Compromises between Occupational Aspirations and VET Occupations—a Contribution to the Reproduction of Social Inequalities?

Abstract Many school leavers cannot fulfil their occupational aspirations when entering vocational education and training (VET), and have to make compromises. This study asks what form these compromises take by examining multiple extrinsic occupational dimensions, and investigates differences by social background. Data for VET entrants from lower and intermediate school tracks from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS-SC4) are combined with occupation-specific data. The cluster analysis reveals four distinct patterns of compromise: 1) upward moves and 2) downward moves in multiple extrinsic attributes, 3) concessions in firm size and wage, and 4) concessions in regular working hours and status. Multinomial logistic regressions indicate that compromise formation is hardly socially stratified in terms of parental education and occupational position. Compared to natives, VET entrants from second-generation migrant families are more likely to move upward into relative better training occupations than occupations originally aspired to.