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Over the next 50 years, population aging will contribute to a dramatic decline in the European working age population. One important question for policy makers is to what extent an increase in labour force participation of migrants, their descendants, and women can compensate for the decline in labour supply. Thus it is relevant to know more about the factors which can encourage participation of these groups. In this report [the authors] examine the employment of second generation (children of immigrants) Turkish and young adult women from the majority population. [The authors] focus on the Turkish group since it is the largest single origin country group who also settled in different European countries allowing for examining differences among the second generation across countries of residence by using unique data allowing for this for the first time.

This report covers four European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden) in which the largest share of the total Turkish population in Europe live. [The authors] give special attention to the effect of motherhood on employment. [The] findings show that policy and institutions matter for the employment of all women in society, irrespective of migrant origin. Still, levels of employment are lower for the Turkish second generation compared to women from the majority group in all countries. Being a mother has a negative impact on employment, but [the authors] do not find this association to vary by origin. Furthermore [the authors] find clear differences across the countries studied but again these differences are similar for women of the majority population and those of Turkish origin. Although [the authors] are unable to pinpoint the exact policies and institutional arrangements it seems to be the case that these are related to policies across the life course starting from educational to family policies. Findings make clear that policymakers must give special attention to the unique economic position and potential of women in general and the growing share of children of immigrants among them, whose employment behaviours will be essential to bolstering the European labour force in the future.

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[This] is one of the first pieces of research to focus specifically on the factors which influence Maori students to stay on at school after the school leaving age of 16. While other research has concentrated on the negative factors which cause Maori to so often leave school earlier than their non-Maori counterparts, this study has taken the approach of focusing on those Maori students who have made an active decision to stay at school beyond the legal requirement. The other unique aspect of this survey is that it has asked students to say in their own words how they feel about school, why they have stayed on and how other Maori students could be encouraged to do the same.

What has emerged from this study is that these students, all of whom have stayed at school beyond the age of 16, tend to feel relatively positive about their schools and about education itself. They are well aware of the difficulties young schoolleavers typically experience in finding employment and that without qualifications opportunities are severely limited. However, rather than staying at school because they have nothing better to do, these students tend to focus on the positive things that school has to offer them. Many feel confident that if they stay at school and pass their exams, they will not become one of those with no hope of a job.

Overall, this research indicates a variety of factors may be at work in influencing decisions to stay on at school. Some of these are to do with a student's family background, some are to do with the school itself, some derive from the personal characteristics of the student, and others, such as financial barriers to education, are outside the control of any of these groups. It is clear from this study that it is possible to make school a place that Maori students value and want to be at. Increasing the numbers of Maori students who stay on at school, and improving their level of achievement, will require combined efforts from schools, families and Government. It is hoped that the words of the students who participated in this research will provide ideas and incentives to make these much-needed efforts into a reality.

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[The authors] study work hours of Australian couples using a structural labour-supply model. [The authors] introduce model improvements which allow error in wage estimation and unobserved influences on partners' non-market time to be correlated with one another and with own wage. This more realistic model produces wage elasticities-0.26 (men) and 0.50 (women)-twice as large as those found without these innovations. Australian Government changes to the tax and transfer system between 2004 and 2006 are predicted to have little impact on participation and labour supply. Average weekly family income is predicted to increase by 65 dollars per week.

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This book examines the university experiences of first-in-family university students, and how these students' decisions to return to education impact upon their family members and significant others. While it is well known that parental educational background has a substantial impact on the educational levels of family and dependents, it is unclear how attending university as a first-in-family student translates into the family and community of the learner. With the continuing requirements for higher education institutions to increase the participation of students from a range of diverse backgrounds and educational biographies, this is a major gap in understanding that needs to be addressed. Exploring how this university participation is understood at an individual, familial and community level, this book provides insights into how best to support different student requirements.

Edited abstract from publisher's website.

The contents are as follows: Part one, 'Surveying the first-in-family student terrain', contains the following chapters: Setting the scene (pages 3-31); The lack of what ...?: first-in-family learners and their university experience (pages 33-53); Disrupting the deficit: beyond notions of lack for first-in-family students (pages 55-71); What am I waiting for? (pages 73-93). Part two, 'Narrating the first-in-family experience', contains: Trailblazing: motivations and relationship impacts for first-in-family enabling students (pages 97-117); The online student experience: new challenges for engagement and support (pages 119-135); 'So how was big school today?': family perceptions of HE participation (pages 137-154); Parents managing university and family life (pages 155-176); Motivated men: first-in-family male students (pages 177-201); Concluding thoughts (pages 203-2015). Show less

Parents, teachers and other familiars each play a significant role in the process of young people's decision-making about occupations and educational pathways, albeit sometimes inadvertently and unintentionally. Other factors such as societal sentiments about occupations also shape the decision-making, while students, parents and teachers may be understood as selectively mediating these broader influences.

This chapter reports and discusses the findings of a project conducted in Queensland, Australia, that sought to elaborate processes of decision-making, the various actors' influence on it, and how students mediate these suggestions. It also describes and discusses a qualitative phase of the research which sought perspectives of students, parents and teachers about vocational education and decision-making regarding school age children's post-school study and work options. The analysis revealed a complex of factors and negotiations that shape this decision making.

