Upper secondary education for youth at risk: A comparative analysis of education and training programmes in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland

Context: Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in reducing early leaving from education and training, and integrating youth at risk in upper secondary education. To ensure that more young people complete upper secondary education, the OECD suggests designing interventions that address the specific needs of youth at risk like changes in the standard duration, preparatory or personalised support measures. Based on a comparative analysis of such programmes tailored to the needs of youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, the objective of this article is to identify different education and training models that these countries employ to include youth at risk in upper secondary education. Approach: The study is based on document analysis; the documents studied are public documents like law texts and white papers from the education authorities as well as research publications. The interventions proposed by the OECD to adapt training programmes to the specific needs of youth at risk were chosen as a basis for the comparative analysis. Further structural characteristics of the programmes complemented the analysis. Findings: The study found four different types of education and training models for youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland: Shortened (Norway, Switzerland), prolonged (Austria), individualised (Austria, Norway and Sweden) and preparatory programmes (Sweden). Preparatory and prolonged programmes aim to help young people to achieve ordinary upper secondary qualifications through preparatory measures, more time or more support. Individualised or shortened programmes aim to adapt education and training programmes to young people's needs by reducing the programmes’ demands. In all four countries, youths have the opportunity to conclude their education with a certificate at a level lower than 'regular' upper secondary education. Conclusion: The four countries surveyed differ widely in terms of educational traditions and the position of VET at upper secondary level. Regarding the integration of disadvantaged youth into education and work, the differences concerning access to upper secondary education, the importance of VET at upper secondary level and the recognition of training programmes for youth at risk may be of particular relevance. Further research is needed to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the identified education and training models as a means of integrating youth at risk into upper secondary education

Upper secondary education for youth at risk: A comparative analysis of education and training programmes in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland

Context: Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in reducing early leaving from education and training, and integrating youth at risk in upper secondary education. To ensure that more young people complete upper secondary education, the OECD suggests designing interventions that address the specific needs of youth at risk like changes in the standard duration, preparatory or personalised support measures. Based on a comparative analysis of such programmes tailored to the needs of youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, the objective of this article is to identify different education and training models that these countries employ to include youth at risk in upper secondary education. Approach: The study is based on document analysis; the documents studied are public documents like law texts and white papers from the education authorities as well as research publications. The interventions proposed by the OECD to adapt training programmes to the specific needs of youth at risk were chosen as a basis for the comparative analysis. Further structural characteristics of the programmes complemented the analysis. Findings: The study found four different types of education and training models for youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland: Shortened (Norway, Switzerland), prolonged (Austria), individualised (Austria, Norway and Sweden) and preparatory programmes (Sweden). Preparatory and prolonged programmes aim to help young people to achieve ordinary upper secondary qualifications through preparatory measures, more time or more support. Individualised or shortened programmes aim to adapt education and training programmes to young people's needs by reducing the programmes’ demands. In all four countries, youths have the opportunity to conclude their education with a certificate at a level lower than 'regular' upper secondary education. Conclusion: The four countries surveyed differ widely in terms of educational traditions and the position of VET at upper secondary level. Regarding the integration of disadvantaged youth into education and work, the differences concerning access to upper secondary education, the importance of VET at upper secondary level and the recognition of training programmes for youth at risk may be of particular relevance. Further research is needed to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the identified education and training models as a means of integrating youth at risk into upper secondary education

La terminación del contrato de aprendiz y el abandono en la formación profesional: comparación de desafíos y estrategias político-educacionales en Noruega y Suiza

Vocational education and training, and thus the preparation of young people for the job market in many respects, follows different patterns in Norway and in Switzerland. Both countries, however, struggle with delayed transitions into apprenticeship training, apprenticeship contract terminations and dropouts. In both countries, the lowering of the dropout rate is one of the top priorities in educational policy.The present article examines the challenges and educational-political strategies of both countries regarding the integration of young adults into VET. It is based on a comparison of research literature from both Norway and Switzerland on the transition from school to VET, on apprenticeship contract termination, and on dropout. Despite a great number of non-linear educational pathways, both countries are successful in leading a great number of young adults towards graduation in different ways and with the help of different offers and measures. The strategies of both countries concerning the vocational integration of young adults are discussed in the final conclusion.La formación profesional, y por lo tanto la preparación de los jóvenes para el mercado laboral, en muchos aspectos, sigue diferentes patrones en Noruega y Suiza. Ambos países, sin embargo, se enfrentan problemas con con transiciones retardadas a la formación de aprendices, la terminación de de contrato de aprendizaje y abandono escolar en programas de formación. En ambos países, el descenso de la tasa de deserción es una de las principales prioridades de la política educativa. El presente artículo examina los desafíos y estrategias de ambos países en relación con la integración de los adultos jóvenes en la formación profesional. El articulo se basa en una comparación de la literatura de investigación de Noruega y Suiza sobre la transición de la escuela a la formación profesional, la terminación contrato de aprendizaje, y sobre la deserción. A pesar de un gran número de itinerarios educativos no lineales, ambos países tienen éxito en la conducción de un gran número de adultos jóvenes hacia la graduación en la formación profesional de diferentes maneras y con la ayuda de diferentes ofertas y medidas. Las estrategias de ambos países en relación con la inserción profesional de los jóvenes adultos se discuten en las conclusiones finales

Acid Sphingomyelinase Regulates Platelet Cell Membrane Scrambling, Secretion, and Thrombus Formation

