High achievers with low self-efficacy in science lack interest in choosing science studies and careers. Wide-ranging knowledge of specific working life skills in science-related careers can help students identify their own strengths in science. This improves their self-efficacy beliefs in science and further promotes interest in pursuing science…

A study was conducted to show that economic and societal differences between the former Eastern and Western parts of Germany had produced differences in the timing of young people's school-to-work transitions. Data were collected from samples of approximately 350 participants from the West and 380 participants from the East conducted in 1991 and…

In Germany, after elementary school, the school system splits into three branches, with students either preparing for an apprenticeship or continuing in school. A second system exists, parallel to this education system, which combines general education with basic professional training. The first key career decision point is in Grade 4, when…

Knowledge about the structure and availability of work, and the ways people prepare for it, are important issues for both career specialists and policymakers. This paper begins with a discussion of the concepts of work, employability, and employment. Work is described as a complex concept that means different things to different people, and…

The dual job training system in Germany is an essential market parameter of the country's economy and a part of the country's growth policy. By improving human capital (by providing training in high-tech sectors) it will also help safeguard Germany's future as a major industrial nation. Training primarily takes place in handicraft and industrial…

A study explored how young adults experience control and exercise personal agency (self-determination) as they pass through periods of transition in education and training, work, unemployment, and in their personal lives. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires administered to at least 100 young adults from universities and companies,…

The number of disadvantaged school leavers facing a shortage of chances to participate in society and work is growing. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland have different regulations regarding length of compulsory schooling. All three regard participation in apprenticeship as a kind of standard, and their governments direct strong efforts to bring in…

This document contains three papers on challenges facing human resource development today. "In Difficult Times: Influences of Attitudes and Expectations Towards Training and Redeployment Opportunities in a Hospital Retraction Programme" (Sandra Watson, Jeff Hyman) presents reasons behind the low uptake of training and redeployment…