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Business Cycles and School-to-Work Transitions for Vocational Students: The Role of General Skills and Educational Opportunities

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  • Kari Vea Salvanes
  • Asgeir Skålholt

Abstract

This paper examines whether general skills and universal access to higher education (HE) shape vocational students' school-to-work transitions during recessions. We study how increased unemployment affects post-completion outcomes across institutional regimes that differ in curricular emphasis on general skills and access to HE - allowing us to identify effects of general skills alone and combined with HE access. Relative to a setting with limited general skills and no universal HE access, combining general skills with universal HE access more than halves labour-market scarring on earnings over the first six years after completion. General skills alone do not meaningfully affect labour-market scarring.

Suggested Citation

  • Kari Vea Salvanes & Asgeir Skålholt, 2026. "Business Cycles and School-to-Work Transitions for Vocational Students: The Role of General Skills and Educational Opportunities," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 26219, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    • Handle: RePEc:crm:wpaper:26219
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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