Esta dissertação objetivou compreender percepções de estudantes universitários sobre a transição entre os papéis de estudante a trabalhador / profissional, investigando a influência dos processos de adaptabilidade de carreira e das experiências acadêmicas, especialmente o estágio, para a transição de identidade. O Estudo 1 consistiu em um levantamento quantitativo, mapeando percepções sobre a formação e avaliando aspectos do desenvolvimento de carreira. Participaram 62 alunos de Engenharia Civil que estavam cursando o último ou penúltimo semestre. O Estudo 2, qualitativo, aprofundou a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas o tema investigado. Participaram 6 estudantes selecionados da amostra do Estudo 1. Os principais resultados sugeriram que as experiências de estágio influenciam o desenvolvimento de dimensões da adaptabilidade de carreira, bem como a adaptabilidade influencia o aproveitamento das vivências de estágio. Tais experiências mostraram-se fundamentais no processo de transição do papel de estudante para o papel profissional. Conclui-se com implicações para a prática e a pesquisa. / This dissertation aimed to understand university student’s perceptions of the transition from the role of student to worker and professional, investigating the influence of career adaptability processes and academic experiences, especially internships, to identity transition. Study 1 used a quantitative and exploratory method in order to identify perceptions about the graduation experiences and assess career development variables. The sample was constituted of 62 Civil Engineering students in the last or penultimate semester. Study 2 used a qualitative design to produce deeper understandings about this theme through semi-structured interviews. Six students selected from Study 1 took part on Study 2. The main results suggested that internship experiences influence career adaptability development, as well as adaptability influences how the students benefit from internship experiences. Those experiences were found to be essential in the process of transition from student to professional role. Conclusions set directions for future research and practice.

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Esta dissertação objetivou compreender percepções de estudantes universitários sobre a transição entre os papéis de estudante a trabalhador / profissional, investigando a influência dos processos de adaptabilidade de carreira e das experiências acadêmicas, especialmente o estágio, para a transição de identidade. O Estudo 1 consistiu em um levantamento quantitativo, mapeando percepções sobre a formação e avaliando aspectos do desenvolvimento de carreira. Participaram 62 alunos de Engenharia Civil que estavam cursando o último ou penúltimo semestre. O Estudo 2, qualitativo, aprofundou a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas o tema investigado. Participaram 6 estudantes selecionados da amostra do Estudo 1. Os principais resultados sugeriram que as experiências de estágio influenciam o desenvolvimento de dimensões da adaptabilidade de carreira, bem como a adaptabilidade influencia o aproveitamento das vivências de estágio. Tais experiências mostraram-se fundamentais no processo de transição do papel de estudante para o papel profissional. Conclui-se com implicações para a prática e a pesquisa. / This dissertation aimed to understand university student’s perceptions of the transition from the role of student to worker and professional, investigating the influence of career adaptability processes and academic experiences, especially internships, to identity transition. Study 1 used a quantitative and exploratory method in order to identify perceptions about the graduation experiences and assess career development variables. The sample was constituted of 62 Civil Engineering students in the last or penultimate semester. Study 2 used a qualitative design to produce deeper understandings about this theme through semi-structured interviews. Six students selected from Study 1 took part on Study 2. The main results suggested that internship experiences influence career adaptability development, as well as adaptability influences how the students benefit from internship experiences. Those experiences were found to be essential in the process of transition from student to professional role. Conclusions set directions for future research and practice.

Each year, students who are newly enrolled in the University of Ottawa Cooperative Education Programs prepare for their first co-op work terms. In this period of pre-employment, students ask themselves important questions like, “What do I have to do to get a job?” and “What do I want to be?” As a co-op practitioner I am exposed to students’ experiences and the dilemmas they face but I still wondered what was hidden from my view and outside of my understanding. Thus, during one-on-one interviews that occurred prior to their first co-op work terms, six co-op students shared the photographs and stories of their co-op experiences with me and I shared my photographs and stories with them. Goffman’s (1959) theory of dramaturgy provided the theoretical framework to present, interpret, and understand the words and pictures that emerged from these interviews. What resulted were dramas, narratives, and allegories: six participant descriptions written as mini-biographies, verbatim transcripts prepared as a reader’s theatre script, and a set of five themes composed with vivid symbolism. The five metaphoric themes of co-op student experience are (a) journey, (b) circus, (c) metamorphosing, (d) anglers at sea, and (e) warriors. Taken together, what emerged was a deeper seeing and a richer understanding of what’s “really going on” in the time prior to students’ first co-op work terms (Goffman, 1974, p. 8) particularly with regards to legitimate peripheral participation, reflection, and experiential learning.

