How Does the Quality of Education Affect the Employment Quality of Secondary Vocational School Graduates?

Secondary education is an important stage for individuals to acquire the skills needed in the labor market. In recent years, the trend of pursuing higher education after secondary vocational education has weakened the relationship between the two. As an important stage for the cultivation of skills among secondary vocational education students, the influence of secondary education on the employment quality of secondary vocational school graduates has not received sufficient attention. An analysis of a sample survey of graduates from 10 schools participating in the Winning the Future Phase II project in 2023 found that cognitive abilities, non-cognitive abilities, and skills all promote high-quality employment for secondary vocational school graduates to varying degrees. Further analysis indicates that students with excellent academic performance and personality traits such as openness, extroversion, and agreeableness are more likely to achieve high job satisfaction, while skill certificates and general skills help secondary vocational school graduates obtain jobs matching their qualifications. Future development in vocational education should focus on the influence of secondary education on secondary vocational school students to help graduates achieve high-quality employment.