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Article
Publication date: 4 January 2024

Geoff Woolcott, Martin Loosemore, Robyn Keast, Ariella Meltzer and Suhair Alkilani

Construction is one of Australia’s largest employers of young people and the industry is facing a major labor shortage, with young people expected to account for much of the…

Abstract

Purpose

Construction is one of Australia’s largest employers of young people and the industry is facing a major labor shortage, with young people expected to account for much of the shortfall. Surprisingly however, there been little research into the pathways for young people into construction employment. The aim of this paper is to address this gap in research by exploring whether project-based intermediaries can support the development of disadvantaged young people’s trust in the often-problematic systems which are meant to help transition them into employment in construction.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing an in-depth case study approach, this research mobilizes theories of personalized and generalized trust to report the results of interviews with 15 sectoral leaders; focus groups with 12 young people working in construction; and interviews with 11 young people being transitioned into construction employment through a unique project-based intermediary developed by a major Australian construction company as part of its social procurement requirements.

Findings

Findings show that project-based intermediaries can play an important trust-building role in transitioning disadvantaged young people into work in construction. They do this by bridging a young person’s strong social ties (family and friendship) and weak social ties (with government and construction industry organizations), both of which can be problematic when used in isolation to seek employment in construction. By performing a crucial bridging role between a young person’s individual self-interest in acting alone to find work and their collective interest in being part of a collaborative group, the project-based intermediary creates a new form of linking social capital, enabling social procurement policies which target young people to work while also addressing wider systemic problems in Australia’s employment systems.

Originality/value

This research addresses the lack of employment research into young people in construction and the paucity of theory in social procurement research more broadly. It takes an original approach in aligning theories related to a duality of personalized trust and generalized trust seen against the duality of individual intentionality and agency (self-focused) and shared intentionality and agency (group-focused). By doing so it provides new conceptual and practical insights into the important role that construction project-based intermediaries like the one studied here can play in providing innovative cross-sector and collaborative solutions to the world’s growing youth unemployment crisis.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2024

Michelle O’Kane, Connie M. Bird, Sheila Marshall, Ashley Quinn and Grant Charles

Children and youth who enter the care system have lower educational outcomes and university participation rates than their peers. This study aims to understand trend exceptions by…

Abstract

Purpose

Children and youth who enter the care system have lower educational outcomes and university participation rates than their peers. This study aims to understand trend exceptions by examining the background of care-experienced undergraduates attending a research-intensive university in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

Informed by social affordance theory, this study examined the presence of four indicators of stability (home, household occupants, school and legal status) during participants’ final three years of secondary education. Care-experienced undergraduates (N = 30) completed an online questionnaire. Associations between stability indicators, child welfare involvement in the final year of high school, educational outcomes and routes into higher education were analysed.

Findings

Stability across three to four indicators was experienced by 40% of participants, while 47% reported changes across three to four indicators. Only 20% had a change of school as compared to 47%–60% for other indicators. During their final year of high school, 73% of participants were supported by the child welfare system, with 50% being supported via a support program specifically for 16- to 18-year-olds. Stability scores were significantly lower for this latter subgroup compared to those who spent time in foster or group care and those who did not receive child welfare support during the final year of high school. Ninety percent of participants graduated from high school, 67% with the grades required to attend university. Three trajectories into undergraduate study were identified but could not be predicted using regression models.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on what has supported progression into a research-intensive university for care-experienced young adults and highlights the role of support programs for 16- to 18-year-olds.

Details

Journal of Children's Services, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-6660

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 May 2024

Laura Guerrero Puerta and Rocío Lorente García

This article explores the perceptions of professionals on the implementation and impact of Dual Vocational Training (Dual VET) in the Spanish education system.

Abstract

Purpose

This article explores the perceptions of professionals on the implementation and impact of Dual Vocational Training (Dual VET) in the Spanish education system.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involves interviews with various professionals in the education and employment sectors and two discussion groups.

Findings

Results reveal positive views on Dual VET’s ability to enhance employability and reduce the education-to-employment gap. However, challenges like the involvement of small and medium enterprises and the need for continuous curriculum evaluation and adaptation are recognized. Additionally, the study highlights a lack of acknowledgment of antecedent programs to Dual VET, despite their recognition by experts as highly influential in facilitating the school-to-work transition for young individuals.

