Abstract The present, multidisciplinary study examined the early career experiences of young people in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, following their pathways for four years after their initial vocational education. The research relates to the field of human geography. An individual and his/her actions are important factors for the vitality and development of a region. In this study the regional impact of vocational education was assessed in the framework of the students’ experiences navigating toward employment with their particular vocational qualifications. Applying empirical methods, the dissertation aimed to gather knowledge for the enhancement of vocational education guidance system, and so facilitate and accelerate the access for the young to the labor market. The research problems related to whether the expectations of the young for outcomes of vocational education were met, and whether their life paths thus far could be categorized on the basis of their educational success and early career paths. A further focus of the research related to the regional impact of the recent graduates in regard to whether they decided to stay in or to leave the region. This study aimed to provide an enhanced framework for vocational guidance professionals to work with the students starting as early as in secondary school. Early guidance is particularly important in order to identify and support individuals who delay taking necessary career steps, and also to identify those possibly at risk of exclusion. A key observation during the four-year observation period was that the expectations of the young were not always met in regard to the early vocational career path upon graduation. In these cases, the young individuals either didn’t find employment, and/or oriented themselves towards new study paths. By applying more focused, personalized career guidance starting at an early stage, many obstacles to becoming employed could have been avoided. Another observation was that unemployed young people stayed in the area, and continued to face difficulties with their job search. According to this study, the education providers, together with the business community, should improve their methods of forecasting regional workforce needs. At the same time, young people should receive more realistic guidance for their occupational future – and that guidance should be started earlier. / Tiivistelmä Kulttuurimaantieteen tutkimusalaan liittyvä väitöskirja tarkasteli monitieteellisestä näkökulmasta nuorten ammatillisen koulutuksen jälkeisiä työuraan liittyviä kokemuksia Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla. Sosiaalisen tilan teoria ja kulttuurihistoriallinen toimintateoria muodostivat työn teoreettisen viitekehyksen. Yksilö ja hänen toimensa ovat tärkeitä tekijöitä tarkasteltaessa alueen elinvoimaisuutta ja kehittymistä. Ammatillisen koulutuksen alueellista vaikuttavuutta arvioitiin tässä nuorten yksilöllisten ja perustutkintokohtaisten kokemusten pohjalta. Väitöskirjan tarkoitus oli empiirisin menetelmin luoda tietoa ammatillisen koulutuksen ohjausjärjestelmiin ja sitä kautta tehostaa ja nopeuttaa nuorten pääsyä työmarkkinoille. Elinkeinoelämälle ja ammattiin valmistuville nuorille on tärkeää nopea työllistyminen tai jatko-opintoihin pääseminen. Tässä tutkimuksessa seurattiin kahdesta pohjoissuomalaisen ammattiopiston monialaisesta yksiköstä ammatilliseen perustutkintoon valmistuneiden nuorten varhaisia työelämä- ja jatko-opintopolkuja noin neljän vuoden aikana. Tutkimusongelmat liittyivät siihen, toteutuivatko ammatillisen perustutkintokoulutuksen suorittaneiden nuorten odotukset ja voidaanko opintojen aikaisten tulosten ja varhaisten työelämäpolkujen perusteella tyypitellä nuorten elämänpolkuja perustutkinnoittain. Alueellisen vaikuttavuuden näkökulmasta selvitettiin lisäksi, pysyvätkö nuoret alueella, vai muuttavatko he sieltä pois. Tämä tutkimus auttaa ohjaustahoja tunnistamaan työelämäpoluissaan viivyttelevät ja mahdollisesti syrjäytymisvaarassa olevat nuoret sekä ohjaamaan heitä mahdollisimman aikaisin heidän tarvitsemallaan tavalla. Keskeinen havainto oli, että nuorten odotukset eivät toteutuneet useissa perustutkinnoissa. Näissä tapauksissa nuoret jäivät joko työttömiksi tai suuntasivat uusiin opintoihin. Samoin havaittiin, että työttömyyttä kokeneet nuoret jäivät opiskelupaikkakunnalleen ja että he kokivat monenlaisia vaikeuksia työn hakuun liittyvissä asioissa. Tämän tutkimuksen mukaan koulutuksen järjestäjien tulee parantaa omia ennakointimenetelmiään yhdessä elinkeinoelämän kanssa ja samanaikaisesti tulee lisätä nuoriin kohdistuvaa realistista tulevaisuusohjausta sekä aloittaa se nykyistä aikaisemmin.

