Inequalities in school leavers’ labour market outcomes: Do school subject choices matter?

(2018) - Cristina Iannelli, Adriana Duta

Journal: Oxford Review of Education
Link:: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2018.1409970
DOI:: 10.1080/03054985.2018.1409970
Links::
Tags:: #paper #Transition #school-to-work #SchoolType
Cite Key:: [@iannelliInequalitiesSchoolLeavers2018]

Abstract

Despite a wide international literature on the effect of vocational and general education on school-to-work transition, relatively little is known about the role of having studied specific subjects in explaining inequalities in young people’s labour market outcomes. This paper aims to fill this gap by examining differences in employment chances of young people who left education early, either at the end of compulsory schooling or at the end of secondary school. Using data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study, a large-scale linkage study created using data from administrative and statistical sources, we found little gender differences but strong parental background differences in school leavers’ employment status and type of occupation entered. Social inequalities in labour market outcomes were only partly explained by curriculum choices. Moreover, after controlling for social origin and grades, only history and business for lower-secondary leavers and maths for upper-secondary leavers were associated with a reduction in the chances of being unemployed/ inactive.

Notes

“Curriculum structure and organisation were seen as key features of these transition system” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 731)

“We found that subject choice matters for employment chances and access to higher status positions in Scotland but to only a limited extent in Ireland. Grades matter for employment chances in Ireland while higher grades enhance access to higher quality jobs in both countries.” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 731)

“two ideal types of transition systems, one governed by an education logic and the other by an employment logic (Iannelli and Raffe 2007). In countries where ‘education logic’ prevails, such as in Scotland and Ireland, the links between vocational education and employment are weak and differentiation between school-based vocational and academic education is more blurred.” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 731)

“The second important conceptual distinction is between tracked, linked and unified post-16 education and training systems (Raffe and Howieson 1999). The emphasis here is on the degree of separation or integration in the structure and provision of academic and vocational education: at one extreme of this distinction, there are tracked systems offering different curricula in separate academic and vocational schools (such as in Germany) while, at the other extreme, there are unified systems providing both curricular choices under the same system (such as in Sweden” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 732)

“Educational outcomes may serve as an important signal of‘ability’or‘productivity’to employers (Spence 1973; Thurow 1976).” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 732)

“In Scotland having studied English, Maths and Business significantly increases the chances of having a higher occupational status while having studied Geography and Languages (only when controlling for attainment) reduces the same chances (Table 3, models 1 and 2). In Ireland having studied Languages, Physics and Business increases the chances of entering higher status occupational positions while having studied technological and other vocational subjects reduces these chances (model 1).” (Iannelli and Smyth, 2017, p. 736)