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Improving Formal Qualifications or Firm Linkages-What Supports Successful School-to-Work Transitions among Low-Achieving School Leavers in Germany?
[journal article]
Abstract Many countries have implemented youth (un)employment programmes for low-achieving young people to improve their employment prospects. In Germany, these youths are often channelled into prevocational programmes to prevent them from long-term 'scars' by providing a 'second chance' to enter apprentices... view more
Many countries have implemented youth (un)employment programmes for low-achieving young people to improve their employment prospects. In Germany, these youths are often channelled into prevocational programmes to prevent them from long-term 'scars' by providing a 'second chance' to enter apprenticeships (serving as entry into the labour market in Germany). However, the usefulness of these programmes is contested. It remains unclear whether it is (more) useful for young people to invest in education and improve formal qualifications (to send a positive ‘signal’) or to spend more time in firms (e.g. to counteract possible discrimination processes or to generate new network ties). It is also unclear who benefits most depending on previous school-leaving certificates. We address these questions by using rich data from the German National Educational Panel Study and apply entropy balancing as a matching approach to control for selection. We find that both attaining a higher school certificate and spending time in firms improve low-achieving youth's chances to enter apprenticeships. However, only those who attained a higher-level school certificate are able to enter higher-status training occupations afterwards. Moreover, prevocational programmes are most beneficial for the most disadvantaged.... view less
Keywords
Federal Republic of Germany; school graduate; school graduation; low qualified worker; vocational education; vocational preparation; occupational integration; adolescent; employment promotion; training opportunities; career prospect; promotion of disadvantaged persons
Classification
Sociology of Education
Vocational Training, Adult Education
Free Keywords
German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), Starting Cohort 4-9th Grade, https://doi.org/10.5157/NEPS:SC4:9.0.0, 2008 to 2013
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 218-237
Journal
European Sociological Review, 37 (2021) 2
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/10419/248116
ISSN
1468-2672
Status
Postprint; peer reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications