In this study I examine the academic self-concept (ASC) of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education in Germany. I ask (1) how their ASC differs to the ASC of their established peers in academic tracking, and (2) how their ASC is affected by the change in the learning environment.…

This book examines access, lifelong learning and education for all, which have been policy preoccupations in all countries for more than half a century, but have been overlaid and pushed aside by the development of mass higher education. The authors examine what has been achieved, what lessons have been learnt and what still remains to be done,…

While the scholarly work on the second generation of immigrants has scrutinised both high educational achievers and marginalised groups, less attention has been paid to those in between and their aspirations. In this article, we draw on interviews with 35 adolescents pursuing vocational education in Norway. Our analysis takes as its point of…

We employ 2011 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey data for Austria to perform uni- and multivariate econometric analyses to study the role of gender and migration background (MB) in intergenerational educational mobility. We find that there is more persistence in the educational attainment of girls relative to their…

This research paper is one in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of how CVET is conceptualised in various international level policy documents and how it is referred to across countries. It discusses national conceptions of CVET, the…

This article addresses the change in the transitional process from secondary school general education to gainful employment within the framework of societal modernisation processes in Germany. We analyse the relationship between the options for and restrictions upon individual educational mobility under the conditions imposed by the various…

Purpose: Parity of esteem between general and vocational education is a widely discussed topic in those countries which have established a system of vocational education and training (VET) beside the system of general education, leading to numerous qualifications and licenses. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach: An…

This paper examines the relationships between post-school educational fields and sectors and labour market considerations that appear to shape students' study decisions. It was found that pathways taken vary considerably by age, suggesting changes over time to patterns in tertiary education towards greater participation overall, a greater extent…

This article centres on the importance given by individuals to the process of education in labour market transitions and how they manage to overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Many of the stories in the Spanish research were transformative and innovative despite the context of high levels of unemployment in Spain due to the global economic…

Reforms in the tertiary education sector place student transitions between vocational education and training (VET) and university at the fore. Informed by existing structures between Deakin University and three Victorian technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, this project explores the notion of credit transfer in practice, as well as…

Increasing the pathways between vocational and higher education is a central concern of Australian governments. Governments want more pathways to support occupational progression, skills deepening and social inclusion. They consider that the number of pathways and number of students traversing them to be inadequate, and have commissioned many…

By drawing on comparative analyses of successful second-generation Turks from disadvantaged family backgrounds in France and the Netherlands, this article examines pathways and mechanisms that lead to educational success against the backdrop of structural and familial disadvantages. We foreground the experiences and practices of successful…

In France's highly defined educational hierarchy, apprenticeship ranks low and is rejected by the academically successful. In England, educational pathways are less clearly ranked, and apprenticeships are desirable. Reflecting these differences, English craft apprentices scored higher on mathematics tests and showed less occupational variability…

Articulation is possible but the vocational objective of the student must be paramount, the means of achieving articulation secondary. (Editor)

How vocational educators in one state contrived to win recognition for occupational programs in the master plan for higher education. (Editor)