Improving the school-to-work transition for young people by closing the digital divide: evidence from the EU regions

PurposeThe paper aims to provide comparative empirical evidence on young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET-youth) under the influence of the digital divide, education and sectoral growth across the EU regions, with a focus on the transition patterns followed over time by EU regions in bridging the digital divide and their specific implications on school-to-work transition (STWT).Design/methodology/approachFirstly, five variables on Internet usage activities are aggregated into an index of E-skills. Secondly, linear dynamic panel data regression models are used to explain the influence of various factors on regional rates of NEET-youth, with or without grouping regions upon the digital divide in relative terms.FindingsAdvanced digital literary skills are found to have a stronger effect on the STWT than the basic ones. The growth of employment in specific economic activities like “Information and Communication” enhances STWT, but only when considering regional differences in the digital divide and E-skills as well. However, the negative effect of deprivation and low educational attainments on STWT is offset by a low level of the regional digital divide. In addition, more R&D expenditure in higher education is necessary to compensate for the effect of the digital divide on the STWT.Practical implicationsOn brief, the policy implications are twofold. Firstly, regions will need to focus more on reducing the digital divide, because it will not only generate positive effects for STWT but will also enhance the positive impact of education and sectoral growth on STWT and even compensate for their low progress. Secondly, in the context of the EU single market, to better address the situation of young people, regions should monitor the relative progress in bridging the digital divide and improving E-skills, with respect to the other EU regions. Improving the relative position on the EU map of E-skills increases the effectiveness of regional policies targeting the STWT.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper lies in the regional approach to the relationship between STWT and the digital divide, which allows us to derive new policy measures for the EU regions. Other innovative contributions rely on the identification of (1) transition patterns that region follow over time in improving STWT while bridging the digital divide and (2) policy measures addressing the NEETs in the context of the regional digital divide.

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Young people school-to-work transition in the aftermath of the Arab Spring

International Journal of Manpower ◽

10.1108/ijm-02-2018-0041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 398-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Irene Selwaness ◽

Rania Roushdy

Keyword(s):

Labor Market ◽

Financial Crisis ◽

Young People ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

School To Work ◽

School To Work Transition ◽

Content Type ◽

Work Transition ◽

The Global Financial Crisis ◽

First Job

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the school-to-work transition of young people from subsequent school exit cohorts between 2001 and 2012 in Egypt, thus, presenting an early evidence on the adjustments of the labor market in terms of patterns of youth transition to a first job following the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Design/methodology/approach The analysis compares the early employment outcomes of those who left school after the January 25, 2011 uprising to that of those who left before 2011. The authors also separately control for the cohorts who left school in 2008 and 2009, in an attempt to disentangle any labor market adjustments that might have happened following the financial crisis, and before the revolution. Using novel and unexploited representative data from the 2014 Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE), the authors estimate the probability of transition to any first job within 18 months from leaving education and that of the transition to a good-quality job, controlling for the year of school exit. The authors also estimate the hazard of finding a first job and a good-quality job using survival analysis. Findings School exit cohorts of 2008–2009 (following the financial crisis) and those of 2011–2012 (in the aftermath of the 2011 uprisings) experienced a significantly higher likelihood of finding a first job within 18 months than that of the cohorts of 2001–2007. However, this came at the expense of the quality of job, conditional on having found a first job. The results of the hazard model show that school leavers after 2008 who were not able to transition to a job shortly after leaving school experienced longer unemployment spells than their peers who left school before 2007. The odds of finding a good-quality job appears to decline with time spent in non-employment or in a bad-quality first job. Originality/value This paper contributes to a limited, yet growing, literature on how school-to-work transition evolved during the global financial crisis and the Egyptian 2011 revolution. Using data from SYPE 2014, the most recent representative survey conducted in Egypt on youth and not previously exploited to study youth school-to-work transition, the paper investigates the short-term adjustments of the youth labor market opportunities during that critical period of Egypt and the region’s history.

