School-to-work Research Articles

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.

Effectiveness of School-to-Work Programs for Students With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Abstract Date Presented 04/01/2022 Employment is a meaningful occupation with benefits in well-being, quality of life, independence, and social engagement. School-to-work (STW) programs are one method used to prepare students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in obtaining skills needed to participate in employment after high school. Despite efforts in this area, students with ID continue to report lower rates of obtaining employment, living independently, and being socially engaged. OT can contribute to enhancing outcomes. Primary Author and Speaker: Colleen Sunderlin Additional Authors and Speakers: Olivia Kodsy, Nicole Herringshaw, Ashley Pomponio Contributing Authors: Melanie Powers

Drop-out, stop-out or prolong? The effect of COVID-19 on students' choices

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to identify the causal effect of the COVID-19 induced crisis on students' decisions about their educational plans. The authors hypothesise that students adjusted their decisions by delaying graduation, dropping out or change the field of education because of increased uncertainty about future employment and monetary returns.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical approach is based on a survey done during the first wave of COVID-19 in Slovenia. The probability of dropping out, prolonging or stop-out is designed by applying probit and probit with insturmental variables empirical model.FindingsPrimary orientation towards work increases the probability of dropping out and financial constraints increase the probability of prolonging studies. The same holds after accounting for endogeneity. However, the authors do not find that poor job expectations due to COVID-19 affect students' decisions to prolong, drop-out or stop-out. The authors also find that the primary orientation toward work or study explains the differences in the probability of each outcome that is not influenced by enrolment in a particular field of study.Research limitations/implicationsThe results cannot be read as an objective prediction of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on college failures. However, the study provides insight into how students' expectations change their intentions to prolong, drop-out, or stop-out during periods of high uncertainty. The extent, to which measured intentions are realised, however, is uncertain.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the response diversity and motives behind students' study decisions represents extremely valuable insights for economic policy. Mapped apprehensions, augmented by heterogeneity in personal and financial characteristics, are relevant for policymakers. In terms of future research, it would be interesting to analyse what changes occurred over a five-year period, specifically which field of study was most affected by students' adjusted plans due to the pandemic.Social implicationsStudents have always been a special group in the labour market. After the initial shock of closing activities, studying online and the drastic decrease in student work due to COVID-19, the decision was made in spring 2020 to continue on the chosen path or not. This paper provides insight into the changing decision students made about their educational plans.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to highlight the implications of COVID-19 for the adaptation of student plans in the transition from school-to work in Europe. It departs from the classical literature of college failures, as specific macroeconomic conditions influence students to reconsider their educational decisions. Moreover, the paper also contributes to the rapidly growing literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household-level labour market outcomes, particularly with respect to job search and labour supply decisions in general.

La FP Dual y la transición de los jóvenes al mercado de trabajo: la visión de los agentes sociales

La modalidad de alternancia dual en formación profesional surge en España como parte de las políticas europeas para favorecer la formación y el empleo juvenil. Sin embargo, la ausencia de legislación detallada, los altos niveles de desempleo y la ausencia de recursos, frutos de la crisis económica, o el papel insuficiente de la administración pública, han desembocado en una serie de limitaciones de la implementación del modelo. Estas han sido solventadas de maneras diversas entre Comunidades Autónomas, sectores productivos, institutos y empresas, generando diferencias significativas entre los modelos actuales en España. Todo ello impide concluir que la FP dual, por sí sola, favorezca la transición escuela-trabajo, sino que exis-ten una serie de condiciones que se han de cumplir en su implementación para conseguir los efectos positivos que se pretenden. Ante este proceso, el artículo estudia las pers-pectivas de los actores sociales que participan y ponen en práctica el modelo para analizar el desarrollo y posibilidades de la FP dual.