Objective-Platelet activation is essential for primary hemostasis and acute thrombotic vascular occlusions. On activation, platelets release their prothrombotic granules and expose phosphatidylserine, thus fostering thrombin generation and thrombus formation. In other cell types, both degranulation and phosphatidylserine exposure are modified by sphingomyelinase-dependent formation of ceramide. The present study thus explored whether acid sphingomyelinase participates in the regulation of platelet secretion, phosphatidylserine exposure, and thrombus formation. Approach and Results-Collagen-related peptide-induced or thrombin-induced ATP release and P-selectin exposure were significantly blunted in platelets from Asm-deficient mice (Smpd1(-/-)) when compared with platelets from wild-type mice (Smpd1(+/+)). Moreover, phosphatidylserine exposure and thrombin generation were significantly less pronounced in Smpd1(-/-) platelets than in Smpd1(+/+) platelets. In contrast, platelet integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3) activation and aggregation, as well as activation-dependent Ca2+ flux, were not significantly different between Smpd1(-/-) and Smpd1(+/+) platelets. In vitro thrombus formation at shear rates of 1700 s(-1) and in vivo thrombus formation after FeCl3 injury were significantly blunted in Smpd1(-/-) mice while bleeding time was unaffected. Asm-deficient platelets showed significantly reduced activation-dependent ceramide formation, whereas exogenous ceramide rescued diminished platelet secretion and thrombus formation caused by Asm deficiency. Treatment of Smpd1(+/+) platelets with bacterial sphingomyelinase (0.01 U/mL) increased, whereas treatment with functional acid sphingomyelinase-inhibitors, amitriptyline or fluoxetine (5 mu mol/L), blunted activation-dependent platelet degranulation, phosphatidylserine exposure, and thrombus formation. Impaired degranulation and thrombus formation of Smpd1(-/-) platelets were again overcome by exogenous bacterial sphingomyelinase. Conclusions-Acid sphingomyelinase is a completely novel element in the regulation of platelet plasma membrane properties, secretion, and thrombus formation

Upper secondary education for youth at risk: a comparative analysis of education and training programmes in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland

Context: Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in reducing early leaving from education and training, and integrating youth at risk in upper secondary education. To ensure that more young people complete upper secondary education, the OECD suggests designing interventions that address the specific needs of youth at risk like changes in the standard duration, preparatory or personalised support measures. Based on a comparative analysis of such programmes tailored to the needs of youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, the objective of this article is to identify different education and training models that these countries employ to include youth at risk in upper secondary education. Approach: The study is based on document analysis; the documents studied are public documents like law texts and white papers from the education authorities as well as research publications. The interventions proposed by the OECD to adapt training programmes to the specific needs of youth at risk were chosen as a basis for the comparative analysis. Further structural characteristics of the programmes complemented the analysis. Findings: The study found four different types of education and training models for youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland: Shortened (Norway, Switzerland), prolonged (Austria), individualised (Austria, Norway and Sweden) and preparatory programmes (Sweden). Preparatory and prolonged programmes aim to help young people to achieve ordinary upper secondary qualifications through preparatory measures, more time or more support. Individualised or shortened programmes aim to adapt education and training programmes to young people\u27s needs by reducing the programmes’ demands. In all four countries, youths have the opportunity to conclude their education with a certificate at a level lower than \u27regular\u27 upper secondary education. Conclusion: The four countries surveyed differ widely in terms of educational traditions and the position of VET at upper secondary level. Regarding the integration of disadvantaged youth into education and work, the differences concerning access to upper secondary education, the importance of VET at upper secondary level and the recognition of training programmes for youth at risk may be of particular relevance. Further research is needed to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the identified education and training models as a means of integrating youth at risk into upper secondary education. (DIPF/Orig.

«Alle sammen støtter hverandre og hjelper hverandre hvis vi trenger motivasjon»: Et elevperspektiv på læring og relasjoner i flerkulturelle videregående skoler med lave inntakskrav

Konsekvenser av skolesegregering vekker offentlig bekymring. Hvorvidt og eventuelt hvordan elevsammensetningen påvirker elevenes motivasjon, prestasjoner og gjennomføringen har hovedsakelig blitt studert gjennom kvantitative utfallsmål. Denne artikkelen tar et elevperspektiv og undersøker hvordan yrkesfagelever på tre videregående skoler med en høy andel minoritetselever og med lave inntakskrav opplever læringsmiljøet på skolen, og hvilken betydning denne opplevelsen har for motivasjon til å gjennomføre videregående opplæring. Studien er basert på kvalitative intervjuer med 22 elever som gikk andre året i videregående opplæring i Oslo. Elevene hadde alle et lavt karaktersnitt fra ungdomsskolen, og et flertall hadde innvandrerbakgrunn fra Afrika og Asia. Analysen viser at positive forventninger, støtte og omsorg fra lærere samt fellesskap og samhold i klassen bidro til tilhørighet til skolen og motivasjon for læring. Viktig for elevenes opplevelse av det faglige miljøet på skolen var dessuten praksisnær undervisning som fremmet relevans og mestring. Et av studiens bidrag er å vise at elever som har til felles at de har svake faglige forutsetninger, har evne til å motivere og støtte hverandre og dermed medvirke til, snarere enn motvirke, gjennomføring

Manfred Max Bergman / Sandra Hupka-Brunner / Anita Keller / Thomas Meyer / Barbara E. Stalder (Hrsg.): Transitionen im Jugendalter. Ergebnisse der Schweizer Längsschnittstudie TREE. Zürich: Seismo Verlag 2011 (300 S.) [Rezension]

Rezension von: Manfred Max Bergman / Sandra Hupka-Brunner / Anita Keller / Thomas Meyer / Barbara E. Stalder (Hrsg.): Transitionen im Jugendalter. Ergebnisse der Schweizer Längsschnittstudie TREE. Zürich: Seismo Verlag 2011 (300 S.; ISBN 978-3-03777-093-1; 26,00 EUR)