Life patterns

The Life Patterns Project is an 11-year longitudinal study of Victorian school leavers. Established in 1991, the project followed the education, career and life progress of these young people. The project aimed to: (1) examine the changing experience of youth in a changed world; (2) assess the impact of globalisation on the life experiences of the post-1970 generation; and (3) consider how young people are responding to change and uncertainty. The project involved a first survey sent to 30,000 students across Victoria in 1991, a follow-up survey in 1992 that tracked 11,000 students, and re-surveying in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 of smaller samples of 2,000 students who participated in some form of post-schooling education. In this article, the author considers the link between study and work, the meaning of career, and the pathways taken by contemporary school leavers, based on data from the Life Patterns Project. Findings suggest that: the transition process is complicated in comparison with linear policy assumptions; young people mix study and work through school and beyond; and young people place a high priority on balancing commitments and often find this difficult.

A working paper focusing on findings from the 1998 survey is indexed at TD/TNC 59.96. A progress report entitled 'Life-patterns, choices, careers: 1991-1998' is indexed at TD/TNC 73.320.

The Life Patterns Project is an 11-year longitudinal study of Victorian school leavers. Established in 1991, the project followed the education, career and life progress of these young people. The project aimed to: (1) examine the changing experience of youth in a changed world; (2) assess the impact of globalisation on the life experiences of the post-1970 generation; and (3) consider how young people are responding to change and uncertainty. The project involved a first survey sent to 30,000 students across Victoria in 1991, a follow-up survey in 1992 that tracked 11,000 students, and ...  [+] Show more