Originality/value

The study emphasizes the importance of promoting awareness among stakeholders and emphasizes the role of collaboration between educational institutions and the business sector to ensure Dual VET’s success in Spain.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 September 2021

Amany Yashoa Gad

This paper aims to identify the level of contribution of different levels of education to remaining in unemployment as well as the transition from unemployment to employment in…

2356

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the level of contribution of different levels of education to remaining in unemployment as well as the transition from unemployment to employment in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, transition probabilities matrix differentiated by gender, age groups, educational levels, marital status and place of residence based on worker flows across employment, unemployment and out of labor force states during the period 2012–2018 using Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey of 2018. The results point to the highly static nature of the Egyptian labor market. Employment and the out of labor force states are the least mobile among labor market states. This is because employment state is very desirable and the out of labor force is the largest labor market states, especially for females. Also, this study examines the impact of different educational levels separately on remaining in unemployment and transition from unemployment to employment state using eight binary logistic regression models.

Findings

The main results of transitions from unemployment to employment are relatively large for males, elder-age, uneducated workers as well as workers who are not married and urban residents, and the results of the logistic regression models consistent with the transition probabilities matrix results, except for few cases. Based on the above findings, there is enough evidence to accept the null hypothesis that no education has a positive significant impact to transition unemployed individuals from unemployment to employment, while less than intermediate as well as higher education have a negative significant impact to transition unemployed individuals from unemployment to employment.

Originality/value

This paper proposes to address the problem of the unemployment among highly educated which is much higher compared with illiterates and try to understand the impact of different levels of education separately on the transition from unemployment to employment, to help the policymakers to eradicate the gap between education and the demand of the labor market in Egypt.

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2356-9980

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2024

Tiancong Hao, Weiping Wang, Geng Wang, Qiuyue Yang and Kang Ma

This paper examines students’ educational choices in vocational education and training (VET) to understand the low reputation of vocational education in China. By analysing the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines students’ educational choices in vocational education and training (VET) to understand the low reputation of vocational education in China. By analysing the individualisation of these choices within structural and individual relationships, the study explores how the decline of state endorsement and the shift towards rational, individualistic actions influence students' decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple types of data were collected in this study, including administrative records, interviews and autobiographical stories, which were analysed using individualisation theory.

Findings

The research indicated three historical periods of the educational choice of Chinese VET students. Stage one (1978–1991) saw vocational education treated as “the first choice” for graduates. Stage two (1992–2000) was marked by the polarisation of educational choice during the social transition from a socialist planned economy to a market economy. During this period, more students started to choose academic high schools over vocational schools, even though the latter still had certain advantages for attracting the better-performing students. The third stage (2001-now) is a time in which vocational education is viewed as “the last choice” under the socialist market economy system. During this period, junior high school graduates prefer to enrol in academic high schools rather than in vocational schools. Aligned with the overall individualisation trend in Chinese society, vocational education decisions situated between societal structures and individuals are also experiencing a shift towards more micro-level individualized behaviours.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides a historical analysis of education and training provision in China and the complexity of students’ educational choices, revealing the influencing factors across different stages.

Originality/value

This paper draws a comprehensive analysis of the developmental trajectory of vocational education in China across different historical periods, notably under the socialist planned economy and the socialist market economy systems.

Details

Education + Training, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2024

Niels van der Baan, Simon Beausaert, Wim Gijselaers and Inken Gast

Employers increasingly require students to possess competences that go beyond theoretical knowledge and academic expertise, such as lifelong learning skills. To equip students…

Abstract

Purpose

Employers increasingly require students to possess competences that go beyond theoretical knowledge and academic expertise, such as lifelong learning skills. To equip students with these competences, higher education institutes have introduced coaching as part of their teaching programs. The present study qualitatively evaluates a career coaching practice in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted semi-structured interviews with graduates who had participated in career coaching activities at a Dutch university (N = 12). The interviews were conducted between February and May 2022. Atlas.ti version 9 was used to analyse the interviews.

Findings

Results revealed that graduates believed that career coaching helped them to adjust to the workplace. They indicated that the coaching practice helped them to acquire reflection skills, which was considered the main mechanism for adjustment to the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

These results add to the transition-related literature by identifying one way that graduates successfully adjust to the workplace.

Practical implications

The results also provide insight into how higher education can best prepare students for their transition to the workplace.

Originality/value

As the education-to-work transition does not end upon graduation, this research focusses on graduate employees’ work adjustment as an important phase in the transition process.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2020

Richard Telling and Philip John Goulding

The purpose of this study is to critically explore the linkage between adolescent work, parent–child relationships and offspring career choice outcomes in a family business…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to critically explore the linkage between adolescent work, parent–child relationships and offspring career choice outcomes in a family business context. It examines the aforementioned in light of the stay/go decision faced by adolescent family members.

Design/methodology/approach

Findings are derived from semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals from five Italian families operating family catering businesses in Yorkshire (UK). The approach represents a sample spanning four generations, designed to capture data from individuals who had experienced adolescent work at the family business.