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EU bonds will rival German Bunds as a safe asset

Emerald Expert Briefings ◽

10.1108/oxan-db261865 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Euro Area ◽

Safe Haven ◽

Content Type ◽

The World ◽

The Creation ◽

Over Time ◽

The Eu

Significance This could create an alternative benchmark safe-haven asset to rival German Bunds within the region. As part of its issuance plans, the EU intends to issue at least EUR50bn in green bonds annually, which is likely to make it the world’s largest issuer of these bonds. Impacts The increased importance of EU bonds over time will help to support the euro's value and could eventually put pressure on the dollar. The EU is leading the world in green bond issuance, but the risk of spurious environmental claims (‘greenwashing’) must be managed. The creation of new EU bonds will help reduce the funding costs of riskier euro-area members such as Italy.

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Migrants' Resources: Multilingualism and Transnational Mobility. A Study on Learning Paths and School to Job Transition of Young Portuguese Migrants

European Educational Research Journal ◽

10.2304/eerj.2005.4.4.3 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 369-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Sara Fürstenau

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Transnational Migration ◽

School To Work ◽

The European Union ◽

Job Transition ◽

Transnational Mobility ◽

Work Transition ◽

Learning Paths ◽

Future Orientations ◽

Migration Experiences

In this contribution, the results of an empirical study on young immigrants' learning paths and school to job transition are presented. The study focused on the strategies of successful students from the Portuguese immigrant minority in Hamburg. One aim was to find out whether the young people could profit by their migration experiences and multilingual skills. Increasing the multilingualism of individuals is an official goal of the European Union, and it is predicted that the labour market will give increasing importance to the ability to communicate and work in contexts of linguistic and cultural diversity. The question was, though, whether students from an immigrant minority, whose parents had come to Germany in the course of the labour recruitment, could benefit from this development. Interestingly, the young people of the sample turned out to be highly flexible during their future orientations, considering options in Germany as well as in their country of origin. Their strategies and orientations during school to work transition were analysed on the basis of Pierre Bourdieu's model of the linguistic market and from the perspective of the sociological concept of transnational migration.

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Regional Spatial Approach to Differences in Rural Economic Development: Insights from Serbia

Land ◽

10.3390/land10111211 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1211

Author(s):

Žana Jurjević ◽

Stanislav Zekić ◽

Danilo Đokić ◽

Bojan Matkovski

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Rural Regions ◽

Rural Economic Development ◽

Spatial Approach ◽

Eu Regions ◽

Key Issues ◽

Policy Measures ◽

Rural Policy ◽

The Eu

Rural regions with a larger share of the primary sector in the overall economy are limited in their ability to achieve a sufficient level of competitiveness. In countries such as Serbia, where rural areas play an important role, addressing the problems affecting these areas is important for overall development. The purpose of this study is to determine the socioeconomic performance of the rural regions of Serbia and the EU in order to indicate the position of Serbia’s rural areas in the process of European integration. NUTS 3 (NUTS 2 for Germany) was used for analysis, and from this an Index of Socioeconomic Performance was created. This Index was created using Factor Analysis. The results point to Serbia lagging behind other EU regions in terms of development, with most of Serbia’s rural regions receiving the lowest ratings. These results are cause for alarm and indicate a need to create strategies that will direct resources towards key issues in these areas, whose potential would be adequately used through the implementation of rural policy measures, with the aim of overall socioeconomic development.

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Attractiveness of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in India

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-04-2018-0102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 153-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Usha Ajithkumar ◽

Matthias Pilz

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Data Collection ◽

Vocational Training ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Technical Education ◽

Industrial Training ◽

Content Type ◽

Educational Pathways ◽

Career Option ◽

Over Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conduct the study in two states of India to covers the perception of students and their parents about the attractiveness of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in India.Design/methodology/approachThree ITIs were selected each from the states Maharashtra and Haryana for data collection. Students pursuing trade fitter, electrical and beauty courses and their parents were selected. The instrument used to collect the data from students and parents was interviews with students and families.FindingsThe results show that the attractiveness of ITIs has shifted over time. The low status associated with these institutions is slowly fading away. The skills acquired at an ITI can provide the basis of successful careers. Once considered a last resort, today it is being considered as a possible career option. However, ITIs have yet to develop a better image and higher attractiveness within society for it to become an interesting option for young people and their parents when choosing educational pathways.Originality/valueSome implications of this study are presented as suggestions in formulating policies to improve the image of technical education and vocational training.

