Entry to employment: discourses of inclusion and employability in work‐based learning for young people

Constructing productive post‐school transitions: an analysis of Australian schooling policies

“…In short, it invests greater expectations in them being able to exercise their own personal agency and selfgovernance. Such approaches assume that troublesome transitions are an outcome of personal dispositions and 'employability' (Simmons 2009). …”

Playing the numbers game: Connexions personal advisers working with learners on entry to employment programmes

“…As noted above, E2E continues a tradition of provision for disadvantaged young people who leave school with little prospect of progression. However, in contrast with earlier initiatives such as YTS and more recent developments such as New Deal, E2E is relatively under-researched (Simmons 2009). …”

“…The total length of time 'on-roll' will vary according to the circumstances of each young person. As Simmons (2009) highlights, E2E programmes share many of the features of Bernstein's (2000) generic mode of pedagogic discourse, in which knowledge is regarded as secondary to the development of 'transferable skills' such as problem-solving, teamwork and learning skills. Entry to Employment can also be seen as an example of a therapeutic approach to education and training in which the development of learners' confidence and self-esteem are prioritised over supposedly more tangible outcomes (Ecclestone and Hayes 2008).…”

Social mobility and post-compulsory education: revisiting Boudon’s model of social opportunity

“…Wolf (2011, 21) highlights the 350,000 16-19 year olds on low-level vocational programmes whose engagement fails either to promote progression into stable employment or to help them access higher level education and training. Simmons (2009) argues that the stigmatising effects of certain forms of work-related learning make progression into decent employment or more prestigious forms of education especially difficult for people on the margins of participation. The traditional image of the young person gaining incremental progression at work facilitated by study at their local college seems increasingly outdated.…”