大專畢業青年乃國家寶貴的人力資源, 其是否充分運用, 影響國家建設至 深且鉅; 四十年來, 政府致力於高等教育的發展, 並獲顯著績效, 所培育 之各類高級人才, 已成為增進國家建設的主要動力。惟近年來, 由於專上 畢業生人數急遽增加, 加上世界經濟景氣起伏不定, 國內就業市場飽受衝 擊, 致人力供求關係漸趨複雜, 大專青年就業問題日益嚴重。而影響青年 就業的主要因素有教育產出品質、人力需求狀況與就業輔導措施。大專院 校就業輔導工作即在於協助學生充實主動謀求工作之條件, 掌握各種可資 運用之社會資源與就業機會, 俾能順利進入就業市場。本研究探討我國大 專院校就業輔導組織及功能, 藉文獻資料分析及實證調查方式, 深入瞭解 大專院校辦理就業輔導工作現況及遭遇困難, 探訪校院長、導師、大專學 生及企業廠商對學校就業輔導組織及功能之看法,期能取得多方意見, 發 現問題, 並提出合理的就業輔導組織型態, 使確實發揮輔導功能。

School-to-work (STW) transitions have become more protracted over recent decades, with increased risks of unemployment and social exclusion for young people. Moreover, young people are expected to plan their own career and enhance their employa­bility, although gender and social and cultural background still significantly influence employment prospects. Policies have been developed in an attempt to facilitate young people’s pathways into work. However, STW-transitions are one of the weakest poin­ts in Swedish welfare system; in addition the quality of career guidance has been questioned. This dissertation aims to describe and analyse young adults STW-transitions from a biographical perspective. It is based around life story interviews with 52 unem­ployed young adults’, 25-29 years old, including men and women with varying educa­tional backgrounds, living in three different Swedish local contexts. Four research questions are examined: How do the young adults’ describe their STW-transitions in retrospect? What characterized their horizons of actions at the time of the interview? What is the impact of public career guidance? How did ethnicity, gender and locality affect answers to the above questions - and how may such differences be interpreted? The analysis of the young adults’ narratives was based on the careership theory devel­oped by Hodkinson and Sparkes. In retrospect the young adults described their STW-transitions as an attempt to find and achieve personal goals. They emphasized turning points, i.e. when educa­tion or a job begins or ends, but also highlighted experiences when studying or working that make them realize what they wanted or what they would not accept. Four transition patterns, partly connected to gender and locality, were identified among the respondents: yo-yoing between workplaces, education and unemploy­ment; mainly working; mainly in education; or mainly excluded from work and education. These patterns involved varying experiences, current situations and future expectations. At the time of the interview the young adults’ horizon of action involved interrelated aspects of life, but getting a stable job and settling down was pivotal to most of them. The strategies of the interviewees for navigating between dreams and reality diverged. However, they shared an ambition “to put one’s talents to good use” and feared not being able to do so. Experiences of career guidance were generally reported to have been sporadic and meaningless. However, in some cases, inter­ventions are influential for example, when choosing an upper secondary school or during times of unemployment. The young adults’ employed various strategies when interventions adversely affected their goals; of these “to managing by one’s self” was the most common. In addition, guidance varied according to ethnicity and local structures. It is concluded that STW-transitions are challenging journeys, mainly undertaken without professional support, which the young adults perceived as uncertain. / Individen, vägarna, valen. Karriärval och vägledning i socialt, mångkulturellt och könsperspektiv

The number of students who finished special upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities without an employment has drastically decreased over the last decades. The purpose of this paper is to increase the knowledge of how career counselors at special upper secondary schools collaborate with the Employment Service, and how the special upper secondary school prepares their pupils for working life. The collection of data started with a national questionnaire survey which was directed to career counselors at schools. The result shows that the collaboration appears foremost in the pupils last year in special upper secondary school, and that the special upper secondary schools do not use the Employment Service's assistance to any great extent. In addition, the collaborative process consists of both inhibiting and promoting factors. The results also indicates that the collaboration between the special upper secondary schools and the local labor market can be developed more for the pupils to gain experience from working life.

