Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) programmes, especially low threshold ones aimed at disadvantaged youths, are seen as a measure to ensure inclusion of people with different backgrounds (cultural, social, cognitive) (Kammermann, Stalder & Hättich, 2011; Hofmann & Müller, 2017; Scharnhorst & Kammermann, 2017) and thus enabling equal participation in society and workforce. However, research shows a fairly high premature contract termination or dropout quote in IVET programmes (Uhly, 2015; Stalder & Schmid, 2016) and equally in low threshold programmes (Schmid & Neumann, 2016).

It is beyond controversy that reasons for premature contract terminations/dropout are complex and that contract terminations/dropouts can be understood as a risk on the one hand but also as an opportunity on the other hand (Lamamra & Masdonati, 2009; Schmid 2010; Stalder & Schmid, 2016).

The symposium aims at analysing premature contract terminations/dropouts in IVET programmes, especially low threshold ones, in three countries – Switzerland, Spain and Denmark. The following questions will be addressed:

• What is the premature contract termination/dropout quote in the three countries?
• Is this quote higher, lower than in IVET programmes with higher aspiration level?
• Which are the characteristics of the young people entering these programmes?
• Which are the predictors for premature contract termination/dropout?
• Which are the reasons for premature contract termination/dropout?
• How likely is re-entry after premature contract termination/dropout?
• Which are the predictors for re-entry?
• Which are the consequences of premature contract termination/dropout for the affected youths?

The first paper

‘Evidence from Swiss National Data: Premature apprenticeship contract terminations, reentries, and underlying reasons’

presents premature contract termination quotes in two-year VET programmes in Switzerland with a special focus on re-entry and subsequent successful completion of training.

The second paper

‘What does premature apprenticeship contract termination tell us about low-threshold VET programs? The case of the Swiss Federal VET Certificate’

gives an insight into the characteristics of the population engaged in two-year VET programmes, the reasons for premature contract terminations in those programmes and possible subsequent support measures.

The third paper

‘Inclusion and exclusion in Basic VET programmes in Spain’

identifies sociodemographic and school biography characteristics for success or dropout in IVET in the Balearic Islands, Spain.

The forth paper

‘Creating drop-out in vocational education in Denmark’

concentrates on Danish students’ twofold perceptions of their dropout in IVET courses’.

The discussant will compare the four contributions cross-nationally – by taking into account different theoretical perspectives, empirical approaches and findings.

Hofmann, C., & Müller, X. (2017). Verzögerter Einstieg, aber Zufriedenheit mit zweijähriger Ausbildung. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik 23(10), 40-47. Kammermann, M., Stalder, B.E., & Hättich, A. (2011). Two-year apprenticeships – a successful model of training? Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 63(3), 377-396. Lamamra, N., & Masdonati, J. (2009). Arrêter une formation professionnelle: Mots et maux d’apprenti-e-s. Lausanne: Antipodes. Scharnhorst, U., & Kammermann, M. (2017). Wie inklusiv ist die zweijährige berufliche Grundbildung in der Schweiz? In M. Becker, M. Kammermann, G. Spöttl, & L. Balzer (Hrsg.). Berufsausbildung mit verkürzter Ausbildungsdauer? Internationaler Vergleich der Ausbildungskonzepte für benachteiligte Jugendliche. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 245-286. Schmid, E. (2010). Kritisches Lebensereignis «Lehrvertragsauflösung». Eine Längsschnittuntersuchung zum Wiedereinstieg und zum subjektiven Wohlbefinden betroffener Jugendlicher. Bern: hep. Schmid, E., & Neumann, J. (2016). Erste nationale Ergebnisse zu Lehrvertragsauflösungen. Panorama 30(6), 14-15. Stalder, B., & Schmid, E. (2016). Lehrvertragsauflösung und Ausbildungserfolg – kein Widerspruch. Wege und Umwege zum Berufsabschluss. Bern: hep Uhly, A. (2015). Vorzeitige Vertragslösungen und Ausbildungsverlauf in der dualen Berufsausbildung. Forschungsstand, Datenlage und Analysemöglichkeiten auf Basis der Berufsbildungsstatistik. Bonn: Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung.