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This paper reviews the main comparative research papers on the transition from secondary school level to work, primarily in Europe. The paper aims to identify the important dimensions of variation among education/training systems and their national contexts, which may be hypothesised to influence the success of transitions. It develops a conceptual framework to represent inter-country variations in the nature of the school to work transition process. There are four dimensions of a conceptual framework: the national context; the nature of the education and training system in each country and its connection to the labour market, as well as state policies influencing these processes; the structure of the school to work transition process itself, and the outcomes of the transition process - 'success' and 'failure' in transitions; and variations among the groups of young people in the outcomes achieved. Recommendations are made for additional information needed to test the hypotheses. Show less

Over the last decade, some UK Geography Departments have diversified their range of courses to offer Foundation degrees (Fds), providing students with alternative routes through higher education (HE). These courses are delivered either offsite at further education colleges (FECs), embedded within an undergraduate program at higher education institutions (HEIs), or by work-based learning. These pathways present students, staff and institutions with new opportunities, issues and challenges. This study examines contrasting pathways of offsite and onsite Fds in Tourism Management and Development Geography offered by two HEIs and two FECs in southwest England. The needs and experiences of Fd students are varied, related to the individual's personal and academic background, the course pathway taken, institution-specific issues and the degree of support and preparedness for HE. The contrasting academic cultures, teaching methods and assessments encountered in FECs and HEIs, and the availability of resources, raise generic and specific issues, such as confidence building and learning to become independent and autonomous learners, which challenge geography and tourism students during their academic careers. This study concludes that closer collaboration between the HEI and the partner FEC is necessary for geography and tourism courses, and highlights the need for better alignment and reinforcement of HE systems in FECs, for instance through fieldwork, and the offering effective induction and support in study skills. Finally, it is important to facilitate the smooth transitions of students 'topping-up' to Year three of an Honours degree at the parent HEI. Managers of undergraduate courses in geography and associated subjects can also learn from the vocational and contextualized learning promoted by Fd courses and direct entry students to undergraduate courses.

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