Factors preventing young people from continuing in education

A quantitative survey among young people aged 15–24 years aimed to identify the main risk factors for this age group to leave education after compulsory schooling. The most important factors include the opportunity to follow further education of one’s choice, language, place of residence and the parents’ level of education. Moreover, less educated young people are less satisfied with various aspects of their job situation than their better educated counterparts.

About the study

The Research Institute for Vocational Training and Adult Education (Institut für Berufs- und Erwachsenenbildungsforschung, IBE) at the Johannes Kepler University in the north-central city of Linz conducted a quantitative survey to identify the main risk factors that contribute to young people aged 15–24 years leaving education after compulsory schooling. For this purpose, the survey compared young people with an educational attainment level that does not exceed the nine years of compulsory schooling in Austria with higher educated youths. According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), nine years of compulsory schooling corresponds to ISCED 2, that is, less than upper secondary level education. The comparison between the two groups of young people was based on a number of socio-demographic, educational, occupational and behavioural aspects, as well as on their social and cultural origins.

Population sample

In total, 1,343 young persons from the Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) province returned the survey questionnaire, corresponding to a response rate of 10%. Some 384 of them complied with the definition and had no education beyond the nine years of compulsory schooling in Austria. Overall, the survey sample included more girls and young women (62%) than boys and young men (38%). In terms of the gender distribution, the proportion of less educated female and male young people leaving education after nine years of compulsory schooling is almost the same: 28% of girls and young women, compared to 30% of boys and young men.

Risk factors

Among the most important risk factors preventing young people from participating in education beyond compulsory schooling are the language, the parents’ level of education and the place of residence. Only 13% of all respondents stated that German is not their native language. While among those with German as their native language only 24% drop out of education after nine years of compulsory schooling, this proportion rises to more than half (55%) among those who have a different native language than German.

The rate of less educated young people in Upper Austria is also relatively high in urban areas. More than 40% of young people living in cities stopped their education after compulsory schooling. Interestingly, the place of residence does not have any influence on young people with a different native language than German. For this group, the risk of foregoing education beyond compulsory schooling is the same regardless of where they live.

Regarding the parents’ level of education, the survey shows that the risk of only attaining a low educational level is twice as high for children whose parents have a low level of education themselves. Some 44% of all respondents whose parents have a low educational level have no more than nine years of compulsory education; this proportion, however, declines to 25% of all respondents whose parents have attained a medium level of education and to 22% whose parents have a high level of education.

A regression analysis revealed that for young people living in urban areas, whose native language is not German and whose parents only attained lower educational levels, the risk of leaving education after compulsory schooling is about 27%.

However, the most important risk factor for young people leaving education after compulsory schooling turned out to be the ability to pick one’s favourite educational or training programme. Of 75% of all respondents who were able to follow their preferred education or training programme, only 17% had not participated in education beyond the compulsory nine years of schooling. At the same time, 50% of young people who were unable to take up the training or education of their choice left education after nine years of compulsory schooling. In this context, the native language and the parents’ educational level also play a role: young people whose native language is a different language than German and whose parents are less educated themselves are less often free to follow the educational or career path of their choice.

Occupational situation

Of all the young people surveyed, 57% were in employment and 23% were either unemployed or seeking an apprenticeship, more than half of whom were participating in training courses at the same time. The remaining 20% of the survey respondents were either still at school (18%) or doing military service (2%). Interestingly, the study also shows that only 7% of the higher educated young people were unemployed or looking for an apprenticeship, while 63% of the less educated young persons found themselves in this situation. However, this considerable difference can be attributed to the fact that 70% of the less educated youth who responded to the survey were contacted by the Public Employment Service Austria (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich, AMS).

However, young people who leave education after compulsory schooling are significantly more often unemployed. They tend to work in unskilled jobs and in small companies. The high level of unemployment among less educated young persons is predominant in urban areas. Nonetheless, it cannot be entirely explained by the significant number of young migrants living in cities, since the unemployment rate of young native German speakers in urban areas is twice as high as that of those living in rural areas.

Satisfaction with employment situation

The occupational situation tends to be more difficult for young people who have not attained an educational level beyond the nine years of compulsory schooling than for higher educated youths. Young persons without upper secondary education are significantly less satisfied with a number of aspects in their job.

Compared with higher educated young persons, young people whose highest level of education does not exceed the nine years of compulsory schooling in Austria show greater dissatisfaction with their previous career and career prospects, as well as with the opportunities available for further training. They are also less satisfied than their higher educated peers with the tasks that they are required to perform in their jobs, as well as with their superiors, the working environment, workplace safety and working time (see table).