Vocational education and labor market outcomes

Next to the amount of education attained, the type of training shapes labor market outcomes. In this line, the chapter provides an overview of research on the relationship between vocational education and work. Vocational education has been shown to facilitate a smooth transition from the educational system to the labor market. However, the initial advantage enjoyed by vocational graduates diminishes over the life course. There is discord about whether it even turns into a penalty for late-career workers. The authors argue that discrepancies in findings stem from differing definitions of vocational education within specific research traditions. They delineate three approaches to measuring vocational education: (1) at the macro-level of VET institutions; (2) at the meso-level examining links between fields of study and labor market positions; and (3) at the micro-level of specific programs. The authors recommend that future research includes an in-depth discussion on the definition of vocational education, the identification of causal effects, and the expansion of research beyond Western Europe to better understand how national contexts influence the labor market effects of vocational education.