School-to-work transitions and early career developments

The transition from school to work is probably one of the most critical phases in individual biographies as it has potentially long-lasting consequences regarding professional opportunities, job quality or job satisfaction in later stages of the employment trajectory. The transition is also potentially risky given economic volatility, technological change or adverse labour market institutions. However, framework conditions that ensure a smooth and sustainable transitions can be observed, often developed around formal vocational training and apprenticeships or similar models. The main challenge, however, is to make such models sufficiently inclusive and future-proof given rapidly changing labour market and demographic conditions.