Early leaving from education, including vocational education and training (VET) pathways, is a challenge for European policymakers and educators. In Estonia, most early leavers from education and training fail at the transition from compulsory primary education to general or vocational upper secondary education (Kallip & Heidmets, 2017). In VET, students mostly drop out during their first year of studies (Musset et al., 2019). Successful educational transitions are vital, as these have long-term consequences - early school leavers have a higher risk of unemployment, poverty or social exclusion (Kallip & Heidmets, 2017).

To address the described problems, Estonian vocational schools have since 2016 implemented the Choice of profession training (CoPT). It is an introductory transition program aiming to develop key competencies, provide positive learning- and work experience, and enable young people to familiarize themselves with different professions to support them in making informed choices in their further educational pathway (Kinkar et al., 2019). Starting as a project-based educational intervention, in 2019, CoPT became a permanent part of the vocational education system (Standard of Vocational Education, 2019). 

CoPT can be seen as what Schmid (2020) describes as a preparatory VET program not leading to a specific qualification while offering studies in general subjects and guided opportunities to explore different specialties. The half-year program addresses the needs of those uncertain about their career choice and who have dropped out of school or need supplementary preparations for continuing their studies. There is no primary education requirement for students enrolling in CoPT. While the 30-credit point program does not provide a formal qualification, it develops learning outcomes equivalent to the second qualification level according to the European Qualification Framework (EQF). The curriculum must include at least 70% practical training in different specialities. The remaining 30% of the curriculum covers the core studies reserved for upgrading students’ knowledge in general subjects and developing the following key competencies: learning-, communication-, self-determination, performance-, information technology-, initiative, and entrepreneurial competence (Standard of Vocational Education, 2019).

Young people transitioning to VET can come from diverse backgrounds and have a wide range of needs and challenges. The transition is a significant event in a youngster's life, and it is essential that they are equipped with the key competencies necessary to navigate this transition successfully. The lack of maturity required for successful vocational training and insufficient personal and social skills contribute to the spectrum of risk factors in students’ transition to VET (Peinemann, 2019) and the teachers and specialists perceive the heterogeneity of the students in the transition programs often as a challenge (Jäppinen, 2012). 

The number of young people participating in CoPT has increased almost tenfold (from 30 to over 300) since 2019 (HaridusSilm, s.a.). However, there needs to be more research about the youngsters encountering themselves in CoPT and the key competencies they need. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the CoPT coordinator’s perceptions of the learners in CoPT and about developing their key competencies. We chose the perspective of program coordinators, as according to our previous study (Roos et al., 2021), they have a central role in supporting CoPT learners in the program: in addition to coordinating the support network of many specialists (VET teachers, special education teachers, social pedagogues and others), they are often student’s primary trusted person in CoPT.

Two research questions emerged: (1) how do the coordinators describe a group of CoPT learners; and (2) which key competencies do they consider essential for those students’ development?

The findings of the study are based on eight semi-structured interviews with CoPT program coordinators from Estonian VET schools. Participation in the study was voluntary, and all participants gave informed consent. The authors conducted the interviews in 2019-2023, implementing researcher triangulation. The interview questions addressed program coordinators' experiences in implementing the CoPT, particularly their perceptions of the students enrolling in the program and the opportunities for developing key competencies. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. We used qualitative inductive content analysis for data analysis, following the steps described by Vears & Gillam (2022). First, all authors repeatedly read the full transcripts of the interviews to familiarise themselves with the data. In the next step, the initial coding of the data was carried out. To ensure the credibility of the study, re-coding, peer-debriefing and researcher triangulation were used. All authors did the initial data coding, and all authors carried out an additional re-coding. The authors discussed the initial codes, identified differences, and discussed the codes' names until they reached a consensus. Then we developed content categories, grouping codes similar in meaning and comparing and refining them during several peer debriefings.

The preliminary results indicate that the study groups in CoPT are very heterogeneous, consisting of learners who are unsure of their choice of profession, who dropped out of (vocational) school, and who exhibit learning difficulties, special educational needs, antisocial behaviour, mental disorders, or addiction problems. Besides, learners are characterised by varying motivation levels, challenging those working with them. Because of learners' heterogeneity, the critical issue in CoPT is how to form study groups. In addition to the group members' compatibility, the learners' effect on one another must be considered. Three main competence areas emerged from the data: self-determination-, learning- and social competencies. The interviewees emphasised the need to help learners better understand themselves, gain courage, and cope with their emotions or fear of failure. Boosting the self-esteem and self-confidence of learners was considered necessary. The findings suggest that the learners in CoPT have to relearn how to learn. Learning competence and habits often have to be taught from the very beginning, starting with everyday routines (e.g., waking up early in the morning and coming to school). Students who struggle to stay in school can quickly drop out due to interruptions in routines (e.g., changes in training schedule and lesson plans, holidays). Collaboration skills are developed through group activities that aim, among other things, to foster a sense of community and develop social skills, such as helpful behaviour in a group. The preliminary findings indicate that it is challenging to practice cooperative learning and develop a sense of unity in the group because of the learners' heterogeneity. Group work is practised step by step, as acquiring collaboration competence is also essential for the subsequent transition to working life.

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