Conceptualizing youth transitions in times of economic upheaval and uncertainty: A life course perspective

The lives of young people are shaped by the economic circumstances and social contexts in which they live. In 2008 the world banking collapse, brought on by an overheated housing market in the USA and the deluge of “subprime” mortgages, produced a tidal wave of economic consequences for employment and standards of living that have rightly come to be described as the “Great Recession” (Bell and Blanchflower 2011). Although there was much variation between countries and between regions in the way these effects were experienced, a common feature was that the damage was felt especially by young people trying to find their way from education into the labor market and adult employment. The consequences were variable depending on where, when, in what circumstances, and at what age the transition was attempted. But for some young people it would signal an enhanced likelihood of a life course marred by social and occupational exclusion. While the overall effect of the Great Recession on employment outcomes is well documented (Bell and Blanchflower 2011; Danzinger 2013; Jenkins et al. 2013), there is less attention to variation within and between countries, the diverse pathways taken by young people in navigating a changing economic context, and the ways in which they adjusted to changing circumstances and opportunities. The unique contribution of this book is to bring together evidence from different countries, drawing on comparable and mainly longitudinal data sources to investigate the impact of the Great Recession on the lives of young people and their families and to identify possible leverage for improving the situation of young people today. The book advances the study of changing youth transitions, by examining both material and psychosocial aspects relevant to a better understanding of the consequences brought on by a sudden economic downturn and rising uncertainty among parents and their offspring on the threshold of adulthood. Key questions to be addressed include: What was the impact of the Great Recession on the education, employment, and family transitions of young people? Who are the winners and the losers emerging from the economic downturn? What was the effect on psychosocial capabilities, health, and well-being? Did these effects differ in different cultural contexts, for different subgroups in the population, and for different age groups? What policy interventions can potentially counteract deleterious effects

The Contribution of Adult Learning to Health and Social Capital

Objectives and methods • The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of adult learning upon a range of measures of health and social capital and cohesion. • The study has a broad scope. We estimate effects of adult learning on a wide range of outcomes. We break down participation in learning in a number of ways, and we assess the different impacts of participation on different groups. The primary objective is to assess the nature and extent of wider effects of adult learning. More detailed findings relating to specific outcomes, types of courses taken and groups of learners are extremely interesting and indicate directions for further research. • The National Child Development Study is the database used for analyses. We use data relating to almost 10,000 adults born in Britain in 1958, focusing upon changes in their lives between the ages of 33 (in 1991) and 42 (in 2000). • The effects of participation in learning between the ages of 33 and 42 are estimated. Participation in learning is broken down according to the type of course taken – courses resulting in academic and vocational qualifications, work-related training and leisure courses. • Previous, closely related research on the effects of adult learning focused on wage effects only and neglected non-accredited learning of the kind considered here. The current project is, therefore, a timely reminder that many learners take courses in adult learning that are not accredited and for reasons other than wage returns. A proper assessment of the value of adult learning must take these wider benefits into account. • The outcomes considered are changes between age 33 and 42 in social and political attitudes, civic participation, health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise), self-reported life satisfaction and onset and recovery from depression. • Effects of participation upon these outcomes are estimated for the whole sample. In addition, the different effects of participation are separately estimated for men and women, and for those without Level 2 qualifications at age 33. • We restrict selection bias by exploiting the fact that our data are longitudinal. We attempt to consider effects on individuals as they change over time, making before and after comparisons. We also control for a wide range of life-course background, achievement and developmental factors

The narrative potential of the British Birth Cohort Studies

This paper draws attention to the narrative potential of longitudinal studies such as the British Birth Cohort Studies (BBCS), and explores the possibility of creating narrative case histories and conducting narrative analysis based on information available from the studies. The BBCS have historically adopted a quantitative research design and used structured interviews and questionnaires to collect data from large samples of individuals born in specific years. However, the longitudinal nature of these studies means that they follow the same sample of individuals from birth through childhood into adult life, and this leads to the creation of data that can be understood as a quantitative auto/biography

Young people and the Great Recession: Variations in the school-to-work transition in Europe and the United States

