From vocational training to employment: School-leaving qualification and training sector are decisive factors

The smooth transition from vocational training to employment is a crucial prerequisite for successful job careers. A current analysis by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) shows that not only the level of the school-leaving qualification but also the choice of the training sector has a strong influence on the chances of a fully-fledged employment.

The risk of unemployment declines as the level of the school-leaving qualification rises: 18.5 per cent of all persons with a lower secondary school leaving certificate are unemployed compared to 12.3 per cent of all persons with an intermediate secondary school leaving certificate. At the same time, the share of unemployed persons with an upper secondary school leaving certificate is only 7.5 per cent.

However, the transition between training and employment also varies according to the training sector: In the occupational fields "electrical occupations", "tools mechanic", "industrial mechanic", "bank clerk", "insurance management assistant" and "health care occupations that do not require licensing", the level of the school-leaving qualification has virtually no influence on the individual's chances of a fully-fledged employment. The share of employed persons is above-average in these sectors regardless of the school-leaving qualification level.