Based on the results of a longitudinal study that has involved a cohort of over 3,000 students in the Swiss Canton of Ticino, this paper aims primarily to describe the transition from compulsory to post-compulsory school or vocational tracks, highlighting its typical features, delays and reorientation.

The transition from one stage to another can in fact be linear or present elements of discontinuity. The latter may occur at the time of entry into a particular formation, in subsequent years, or result in the abandonment of a formation before its conclusion (Keller, Hupka Brunner & Meyer, 2010). If a  successful transition usually corresponds to the direct transition from the lower secondary to the upper secondary educational or vocational level, a missed or difficult transition distinguishes itself for a more dilated time and for several subsequent changes which, in the worst case, lead to early school leaving (Pagnossin & Armi 2011) and to permanent problems in entering the labour market or having a long-lasting job.  A risk often connected with a missed transition is also ending up being trapped in “rescue solutions” such as the social assistance that can cause chronic dependency from public or private aid. According to the Eurostat data of 2012, the Swiss Canton of Ticino is one of the Swiss regions with the lowest percentage of early school leavers (according to Eurostat definition these are persons aged between 18 and 24 years with at most lower secondary education and are not involved in further education or training). This percentage, which amounts to 4.7% against a Swiss average of 5.5%, has decreased by half over the past 5 years and is significantly lower than in other European countries.

The second goal of this paper ,is to get a better comprehension of the transition and of the role played by individual and systemic factors in this particular moment. Moreover, a description of the measures and initiatives provided at an institutional level by the Canton and aimed at supporting young people during the above mentioned school transition and an analysis of the ties among them will be furnished. One particular category of these measures is represented by transitional solutions. According to Meyer (2003) they began to be widespread in Switzerland in the 1990s (Egger Dreher e Partner AG, 2007). They perform three main functions: 1) a compensatory function: educational, linguistic or other difficulties are addressed; 2) an orientative function: provision of support and assistance with choosing a post-compulsory education track; 3) a systemic cushioning function which, for example, can tackle the imbalance between supply and demand regarding apprenticeships - often an obstacle to young people entering their preferred profession. This type of solution can also be used by young people who wish to take up training for which they cannot enrol immediately after compulsory education (training which requires a minimum age for entry). One of the most frequently used transitional solution in Ticino is the so-called Pretirocinio di orientamento (PTO), namely a pre-apprenticeship orientation programme offered to students to help them choose a career. The programme lasts a school year and no certificate is issued at the end of it. Although it helps many young people to find a place in the training system, it is not suitable for some of them and other provisions are necessary (Marcionetti, Donati & Casabianca Schlichting, 2010).

Egger Dreher e Partner AG. (2007). Étude approfondie sur les offres de formation transitoire entre scolarité obligatoire et formation professionnelle. Bern, Egger, Dreher & Partner AG. Keller A., Hupka-Brunner, S., & Meyer, T. (2010). Post compulsory education pathways in Switzerland: the first seven years. Results of the Swiss youth panel survey TREE. Online: http://tree.unibas.ch/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/tree/redaktion/docs/Keller_Hupka_Meyer_2010_Results_Update_engl.pdf&t=1358943843&hash=f8ef2ddba6982dcb4e3494c528c0577d Marcionetti, J. , Donati, M. & Casabianca Schlichting, E. (2010). Alla ricerca del mio futuro: sguardo sulle scelte e i percorsi degli allievi del pretirocinio d’orientamento. Dati statistiche e società, 2010, X, pp.50-57. Meyer, T. (2003). Les solutions transitoires – un pis-aller?, in : TREE (Eds.), Parcours vers les formations postobligatoires. Les deux premières années après l’école obligatoire. Résultats intermédiaires de l’étude longitudinale TREE. Neuchâtel, Office fédéral de statistique, pp. 101-109. Pagnossin, E., & Armi, F. (2011). Transition entre la formation et le monde du travail. État de la recherche en Suisse. Papers : revista de sociologia, 96(4), 1163-1179.