Esta dissertação buscou compreender o papel do trabalho nas transformações do autoconceito vocacional de jovens trabalhadores e na realização de tarefas do desenvolvimento de carreira do estágio de exploração segundo a teoria de Donald Super. A análise de conteúdo de entrevistas com 2 moças e 4 rapazes entre 17 e 20 anos contemplou suas percepções gerais sobre o trabalho, experiências ocupacionais e autoconceito. As tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira foram categorizadas por dois juízes e o índice de concordância estatística de Kappa foi de 87% (p<0,001). O trabalho favoreceu a transformação de elementos do autoconceito, o aprendizado de atitudes e habilidades sociais, mas pouco contribuiu nas escolhas profissionais. Significados e expectativas sobre o trabalho e aspectos do contexto foram fundamentais na compreensão do objeto de estudo. Ao final são apresentadas considerações sobre as implicações dos resultados na intervenção e em políticas de trabalho destinadas à juventude. / This dissertation's aim was to investigate the role of work in the transformation of the vocational self-concept of young workers and in the achievement of career developmental tasks related to the stage of exploration. This, according to Donald Super's theory. The analysis of interviews with 2 young women and 4 young men between 17 and 20 years old involved their general perceptions about work occupational experiences and self-concept. The career developmental tasks were categorized by two judges and the index of statistical agreeableness Kappa was to 87% (p<0,001). The work allowed for both a change of self-concept and learning behaviors and social skills - although it didn't contribute much to the career choices of the participants. The meanings and expectations about work and aspects related to the context were fundamental to the comprehension of the object of this study. In the end, considerations about the implications of the results on interventions and work policies for youth are presented.

Esta dissertação buscou compreender o papel do trabalho nas transformações do autoconceito vocacional de jovens trabalhadores e na realização de tarefas do desenvolvimento de carreira do estágio de exploração segundo a teoria de Donald Super. A análise de conteúdo de entrevistas com 2 moças e 4 rapazes entre 17 e 20 anos contemplou suas percepções gerais sobre o trabalho, experiências ocupacionais e autoconceito. As tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira foram categorizadas por dois juízes e o índice de concordância estatística de Kappa foi de 87% (p<0,001). O trabalho favoreceu a transformação de elementos do autoconceito, o aprendizado de atitudes e habilidades sociais, mas pouco contribuiu nas escolhas profissionais. Significados e expectativas sobre o trabalho e aspectos do contexto foram fundamentais na compreensão do objeto de estudo. Ao final são apresentadas considerações sobre as implicações dos resultados na intervenção e em políticas de trabalho destinadas à juventude. / This dissertation's aim was to investigate the role of work in the transformation of the vocational self-concept of young workers and in the achievement of career developmental tasks related to the stage of exploration. This, according to Donald Super's theory. The analysis of interviews with 2 young women and 4 young men between 17 and 20 years old involved their general perceptions about work occupational experiences and self-concept. The career developmental tasks were categorized by two judges and the index of statistical agreeableness Kappa was to 87% (p<0,001). The work allowed for both a change of self-concept and learning behaviors and social skills - although it didn't contribute much to the career choices of the participants. The meanings and expectations about work and aspects related to the context were fundamental to the comprehension of the object of this study. In the end, considerations about the implications of the results on interventions and work policies for youth are presented.