The purpose of this study was to examine a school-to-career program created and operated by a non-profit organization called Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc. (JAG). During the school year 2003-2004, they provided this service to 12,205 students in 426 schools and 21 states. Data was collected to measure the following: (a) were they successful in helping students graduate from high school, find a career, enter postsecondary education or the military; (b) how many of the youth were still employed 12 months after graduation; and (c) did school demographic and socioeconomic factors affect JAG's performance. JAG is a 25 year old organization that works with at-risk youth to help them graduate from high school and move into gainful employment, further education or the military. They provide students with nine months of in school instruction, mentoring, career connections and 12 months of follow-up service. Data was collected by job specialists through job placement reports and 12 month follow-up reports. School demographic and socioeconomic information was collected via the Internet. This study discovered that JAG students are graduating from high school at levels well above the national rates, attaining 90% graduation rather than the average of 68% (Swanson, 2004a). A year after graduation the data revealed similar good news: 25% were enrolled in college, 5% in the military and 55% were working full time. Another interesting revelation showed that neither high school socioeconomic or demographic factor affected the high school graduation rate for JAG participants, which is contrary to most current research.

The mission of this project is to develop a school-to-career curriculum that can be utilized by all middle school students. It is designed to help educate these students in the skills they will need to become successful in their future careers.

Dans cette thèse, les déterminants des trajectoires éducationnelles et professionnelles des jeunes dans les pays en développement sont examinés, avec un accent particulier mis sur les relations au sein du ménage. Le premier chapitre fournit une revue des contributions théoriques et empiriques de la littérature autour du concept de transition de l'éducation au marché du travail dans les pays en voie de développement. Le deuxième chapitre développe un modèle d'équilibre général calculable, appliqué de manière rétrospective à l'économie de la Malaisie, dans l'optique d'étudier les conséquences sur le marché du travail du progrès technique biaisé et d'une politique éducative de masse. Les chapitres suivants s'interrogent sur les interactions au sein des ménages et leurs impacts lors de chocs. Un accent est ici mis sur le travail des enfants ainsi que sur leur scolarisation. Les résultats soulignent d’importantes externalités et une absorption hétérogène des chocs au niveau des ménages. L'évaluation de politiques publiques gagnerait à tenir compte de ces externalités intra-ménage. / This thesis seeks to promote our understanding of the constraints and opportunities facing youth as they transit through schooling and to the labor market. The first chapter provides a literature review of the theoretical and empirical contributions to what we know about school-to-work transitions in developing countries and their specificities. The following chapter builds a computable general equilibrium model that is applied to the Malaysian labor market, in order to study the impact of skill-biased technological change and educational policy on labor market evolutions. Subsequent chapters examine household interactions arising from exogenous shocks, from the angle of children’s work and schooling. The findings from these chapters point to the presence of important spillover effects and heterogeneous absorption of shocks in the household. Impact evaluation of policy would therefore benefit from the systematic incorporation of such household-level externalities.

Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit staatlichen Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung des Übergangs Schule-Beruf von Schülerinnen und Schüler der Real- und Hauptschulen in Deutschland. Kapitel 2 gibt einen Überblick über die ökonomische Berufsbildungsforschung. Wir stellen fest, dass noch Forschungslücken bezüglich junger Schulabgänger und langfristigen Arbeitsmarktergebnissen bestehen. Es werden ausgewählte Ergebnisse einer Fallstudie zu kurzfristigen Effekten einer Berufsorientierungsmaßnahme vorgestellt. Angesichts der noch bestehenden Erkenntnislücken skizzieren wir ein Konzept für ein regional geclustertes Übergangspanel. Kapitel 3 analysiert auf Basis eigener Befragungsdaten die Teilnahme an Berufsorientierungsmaßnahmen an weiterführenden Schulen und ihre Wirkung auf die Berufsplanung. Die Teilnahme hängt vom Schulzweig, sowie vom Schul- und Klassenkontext ab, während persönliche Merkmale kaum relevant sind. Die Wirkung von Berufsberatung hängt vom Anbieter der Beratung ab. Kapitel 4 untersucht die mittelfristige Wirkung einer Berufsorientierungsmaßnahme auf Arbeitsmarktergebnisse von Hauptschülerinnen und -schülern. Wir beobachten eine Verzögerung beim Eintritt und Abschluss der Berufsausbildung. Trotz der Verzögerung bestehen keine Unterschiede bei der Abbruchwahrscheinlichkeit und der Art der Berufsausbildung. Aber wir finden kleine, negative Effekte auf Beschäftigung und kumulative Verdienste innerhalb von sechs Jahren nach der Schule. Teilnehmende verbringen auch mehr Zeit in Arbeitslosigkeit. Kapitel 5 analysiert die alternativen Übergangswege nach der Hauptschule in ihrem Effekt auf die Art der Berufsausbildung. Ich zeige, dass ein verzögerter Übergang in Ausbildung kein Nachteil sein muss. Allerdings stehen die ökonomischen Vorteile einer geringeren Zufriedenheit mit der Berufsausbildung gegenüber. Die Teilnahme an Berufsvorbereitenden Maßnahmen führt nicht zu einer anderen Art der Ausbildung als der direkte Übergang, aber zu einer geringeren Zufriedenheit. / This doctoral thesis addresses policy measures implemented to improve school-to-work transitions of secondary school students in Germany, focused on students of the lower and middle track. Chapter 2 provides a survey of the economic research on vocational education. We find that research gaps still exists regarding young school-leavers and long-term labor market outcomes. We present selected results of a case study evaluating short-term effects of additional career assistance. Considering the research gaps we describe the concept for a regionally clustered transition panel. Chapter 3 analyzes based on own survey data the take-up of career guidance activities in secondary school and their effect on career planning. Take-up of career guidance depends upon the school track attended, and the school and the class setting, while personal characteristics are barely relevant. The effects of counseling depend upon the type of counseling provider. Chapter 4 assesses the effect of additional career assistance (ACA) on medium-term labor market outcomes of lower secondary school students. We find evidence for a delay in the transition into and completion of vocational training. Despite the delay, there is no difference in drop-out probability or the type of vocational training. But we find small negative effects on employment and cumulative earnings within six years after school. ACA participants also spend more time in unemployment. Chapter 5 analyzes alternative transition paths after German lower track secondary school in their effect on the type of vocational training. I show that a delayed transition into vocational training is not a disadvantage. However, economic benefits from continuing schooling come at the cost of being less satisfied with the vocational training. Participation in pre-vocational training does not lead to a different type of vocational training position than after a direct transition, but to lower levels of satisfaction.