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University dropouts vs high school graduates in the school-to-work transition

International Journal of Manpower ◽

10.1108/ijm-02-2018-0051 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 449-472 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emanuela Ghignoni ◽

Giuseppe Croce ◽

Alessandro d’Ambrosio

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Labour Market ◽

High School Graduates ◽

School To Work ◽

Dropping Out ◽

Market Outcomes ◽

School To Work Transition ◽

Content Type ◽

Work Transition ◽

Labour Market Outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the enrolment at university and the subsequent possible dropout as a piece of the school-to-work transition and ask whether it improves or worsens the labour market outcomes a few years after graduation from the high school. Design/methodology/approach The analysis exploits data from the upper secondary graduate survey by ISTAT on a cohort of high school graduates and investigates the effect of dropping out four years after graduation. The labour market outcomes of university dropouts are compared to the outcomes of high school graduates who never enrolled at university. A propensity score matching approach is applied. The model is also estimated on the subsamples of males and females. Findings The findings show that spending a period at university and leaving it before completion makes the transition to work substantially more difficult. Both the probability of being NEET and getting a bad job increase in the case of dropout, while no relevant effect is found on earnings. Moreover, the impact of university dropout tends to be more harmful the longer the spell from enrolment to dropping out. Separate estimates by gender point out that females appear to be relatively more affected in the case of dropping out without a fallback plan. Originality/value While the existing studies in the literature on the school-to-work transition mostly focus on the determinants of the dropout, this paper investigates whether and how the employment outcomes are affected by dropping out in Italy. Moreover, university dropouts are compared to high school graduates with no university experience, rather than to university graduates. Finally, evidence on the mechanisms driving the effect of dropping out is provided, by considering timing and motivations for dropping out.

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The role of national intellectual capital in the digital transformation of EU countries. Another digital divide?

Journal of Intellectual Capital ◽

10.1108/jic-02-2020-0024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jadranka Švarc ◽

Jasminka Lažnjak ◽

Marina Dabić

Keyword(s):

Human Capital ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Intellectual Capital ◽

Digital Transformation ◽

Member States ◽

Content Type ◽

Eu Member States ◽

The Eu

PurposeThis study, an exploratory one, aims to empirically investigate the association of national intellectual capital (NIC) with the national digital transformation readiness of the European Union's (EU’s) member states. Apart from building the conceptual model of NIC, this study explores the role of NIC dimensions in the digital divide between European countries.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review and the available EU statistical data and indexes, the theoretical framework and conceptual model for NIC were developed. The model explores the relation of NIC and its dimensions (human, social, structural, relational and renewable/development capital) on the readiness of European countries for digital transformation and the digital divide. Significant differences between EU countries in NIC and digital readiness were tested. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the association of each NIC dimension with digital transformation and digital divide within the EU.FindingsDespite a positive association between all dimensions of NIC and digital transformation readiness, the proposed model of NIC was not confirmed in full. Regression analysis proved social capital and working skills, a dimension of human capital, to be the predictors of digital transformation at a national level, able to detect certain elements of digital divide between EU member states. Structural capital, knowledge and education, as dimensions of human capital, were predictors of the digital divide in terms of the integration of digital media in companies.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has a limited propensity for generalisation due to the lack of common measurement models in the field of NIC exploration.Practical implicationsThis research offers policy makers an indication of the relationships between NIC and digital transformation, pointing out which dimensions of NIC should be strengthened to allow the EU to meet the challenges of digital economy and to overcome the digital divide between EU member states.Social implicationsThe use of digital technologies is key in creating active and informed citizens in the public sphere and productive companies and economic growth in the business sphere.Originality/valueThis study provides an original theoretical framework and conceptual model through which to analyse the relationship between NIC and digital transformation, which has thus far not been explored at the level of the EU. This research makes an original contribution to the empirical exploration of NIC and produces new insights in the fields of digital transformation and intellectual capital.

