VET has a rather heterogeneous reputation worldwide, which causes challenges for various countries. The negative reputation of VET is often associated with higher salaries of academic professions (Kopatz & Pilz, 2015) and social recognition (Bosch & Charest, 2009). This perception coincides with a growing shortage of skilled workers, especially on a mediate qualification level, which makes vocational training even more necessary. However, the challenges vary significantly between countries. This paper provides insights into the general reputation of the public Brazilian VET system and the perception of this system from the perspective of the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (FIs). Public and private institutions can provide VET qualifications in the Brazilian Educational System. Whilst upper secondary VET combines general and vocational subjects (including access to tertiary education), apprenticeships focus on 14–24-year-olds on a secondary education level, combining practical and theoretical parts (OECD, 2015). Both approaches offer professionalization towards a specific occupation. Compared to other OECD countries, VET participation in Brazil is low, whilst the upper secondary VET drop-out rate with 11% is high (OECD, 2023). This study aims to identify possible levers to bring the Federal VET system in Brazil closer to young adolescents and to identify acute challenges that cause young adolescents to decide against an educational pathway in the Federal VET system. The available data suggest that VET in general has a rather low reputation in Brazil (OECD, 2023) although there is a huge demand. Therefore, this paper aims to answer the following research questions:

• What is the current reputation of the public VET system in Brazil and what are the reasons for this situation?
• What are students’ aspirations for choosing public VET in Brazil?

To gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the relation between educational opportunities, both rational choice theory (individual level) and the skill ecosystem approach (system level) form the theoretical basis of this paper.

On an individual level, sociological rational choice theory (e.g. Arrow, 1973) is suitable for explaining social phenomena at the aggregate level in a structural-individualistic approach. The basic assumptions of these approaches form a theoretical reference point for the statements of the educational representatives in the interviews conducted within the scope of this explorative study. Rational choice theory posits that young individuals are expected to exhibit rational behaviour when making decisions related to their education. Consequently, they operate in a way that maximizes their utility based on their personal preferences, where action is considered utility-maximizing when individuals select from a range of potential courses of action the one that most effectively advances their desired objectives while incurring minimal costs (Green & Shapiro, 1999). However, young people are limited in their rational behaviour due to the lack of advanced information regarding the anticipated advantages of their educational choices (Arrow, 1973; Garibaldi, 2006; Jovanovic, 1979).

Alligning with a a systemic approach, the skill ecosystem approach offers a holistic understanding. Defined by Finegold (1999) and Brown (2022), this approach perceives educational choices and professionalization being influenced by the present ecosystem, leading to different (area-based) educational and economical pathways, forming a bridge between labour-market-centred demands and policy driven supply. The aim is to offer a holistic, diverse and adaptable approach with a focus on creating solutions to skill-related challenges considering global and local contexts. This approach provides a basis for explaining (regional) differences in terms of educational choice and qualification. Within this study, the focus referring to the skill ecosystem approach are institutional and political framework conditions. This comprises aspects such as legal regulations, governance forms and structures and their public perception, regulations and the negotiation of ethnic standards (Ostendorf, 2019).

The results presented in this paper originate from an explorative qualitative study, which investigates the Brazilian society’s perception of the FIs, considering their capillarity in the country. This paper aims to elicit reasons for the attractiveness of the FIs. We developed a qualitative exploratory research design to analyse an under-researched area of the public VET system. We focus on the general perception of the Brazilian public VET system by the educational representatives at the FIs, who: 1. are influential advisers for young people regarding their educational choices and pathways and 2. are well informed about young peoples’ interests and attitudes as well as their educational aspirations, choices and pathways. In a first step, we conducted a literature review on the current situation of VET in terms of relevant stakeholders, governance structures, participation and success rates. The results in combination with the theoretical basis were used to design the interview guideline. We collected qualitative data by conducting expert interviews with selected educational representatives at the FIs. Expert interviews were chosen in order to gain specialised knowledge and a deep understanding and thus to expand the previously sparse research results on the reputation of Brazil’s public VET system and the aspirations of young people choosing this pathway. The educational representatives in the institutional context represent a problem-orientated perspective. Their knowledge is strongly linked to their professional role and is based on privileged access to information (cf. Meuser & Nagel 2009, 467ff.). They especially qualify as a group of stakeholders with valuable expert knowledge, because their Institutes cover the full range of educational degrees available in the Brazilian educational system from secondary general education up to Master degrees and even the option for PhDs. We carried out n = 23 semi-structured expert interviews in Portuguese with 4 rectors and 19 faculty members from different regions and backgrounds across Brazil. 10 interviewees were male and 13 female. All Brazilian regions were included in the sample, with the Southeast region being more significant in numbers (South n = 4; Southeast n = 7, Centre West n = 5, Northeast n = 4, North n = 3) due to the demographic representativeness and the number of FIs. We anonymized, transcribed and translated the interviews. The data was analysed via structured qualitative content analysis in alignment with Kuckartz (2022) by identifying both inductive and deductive categories. A communicative validation of the analysis results took place at various points in the evaluation process.

The presented results focus on students’ aspirations when choosing public VET. Our data indicate a rather positive reputation of FIs with difficulties deriving from the community’s overall perception as well as individual preferences. The positive reputation of FIs aligns with rational choice theory’s emphasis on individuals’ decision to maximize their utility. In this context, our results show that parents' attitudes towards VET also influence young people's educational decisions (cf. Alavi, Sail & Awang, 2012). Furthermore, the availability of diverse educational programs within the same institution provides individuals with a range of (horizontal) choices to maximize their utility. The organizational structure of FIs, allowing educational pathways from primary to higher education (verticalization), resonates with the assumptions of both rational choice theory and the skill ecosystem approach, as the availability of diverse educational levels within the same institution provides individuals with a vertical range of choices to maximize their utility. Moreover, this vertical integration aligns with the skill ecosystem approach by optimizing resources, including infrastructure and faculty expertise (e.g. Buchanan et al., 2017). Our results show positive perceptions of the quality of education the FIs offer, mainly linked to comprehensive training and relevant knowledge for professional contexts. In general, there is recognition of the importance of faculty and student satisfaction, considering the institutions’ relevance within their local context, not only for technical qualification but also for helping people to form their principles and values. Nevertheless, the comprehensive and long-term improvement of the standing of FIs requires a multi-perspective approach in co-operation with the relevant political actors (Jambo & Pilz, 2018). This political discussion and the current changing situation within Brazil offer opportunities to intensify the ties between the FIs and the regional economy. This could lead to the establishment of a true skill ecosystem with FIs being one of its main contributors.

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