In Spring 2022, the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) conducted a survey of Illinois high school seniors to better understand their college-decision-making processes. Although a vast majority of seniors who answered the survey were attending 4-year or 2-year college, a non-negligible number (n = 355, 14% of the…

Young Black and Latino men face profound academic obstacles in transitioning to college. Few studies have interrogated college readiness practices in urban schools through the lens of masculinity. Drawing on a yearlong ethnography, this study investigated how young men respond to college-readiness practices while enacting masculinity. Many young…

This article proposes and illustrates a framework for thinking about how the school-to-work transitions of young people not intending to go to university can be made more equitable. This framework seeks to enrich sociological readings of VET by building on the considerable strengths of existing research on ecologies of VET provision and the…

Based on student loan repayment rate data and college graduation rates we know that millions of young people start their lives without degrees and are financially over-leveraged. Students and families make bets on future earnings by enrolling in colleges that they cannot afford and have low probabilities of being successful. Although the value of…

Educational aspirations are key predictors of academic and career success, career choices, and social mobility. While much research has explored factors shaping these aspirations, less is known about how they evolve over time. This study examines the trajectories of educational aspirations among 789 Chinese adolescents aged 11 to 15, using data…

The traditional college-age population is shrinking: fewer high school graduates pursue higher education each year, resulting in declining student enrollment at colleges across the country. At the same time, there are now more than 40 million Americans who have stopped out of college with some credit and no credential or degree. By opting out or…

The purpose of this study was to understand the motivating factors behind U.S. Army Signal Corps senior noncommissioned officers' decisions to pursue or not pursue a college education. This study also explored how senior leaders throughout the command perceived the roles and organizational benefits of college education to U.S. Army Signal Corps…

A significant percentage of youth are not pursuing any form of post-secondary education (PSE). Using a mixed-method approach, I sought to understand what barriers youth experienced to access PSE. My research confirmed that barriers to access PSE for youth from family income groups of less than $80,000, identified in early research by Corak (2013),…

Careers occupy a major portion of one's life and often contribute to one's identity. This action research study explored and appraised career awareness activities for K-12 students in a rural, eastern region in the United States. Data was collected from high school student participants in the form of survey and focus group sessions during the…

The purpose of this study was to explore the decision-making processes of Black high school students, regarding their post-graduation plans (e.g. going to college, entering the workforce, etc.).While there is seemingly more attention, research, and money spent on college outreach, preparation, and promise programs (Perna, 2002), recent literature…

For noncollege-bound youth, swiftly finding a satisfying job upon exiting compulsory schooling might support adjustment. Yet, youths' own job perceptions have rarely been considered in school-to-work transition research. Sequence analysis of monthly occupational status over 4 years (ages 16-20) in a low socioeconomic status Canadian sample…

More than a quarter of all trainees in Germany's dual vocational training system have the Abitur -- the German school-leaving qualification that entitles them to go to university. Some go to university after completing their apprenticeship, but others move straight into full-time employment. There is currently very little reliable empirical data…

Education improvement has become a national imperative. Low graduation rates, standardized test failures, and overall success rates falling significantly behind in global competition have forced the dialogue towards alternatives to public education (Stewart, 2012). As the United States continues to trail other countries in educational success, it…

The purpose of this study was to examine veterans' educational intentions as well as the factors influencing their college choices. Individual interviews were conducted with 30 veterans separating from military service who were eligible for military educational benefits. Results indicated 80 percent of veterans planned to utilize their military…

Black and Latinx adolescent boys from economically stratified communities face pervasive societal inequities and, therefore, deserve more responsive school supports to determine and actualize postsecondary pathways. For insights into how such students conceptualize their futures and their school's role in facilitating this process, this…