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44/ 2010
Bonn, 16.11.2010
The search for a training place: making better use of the potential displayed by young men and women from a migrant background
The degree of success achieved by young people in their search for a training place is very strongly influenced by the school leaving qualification they attain. There is in turn a considerable dependency between the type of school qualification achieved by young people leaving general schooling and social origin, in other words the education and occupational status of their parents. Alongside school qualification, social origin then once again plays a major role as young people make the transition to vocational education and training. This means that young men and women who began schooling under less favourable family conditions and now frequently face considerable difficulties at the VET threshold are disadvantaged.
A new analysis conducted on the basis of the transitional study carried out by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in 2006 shows that such correlations are in evidence for young men and women both with and without a migrant background. Results have been published in the current edition of BIBB REPORT, Issue 15/10.
The results show that young people obtain a higher education entrance qualification disproportionately frequently if their parents have higher education qualifications and if their father possesses a high occupational status. By way of contrast, children from less educated socially weaker families are particularly likely to leave general schooling without any qualifications at all or with the lower secondary school leaving certificate.
It is the intention of a large majority of children with a higher education entrance qualification and good school marks to enter a course of higher education study upon completion of school, whereas young people not in possession of a higher education entrance qualification mainly strive to obtain a company-based apprenticeship. This particularly applies to those who have obtained lower school marks. Although the different access conditions to the various training pathways are the main reason for this, the BIBB study also shows that social origin exerts an additional effect on vocational training intentions. Young people from well educated and high-status parental homes tend to enter a company-based apprenticeship significantly less frequently than young people from a less favourable social background even in circumstances where school qualifications gained are the same.
Whether and how quickly young people are able to find an apprenticeship depends strongly on their school qualifications. Chances of success tend to be low if pupils have not achieved a school leaving qualification or have only obtained a lower secondary school leaving qualification and if school marks are poor. By way of contrast, particularly good prospects are enjoyed by those who have achieved an intermediate secondary school leaving certificate and good marks. Notwithstanding this, the BIBB study also reveals a correlation with social origin in this regard. If a young person's father and mother have a vocational education and training qualification, the chances that the young person will progress to a company-based apprenticeship are particularly high irrespective of school qualifications gained. In such families, the parents' own training experience obviously provides effective support in the search for an apprenticeship, whereas parents without a vocational education and training qualifications seem to be less well able to deliver such support.
Young people from a migrant background leave generals schooling with lower school leaving qualifications and poorer school marks more frequently than young people not from a migrant background. Although young migrants are just as keen as their German peers in the control group to secure company-based vocational training, the poorer school qualifications they have gained and their less favourable social origin make the transition to vocational education and training more difficult for young people from a migrant background, as does the fact that their parents do not in many cases have a VET qualification and the fact that their father often has a low occupational status.
Notwithstanding this, the BIBB analyses indicate that these are not the only reasons for the worse chances of young migrants in the search for a training place. Compared with young people not from a migrant background, young migrants' prospects of finding an apprenticeship are also significantly lower even if they have the same school leaving qualifications and the same socio-economic background. This means that there are further disadvantages which have a direct correlation with the migrant background. Company recruitment procedures may, for example, also play a part.
Young people from socially weaker families or from families with a migrant background often find that the difficulties they experience continue to increase during the course of their educational pathway. In searching for a company-based training place, such young people need to compete on a labour market where companies make decisions on the basis of performance and are not likely to give lower ability young people an opportunity very often, especially when a migrant background is involved.
In the light of demographic development and the impending shortage of skilled workers, the BIBB study concludes that companies will need to investigate whether the selection criteria for apprenticeship recruitment can remain unchanged. Demographic developments mean that trade and industry will be dependent on the entire pool of available workers in future. For this reason, it is also in the interests of the companies to enable all young people to undertake vocational training regardless of their origin and ability level. Although areas of potential are in place, these need to be better tapped into.
Detailed information is contained within the new BIBB REPORT, Issue 15/10:
"The search for a training place: worse opportunities for young women and men from a migrant background. BIBB analysis on the influence of social origin at the transition to training taking gender and migration status into account". This issue is available for download free of charge on the BIBB website at www.bibb.de/bibbreport.
Contact partner at BIBB:
- Dr. Mona Granato, e-mail: granato@bibb.de
Reprint free of charge - voucher copy requested.