This paper reviews evidence on young people in Europe and the US making the transition from school-to-work before and after the 2008 Great Recession. Taking a macro-level perspective, similarities and differences in education and employment experiences across different European countries are described, considering the role of different institutional support systems in ‘scaffolding’ young people’s transitions to independence. It is argued that the 2008 financial crisis brought with it reduced employment opportunities for young people and accelerated pre-existing trends towards prolonged education participation and precarious employment. There are, however, considerable variations across different countries, highlighting the role of social institutions in supporting young people during the school-to-work transition. Transition systems that created bridges between education and employment are associated with lower national levels of youth unemployment, while young people coming of age in less-protective transition regimes suffered highest levels of youth unemployment, high levels of temporary employment and not being in education, employment or training (NEET)

Revisiting the Benefits of Higher Education

The economic returns of higher education (HE) in terms of enhanced earnings are well established. The wider set of ‘non-economic benefits’ in the areas of health, generic skills and citizenship are less widely recognised. In an earlier report, we presented preliminary findings on the wider benefits, drawing on data collected at age 33 from the National Child Development Study (based on a cohort born in 1958). This report updates the earlier conclusions through new findings from a more extensive analysis involving both the 1958 cohort and the more recent 1970 British Cohort Study cohort (based on a cohort born in 1970). The current analysis incorporates more recent data collected in both cohorts in 2000 and at an older age (1958 cohort). We report findings in five major areas. First, we examine the mobility of graduates. To what extent do some parts of the country gain and lose graduates and graduate types of occupation at the expense of others? We then report findings on the ‘marginal returns’ to higher education in four domains of life: health, labour market, citizenship and values, and parenting

Economics of education research: a review and future prospects

In this paper we offer an appraisal of the economics of education research area, charting its history as a field and discussing the ways in which economists have contributed both to education research and to education policy-making. In particular, we highlight the theoretical and methodological contributions that economists have made to the field of education during the last 50 years. Despite the success of the economics of education as a field of inquiry, we argue that some of the contributions made by economists could be limited if the economics of education is seen as quite distinct from the other disciplines working in the field of education. In these areas of common interest, economists need to work side by side with the other major disciplines in the field of education if their contribution to the field is to be maximised, particularly in terms of applying improved methodology. We conclude that the study of education acquisition and its economic and social impact in the economics of education research area is very likely to remain a fertile research ground. Acknowledgement

Pathways to economic well-being among teenage mothers in Great Britain

The present study examines pathways to independence from social welfare among 738 teenage mothers, participants of the 1970 British Cohort Study, who were followed up at age 30 years. Using a longitudinal design, a pathway model is tested, examining linkages between family social background, cognitive ability, school motivation, and individual investments in education, as well as work- and family-related roles. The most important factors associated with financial independence by age 30 are continued attachment to the labor market as well as a stable relationship with a partner (not necessarily the father of the child). Pathways to financial independence, in turn, are predicted through own cognitive resources, school motivation, and family cohesion. Implications of findings for policy making are discussed.© 2010 Hogrefe Publishing

Insights gained on the great recession’s effects

What have we learned about the changing nature of youth transitions and the effect of the Great Recession on them? In this final chapter we draw conclusions and seek further insights from the evidence presented. First we give a brief overview, taking the discussion back to the initial questions about the recession effects to which the preceding chapters were directed. Second, we discuss the evidence in the light of key themes of contemporary youth research and draw out their intersection with life course theory. We then consider the theoretical and policy insights to be gained from the evidence reported. Our discussion focuses on young people in the USA, the UK, and Germany, but also takes into account developments across a range of industrialized countries

'I just want a job' : what do we really know about young people in jobs without training?

Over recent years, a central concern of policy has been to drive up post-16 participation rates in full-time education and address the needs of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). As a result, young people who enter work which is classified as 'without training' at 16/17 have largely been ignored. However, the decision to Raise the Participation Age (RPA) for continuing in learning for all 17-year olds from 2013 and for all 18-year olds from 2015 in England, together with a growing unease about the impact of the current recession on youth unemployment rates, have revived interest in the 'jobs without training' (JWT) group. This paper draws on the findings from two studies: first, a qualitative study in two contrasting local labour markets, of young people in JWT, together with their employers and parents; and second, an evaluation of the Learning Agreement Pilots (LAP), which was the first policy initiative in England targeted at the JWT group. Both studies reveal a dearth of understanding about early labour market entrants and a lack of policy intervention and infrastructure to support the needs of the JWT group throughout the UK. From this, it is concluded that questionable assumptions have been made about the composition and the aspirations of young people in JWT, and their employers, on the basis of little or no evidence. As a consequence, a policy 'quick fix' to satisfy the RPA agenda will not easily be achieved. If the decision to raise the participation age is adopted also by the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, similar challenges may have to be faced