Labor Market Integration of Young Adult Refugees in Germany: Triangulating Perspectives Toward Program Development

Abstract

This article reports on the 18-month formative evaluation of a model project aimed at preparing young adult refugees (YARs) for entry into vocational education training (VET) as an essential step toward the labor market. Qualitative methods were used to gain insight into the perspectives of YARs, program staff, and vocational instructors as well as explore program dynamics. Within a longitudinal research design, 45 qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 of 27 program participants. Additionally, program staff and vocational instructors were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis guided the analytic process. Outcome data indicated that 83.3% of program completers or 55.6% of the program participants entered a VET within the evaluation period. Triangulated qualitative data revealed relevant program processes and generated hypotheses about factors that facilitate or hinder the difficult transition for YARs. Implications for program development as well as needed structural changes are discussed.

La Formación Profesional para el empleo de personas adultas en Europa: estado del arte

“…Respecto al carácter integrador de la Formación Profesional para el empleo y su repercusión en el mercado laboral, encontramos opiniones diversas. Mientras un grupo de autores ofrece datos que la consideran como un catalizador adecuado para la incorporación a un empleo tras la formación (Choi et al, 2021;James et al, 2020); otros autores consideran, sin embargo, que no puede asegurarse esta causalidad (Achatz et al, 2022;Desjardins, 2019). Encontramos que esta diferencia de apreciación puede deberse a factores tales como la edad (Achatz et al, 2022), la motivación por el trabajo, las competencias interpersonales de los participantes (Löfgren, 2020) o la posibilidad de realización o no de prácticas profesionales durante la formación (Andersson y Muhrman, 2021).…”

The Fate of Social Modernity

“…Targeting welfare benefit recipients aged 50 years and over, this scheme provided intensive job coaching, special training and, in a few cases, public sector sponsored employment (Boockmann and Brändle 2019). On an experimental basis, more intensive job promotion measures were also available for refugees, low-skilled young people and long-term jobseekers with multiple personal constraints, showing positive outcomes at least for some sections of this target population (James et al 2020;Achatz et al 2022;Freier and Senghaas 2022). The 2010s also saw some efforts towards creating publicly subsidised jobs at a regional level.…”

A temporal perspective on refugee employment – Advancing HRM theory and practice

“…Numerous studies describe the nature and challenges of short and long‐term refugee workforce integration and related suboptimal employment outcomes (e.g., Carlsson & Rooth, 2016; James et al., 2020; Nardon et al., 2020). Yet, to understand and alleviate refugee employment challenges – to advance theory and enhance practice – we need an expanded perspective that encompasses career progression prior to resettlement and extends towards life‐long labour market integration.…”