Dilemmas and Challenges for Job Placement Among Young Techni-cal and Vocational Secondary Education Degree Candidates: The Cases of Chile and Spain

Abstract

This article was written jointly by the authors as part of a collaboration between the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain and the University of Los Lagos in Chile. It analyses the dilemmas and challenges faced by young Chileans and Spaniards when they finish technical secondary school and try to enter the labour market or pursue higher education. The working method involved analysing data from secondary sources in both countries, reflecting the tensions and discrepancies between the technical vocational training received and job insecurity after completing secondary education. The main findings and conclusions are that some young people do not complete their vocational training because they do not finish their internships, while a significant percentage do not work in the field in which they studied. In this context, we highlight measures related to the functioning of the education system and the completion of the training programmes themselves.