Esta dissertação buscou compreender o papel do trabalho nas transformações do autoconceito vocacional de jovens trabalhadores e na realização de tarefas do desenvolvimento de carreira do estágio de exploração segundo a teoria de Donald Super. A análise de conteúdo de entrevistas com 2 moças e 4 rapazes entre 17 e 20 anos contemplou suas percepções gerais sobre o trabalho, experiências ocupacionais e autoconceito. As tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira foram categorizadas por dois juízes e o índice de concordância estatística de Kappa foi de 87% (p<0,001). O trabalho favoreceu a transformação de elementos do autoconceito, o aprendizado de atitudes e habilidades sociais, mas pouco contribuiu nas escolhas profissionais. Significados e expectativas sobre o trabalho e aspectos do contexto foram fundamentais na compreensão do objeto de estudo. Ao final são apresentadas considerações sobre as implicações dos resultados na intervenção e em políticas de trabalho destinadas à juventude. / This dissertation's aim was to investigate the role of work in the transformation of the vocational self-concept of young workers and in the achievement of career developmental tasks related to the stage of exploration. This, according to Donald Super's theory. The analysis of interviews with 2 young women and 4 young men between 17 and 20 years old involved their general perceptions about work occupational experiences and self-concept. The career developmental tasks were categorized by two judges and the index of statistical agreeableness Kappa was to 87% (p<0,001). The work allowed for both a change of self-concept and learning behaviors and social skills - although it didn't contribute much to the career choices of the participants. The meanings and expectations about work and aspects related to the context were fundamental to the comprehension of the object of this study. In the end, considerations about the implications of the results on interventions and work policies for youth are presented.

A Educação para a Carreira é compreendida, neste estudo, como um esforço do sistema educativo e de toda a comunidade para inserir nos conteúdos escolares atividades destinadas a ajudar os alunos a: (1) estabelecerem relações entre os conteúdos das disciplinas e as exigências de diferentes ocupações/profissões; (2) fazerem do trabalho, como esforço contínuo, consciente, remunerado ou não, dirigido a produzir benefícios socialmente aceitáveis para si mesmo e/ou para os outros, uma parte significativa do seu estilo de vida e (3) adquirirem competências-chave para um positivo desenvolvimento da carreira. Este estudo, de caráter exploratório, de natureza quanti-qualitativa, teve como objetivos compreender as representações sociais de professores do ensino fundamental e médio sobre a Preparação para o Trabalho no contexto da educação básica e, a partir das representações sociais, sugerir subsídios para a elaboração de Programas de Educação para a Carreira no contexto educacional brasileiro. Os participantes foram 77 professores de três escolas, duas particulares e uma pública, de uma cidade de porte médio de Minas Gerais. O grupo focal foi a técnica utilizada para obtenção dos dados, precedido de uma atividade de evocação de palavras com o termo-disparador Preparação para o Trabalho. Os dados foram tratados pelos softwares EVOC-2000 e NVivo 8 e submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática. Os resultados evidenciaram que os professores concebem a Preparação para o Trabalho como preparação para a tomada de decisão da carreira. Na base desta concepção estão as representações sociais do trabalho como ganha-pão, do profissional bem preparado como: o apaixonado pelo que faz, de vocação como algo que vem do coração e da Preparação para o Trabalho como maneira abrir o leque de possibilidades de carreiras. Tais concepções se ancoram nos ideais liberalistas, de igualdade de oportunidades e liberdade de escolha e na concepção da Orientação Vocacional tradicionalmente voltada para a adequação do indivíduo às exigências profissionais. Os professores referem conversas com seus alunos sobre atitudes e habilidades necessárias ao trabalho e questões relativas à escolha profissional, evidenciando a importância da sistematização de tais intervenções. Conclui-se que há possibilidades legais e necessidades de inserção da Educação para a Carreira no sistema educacional brasileiro, pois ela contempla, com seu enfoque educativo, a possibilidade de abranger um número expressivo de crianças e jovens, atualmente desprovidos de intervenções que o ajudem a articular educação, trabalho e carreira fundamentada no princípio de orientação ao longo da vida. Assim, se concebe, neste estudo, a inserção da Educação para a Carreira no sistema educativo, de forma infusiva, aditiva ou mista, objetivando a preparação dos jovens para um engajamento democrático, ativo e crítico em todos os aspectos da sua vida. Isto pode contribuir para o crescimento pessoal e, ao mesmo tempo, que colaborem para a construção de uma sociedade mais justa e inclusiva. / Career Education is considered in this