Editorial | Open Access
The Role of Contexts in Educational and Employment Transitions and Pathways of Young People
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Abstract: Young people’s educational and employment pathways are shaped by the social contexts in which they are embedded. While past research has often emphasized individual characteristics, this thematic issue highlights the decisive role of contextual factors—including regional disparities, institutional arrangements, and socio‐economic structures—in influencing opportunities and transitions. Drawing on national and comparative perspectives, the contributions examine how educational systems, labour markets, and regional and local environments affect schooling outcomes, vocational training access, aspirations, and early career trajectories. Special attention is given to vulnerable groups such as refugee students, young women, and persons with disabilities, showing how contexts structure (dis)advantages and cumulative inequalities. Together, these studies offer valuable insights for research and policymaking. The findings stress the importance of targeted policy interventions addressing contextual disparities, curriculum reforms, and inclusive measures for disadvantaged groups.
Keywords: career entry; contexts; education system; labor market; pathways; transitions; youth
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© Alexandra Wicht, Oliver Winkler, Mona Granato, Alexandra Nonnenmacher. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction of the work without further permission provided the original author(s) and source are credited.