VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND THE TRANSITION TO THE FIRST JOB IN GERMANY – NEW RISKS AT LABOR MARKET ENTRY?

Abstract

The German institutional setting of skill formation is supposed to enable young people smooth and structured transitions into the labor market. For decades, the large majority of graduates of the “dual system” of vocational education experienced good chances to immediately access appropriate job positions. However, labor market entry has become less stable in the last two decades. In this paper, we examine the changing transition from vocational training to the first job in Germany. We analyze the consequences of inter-firm mobility and unemployment after finishing vocational education for the transition to the first job. Our results show that leaving the training firm, and especially unemployment, strongly enhance occupational shifts at labor market entry. In addition, not keeping one’s trained occupation negatively affects the chances to enter skilled job positions.

Citation

Konietzka, D. (2003), "VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND THE TRANSITION TO THE FIRST JOB IN GERMANY – NEW RISKS AT LABOR MARKET ENTRY?", Bills, D.B. (Ed.) The Sociology of Job Training (Research in the Sociology of Work, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 161-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-2833(03)12007-9