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Regina Flake / Lydia Malin / Paula Risius IW-Trends No. 5 26. October 2017 Factors Influencing How High School Graduates Decide Between a University Course and Vocational Training

The proportion of school students who take and pass the German Abitur exams (equivalent to British ‘A’-levels or the American high school diploma) has been increasing for many years.

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Factors Influencing How High School Graduates Decide Between a University Course and Vocational Training
Regina Flake / Lydia Malin / Paula Risius IW-Trends No. 5 26. October 2017

Factors Influencing How High School Graduates Decide Between a University Course and Vocational Training

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

The proportion of school students who take and pass the German Abitur exams (equivalent to British ‘A’-levels or the American high school diploma) has been increasing for many years.

Currently, more than half of those graduating from high school each year have obtained this university entrance qualification and the annual intake of university students has doubled in the past 15 years. Of these new students, however, 29 per cent break off their studies prematurely. This shows that not every freshman or –woman has made the best choice. This raises the question as to which factors influence school leavers’ decisions to take a university degree, and how this decision process could be optimized. An analysis of the National Educational Panel Study(NEPS) shows that in addition to their interests, young people are influenced by the sources of information available and – particularly in the case of vocational education and training (VET) - the expected benefits. For example, young people of an artistic bent tend to opt for university rather than VET. Conversely, high school leavers seeking a secure and prestigious occupation are more likely to opt for vocational training. In addition, careers advice plays an important role. To counteract the current lack of information and to ensure that school leavers make an informed choice between vocational education and training and tertiary education, secondary schools and vocational counselling in senior high school should in future cater for all interests and inclinations and provide more balanced and overall more practical information about the two career paths.

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Factors Influencing How High School Graduates Decide Between a University Course and Vocational Training
Regina Flake / Lydia Malin / Paula Risius IW-Trends No. 5 26. October 2017

Regina Flake / Lydia Malin / Paula Risius: Einflussfaktoren der Bildungsentscheidung von Abiturienten für Ausbildung oder Studium

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

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Mastering the challenges of transformation
Axel Plünnecke IW-Policy Paper No. 14 12. December 2024

Agenda 2030 for the education policy: Mastering the challenges of transformation

Germany faces the challenge of coping with demographics, decarbonisation, digitalisation and deglobalisation at the same time. Innovative strength and securing skilled labour are crucial for this.

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Wido Geis-Thöne IW-Trends No. 1 4. March 2024

The Regional Distribution of Graduates in Germany

Graduates in Germany are distributed very unevenly across the country. Taking the population aged between 35 and 44, who have generally already completed their higher education, in 2019 the highest proportions of university graduates were to be found in Berlin ...

IW

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