Analyses of student interview data revealed wide variation in level of certainty about post-school options among students and parents. The degree to which students and their parents were informed about options, including the nature of occupations, and what educational pathways lead to particular occupations, were all factors in level of certainty in decision-making. These data also pointed to a tendency to favour higher education pathways when level of uncertainty was higher. At the same time, limited or distorted information about pathways and occupations facilitate influence of societal sentiments on decision-making. Teachers interviewed were informed about pathways that reflected their own experiences. They often articulated an awareness of the constraints on student decision-making arising from government, education system or school policy that favoured higher education pathways and/or undermined the image or efficacy of vocational education as a viable option for young people. Students, parents and teachers also provided suggestions about how to enhance the standing of vocational education and the occupations it serves. Through analyses of these findings, a more nuanced understanding of the processes of educational and occupational decision making is possible, in turn allowing more informed responses to shape decision-making about post-school pathways, and how vocational education can be viewed in a more constructive and impartial way.

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Low-income, low-skilled adults are likely to face challenges in pursuing post-secondary education. These challenges have been documented in other studies and include financial concerns, lack of academic preparation, and multiple demands on their time, such as parenting and working. Career pathways programs seek to address these challenges by offering a variety of supports, both academic and non-academic. However, participants still face barriers to program completion. This brief describes the perceived challenges of 84 study participants in career pathways program evaluated in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study. In these interviews, respondents discussed in detail what they viewed as the difficulties they currently experience in the program, as well as challenges they foresaw in the future as they moved along a career pathway. As in prior research, financial challenges, academic worries, and family and other demands on their time were the most commonly articulated concerns, even though these participants were in programs offering a wide range of supports.

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First in Family (FiF) is an under-recognised equity grouping which may encompass low-SES, mature-aged, regional and remote, and Indigenous students. FiF tertiary students are more likely to be in a position of educational disadvantage over students who have other family members available to share the experience of university life and discuss aspirations. Building on previous research, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 FiF university students from a range of disciplines across three South Australian institutions. We analysed the interview data based on themes derived through readings of FiF literature, adding new ones as they emerged as part of the process of analysis. In this paper, we specifically focus on the interview responses which included metaphors or analogies. Metaphors provide a conceptual framework for thinking about a particular problem and drawing comparisons between unlike situations. Our experience as educators told us that students often subtly and unintentionally utilise metaphors when articulating lived experiences. We both specifically asked the FiF students to identify a metaphor that reflected their experience of being at university and also considered their use of metaphors in response to other questions. In exploring these metaphors, we have gained insight into students’ day-to-day experience of attending university and have gained information about their motivations and their struggles. When considered by university staff and policy-makers, this information could be used to guide the development of strategies that may help future FiF students.

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A growing number of single mothers are seeking entry to higher education via enabling programs; however, these students face unique struggles to make their dream a reality. There is some research on the challenges faced by student-mothers in higher education; however, research specifically on single mothers in enabling education is limited. This research focused on identifying the competing discourses that single mothers faced during an enabling program, and the ways they can be supported. Interviews were conducted with seven women who self-identified as single mothers, describing their personal struggles, alongside their experiences of great accomplishment. What became evident, was despite the difficulties of raising children as a sole parent, the student-mothers gained noticeable confidence in themselves during and after completing their enabling studies. Analysis of the data identified unique challenges faced by this non-traditional group of students and highlighted specific supports that this student group require.

This paper details a range of obstacles that impeded their study; related directly to their status as single parents. These hurdles included financial difficulties, lack of support, negative familial relationships, personal health concerns, and study related challenges. In addition, these seven student-mothers identified the key factors that supported their success: forging strong connections with other students, improved self-efficacy, the observed positive 'knock-on' effect to their children, and quality academic support and pastoral care from university staff. Thus, with perseverance and appropriate support, these student-mothers were able to achieve success in an enabling program. This study voices the personal 'survival narratives' of seven student-mothers; revealing challenges and strategies unique to their circumstances, that in-turn, generated a successful student experience.

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The purposes of the equity indicators project are to: report the status of higher education equity in the United States and identify changes over time in measures of equity; identify policies and practices that promote and hinder progress; and illustrate the need for increased support of policies, programs, and practices that not only improve overall attainment in higher education but also create greater equity in higher education opportunity and outcomes. By pulling together available historical statistics, the report aims to understand how to foster the evolution of a dynamic higher educational system that provides equity of opportunity while respecting the diversity of talents and gifts among students. This report draws from multiple sources of existing data to provide, in one place, indicators that describe trends in equity in postsecondary enrollment, choice, and degree attainment, as well as indicators of college affordability. As in previous Indicators reports, the data in the 2019 Indicators show persisting inequality in higher education opportunity based on family income, race/ethnicity, parent education, and geographic location. While there has been an increase in postsecondary attainment since these words were articulated in the late 1940s, new forms of inequity and stratification are evolving, as education becomes one of the chief ways of differentiating wages and salaries and quality of life indicators.

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Schools play an important part in the lives of children and young people who have caring responsibilities for a family member with an illness, disability, alcohol or other drug problem or mental health condition but many of these ‘young carers’ report difficulty in attending, achieving and participating in education. This qualitative research project aimed to gather young carers’ views about school, the challenges they face in engaging with education and their peers, and ways that the system might better support others like them. It found that significant caring responsibilities, a lack of appropriate and responsive support services to meet family needs and a lack of awareness and understanding within the education system significantly reduced young carers’ capacity to fully engage with their learning. Young carers in the study called for more assistance in caring for their relatives, more flexibility and responsiveness to their home lives within the design and delivery of education, and better processes for identifying and responding to the challenges they encounter in participating in the life of the school community.

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