Educational background and vocational training among prospective employees aged between sixteen and nineteen

Abstract

This research therefore looks into the importance of education and vocational training for prospective employees aged between sixteen and nineteen years. The study compares the aspirations of youths by gender, the educational/vocational training institution they would be attending and region in Malta. Triangulation was used in the attempt to acquire a clear picture about the importance of education for youths and get a macro perspective of the current situation. The research therefore comprised: quantitative, qualitative and secondary sources in order to verify how much the findings of the quantitative and qualitative responses match the data presented by others. This methodology also helped the present author to probe into the problem being studied from the receivers' (the 'students') point of view in contrast to that of policy-makers. Six interviews were carried out with persons coming from the fields of education and employment who in their work help youth take decisions regarding their future education and/or careers. Questionnaires were used for the quantitative approach in this study. This section was divided into eight cohorts: seven cohorts were taken from education/vocational training institutions; while the last cohort was a group of youths attending a course offered by the ETC. 316 youths attending various courses offered by different institutions responded Out of those youths who where following some type of education, 68.9% wanted to pursue their studies. 74.9% of the youths who were still in compulsory education stated that they wanted to further their studies. Moreover, 18.4% of all the respondents from the seven different institutions which were studied claimed that their choice was to start working upon finishing school/the course they were attending. The vast majority of the respondents from the ETC claimed that employers seek prospective workers with work experience. Only one of the respondents believed that employers preferred prospective workers with qualifications. Only 7% of these youths claimed that if they could go back in time they would try to further their education. The findings obtained from this study suggest that most youths consider education important in helping them find employment. The "failure" label given to those students attending area secondary schools haunts them throughout their school-life. Because of this, a number of students attending area secondary schools finish compulsory education without knowing how to read and write properly. It is therefore essential for schools to cater for those students who find difficulty in learning. With some help, these students can improve and obtain the basic tools needed to enter into the world of work.