The need for career guidance in Vocational Education and Training
An international perspective on the system of apprenticeship
Gernot Dreisiebner1
1 University of Graz,
Department of Business Education and Development
89th SIEC-ISBE Conference
San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 23–July 29, 2017
The need for career guidance in
Vocational Education and Training
An international perspective on
the system of apprenticeship
The need for a
dual education
system
The dual education
system in Austria
Career decisions of
young adults
Career guidance in
VET
Possible structures of Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems
VET-systems
Full time apprenticeship
(Enterprise-based training)
Dual education system
Full time VET schools
= Key factor for low
youth unemployment
in Austria(Tritscher-Archan 2014)
How do students decide for one
specific apprenticeship
trade?
Range of apprenticeship trades
> 300apprenticeship
trades
~ 250 apprenticeship
trades
198apprenticeship
trades
?
Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung [BIBB] (2017).
Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation SBFI (2017).
Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft [ibw] (2017).
The need for a dual education system
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 247122394
Youth unemployment ratewithin the five OECD-members with largest share of dual education system
7,1%8,6%
10,8% 11,2%12,0%
13,0% 13,5%
15,3%
17,2%18,7%
19,9% 20,1%
22,2%
24,6%
27,9%
37,8%
44,5%
47,4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Youth
unem
poly
ment
rate
Data: OEDC (2017).
% of youth labor force, 2016, Countries of the Euro Area.
Youth unemployment ratewithin countries with more than 10 % of students in Secondary Level II in dual education
7,1%8,6%
10,8% 11,2%12,0%
13,0% 13,5%
15,3%
17,2%18,7%
19,9% 20,1%
22,2%
24,6%
27,9%
37,8%
44,5%
47,4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Youth
unem
poly
ment
rate
Data: OEDC (2017).
% of youth labor force, 2016, Countries of the Euro Area.
For employers:
+ highly skilled workforce
- expensive training
198 specific apprenticeship trades – why?
For apprentices:
+ mobility (nationwide accepted qualification)
- less flexibility through highly specialized training in a limited area
Choosing the right apprenticeship trade is of importance for both the individual student (who wants to receive a job matching his own interest profile) and community (which has to balance under- and excess demands for labor).
The dual education system in Austria
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 280286597
Ed
ucatio
n o
n S
eco
nd
ary L
evel I
I
Prim
ary Level
Secon
dary
Level I
Postseco
nd
aryan
dTertiary
Level
Excluding Special Needs/
Integrative Education.
(Source: Euroguidance Austria, 2014)
• Requirement:completion of nine years of compulsory schooling
• Duration: apprenticeship-specific (2-4 years)
• Part-time Vocational School:
1-1,5 days in school (3,5-4 days in training company)
Compulsory: Who chooses an apprenticeship has to visit a corresponding Part-time Vocational School
1/3 general education2/3 apprenticeship-specific content (practical training/workshops)
• Relatively new option: Apprenticeship with „Matura“ (entitles to university-access)
Part-time Vocational School and Apprenticeship Initial overview
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy [BMWFW] (2014).
Dual vocational trainingTwo places of learning: school and training enterprise
Duration:
2-4 years
80 % enterprise-based training
20 % training at
Part-time Voc.
School• Enterprise-based
training takes up dominant timeshare of apprenticeship period
• 1-1,5 days per week in Part-time Voc. School (mostly seasonally blocked)
• After apprenticeship-period and final exam: skilled worker with widely accepted qualification
Most training takes place under practical working conditions.
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy [BMWFW] (2014).
• Both apprentices and training enterprises undergo a selection process:
Apprentices need to apply at a training enterprise for a position within the desired apprenticeship trade
Companies need to apply to become a training enterprise(company size not relevant, but availability of qualified trainers)
• Apprenticeship contract
between apprentice and training enterprise
signed for a limited period of time
• Apprentices are fully integrated into the working process at the training enterprise
Enterprise-based Training
Enterprise-based
Training
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy [BMWFW] (2014).
Education at Part-time
Vocational School
Education at Part-time Vocational School
Enterprise-based
Training
Education at Part-time
Vocational School
• Part-time Vocational Schools specialize on certain apprenticeship trades (no free choice of school)
• Cooperation between schools and business sector:
Registration at Part-time Vocational School
Time schedule (weekly, blocked or seasonal classes)
• Teachers’ qualifications:
Subject-specific secondary education
> 3 years of business practice
Pedagogical education: University Colleges of Teacher Education
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy [BMWFW] (2014).
Career decisions of young adults
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 303928028
• Trait and Factor-Approach (Parsons 1909)
• Theory of Occupational Choice (Ginzberg 1952)
• Life-Span-Life-Space Theory (Super 1953)
• Social Position Theory (Keller & Zavalloni 1964)
• Theory of Vocational Choice and Adjustment (Holland 1973)
• Theory of Circumscription and Compromise (Gottfredson 1981)
• Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura 1986)
• Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al. 1994)
• …
How do students decide for an specific
apprenticeship trade?