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The influence of research and development policy: the case of Estonia in the EU

European Journal of Innovation Management ◽

10.1108/ejim-10-2013-0115 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 307-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janno Reiljan ◽

Ingra Paltser

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Research And Development ◽

Innovation Performance ◽

Business Sector ◽

Content Type ◽

Socioeconomic Environment ◽

Innovation Activities ◽

Pca Method ◽

Policy Measures ◽

The Eu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the international position of Estonia among the member states of the EU and countries closely associated with the EU, from the perspective of the effect of research and development (R & D) policy on innovation activities in the business sector. Design/methodology/approach – Based on existing scientific research literature on the relationships between R & D policy and business sector R & D activities and innovation performance, a set of indicators describing R & D policy measures was created for the business sector. Using principal component analysis (PCA) method, independent robust dimensions of R & D policy were brought out. After eliminating the problem of multicollinearity in R & D policy indicators, robust multiple regression models were conducted to present a comprehensive empirical description of the shaping of business sector R & D and innovation activities in the sample of investigated countries. Findings – Based on the literature, the influences of R & D policy measures on business sector R & D activities and innovation performance were systemised; public R & D policy dimensions were empirically defined; the intensity of R & D policy influence on business sector R & D activities was estimated; the differences between real and prognostic values of business sector performance indicators in Estonia were calculated in order to characterise the efficiency of Estonian R & D policy and the influence of the socioeconomic environment. Research limitations/implications – The lack of comparable data describing R & D policy and R & D activities and innovation performance in the business sector limits the comprehensiveness of the analysis (i.e. the number of analysed indicators). Practical implications – The assessment and comparative analysis of the influence of R & D policy components on business sector R & D activities and innovation performance in different countries makes it possible to identify directions for increasing the efficiency of R & D policy under the specific influence of the socioeconomic environment, especially in new member states of the EU. Originality/value – Using the PCA method significantly increased the robustness of the macro-quantitative description of R & D policy dimensions. By combining the set of new synthetic R & D policy indicators created by the PCA with the multiple regression analysis method, a significant increase in the robustness of model coefficients (i.e. the assessments of influence intensity) was achieved. These robust models create the basis for reliable empirical assessment of the influence of R & D policy and a comparative analysis of the results.

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FROM EDUCATIONAL POLICIES TO ACTUAL PRACTICES: YOUNG NEETS IN ROMANIA

Revista de Pedagogie - Journal of Pedagogy ◽

10.26755/revped/2020.2/105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol LXVIII (2) ◽

pp. 105-124

Author(s):

Simona Sava

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

School To Work ◽

European Level ◽

Public Employment ◽

Know How ◽

Research And Innovation ◽

Work Transition ◽

Low Performance ◽

Governmentality Studies ◽

The Eu

According to Eurostat data, the young NEETs (Not in education, employment or training) rate in Romania is one of the highest in Europe. It ranks 4th in Europe in 2019 (after Italy, Greece, and Slovenia) (Eurostat, 2020), with 11.5% for men, and 27.8% for women (while the EU average is 12.2% for men, and 20.8% for women). In addition, Romania has one of the highest rates of ’other NEETs’, not registered by public employment agencies: only 4.8% were registered in 2018, and received the NEETs benefits (CE, 2018). Recent data show the low performance of Romania in monitoring the school to work transition of youths, in accessing the European funds to support young people entering the labor market, or for offering the Youth Guarantee (Beadle et al., 2020). Even so, Romania, like all other member states, cannot afford to lose the youth capital, while it faces sharp population ageing and outgoing migration. During the last decade, we saw emerging a strong know-how for understanding and addressing the NEETs issue. Reflecting on the research data from different reports and studies, from various findings in large scale H2020 research and innovation projects on NEETs, the paper elaborates on proactive or remedial integrative solutions for improving the situation of young NEETs in Romania, building up on the good practices in atracting NEETs, at national and European level, while using the theoretical framework of the governmentality studies applied to the youth field (Besley, 2010).

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