The Influence of Social Contacts on the Vocational Training Success and Entry into the First Job
Final Report Abstract
The project analysed the role of social contacts for success in the vocational training system and when looking for a job at the end of training in Germany, using longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). The analyses also examined ethnic differences. The analyses indicate that pre-existing weak ties (e.g. acquaintances) in the training company prior to the start of training reduce the probability of prematurely dropping out of training. In contrast, strong contacts (e.g. friends and relatives) are not related to the risk of dropping out. The results suggest that weak ties are relevant before the start of training, as they facilitate access to information and thus promote well-founded decisions and stable training relationships. It also shows that young people with a migration background receive less parental support during the transition to vocational training than their peers without a migration background. A larger number of German labour market contacts of the parents tends to increase the probability of support, while corresponding contacts with a migration background have no influence. A differentiated picture emerges regarding dropout from vocational training. Depending on the type of parental support, there are positive, no or even negative correlations with the risk of dropping out. During training, conflicts with and support from colleagues and superiors influence the training success. In contrast, only conflicts are related to the likelihood of receiving an employment offer from the training company and neither conflicts nor support influence whether training graduates accept such an offer. Consequently, they are also only weakly related to the retention of successful graduates in the training company. Concerning the employment situation after dual vocational training, it is also shown that anticipated information about job vacancies and help in the job search from friends and relatives are largely irrelevant. Conversely, anticipated support from acquaintances and teachers increases the probability of applying for external jobs and being employed outside the training company, while expected help from colleagues increases the probability of remaining in the training company. Only anticipated support from acquaintances reduces the probability of not being employed after completing training. Overall, the results suggest that both contacts within and outside the training system play a role for the success of vocational training and the successful transition to the labour market. The results also indicate that in this context, weak ties are more important than strong ties. Against the current challenges of securing skilled labour in the German training system, the project provides important new scientific findings of practical relevance.
Publications
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Pre-existing firm contacts and satisfaction with and stability of apprenticeship training in Germany. [DFG Priority Programme 1646 – Final Conference, online]
Tobias Roth
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Pre-existing company contacts and premature termination of apprenticeship training in Germany. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 87, 100839.
Weißmann, Markus & Roth, Tobias
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12/2024 Social Contacts at the Transition from Apprenticeship training to Work in Germany. [9th International NEPS User Conference, LIfBi, Bamberg]
Tobias Roth
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Conflict and support during apprenticeship training in Germany: Consequences for apprenticeship success and further employment in the company. [31st Annual Workshop Transitions in Youth (TiY), University of Warsaw]
Tobias Roth
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Ethnische Unterschiede in der elterlichen Unterstützung beim Übergang in eine Berufsausbildung in Deutschland [BIBB-Kolloquium zur Berufsbildungsforschung, Bonn]
Tobias Roth
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Conflict and support during apprenticeship training in Germany: consequences for apprenticeship success and further employment in the company. Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 17(1).
Weißmann, Markus & Roth, Tobias
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Reasons for and consequences of ethnic differences in parental support during the transition to vocational training in Germany. European Societies, 28(1), 5-35.
Weißmann, Markus