Endogenous factors: Interests, self-efficacy expectations, age, gender, …
Exogenous factors: School, parents and peers, general job situation, …
Career decision as processrather than a single decision at a specific moment in time
Concept of Vocational
Life Stages(Super et al. 1965)
Growth Stage
(Birth–14 years)Development of self-concept,
fantasy is important, at the end:
reality testing
Exploration Stage
(Age 15–24)Provisionally decision for a job,
job is tried our in reality
Establishment Stage
(Age 25–44)Establishment of one‘s own
position, stabilization
Maintenance Stage
(Age 45–64)Development within the chosen
field of work
Decline Stage
(Age 65+)Drawback from working life,
retirement
1 2
345
Career decisions of young adults
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 303928028
Selected issues:
(1)Gender-stereotypic career choices
(2) Drop-Outs from apprenticeship
Top 3 among female apprentices
Retail trade services 24,0 %
Office assistant 11,9 %
Hairdresser 9,9 %
46,7%
Top 3 apprenticeship trades
among the 198 possible apprenticeship trades
Top 3 among male apprentices
Metal technology 14,1 %
Electrical engineering 11,8 %
Motor vehicle engineering 9,5 %
35,7 %% among female apprentices
% among female apprentices
Data per 31.12.2016, Wirtschaftskammer Österreich [WKO], 2017.Images: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 164533187; 247122394; 221841379; 127857011
Wages in the Top 10 most commonly chosen apprenticeship trades
-
500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
Wa
ge
ac
co
rdin
g t
oc
oll
ec
tive
ag
ree
me
nt
in €
finished
4th year
3rd year
2nd year
1st year
Year of
training:
Data source: Arbeiterkammer Steiermark (2015)
and Collective Agreements for the year 2015.
(1) Collective agreement for metal-, electro technology, motor vehicle engineering, technical designer specializing in installations- and building technology, mechatronics
(2) Restaurant specialist, hotel and catering assistant, gastronomy expert (with the last skilled trade not being stereotypic for one gender)
(3) Collective agreement for general retail trade
(4) According to general collective agreement for trade and commerce
(5) According to collective agreement for travel agencies
male-dominated
vocational fields
female-dominated
vocational fields
Career decisions of young adults
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 303928028
Selected issues:
(1) Gender-stereotypic career choices
(2)Drop-Outs from apprenticeship
16,2 % drop-outs from apprenticeship
79,8%
81,5%
93,3%
96,2%
95,6%
93,7%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering/metal
Construction/building technology
Body care/beauty
Law/administration
Healthcare/nursing
Top 3 branches with highest gender imbalances
female male
17,3%
17,5%
20,7%
16,4%
9,3%
21,6%
9,9%
9,6%
17,4%
19,8%
10,5%
38,3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering/metal
Construction/building technology
Body care/beauty
Law/administration
Healthcare/nursing
Share of drop-outs
male female
Factors influencing the drop-out from apprenticeship (Dornmayr 2016):
• Age (higher age = higher risk of drop-out)
• Gender (underrepresented gender = higher risk of dropout)
• Branch/industry sector, nationality, …
2008-2013, data source: Dornmayr (2016).
Female-dominated braches:
Male dominated branches:
Female-dominated braches:
Male-dominated braches:
Career guidance in vocational education and training
• Client-centered counselling
Aim: encouragement and clarification of self-concept
No diagnosis (= avoidance of counselor's responsibility)
Focus on relationship between client and counselor
• Development-related counselling (e.g. Super 1980)
Aim: determination of vocational life stage
Life stage (growth, exploration, …) determines counselling process
• Trait-and-Factor-Counselling
Aim: matching of individuals with jobs (Parsons 1909)
Selected approaches to career counselling(Mosberger, Schneeweiß, Steiner 2012)
Example: Trait-and-Factor-Counsellingutilizing the RIASEC-Model (Holland 1973)
Realistic Investigative
Artistic
SocialEnterprising
Conventional
Interest profile(expressed by3-letter-code)
e.g.
RIC ESC
Image: shutterstock.com, Stockfoto-ID: 247122394; 280286597
Why career guidance:
• Large number of apprenticeship trades
• Challenges such as
overcoming gender stereotypes
reducing the number of drop-outs from apprenticeship
How can career guidance be structured on a…
• … curricular level in schoole.g. Subject Career guidance and life-skills, 2 lessons per week (Curriculum Polytechnical School 2014)
• … extracurricular levele.g. Austrian Camber of Commerce (WKO), Camber of Labour (AK), Public Employment Service (AMS)
The need for career guidancein Vocational Education and TrainingAn international perspective on the system of apprenticeship
The need for career guidance in Vocational Education and Training
An international perspective
Gernot Dreisiebner1
1 University of Graz,
Department of Business Education and Development
89th SIEC-ISBE Conference
San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 23–July 29, 2017
Arbeiterkammer Steiermark (AK Stmk). (2015). Lehrlingsentschädigungssätze im Bundesland Steiermark. Retrieved from https://media.arbeiterkammer.at/stmk/bildung/Lehrlingsentscha_digung_Mai_2015.pdf
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Photos: shutterstock.com, Standard License, Shutterstock-IDs: 164533187, 280286597, 221024512, 221841379, 247122394, 89737369, 127857011, 303928028
References