Tranzycyjny efekt jojo w sekwencjach społecznych młodych migrantów

Wydłużająca się edukacja czy uelastycznienie się rynków pracy powodują, że poszczególne etapy wczesnodorosłego życia młodych ludzi oraz podejmowane role społeczne przenikają się (Wyn, Dwyer 2002; Mayer 2005; Biggart, Walther 2006; Kohli 2007; Du Bois-Reymond 2009; Heinz 2009; Mary 2014). Młodzi ludzie wchodzą w dorosłość coraz częściej w sposób nielinearny, doświadczając powrotów do etapów czy sytuacji z przeszłości, co w literaturze zostało opisane jako „tranzycja jojo” (Du Bois-Reymond, López Blasco 2003; Heinz 2009; Walther 2009; Hörschelmann 2011; Borlagdan 2015). „Jojoizacja tranzycji” dotyczy również procesu przechodzenia z edukacji do rynku pracy, które jest coraz bardziej rozciągnięte w czasie, zróżnicowane i trudne do przewidzenia (Walther 2006). Jednym z istotnych zjawisk towarzyszących inicjacji zawodowej współczesnych młodych dorosłych jest mobilność międzynarodowa (King 2018; Robertson, Harris, Baldassar 2018), która znacznie wpływa na kształt ścieżek edukacyjno-zawodowych młodych ludzi.Celem artykułu jest odpowiedź na pytanie o rolę migracji zagranicznych w występowaniu tranzycyjnego efektu jojo. Na bazie studiów przypadku ścieżek edukacyjno-zawodowych migrantów przedstawione zostaną tranzycje ludzi młodych na rodzimy i zagraniczny rynek pracy, zarówno w wymiarze obiektywnym, jak i subiektywnym. Jako metoda analizy posłuży jakościowa adaptacja analizy sekwencji społecznych (Cornwell 2015).

Assessing the Performance of School-to-Work Transition Regimes in the EU

The Great Recession that has engulfed Europe since 2008 has had a profound impact on the process of young people’s school-to-work (STW) transition. Countries’ institutional configurations considerably matter in shaping the structure of young people’s STW transitions and mediating the impact of the Great Recession on youth unemployment. Drawing upon Pohl and Walther’s concept of ‘youth transition regime’ (2007), we have assessed the performance of selected EU countries belonging to different clusters regarding the speed, ease and quality of STW transitions. Differences in performance across regimes exists, with some faring better than others, although at the same time a common, worrying trend can be identified across clusters, comprising a progressive deterioration of the quality of youth transitions across the board, despite the positive policy intentions to strengthen and improve the efficacy of transition regimes.

Interwencje ukierunkowane na poprawę sytuacji zawodowej osób młodych – główne wyzwania

The purpose of this paper is a critical analysis of the assumptions underlying STW (school to work) public interventions aimed at improving employment opportunities and transition of graduates from education to the labour market. Particular attention has been devoted to one Polish initiative named Youth Guarantee. The text assumes that the effectiveness of such interventions depends on several external factors: on the macro (i.e. the condition of the economy, the demographic situation) and the micro level (i.e. factors differentiating individual decisions). The author identifies key challenges facing those implementing Youth Guarantee initiative. (original abstract)

The Association Between School-to-Work Programs and School Performance

The School-to-Work (STW) Opportunities Act was passed to aid students in transitioning from education to employment by offering work-based learning opportunities. In the United States, 72% of high schools offer work-based learning opportunities for credit. This is the first study to describe school performance and school-based behaviors among students enrolled in STW programs and compare them with nonworking and other-working students. In 2003, a questionnaire was administered to five school districts and one large urban school in Wisconsin. Between 2008 and 2010, analyses were completed to characterize STW students and compare them with other students. Of the 6,519 students aged 14-18years included in the analyses, 461 were involved in an STW program (7%), 3,108 were non-working (48%), and 2,950 were other-working students (45%). Compared with other students, STW students were less likely to have a grade point average >2.0, more likely to have three or more unexcused absences from school, and more likely to spend <1hour in school-sponsored activities. Holding multiple jobs also negatively affected a student's academic performance. School-to-Work students reported poorer academic performance and more unhealthy school-related behaviors compared with nonworking students and other-working students. Whereas many factors have a role in why students perform poorly in school, more research on students enrolled in STW programs is needed to understand whether participating has a negative impact on students' academic achievement.