study the effort of both the educational system and the community to include in schools syllabuses activities aimed to help students to (1) establish relationships among the curses content and the requirements of different occupations; (2) consider their work, whether it is paid or not, a continuous and conscious effort, focused on producing socially acceptable benefits for themselves and/or others and a significant part of their lives and (3) acquire key competencies for career development. This quantitative-qualitative exploratory study aimed to understand the social representations of primary and secondary schools teachers concerning Preparation for Work programs in the primary and secondary school context and, based on these representations, make suggestions for Career Programs in the Brazilian educational system. Participants were 77 teachers from three schools, two private and one public, in a mid-sized city in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected through focus groups preceded by a free-word association activity triggered by Preparation for Work. Data were processed by the software EVOC 2000 and NVivo8 and analyzed according to thematic content analysis. The results showed that the teachers consider Preparation for Work to be a preparation for career choice. Underpinning this idea are social representations of work such as earning a living, of competent worker as someone who is in love with what s/he does, of vocation as something that comes from the heart, and Preparation for Work as a way of expanding the range of potential careers. These concepts are anchored on liberal ideals, such as individualism, equality of opportunities and freedom of choice, and the concept of Career Guidance traditionally focused on fitting individuals to meet career demands. The teachers reported talks with their students concerning work attitudes and skills and issues related to career decision-making, which points to the importance of systematizing teachers interventions. We conclude that there are legal possibilities and the need to include Career Education in the Brazilian educational system. It would reach a great number of currently unsupported students, helping them to articulate education, work and career based on the principle of guidance throughout life. Therefore, we advocate the inclusion of Career education in the Brazilian educational system as an infusive, additional or mixed strategy, aiming at preparing students for an active and critical democratic engagement with all aspects of their lives, enabling their individual growth and, at the same time, enabling them to collaborate to the construction of a more inclusive and fair society.

A Orientação Profissional e de Carreira, como domínio teórico e prático, vem passando por várias mudanças ao longo de um século. Paradigmas desenvolvimentistas e mais construtivistas ganharam destaque, focalizando a construção da carreira com ênfase em maior flexibilidade, adaptabilidade e aprendizagem ao longo da vida. Para compreender os processos, estudos do tipo follow-up são úteis. Neste estudo, questões são formuladas sobre as trajetórias profissionais, sobre as narrativas de egressos do atendimento em Orientação Profissional, sobre as articulações possíveis entre conteúdos obtidos por diferentes estratégias e em diferentes momentos da carreira. Assim, este estudo, de natureza qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, visa analisar as narrativas de egressos de um Serviço de Orientação Profissional (SOP), compreender as histórias produzidas por meio do instrumento BBT-Br e desvelar a memória que permaneceu do processo de Orientação Profissional. Os participantes foram atendidos entre os anos de 2004 e 2009. Foram entrevistados 12 egressos, tendo como critérios para a inclusão na amostra determinadas condições na época do atendimento: a) cursar o ensino médio ou curso preparatório para o vestibular, (b) ter sido atendido em grupo no intervalo em 5 e 10 anos, anteriormente ao início desta investigação; (c) encontrar-se na situação problemática/de resolução ou na pré-dilemática/dilemática, e (d) ter o registro de alguma profissão ao final do processo de orientação. Para a obtenção de dados foram utilizados os instrumentos: (a) roteiro de triagem; (b) histórico do atendimento; (c) história das cinco fotos preferidas do Teste de Fotos de Profissões (BBT-Br); e (d) registros da entrevista de acompanhamento. A análise dos dados foi embasada nos referenciais teórico desenvolvimentista da Teoria da Construção da Carreira de Savickas e da Construção da Vida (Life Design) de Duarte e colaboradores. Os dados foram organizados e analisados de acordo com as seguintes categorias: (a) caminho imaginado e o caminho traçado - história do BBT-Br e resumo biográfico; (b) dificuldades encontradas nas trajetórias e recursos pessoais e contextuais para a solução dos problemas; (c) planos para o futuro: compreensão de si, expectativas, e atividades significativas; e (d) memórias da orientação profissional e possíveis influências. Os resultados mostram que há coerência e continuidade nas narrativas de construção