The SCANS report issued in 1990 brought national attention to concerns about lagging competencies of US workers and their lack of preparedness for the high-performance workplace. Since the SCANS report, several national and statewide efforts have attempted to identify skill sets appropriate for success in the changing workplace. Recent discussion has included skill sets appropriate for college graduates. This study was designed to determine perceptions of Maryland community college chief academic officers and department chairs toward one such skill set, the Maryland Skills for Success, and whether they are appropriate learning expectations for associate degree completers. The Maryland Skills for Success (MSS) are comprised of five skill goals: (1) learning skills, (2) thinking skills, (3) communication skills, (4) technology skills, and (5) interpersonal skills. Three to five 'learning expectations' elaborate what students should be able to accomplish under each skill goal to be successful in future work and learning. The study involved a survey of 293 chief academic officers and department chairs at the 18 community colleges across Maryland. A 75 percent response rate was achieved. The survey assessed the extent to which respondents agreed that: (a) the Maryland Skills for Success are appropriate expectations for associate degree completers, (b) students currently achieve MSS expectations, (c) respondent's courses and programs contain specific learning objectives that require students to learn and perform such skills, (d) all Maryland community colleges should teach and assess a common set of higher-order knowledge application skills. Respondent ratings indicated that the Maryland Skills for Success represent valid learning expectations for associate degree completers. Deans were more favorable toward the MSS than were department chairs, and were more confident that students were required to learn and perform learning expectations similar to those listed in the MSS. The department chairs were also divided into groups to determine attitudinal differences by disciplines. The department chairs were more likely than the deans to agree that students currently achieve the MSS learning expectations. Most chair groups somewhat disagreed their courses and programs contained specific learning objectives requiring students to learn and perform the skills represented in the MSS. Of the chair groups, the English/fine arts/humanities, and the technologies/health care groups tended to produce significantly higher ratings than other chairs and supported the notion of Maryland community Colleges teaching and assessing a common higher-order knowledge application skill set. Based on respondent ratings, the communication, thinking and interpersonal skill sets in the MSS have the best chance of gaining acceptance by colleges interested in integration of purposeful teaching and assessment of a higher-order skill set across the curricula. Respondent ratings also indicated that it is unlikely that the colleges would undertake a common initiative to teach and assess a common skill set like the MSS without intervention from the state. Respondents expressed distrust of bureaucratic intervention, were somewhat concerned about the difficulty of teaching and assessing the entire skill set, and felt that the skill sets were too broad to be feasibly taught. Recommendations include the need for extensive faculty development and the provision of incentives from the state educational agencies to provide support for colleges interested in teaching and assessing a common higher-order knowledge application skill set. / Ed. D.

This study explored both the relationship between coping resources (as measured by the Coping Resources Inventory) and psychological career resources (as measured by the Psychological Career Resources Inventory) and also whether individuals from different gender and employment status groups (part-time work experience versus no work experience) differ significantly regarding their coping resources and psychological career resources. A cross-sectional survey design and quantitative statistical procedures were used to analyse the data which was obtained from a purposive non-probability sample of N = 197 early career unemployed, black graduates. The results showed significant positive associations between psychological career resources and coping resources. It also emerged that the male and female participants differed significantly with regard to their emotional, spiritual and physical coping resources and the psychological career resources of career harmonisers and career drivers. In addition, it was found that those participants who had part-time work experience displayed a significantly higher need for career venturing and also manifested higher behavioural adaptability than those who had no work experience. Recommendations for future research and practice were made. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)