Vocational education and training (VET) play a crucial role in bridging the gap between education and the labor market by equipping individuals with the skills that are directly relevant to industry needs. In apprentice-based systems, access to apprenticeships is often key to completing upper secondary education. Despite its importance, there is a shortage of apprenticeships in Europe (Löffler & Mayer, 2017). The risk of dropout and of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training) increase sharply with failure to obtain apprenticeships (Fyhn et al., 2021; Lalluka et al., 2019). It is critical to address who gains access to apprenticeships and who does not.

Company selection processes are therefore essential to understand; both how the selection processes are conducted and the key selection criteria used when hiring apprentices. When selecting apprentices, employers usually have to rely on fairly limited information on the apprentices’ competencies (Mueller & Wolter, 2014). Theoretically, apprentices’ skill and competency assessment may embrace a number of competencies, such as, a) occupation-specific competence in the individual subject, for example technical skills or occupational theory, b) cross-cutting competences (transversal skills) such as e.g. communication, ability to take responsibility, work concentrated etc., as well as c) basic skills, including digital skills (Cedefop, n.d.). Research indicates that employers use signals of both cognitive (e.g., grades and certificates) and noncognitive skills (e.g., school attendance records) in apprentice selection (Protsch & Solga, 2015). Yet, a fairly recent systematic review on apprentice selection points to a severe lack of literature on the selection of apprentices and proposes more research into key selection criteria employed by companies, and particularly on the potential importance of personal characteristics and how they are defined (Puchert et al., 2021). Furthermore, there is a need for qualitative studies with an expanded sample size, to contribute to the field of apprentice selection.

In this article, we address the following research questions: How do companies obtain information about applicants' competencies and skills? How are different signs of competence weighed against each other within different occupations? By seeking to provide in-depth insights into the selection process from a company perspective, we may also provide insights that may inform how vocational schools prepare student for this important transition.

Occupations may vary in terms of selection criteria and in what ways they are assessed by employers within different occupational fields. This heterogeneity can be analyzed through the literature that distinguishes between internal, external, and occupational or industry-based labor markets (Marsden, 1986). External labor markets are for unskilled labor with limited development opportunities. Internal labor markets provide specific skills within companies that are not easily transferable to other companies, whereas occupational or industry-based labor markets offer transferable qualifications across businesses. While apprenticeship-based VET often qualifies for work in occupational labor market, the relationship between education and the labor market is not as tight-knit for all VET educations. Taking the example of Norway, where our data originates from, apprenticeships and vocational training hold varying importance between sectors with clear implications for the selection processes and selection criteria employed. 

The article is based on parts of a multi-method study examining the transition from vocational school-based education to apprenticeship in companies. The larger project seeks to understand the transition from the school-based part of VET to the company situated part of VET, and includes a range of participants: Vocational teachers, training companies, and training agencies, as well as several methods: Individual interviews, group interviews, a national survey, and register data. In Norway, VET is built on a 2+2 model, where students complete two years of school-based education within their selected vocational program before they start two years as apprentices in company training. During their two years in schools, students also access companies through internships, or practical training, but it is not necessarily where students later obtain apprenticeships. Considering the organization of Norwegian VET, several actors, including companies, schools and training agencies, play important roles in students’ transition to apprenticeships. In the present sub-study, data was collected through individual in-depth interviews with representatives involved in apprentice selection within 19 different companies within three different vocations: six within sales, seven within electricity and seven within health work. These trades were chosen due to the varying importance of apprenticeship as a way of recruiting workers, potentially impacting the selection criteria employed. For example, in sectors like retail and parts of the service industry, vocational training is less significant, with much work done by unskilled labor, indicating internal labor markets (Bore et al., 2012), compared to electricity where apprenticeship is an important entrance to the vocation. Additionally, interviews with eight representatives from training agencies within the three trades were conducted. Training agencies are unique to the Norwegian context, and are intermediary organizations that support companies in recruitment, selection and administrative, practical support of companies and apprentices. Companies and training agencies were asked about their recruitment processes, their motivation for hiring apprentices, and what key selection criteria they rely on when hiring apprentices. In-depth qualitative data on apprentice selection is rare, and the current data provides insights into the selection and decision process of key actors when youths transition from school to company training, especially regarding the content of transversal skills. The data collection was conducted between March 2024 and completed January 2025. We are currently analyzing the data in NVivo14 using a thematic approach to analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022), aiming to identify the key skills and selection criteria used to assess these skills.

As the analysis stands now, the main findings from this study indicate that companies do not immediately reject candidates based on simple metrics such as grades and absenteeism. This approach may partly be due to a limited pool of applicants, but also for idealistic reasons. Many employers wish to give young people a chance, believing that some may perform better in a work environment than in a school setting. This finding highlights that employers look beyond formal achievements and consider the potential of candidates in a practical work context. As such, companies place greater emphasis on transversal skills than on purely job-specific skills. Particularly important are willingness to learn and motivation, which are often deemed crucial for a successful apprenticeship. Transversal skills, such as communication and teamwork, are often integrated with occupational skills, making them highly relevant in a work environment. Employers seem to value these skills because they indicate how well a candidate will function in daily work. Experiences from previous internships within companies also plays a significant role in the selection process. For many employers, information about these experiences (provided though references or having accommodated the student during internships) serves as a platform to evaluate candidates' practical skills and work ethics. This provides companies with a better understanding of how candidates will perform as apprentices. Despite students normally having two years in vocational school before applying for apprenticeship, schools and teachers play a less central role in providing information about candidates than one might expect. The implications of these findings are that schools can play a more crucial role in preparing students for the workforce. Schools could focus more on developing transversal skills and motivation in students, as well as setting realistic workplace expectations. This can increase students' chances of succeeding in the transition from school to work.

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