus on unsuccessful school-leavers.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14227-0.

Protean Career Orientation and Proactive Career Behaviors During School-to-Work Transition: Mechanism Exploration and Coaching Intervention

The school-to-work transition (STWT) period is crucial for students, and a protean career orientation (PCO) is important for a successful transition. The present study aimed to examine the effects of PCO on proactive career behaviors, the underlying mechanisms, and the development of PCO using a coaching approach. Study 1 was conducted based on 250 Chinese undergraduate and postgraduate students during STWT using self-reported questionnaires. Statistical results showed that PCO positively predicted proactive career behaviors and mediated by vocational identity and career adaptability. In Study 2, a randomized controlled trial was used to implement a coaching program that aimed at improving PCO and associated positive career outcomes. Statistical analyses found that the intervention group showed significant improvements in PCO, and the increase in PCO positively predicted increases in career adaptability, vocational identity, and proactive career behaviors.

Between choices and “going with the flow”. Career guidance and Roma young people in Hungary

This paper enquires into how disadvantaged Hungarian Roma youth make decisions concerning their educational and early career trajectories, who guides them, and whether the main guidance agents and services are available to them particularly at the time of their school-to-work transition (STWT). Data was collected in a Hungarian city and its surroundings among 35 Roma young people between the ages of 18 and 30 through life-course interviews. In this paper, I analyse respondents’ life trajectories in respect of three forms of guidance they received, aiming to describe the mix of ‘substitute guidance’ Roma young people obtain, and its influence on their choices with respect to STWT. Findings suggest that the messy set of formal and informal guidance agents, services, and activities in Hungary tends to be contingent, discontinuous, segmented, non-specialized, and biased.

Regional and Ethnic Disparities of School-to-Work Transitions in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s educational and economic landscapes are marked by substantial regional disparities that are interlaced with ethnic inequalities in school-to-work transitions. Young adults from Roma and Turkish origins particularly suffer from disadvantages with respect to education and labour market participation. We ask how ethnicity affects labour market entry in Bulgaria once educational resources of different ethnic groups are accounted for, and how regional contexts impact ethnic disparities in employment insecurities. Building on comparative school-to-work transition (STWT) concepts and on the labour queueing approach, we assume that ethnic disparities in the STWTs of youths in Bulgaria depend on the degree of urbanisation and the strength and structure of the regional economy. The study draws on data from the Bulgarian School Leaver Survey 2014 of 2103 young adults who had left education in the five years preceding the survey. Descriptive analysis and multilevel logistic regression models were applied to analyse STWT patterns with a special focus on education, regional contexts, and ethnicity. The results highlight that STWT risks differ considerably across the Bulgarian regions. The strength of the local economy thereby moderates ethnic disparities. Young people from Roma and Turkish origins are much less disadvantaged to transition towards employment compared to ethnic Bulgarians the stronger the local economy gets. Our study has several policy implications. In addition to the development of public and private employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people, special attention should also be paid to the development of quality vocational education at the national and regional level.

The duration of the school-to-work transition in Italy and in other European countries: a flexible baseline hazard interpretation

PurposeThe Italian school-to-work transition (STWT) is astonishingly slow and long in comparison to the other EU countries. We analyze its determinants comparing the Italian case with Austria, Poland and the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on a Cox survival model with proportional hazard. The smoothed hazard estimates allow us to identify the nonlinear path of the hazard function.FindingsThe authors reckon that the actual length of the transition to a stable job is around 30 months in Italy. Conversely, it is less than one year in the other countries. Women are particularly penalized, despite being on average more educated than men. Tertiary or vocational education at high secondary school strongly increases the hazard rate to a regular job. The smoothed hazard estimates suggest positive duration dependence at the beginning of the transition and slightly negative thereafter.Practical implicationsStimulating economic growth and investing in education and training are important pre-conditions for shortening the transition.Originality/valueDespite 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 nonlinear 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.

A longitudinal study of the school-to-work transition of early careerist healthcare managers

In this exploratory longitudinal qualitative study, we examine the lived experiences of 12 graduates from a traditional undergraduate programme in health administration over two years during the school-to-work transition (STWT). Participants were interviewed prior to graduation, quarterly during the first year and semi-annually during the second year. They were questioned about their STWT experiences, with a particular focus on the socialisation process into their organisation and career area. Grounded theory analysis found that individuals define successful STWTs using objective (ie employment, promotion) and subjective measures (career adaptability, work satisfaction). Organisational and professional industry commitment are also considered measures of success in the STWT. Factors supporting successful STWT included organisational socialisation, organisational support, proactive socialisation, work competence, coaching and mentoring. An integrated model of the successful STWT from individual and organisational perspectives is provided, and recommendations are made for healthcare organisations aiming to improve STWT outcomes.

