Competition or Complementarity of Academic and Vocational Education in the Austrian Education System

• In Event: Competition or Complementarity Between Academic and Vocational Education? Status Quo, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland questions of competition and compatibility between vocational and higher education arise in different ways. It becomes apparent that for the Austrian education system we cannot assume systemic competition between vocational and higher education, but rather moments of competitive relationships in individual phases of qualification. The diverse transition possibilities within and between the system elements of vocational and higher education are contrasted in Austria by ambiguous manifestations of the connection between qualifications and the employment system, which do not indicate a strict separation. These are, on the one hand, connections that can be explained by the genesis of the subsystems of the education system and, on the other hand, social conditions of educational decisions and occupational choices. Especially for the Austrian educational system, which is still considered socially selective, this emerges as a crucial feature for determining inequality in educational and occupational trajectories (OECD 2018)
Moreover, the analytical approaches show that the individuals navigating and acting in these complex situations often cannot be fully captured by a systemic perspective alone, although the Austrian system is counted among the coordinated models (Busemeyer & Trampusch 2012) The considerations regarding competition and compatibility thus follow the assumption that, on closer examination, it is not only a question of a system or system parts of vocational qualification. Rather, both at the upper secondary level and in the higher education area, a wide variety of sector-immanent, but also overarching developments (scientification, academization and hybridization of educational pathways) overlap in the diverse types of organizations with their specific histories (institutional and regional to system, administration (Grubb & Lazerson 2005), and landscape of provisions) (OECD 2012). Moreover, these are still completed by people who, in turn, cannot or do not want to follow these historically conditioned and sectoral logics across the board (inequality). Accordingly, a socio-ecological approach to complexity seems more equitable (Buchanan, Anderson & Power 2017).
Using data from national education reporting as well as register data of the education system and the labor market, secondary analyses are made to show the relationship between competition and complementarity of vocational and higher education qualifications. The complex contexts of qualification acquisition specific to the Austrian education system, make evident that in several apparently individual transitions between differentiated lower secondary education, various vocationally qualified paths on upper secondary level, transition to employment, or during the immediate or delayed entry into higher education. Furthermore, taking into account hybrid employment and study careers as well as unexpected divergent transitions into the higher education system, but also back into the employment system, employment and study effort ongoing compete during life times (Schuetze & Wolter 2003).
In conclusion, the consideration of competitive conditions, not only for the Austrian education system, has to take into account historical, regional or domain-specific characteristics as well as socio-economic conditions. Although the phenomena of educational inequality based on socioeconomic conditions are particularly evident at specific points in the system, these represent a consistent background foil of training durations, upward mobilities or even gender equity.

Authors

• Peter Schloegl, Klagenfurt University

• Julia Stopper, University of Klagenfurt