The role and meaning of vocations in the transition from education to work

The purpose of this paper is to explore current patterns of transition from education to work in the Dual System of VET in Denmark. First it will explore some of the significant changes that have taken place in the transition process. Then it will discuss two dimensions of the role of vocations and occupations in the transition process. One dimension is to connect the educational system with the employment system. The other is to offer imagined future identities for young people entering vocational education. The last part of the paper will present some findings from two research projects on the role and meaning of vocations in the transition from education to work in the Danish dual system. One surprising result is that graduates from the VET system have a very high mobility in the labour market even though the programmes provide mainly specific qualifications.