Findings

The findings offer evidence that the “familiarity” of family business impacts on offspring career choices, providing a safety net or a trap which can impede exit decisions. Returning after periods of study leave that represent the transition from adolescence to adulthood, offspring continue to use the family business as a base from which to explore their career options. Alternatively, when parent–child relationships break down, family business escape strategies assume priority for offspring.

Research limitations/implications

The study focussed exclusively on migrant Italian families within the catering sector. The sample included different generational representations among the five families. It lays the ground for future research of a similar nature among other family business ethnicities and across other economic sectors.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to understanding offspring career choice outcomes in a family business context. The empirical evidence suggests that parent–child relationships are instrumental to understanding the stay/go decision as well as previous stages of the socialisation process of embedding in the family business.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 August 2024

Sjoerd Gerritsen, Karen Pak, Maral Darouei, Jos Akkermans and Beatrice Van der Heijden

The initial transition into work has become less predictable. Therefore, emerging adults should take charge and be proactively engaged in their careers during the preparation…

Abstract

Purpose

The initial transition into work has become less predictable. Therefore, emerging adults should take charge and be proactively engaged in their careers during the preparation stage of the school-to-work transition (STWT). We explored which behaviors emerging adults display during the STWT to foster their happiness, health, and productivity, how various contextual factors enable or hinder these behaviors, and to what extent these behaviors can be considered proactive.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking a qualitative approach, we conducted 44 semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students at an Applied Sciences University in the Netherlands six months before graduation. Additionally, we held nine focus groups (n = 55) and four interviews (n = 6) with contextual stakeholders (i.e. parents, faculty/staff, employers, the board of the university, higher education policymakers, and the Ministry of Education).

Findings

The students mentioned three main behaviors to foster their health, happiness, and productivity, namely, eating healthy food, maintaining social contacts, and reflecting on their motivations. Our analysis shows that, conceptually, none of these behaviors can be considered truly proactive. Moreover, the findings revealed multiple systemic underlying contextual hindrances to portray these behaviors, such as educational system characteristics, which make proactive behaviors less likely.

Originality/value

As the STWT is affected by multiple contexts, adopting a multi-stakeholder perspective is imperative when studying the phenomenon. We adopted the sustainable careers framework as a lens to uncover how emerging adults may build early career sustainability—additionally, we nuance current research on proactivity by concretizing the conceptualization of proactive behaviors.

Details

Career Development International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 July 2024

Saleh Al-Omar, Ammar Alalawneh and Ayman Harb

This paper aims to examine the direct impact of entrepreneurship education on university students' entrepreneurial intention and the moderating role of perceived governmental…

142

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the direct impact of entrepreneurship education on university students' entrepreneurial intention and the moderating role of perceived governmental support in terms of financial support and policies and regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collected data using questionnaires from students enrolled in compulsory entrepreneurship courses at three public Jordanian universities. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze 1,228 valid questionnaires and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study revealed that entrepreneurship education positively and significantly affects students' entrepreneurial intentions. On the other hand, perceived governmental support in terms of financial support and policies and regulations has a nonsignificant moderating role in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and students' entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

This study enriches the literature with new evidence that entrepreneurship education has a positive, direct impact on students' intention to become entrepreneurs. It also contributes to the body of knowledge as the first to examine the role governments’ play besides encouraging entrepreneurship education through their education policies.

Details

Education + Training, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 November 2023

Ke Ma and Bo Fang

The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives of Generation Z college students regarding the job selection process, as well as the impact of digital technology on their…

1090

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives of Generation Z college students regarding the job selection process, as well as the impact of digital technology on their career choices and job search endeavors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the grounded theory methodology, the study used in-depth interviews with 15 participants to investigate the research inquiries.

Findings

The study identified six emerging themes related to the career aspirations of Generation Z students. The authors generated a job selection process model of Generation Z based on participants’ accounts of their recent job search experience. The model portrays the decision-making process performed by Generation Z job seekers while determining their career path.

Research limitations/implications

To enhance comprehension of the job selection process among Generation Z individuals, future studies should incorporate a broader range of participants encompassing diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds. Scholars have the potential to examine the relationships between Generation Z job seekers’ job selection, job performance and job satisfaction through a quantitative approach.

Practical implications

The six themes pertaining to optimal jobs for Generation Z can assist HR professionals in enhancing their understanding of the emerging pool of young and talented individuals. The utilization of the four-stage job selection process model may serve as a valuable tool for college career service professionals in the enhancement of tailored training programs.

Originality/value

This empirical study examines Generation Z job seekers’ attitudes toward their future profession, their perceptions of ideal occupations and the influence of technology on their search, preparation and selection processes for future careers.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

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