Rural High School Youth's Access to and Use of School‐to‐Work Programs

Rural youth face numerous barriers that may limit career exposure. School‐to‐work (STW) programs are one tool used to increase exposure and facilitate connections between school and work. Using a nationally representative data set, the authors investigated whether rurality relates to the availability of STW programs and rural youth's program use. Results indicate that most schools provide school‐based services (e.g., career plans/career majors), but few schools offer work‐based services (e.g., internships). Rural schools were more likely to offer vocational–technical prep programs and job shadowing but were less likely to offer school‐based enterprise. After controlling for program availability, the authors found that rural students were less likely to take part in job shadowing and community service. Conclusions are offered for career development research, policy, and practice.

School-to-Work Participation &amp; Secondary School Curriculum Concentration by Ethnicity and Gender Among U. S. Youth (1997-2008)

This research examined the school-to-work (STW) program participation of academic and vocational concentrators in high school. Analyzing the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) survey and transcript data, the researchers explored point estimations inferred to the target population. As a result, 9 out of 10 students have participated in STW-related programs at least once while in high school, and there is no noticeable difference by ethnicity and gender in overall STW participation. In terms of curriculum concentration, academic concentrators are more likely to participate in STW programs than vocational concentrators, except students in the Hispanic/others group. Among the academic concentrators, female students showed higher likelihood of STW involvement than male students, whereas male vocational concentrators represented higher participation rates than female vocational concentrators. In both concentrations, Non-black/non-Hispanic students reported the largest participation, while students in the Hispanic/others group demonstrated the least participation rates.

Do School-to-Work Programs Help the Forgotten Half?

This paper tests whether school-to-work (STW) programs are particularly beneficial for those less likely to go to college in their absence - often termed the forgotten half in the STW literature. The empirical analysis is based on the NLSY97, which allows us to study six types of STW programs, including job shadowing, mentoring, coop, school enterprises, tech prep, and internships/apprenticeships. For men there is quite a bit of evidence that STW program participation is particularly advantageous for those in the forgotten half. For these men, specifically, mentoring and coop programs increase post-secondary education, and coop, school enterprise, and internship/apprenticeship programs boost employment and decrease idleness after leaving high school. There is less evidence that STW programs are particularly beneficial for women in the forgotten half, although internship/apprenticeship programs do lead to positive earnings effects concentrated among these women.

Early Education Experiences &amp; School-to-Work Program Participation

This study assesses the effects of Head Start participation and demonstrated academic ability during elementary school on School-to-Work (STW) program participation. The study sample comes from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort and comprises 4,370 adolescents who reported grades they received while in the 8th grade and whether or not they ever repeated a grade in grammar school. Findings indicate that STW programs attract disproportionate numbers of students with histories of marginal demonstrated academic ability. This is so because STW programs are also more likely to attract Head Starters. Demonstrated academic ability varies by race/ethnicity and sex, with lower participation rates by white males. The author suggests that efforts to achieve a more heterogeneous racial/ethnic mix of students to take advantage of school-to-work based initiatives would strengthen such programs. In doing so, such efforts would increase the prospects of Head Start participants entering the mainstream of socioeconomic life in the US more easily than would be the case otherwise. In addition, such efforts would make the US workforce more competitive in an increasingly global economy.

Theories in Practice: School-to-Work Transitions-for-Youth With Mild Disabilities

Systematic research into the school-to-work (STW) transition of young people with mild disabilities, a relatively new emphasis in education, has produced a wealth of information about factors associated with adult employment. Further, legislative mandates and recent educational reforms related to transition and access to the general curriculum have generated useful policy discussions about how schools can best support young people with disabilities to overcome documented barriers to work. However, theoretical perspectives embedded in and generated from research, policy, and practice on STW transitions of young people with disabilities are rarely discussed. The intent of this article is fourfold: (a) to summarize current research and models of practice on STW transition within the field of special education, (b) to identify implicit yet infrequently named theories in our research and practice, (c) to make connections to STW theories outside special education, and (d) to suggest how emerging perspectives can shape future research.

