A professor surrounded by his students
Research

EStarA

A successful start to your career: How will I complete my training successfully?

Project lead
Prof. Dr. Andreas Frey

Project participants
Dr. Silke Seyffer

Project duration
July 2019 – December 2026

Project funding
BA, HdBA

Project Description

The number of premature contract terminations in the integrated degree programme has remained at a similar high level for many years (c. 25%). The reasons for dropping out are, however, wide-ranging. On the one hand, factors such as choice of career and career orientation (cf. Blaich & Frey, 2016), level of maturity and interdisciplinary skills (cf. Frey & Ruppert, 2017), and individual characteristics of young adults all play a role, and on the other hand, there are factors which can be attributed to the working environment and school (cf. Velten & Schnitzler, 2011). These factors all influence trainees in them experiencing a successful start to their career and help them to an overall positive start to their working life. It is therefore important for counselling in the world of work 4.0 to identify and strengthen the characteristics that smooth the way for those seeking advice to successful vocational training. The relevance of this topic also stems from the National Employment Agency's legally based expanded advisory role for trainees who, after starting their careers, require information on how to cement their working relationships. In this regard, factors for successful training constitute a valuable wealth of knowledge for career counsellors and their network of colleagues (cf. Ertelt, Schulz & Frey, 2022).

Issue

The research project EStarA (Erfolgreicher Start in die Ausbildung - a successful start to your career) pursues two goals which build upon each other:

  • On the one hand, the nature of trainees as well as environmental factors should be identified which contribute to successful training on the part of the young adult but also on the part of the company. This is particularly interesting given that the contract termination rate remains high, at around 25%.
  • On the other hand, skills for success relevant to the further development of BA counselling services for trainees and employers should be derived from the research findings. This is because § 29 (3) SGB III also focuses on counselling during training to support both trainees and companies for the success of the integrated degree programme.

EStarA focuses therefore on the identifying of success factors which facilitate gainful training for all sides.

How the start of training can be successful and which influential factors are involved are determined using different qualitative and quantitative methods, where students are integrated within teaching research projects.

Current Status of Project and Possible Future Plans

At the beginning of the project, field surveys were carried out using guided interviews with trainees in nursing professions as well as those in craft professions in cooperation with the Palatinate Chamber of Trade where the young adults were asked about success factors in their training. Students participated in exploratory data collection in elective and research seminars.

In connection with this, a comprehensive literature review was drawn up to list the success factors before, during and after the training. Within the framework of a group Delphi process, keynote speeches were then held from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, after which success factors compiled in the literature review were discussed and supplemented. The following success factors summarised here are seen as particularly relevant by experts:

  • Before training: career orientation and career counselling, media and parents
  • During training: career orientation and career counselling, college and training company

A quantitative questionnaire for a multi-group survey was derived from the findings of the Delphi group process, which was completed in 2023. The survey target groups were career counsellors before working life, trainees, responsible persons in training companies and parents of children in the career orientation phase. On the basis of the results of this quantitative survey, an observational study is to take place in 2024 in career counselling before working life to obtain information on the extent to which factors considered important are taken into account in career counselling.

In addition, an event-driven survey of trainees took place on the success factors during the Corona pandemic in cooperation with the Palatinate Chamber of Trade and Heilbronn-Franken, as well as the Heilbronn-Franken Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The main findings are:

  • A decline in satisfaction accompanied by an increase in worry and perceived stress
  • Increased pressure to perform and a lack of technical equipment
  • Support of training company (mentoring, free time to learn) counteracts the increased strain and enhances satisfaction with the training

Further qualitative as well as quantitative surveys are planned within the scope of research seminars at the Mannheim and Schwerin campuses.

The aim of the project EStarA is to derive new implications for the counselling of young adults and employers based on the success factors identified.

Literature