Low education, high job quality? Job autonomy and learning among workers without higher education in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Ireland

Abstract

Since reforms implemented in 1994, vocational education and training (VET) in Norway has been integrated and standardized as part of upper-secondary education. When young people enter upper-secondary education at the age of 15 or 16, they can choose either a vocational programme or a general academic programme. The standard model in vocational programmes is 2 years of school-based education, followed by 2 years of apprenticeship training. However, in practice, only a minority follow the standard route and acquire a trade certificate within 4 years. The average age upon completion of a vocational programme in Norway is 28 years, which is among the highest in the OECD. The purpose of this study was to explore personal trajectories within the Norwegian context to gain a better understanding of why people choose to obtain a trade certificate as young adults, instead of following the standardized route, drawn up by policy makers. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 people who obtained a trade certificate when they were aged between 25 and 35 years. The study showed that the opportunity to acquire formal VET qualifications through workplace learning provides an important second chance for many young adults in Norway. Based on the findings, we argue that policy makers need to see educational achievement in a long-term perspective and to design institutional structures that support learning opportunities at work, as well as in formal educational settings.

Retirement intention of older workers: The influences of high‐involvement work practices, individual characteristics, and economic environment

“…Moreover, education has a relationship with individuals’ chance of working on high quality jobs. For example, research has shown that compared with those with higher education, workers with lower education are less likely to work on high‐quality jobs featuring learning opportunities, fair compensation, and job autonomy (e.g., Aspøy, 2020; Wicht et al., 2019). When organizations do provide such kinds of high‐quality jobs using HIWPs, older workers with a lower educational level are more likely to take the opportunity and more positively react to HIWPs.…”

Culture and the way of granting job autonomy: Goal or execution?

“…For example, Dong et al (2021) found that employees with long working hours benefited more from job autonomy. Aspøy (2020) found that employees without higher education exercised less job autonomy. Ng and Feldman (2015) found that older workers experienced greater levels of the positive outcomes of job autonomy.…”