School-to-work experiences: curriculum as a bridge.

Because workers must be prepared to constantly update their skills and reeducate themselves for new skills, lifelong learning must be a goal for every teacher and student. The curriculum provided during educational experiences should pave the way for attainment of this goal. This is particularly true for deaf and hard of hearing students. School-to-work (STW) has become an umbrella term for activities, experiences and opportunities that prepare students for the world of work, such as youth apprenticeships, mentoring, internships, job shadowing, career exploration, and integration of academic and vocational curriculum. This article provides historical background on STW, laws shaping requirements for STW programs, and research supporting STW components. Recommendations are provided for curricular elements of an STW program, and trends in STW are forecast.

At the Center or the Margin: Massachusetts' Experience under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act

Massachusetts was one of the first states to receive an implementation grant under the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The authors explore the state's STW programs before, during, and since the period covered by the grant, highlighting local variations and the challenges posed by the shift of reform efforts toward standards and accountability. IN MASSACHUSETTS, the advent of school-to-work (STW) was met with great hope. At its most expansive, it was envisioned as a systemic effort that could reach all students by addressing a mix of skills -- academic and work-related -- that they would need for future success. As such, STW was seen by its proponents as a potential vehicle both for achieving education reform and for strengthening the preparation of the work force. Massachusetts in the early 1990s did, indeed, appear to be fertile ground for STW. Early programs had been developed and piloted here, and a good amount of the national thinking and research on school-to-work strategies had some kind of Massachusetts connection. A comprehensive education reform act that included elements consistent with STW was in the making. But in Massachusetts, as elsewhere, there were notable challenges to overcome if the broad STW vision was to be realized. Federal STW money was modest venture capital, and it would always be dwarfed by funding from other sources. And, at the outset, STW was considered by many within the education sector to be a narrowly focused effort, appropriate only for students who sought direct entry into the labor force following high school. Now that the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) has sunsetted, what remains in Massachusetts of this potentially powerful initiative? And to what degree did STW really become an integral part of the overall school reform agenda? We believe that three elements needed to be in place for STW to be established as a central piece of school reform: 1) state policy and funding that supported STW activities, 2) an early and strong commitment to STW by local leadership, and 3) empowered local intermediary organizations that could pull schools and community partners together and could provide the staff capable of designing, launching, and expanding programs. So what happened? The experience in Massachusetts was mixed. From a state policy perspective, there were some major initiatives that helped develop STW and that still sustain significant levels of STW programming today. At the same time, there were shifts in the emphasis of state education policy that made it difficult to adopt STW as a key reform strategy at the local level. Still, some districts did embrace STW as a central piece of their reform efforts. But in most, a weak commitment and a shortage of staff meant that STW -- a challenge to implement anywhere -- typically remained at the margin and did not become the driving force behind broad changes in educational delivery that its proponents had hoped for. Fertile Ground The beginning of the school-to-work effort in Massachusetts can be traced perhaps as far back as the establishment of the Boston Compact in 1982. This was a historic agreement between leaders of Boston's business community and the school district. It established expectations for school improvement, coupled with employer pledges to provide part- time and summer job opportunities as well as priority hiring for Boston public school students and graduates. Implementation of the Compact's employment goals became a core function of Boston's Private Industry Council (PIC). Over time, the PIC and the Compact focused on creating internship experiences for young people, an effort that led to the nationally recognized ProTech model and had a significant influence on the design of programs funded by the STWOA. Meanwhile, by the early 1990s, education and business leaders throughout Massachusetts recognized the need to substantially reform public education -- both to improve academic outcomes for youths and to support the state's economic competitiveness. …

‘Business partnerships for American education’: employer involvement in the national academy foundation's high school career academies

