Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the government-incentivised i-Ready programme in alleviating youth unemployment in terms of the transition from education to the labour force market. Design/methodology/approach: Focus group discussions are conducted to reveal the perceptions and experiences of the apprentices in the…

The German Dual System is a model educational and employment approach that other nations could emulate. The ability of young apprentices to work and study at the same time to gain both practical and theoretical skills leads to more meaningful education and decreased dropout and youth unemployment rates. The collaboration of the government,…

The integration of young adults into the labor market is a challenge for every society. Because Germany survived the current crisis quite well and youth unemployment rate is more or less stable, the German apprenticeship-system, Duale Ausbildung, became a kind of new role model in Europe. In this article Marcus Eckelt and Guido Schmidt analyze the…

The Lisbon commitment for a European knowledge society together with the subsequently implemented policy of lifelong learning and social inclusion has significantly affected the German educational system and its teaching practices. This article examines the impact of these policy reforms on educational work in Germany through an analysis of the…

Every spring, millions of 18-year-olds graduate from high school and start on one of three paths: (1) college; (2) the military; or (3) work. College is the choice encouraged most often by high-school guidance counselors, and for good reason. By 2020, two out of every three jobs will require some sort of higher education, according to the Center…

This article examines the precarious learning-to-work transitions experienced by aboriginal youth in the Canadian oil sands mining industry. Drawing from an empirical case study of a mine-sponsored, pre-apprenticeship training programme, challenges experienced by programme participants, as well as their socialisation into the world of work are…

In vocational education, there is an ongoing discussion about problems occurring in school-work transitions and in relating school and work-based learning processes. Apprenticeships have been identified as valuable learning and working trajectories for making successful transitions and relations between school and work. However, they have been…

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to locate the role of social and emotional support during the school-to-work transitions of apprentices, within the Australian vocational education and training context. Design/methodology/approach: The research reported here is based on an independent evaluation of an apprentice suicide prevention and support…

Educational policy is asked to support young people in their successful transition from education to employment. In Switzerland, a two-year apprenticeship with Federal VET Certificate was established in 2002 aimed at increasing the employability of low-achieving school leavers. It is a low-threshold VET programme offering standardised vocational…

The apprenticeship training system in Germany, where training takes place in both private companies and vocational schools, has traditionally played an outstanding role in the development of young skilled workers. However, particularly since the start of the new millennium, the chances of smooth transition from secondary school to an…

In Germany, the group of young people with the most extended transition from school to work are those achieving higher education entrance qualifications ("Abitur"), then serving an apprenticeship in the German "dual system" and later pursuing higher education. On the basis of three Anglo-German comparative studies, this article…

The federal career and technical legislation reauthorized in 2006 required the recipients of its funding to offer at least one Program of Study (POS). All states have developed some components of POS through earlier initiatives, primarily Tech Prep, career pathways, and youth apprenticeship, that attempted to ease the transition of students from…

An effective transition from school to work does not suddenly begin when students have completed their vocational programs. The key to successful programs is having the private sector become a partner in the occupational training of youth. (JOW)

The authors report results from a national survey on participation of disabled people in apprenticeship. Results indicate that disabled persons comprise 2 percent of the total apprentice population. Exemplary programs and practices are described. The authors present implications and recommendations drawn from the study results. (CH)

Responding to local businesses' negative comments about area graduates' capabilities, White Plains (New York) Public Schools initiated a pilot work-based-learning program that clearly specified connections between high-school and workplace learning. Five case studies illustrate program goals achieved via individualized apprenticeship plans…