Improving the school-to-work transition for young people by closing the digital divide: evidence from the EU regions

PurposeThe paper aims to provide comparative empirical evidence on young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET-youth) under the influence of the digital divide, education and sectoral growth across the EU regions, with a focus on the transition patterns followed over time by EU regions in bridging the digital divide and their specific implications on school-to-work transition (STWT).Design/methodology/approachFirstly, five variables on Internet usage activities are aggregated into an index of E-skills. Secondly, linear dynamic panel data regression models are used to explain the influence of various factors on regional rates of NEET-youth, with or without grouping regions upon the digital divide in relative terms.FindingsAdvanced digital literary skills are found to have a stronger effect on the STWT than the basic ones. The growth of employment in specific economic activities like “Information and Communication” enhances STWT, but only when considering regional differences in the digital divide and E-skills as well. However, the negative effect of deprivation and low educational attainments on STWT is offset by a low level of the regional digital divide. In addition, more R&D expenditure in higher education is necessary to compensate for the effect of the digital divide on the STWT.Practical implicationsOn brief, the policy implications are twofold. Firstly, regions will need to focus more on reducing the digital divide, because it will not only generate positive effects for STWT but will also enhance the positive impact of education and sectoral growth on STWT and even compensate for their low progress. Secondly, in the context of the EU single market, to better address the situation of young people, regions should monitor the relative progress in bridging the digital divide and improving E-skills, with respect to the other EU regions. Improving the relative position on the EU map of E-skills increases the effectiveness of regional policies targeting the STWT.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper lies in the regional approach to the relationship between STWT and the digital divide, which allows us to derive new policy measures for the EU regions. Other innovative contributions rely on the identification of (1) transition patterns that region follow over time in improving STWT while bridging the digital divide and (2) policy measures addressing the NEETs in the context of the regional digital divide.

Typical school-to-work transitions of young adults with disabilities in Germany – a cohort study of recipients of vocational rehabilitation services after leaving school in 2008

Purpose In Germany, vocational rehabilitation (VR) for young people with disabilities (YPWD) aims to counteract disadvantages on the training and labour markets. However, the school-to-work transitions (STWT) among YPWD are underexplored. This study investigates to what extent and for whom VR provides an institutional bridge into employment. Materials and methods Based on representative administrative data of the German Federal Employment Agency, young people in VR are observed for 6.5 years after completing lower or intermediate secondary education in 2008. Using optimal matching and cluster analysis, six typical STWT trajectories are identified. Results Most of the YPWD completed company-external vocational training, some undertook regular in-firm training. These forms of training often lead to regular employment, albeit with a delay for some. Other young people are guided from training in sheltered workshops into sheltered employment. Another group exhibits problematic STWTs in which recurring unemployment and (non-training) programmes fail to lead to training or employment. Conclusions VR combined with in-firm or company-external vocational training can facilitate the STWTs of people with disabilities. However, individuals from poor families are less likely to benefit from VR. Similarly, restricted capabilities and problematic STWTs are observed when young people drop out of VR due to poor cooperation. Implications for rehabilitation Vocational training often is a prerequisite for labour market entry; however, if the structural conditions on the local labour market are unfavourable, young people with disabilities do not take up employment. Training within sheltered workshops often leads to highly institutionalised trajectories that should be reconsidered to permit greater permeability into the regular labour market. As young people with problematic STWT more often come from poor households, they should be targeted to a greater extent in the context of VR counselling.

Making a successful transition to work: A fresh look at organizational support for young newcomers from an individual-driven career adjustment perspective

Although career transitions occur several times during people’s life course, a significant turning point may be the school-to-work transition (STWT) of young adults migrating from structured academic environments to chaotic organizational setups. In the field of newcomer socialization, successful STWTs, particularly in the post-employment phase, have been widely researched, although the studies have been dominated by an “organization-driven” perspective on what motivates young newcomers to adjust themselves to organizational career norms. By examining “individual-driven” career adjustment pathways that focus on the self-enhancement effect involved in organizational support, this research addresses the challenge of how young newcomers with self-directed career orientations experience STWT success without compromising their career-growth concerns. Drawing on theories of self-enhancement and self-verification, we investigated a model wherein (1) a perceived match of individual and organizational career plans mediates the relationship between newcomers’ perceived organizational support (POS) and their STWT success, and (2) protean career orientations moderate the anticipated positive relationship between POS and perceived career match, thus conditioning the mediation. Results from four-wave time-lagged data supported the predicted effects, even after controlling for organization-driven adjustment factors. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate on “individualization” and the “Protean Paradox” in career management literature.

Some young people have all the luck! The duration dependence of the school-to-work transition in Europe

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.

Moving Toward Decent Work: Application of the Psychology of Working Theory to the School-to-Work Transition

This conceptual contribution aims to adapt and apply Psychology of Working Theory to the specificities of the school-to-work transition (STWT) process. The STWT is thus conceptualized as a first attempt to access decent work under the influence of specific predictors, mediators, and moderators and leading to particular outcomes. Based on recent literature, we consider that (1) socioeconomic constraints and belonging to marginalized groups are contextual predictors of a successful transition; (2) psychosocial resources, including self-efficacy and adaptability, and vocational and work role identity, are mediators of the relation between contextual factors and a successful transition; (3) moderator factors include the education system, labor market conditions, social support, and critical consciousness; and (4) decent and meaningful work are the optimal outcomes of the STWT process.