Vakmanschap op de arbeidsmarkt Een analyse van de arbeidsmarktuitkomsten van afgestudeerden uit het middelbaar beroepsonderwijs

In this article we examine the labor market outcome of different types of craftsmen. Do vocationally educated craftsmen have a smoother school-to-work transition than graduates with general skills? We analyze this question using Dutch Labor Force Surveys from 1996 to 2012. We find that craftsmen that have a very specialized educational degree are less likely to be unemployed at the start of their career. However, those with a broader educational degree are more likely to find a job with a high job status than graduates with a specialized degree. According to the literature, craftsmen with a specialized education would have difficulties later in their career: their specific skills become obsolete while those with a broader education would be able to be more mobile in the labor market. We find no support for this when we analyze unemployment. Craftsmen with a small education remain at least as likely to be employed as craftsmen with a broader education. However, for job status we find more support for this hypothesis. The gap in job status between craftsmen with a small and broad education widens over the life course.