da vida/carreira, corroborando as bases teóricas utilizadas. E que os conteúdos das narrativas no BBT-Br apresentam relações com os temas de vida obtidos por meio de outras estratégias. As redes de apoio exercem papel importante, mas não são suficientes se os comportamentos não forem adaptativos. E, a maioria dos participantes relata possuir lembranças do processo de Orientação Profissional, creditando os ganhos com a experiência como aprendizagem transferível para outros momentos, sobretudo quando precisam fazer uso das competências para a comunicação e as decisões relativas à construção da vida/carreira. / Vocational and Career Guidance, as a theoretical and practical domain, has been substantially changing over the last century. Developmental and more constructivist paradigms are promote, focusing on career building and, under this scope, emphasizing greater flexibility, adaptability and lifelong learning. To understand these processes, follow-up studies are useful. In this study, questions were formulated on the professional trajectories, on the egress reports from people who undertook Professional Guidance Services (SOP), and on the possible articulations among contents obtained by different strategies and at different moments of the career. Thus, this exploratory, qualitative study aims to analyze the egress reports of those who attended a SOP, to understand the stories produced through the Photo Test of Professions (BBT-Br) instrument and to uncover the remaining memory of these people regarding the career guidance. The researcher interviewed twelve people, who attended between 2004 and 2009. The criteria for inclusion in the sample were the following specific conditions at the time of attendance: a) to be enrolled at a high school or at a preparatory course for the University Entrance Examination; (b) to have participated in SOP Group sessions between five and ten years before the beginning of this survey; (c) to be in the problematic/resolution or pre-dilemma/dilemma situation; and (d) to register a profession at the end of the orientation process. The following instruments were used to obtain the data: (a) screening script; (b) service history; (c) history of the five favorite photos of the Photo Test of Professions (BBT-Br); and (d) records of the follow-up interview. The data analysis was based on the developmental theoretical framework of the Career Construction Theory of Savickas and the Life Design of Duarte et al. The data were organized and analyzed according to the following categories: (a) imagined path and the path actually followed - BBT-Br history and biographical summary; (b) difficulties faced in the trajectories and personal and contextual resources for problem solving; (c) plans for the future: self-understanding, expectations, and meaningful activities; and (d) memories and possible influences of the career guidance. The results show that there is coherence and continuity in the life/career construction narratives, corroborating the theoretical bases used, and that the contents of the narratives in the BBT-Br are congruent with the life themes obtained through other strategies. In addition, support networks play an important role, but are insufficient if the behavior is not adaptive. Finally, most participants report having memories of the career guidance process, acknowledging the gains from the experience as transferable learning to other moments, especially when they need to use communication skills and make decisions regarding life/career building.

Myndigheten för delaktighet har fått i uppdrag av regeringen att se till att funktionshinderspolitiken efterlevs och stöttar kommuner, stat och regioner i arbetet för att delaktiggöra personer med funktionsnedsättningar i samhället. Att stötta och sprida information gäller även för studie- och yrkesvägledare som är verksamma inom skolvärlden. De möter elever med olika behov och förutsättningar, samt elever som står inför eftergymnasiala övergångar. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur studie- och yrkesvägledare arbetar med synskadadeelever. I Studien ställs två forskningsfrågor: 1) Vilka utmaningar upplever studie- och yrkesvägledare i vägledningssituationer med synskadade vid övergången till eftergymnasiala studier och ut på arbetsmarknaden? 2) Hur ser studie - och yrkesvägledare på synskadades möjligheter att etablera sig arbetsmarknaden efter genomförd utbildning. En kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerad intervjuguide användes under intervjun. Analysen utgår från Careership teorin. Resultaten pekar på att synskadade elever har större behov av vägledning och i behov av tidigare vägledningsinsatser än sina normalseende jämnåriga. Det behövs flersamverkansresurser för en trygg och smidig övergång till eftergymnasiala studier, vilke tkräver både mer tid, planering och resurser i anspråk. Synskadade möter även i högre grad fler utmaningar i övergångar till eftergymnasiala studier än elever med normal syn, och dessa finns både inbyggda i samhällsstrukturen och i den sociala omgivningen och inte minst inom den synskadade individen själv.