This article presents a case study of a particular instance of business involvement in education, the industry-sponsored non-profit National Academy Foundation (NAF). While in the USA participation by employers in schools and educational programmes has increased in the last decade, the federal funding for such partnerships through the School-to- Work (STW) Opportunities Act is ending. NAF 's efforts pre-date the federal STW legislation and have been especially effective in recruiting and retaining employer support for high-school-based career academies. Combining data from fieldwork and a telephone survey of 192 employers involved in the NAF programme, the authors explore the characteristics of participating employers, their contribution to local education experiences, and the incentives and disincentives to their involvement. The findings demonstrate that sustained, quality employer involvement in education is possible; possible indications of what accounts for NAF 's success are also given. This study should help inform policymakers and practitioners as to potential challenges and benefits of institutionalising a large-scale employer-education partnership.

Voices of the forgotten half: The role of social class in the school-to-work transition.

This study examines the impact of social class on the school-to-work (STW) transitions of young adults in working-class occupations. Using an exploratory, qualitative research methodology, interviews were conducted with 10 men and 10 women to examine the role of social class in the STW transition. All participants were working in low-skilled jobs and grouped into 2 cohorts based on their family’s socioeconomic background: higher socioeconomic status (HSES) and lower socioeconomic status (LSES). The findings indicate that social class played an important role in the participants’ STW transition. Individuals from the HSES cohort expressed greater interest in work as a source of personal satisfaction, higher levels of self-concept crystallization, greater access to external resources, and greater levels of career adaptability compared with their LSES counterparts. I was forced into this way of life. It’s like I was forced to drop out of

An approach to evaluating school-to-work initiatives: post-secondary activities of high school graduates of work-based learning

This study examined effects of high school students' (n = 4050) participation in work-based learning programmes representing School-To- Work (STW) initiatives on their activities 1 year after graduation. Workbased learning offered some advantage to participants compared to nonparticipants. Specifically, students who participated in the Career and Technology Education (CTE) programme had higher state-reported total and quarterly earnings, and self-reported higher hourly wage, and greater relevance of high school curriculum to their post-secondary education, training and employment than non-participants. CTE participants rated themselves better prepared in what to expect at the job and knowing technical information about the job than non-participants. Unexpectedly, interns had lower state-reported total earnings and number of quarters worked than non-interns. Interns rated themselves as equally prepared as non-interns in general work skills. Observations made during the evaluation suggested areas for improvement in the implementation and evaluation of STW activities, namely, the need for abstraction in STW programme development, implementation and evaluation, and the need for broader reach of students.

School-to-Work Programs in the United States: A Multi-Firm Case Study of Training, Benefits, and Costs

This paper provides one of the first detailed analyses of the training and finances of school-to-work (STW) programs in the United States. The data are from case studies of seven STW programs sponsored by firms of diverse size, type, and location. In almost every case, the firm paid at least some of the costs of general training. Most firms recoup some of these costs through rents captured by hiring former apprentices, but only in two cases do benefits seem likely to outweigh costs. The findings suggest that certain imperfections in American labor markets—for example, compensation below marginal product for some workers, and a gap between productivity and wages that increases with workers' skill levels—motivate firms to invest in general skills, but these labor market imperfections may not be great enough to allow firms to sustain STW programs over the long run.

School-to-Work Programs in the United States: A Multi-Firm Case Study of Training, Benefits, and Costs

This paper provides one of the first detailed analyses of the training and finances of school-to-work (STW) programs in the United States. The data are from case studies of seven STW programs sponsored by firms of diverse size, type, and location. In almost every case, the firm paid at least some of the costs of general training. Most firms recoup some of these costs through rents captured by hiring former apprentices, but only in two cases do benefits seem likely to outweigh costs. These findings suggest that certain imperfections in American labor markets--for example, compensation that undershoots marginal products for some workers, and a gap between productivity and wages that sometimes increases with workers' skill levels--motivate firms to invest in general skills, but these labor market imperfections may not be great enough to allow firms to sustain STW programs over the long run.