Organizing School-to-Work Transition Research from a Sustainable Career Perspective: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

A successful school-to-work transition is crucial to an individual’s initial entry into the labor market and overall sustainable career development. Scholarly interest in how emerging adults (i.e., late teens to late 20s) can achieve a successful transition to work has grown considerably, stemming from various disciplines, such as educational sciences, psychology, sociology, and economics. These disciplines have all produced valuable knowledge, yet, they mostly exist as separate silos, without clear integration. To create an overview of the literature, we systematically reviewed school-to-work transition literature and used a sustainable career lens to organize it. Based on 365 articles from the past 28 years, our review findings show that there are different conceptual and theoretical approaches to studying school-to-work transitions. We subsequently organize these perspectives into antecedents categorized into the sustainable career perspective’s person, context, and time dimensions. Moreover, we categorize school-to-work transition outcomes as proximal and more distal outcomes related to happiness, health, and productivity indicators. Finally, we reflect on the implications of our review article and suggest ways forward for conceptualizing and theorizing modern school-to-work transitions, along with an agenda for future research.

Are we talking about the same thing? The case for stronger connections between graduate and worker employability research

“…Employability is a core factor in this dynamic perspective on the initial transition to work. This was confirmed in a recent systematic literature review of the school-to-work transition literature by Blokker et al. (2023), which used sustainable careers as an organizing framework and included employability as one of the outcomes of a successful transition into work.…”

“…First, where graduate employability research has a particular focus on the preparation for the initial transition into work and worker employability on the career path after this first transition, an opportunity for joint research is collaboratively exploring the longer-term trajectories, experiences and outcomes of graduates at work, moving beyond higher education's problematic focus on short-term job attainment metrics (Jackson and Bridgstock, 2018). Such studies would also enhance the field of school-to-work transition research, in which longitudinal studies spanning the entire transition into work are still rare (Blokker et al, 2023). A second potential track for joint research is employability development and, in particular, work-integrated learning.…”

Unpacking the effects of socialization programs on newcomer retention: A meta-analytic review of field experiments.

“…This disconnect between expectation and actuality in the early stages of organizational entry, often labeled as reality shock (Dugoni & Ilgen, 1981; Irving & Meyer, 1994; Spector et al, 2015), is consistent with the theory of met expectations (Porter & Steers, 1973; see Appendix B, for a brief description) and has been associated with a multitude of adjustment issues (Buckley et al, 1998). Without an organization-initiated effort to set the correct expectations, newcomers must handle this significant challenge alongside the many other demands associated with this transition (Blokker et al, 2023; Fan & Wanous, 2008). Such an anxiety-provoking and resource-depleting experience is known to produce a higher probability of turnover (De Croon et al, 2004; Ilgen & Seely, 1974).…”

Career Education Skills and Career Adaptability among College Students in China: The Mediating Role of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

“…Adequate career preparedness equips students with the knowledge to identify and seize various opportunities while acquiring skills that contribute to career success [ 43 ]. The arrangements have a notable impact on initial professional encounters, which consequently affect future employment changes and the durability of one’s career [ 44 , 45 ]. Unfortunately, career education research in China started relatively late compared to developed Western countries, and the coverage of career education courses remains incomplete.…”