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The benefits of high school experiences on growth in occupational status in U.S.

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Abstract

In this study, we investigated high school graduates’ school-to-work transition by considering their post-school occupational skill levels. Using an ordinal growth model analysis, occupational status increased in an arch-shaped curve as the number of years after high school graduation also increased. This growth trajectory was further related to the presence of training certificates, parental education levels, cognitive ability, and gender. The course of study did not significantly relate to occupational status. Participation in work-based education, including cooperative and mentor programs, related to the likelihood of students advancing to high-skill-level occupations. Further, we applied propensity score weighting to deal with plausible sample selection bias.

Résumé

Les bénéfices des expériences au lycée sur la croissance du statut professionnel aux États-Unis. Dans cette étude, nous avons étudié la transition école-emploi des diplômés du lycée en considérant leurs niveaux de compétences professionnelles après le lycée. Suivant un modèle d’analyse ordinal de croissance, alors que le nombre d’années après avoir obtenu son diplôme au lycée augmentait, le statut professionnel s’élevait en suivant une courbe en forme d’arche. De plus, cette trajectoire de croissance était liée à la présence de certificats de perfectionnement, au niveau de formation des parents, aux capacités cognitives, et au genre. Le cursus de formation n’était pas significativement lié au statut professionnel. La participation à des formations sur le lieu de travail, incluant des programmes coopératifs et de mentorat, est associée à la probabilité d’un avancement pour les étudiants vers des emplois à compétences élevées. Finalement, nous avons appliqué une pondération par le score de propension, afin de répondre au biais plausible dans la sélection de l’échantillon.

Zusammenfassung

Die Vorteile von High School Erfahrungen für das Wachstum in beruflichem Status in den USA. In dieser Studie untersuchten wir den Übergang von der Schule in die Arbeit von high school Absolventen, durch die Berücksichtigung ihres Berufsqualifikationsniveaus nach der Schule. In der Analyse eines ordinalen Wachstumsmodelles erhöhte sich der Status im Beruf sowie die Anzahl Jahre nach dem high school Abschluss in einer bogenförmigen Kurve. Dieser Wachstumskurs wurde weiter mit dem Vorhandensein von Ausbildungsnachweisen, dem elterlichen Bildungsniveau, kognitiven Fähigkeiten und dem Geschlecht in Zusammenhang gebracht. Der Studiengang wies keinen signifikanten Zusammenhang zum beruflichen Status auf. Die Teilnahme an arbeitsbezogenen Ausbildungen, einschließlich Kooperativen- und Mentorenprogrammen, erhöhte die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Schülern in hochqualifizierte Berufe aufzusteigen. Ferner wandten wir Propensity Score Gewichtung an, um mit plausiblen Stichproben Verzerrungen umzugehen.

Resumen

Beneficios de las experiencias de educación secundaria sobre el aumento del estatus ocupacional en los Estados Unidos. En este estudio se investigó la transición de la escuela al trabajo de los estudiantes de secundaria, considerando el nivel de sus habilidades ocupacionales post-escuela. Utilizando un modelo de análisis de crecimiento ordinal, el estatus ocupacional aumentó en forma de arco curvado a medida que también aumentaba el número de años desde la graduación de la educación secundaria. Esta trayectoria de crecimiento se relacionó además con la existencia de certificados de formación, el nivel de educación de los padres, la habilidad cognitiva y el género. El tipo de estudios cursados no mostró una relación significativa con el estatus ocupacional. La participación en formación basada en el trabajo, incluidos los programas de cooperación y de mentoring, sí se relacionó con la probabilidad de que los estudiantes avanzaran hacia ocupaciones que requerían un elevado nivel de habilidad.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training, Kangnam-Gu, Chongdam-dong 15-1, Seoul, 135-949, South Korea

    Kyung-Nyun Kim

  2. The Pennsylvania State University, 305D J. Orvis Keller Building, University Park, PA, 16802-1303, USA

    David L. Passmore

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  1. Kyung-Nyun Kim
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  2. David L. Passmore
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Correspondence to Kyung-Nyun Kim.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Main features of school-to-work programs

Program

Definition and main features

Career major

A coherent sequence of courses during at least 2 years of secondary education and 1 or 2 years of postsecondary education based upon an occupational goal. Should provide the student with strong experiences in a broad occupational cluster or in the industry sector that the student is planning to enter

Cooperative education

Students alternate or parallel their academic and vocational studies with a job in a related field. This program has a rigorous and structured procedure including a written training agreement between the school and the employers, a written training plan, and a cooperative coordinator

Internship/apprenticeship

Students work for an employer for a short time to learn about a particular industry or occupation. This program features learning-by-doing under the supervision of experts. Apprentices are given paid training and guided work-based learning. Those who complete the program are usually given certifications

Job shadowing

A student follows an employee for one or more days to learn about an occupation or industry. The main feature of such work is to allow students to observe and be aware of work roles such as tasks, processes, and environments

Mentoring

A student is paired with an employee who assesses his or her performance over a period of time, during which the employee helps the student master certain skills and knowledge. Mentors provide role models, support, and guidance to their mentees

School-sponsored enterprise

The production of goods or services by students for sale or use by others. Enterprises typically involve students in the management of a project. They serve as a conceptual lab in which students can apply skills or behaviors learned in school to real tasks

Tech-Prep

This is a planned program of study with a defined career focus that links secondary and postsecondary education. This program integrates rigorous job skills with the opportunity to go to a community college and devises a curriculum shared between high school and community college

  1. Adapted from U.S. Department of Labor (2007), Gray and Herr (1998), and Stern et al. (1995)

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Kim, KN., Passmore, D.L. The benefits of high school experiences on growth in occupational status in U.S.. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 16, 113–136 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-015-9290-x

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