We concentrate on the following research questions: (1) Do the structure of the educational system and its interaction with the labour market affect the training gap between low-skilled blue collar workers and high-skilled white collar workers? and (2) Do the ways that institutional systems shape opportunities for lifelong learning differ between…

This article critically examines the effects of chance, turning points and periods of routine on the careers of ten male returners to further education. Chance is an under-theorised influence on career development and there is also a dearth of qualitative data on this phenomenon. The qualitative data I present demonstrate that chance events can…

This paper discusses the findings from a one-year ethnographic study of young people attending Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes in two local authorities in the north of England. The paper locates E2E within the broader context of provision for low-achieving young people and of UK government policy on reducing the proportion of young people who…

This article is concerned with the production and employment of technically skilled labour at the intermediate level in South Africa. Three differing labour market pathways to intermediate skilling are identified. These are: the traditional apprenticeship route, the new "Learnerships" pathway (similar to the "modern…

Current UK skills policy is centred on the need to drive up qualification obtainment and make the system more employer-led with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) being given the role of articulating the "voice" of employers. Through a study of recruitment and selection processes in the fitness industry, this paper explores employers'…

This article is based upon research which examined the youth labour market in Cumbria, a predominantly rural labour market located in north-west England. It argues that individual and structural considerations must be extended to incorporate employer behaviour and attitudes towards young men and women. Employers' assessment of young people's…

The transition from school to work has been intensely examined by different disciplines. However, this transition has rarely been examined in relation to the experiences acquired by young people in their free time, from a longitudinal perspective. This article analyses the impact of one type of experience, membership in organisations, in the young…

This article studies the impact of parental education on the education-to-work transition among graduates in Norway during the time period 1987-2001. Four indicators of labour market success are examined: (1) main activity after graduation, (2) mismatch in the labour market, (3) type of job position, and (4) monetary outcome. The findings indicate…

By applying Amartya Sen's capability approach, this article questions the functionalist idea that suggests that education can precipitate economic growth and development. It will be argued that the freedom-centred perspective advances the concept of human capital and that it allows a deeper understanding of the relationship between higher…

This paper connects research on the sociology of gender and work to that concerning the performance of gender in school to distill salient differences between the individualist and the interactionist perspectives. The interactionist perspective is shown to clarify processes by which gender-based inequality is rendered seemingly natural. The…

Among the aspects discussed within the globalisation process, the international mobility of professional workers assumes considerable relevance. This paper focuses on migratory aspirations among knowledge workers within the context of economic globalisation and market restructuring in Romania. Due to a lack of literature dealing with these issues,…

Three 7-year follow-up studies compared Swedish young adults without further education to those who had 2 years of vocational education. Employment rates decreased for all groups. The gap in employment opportunities increased between women with and without vocational training. Vocational graduates had increasing difficulty finding jobs for which…

In this article we calculate the magnitude of occupational segregation pre- and post-labour market entry for young people using the Karmel and Maclachlan IP index. Our data refer to 22,280 males and 17,678 females who entered the labour market during the period 1988-91. Our results show that the magnitude of segregation is substantial, and is…

Reviews the growth of flexible employment, the United Kingdom youth labor market, and student employment. Reports on a survey of the retail grocery sector indicating that student labor enables the use of flexible work practices. Highlights the different employment opportunities available to students who are working while in school and school…

Quasi-market reforms have been detrimental to vocational education in England. Prereform inequities have been reinforced and the quasi-market creates different opportunities for students based on social class. Reforms have increased information flows to parents, but only certain groups of educational consumers have been empowered. (SK)