Horizon Project “European Youth in Education and in Transition to the Labour Market” (EDU-LAB)

The EDU-LAB Project is a comparative European study that systematically examines factors and determinants influencing choices, pathways, and transitions in education and training (E&T) and from E&T to the labour market of young people aged 15-30 years. The focus is on equity and inclusion, and on young people’s participation, progression, and completion of upper secondary and tertiary general education (GE) and professional/vocational education (PVET, at ISCED levels 3-8), as well as on their transitions to and from the labour market.

First, EDU-LAB will develop comprehensive models of pathways and transitions per country in the European Education Area (EEA) including their intersectional and largely generic determinants (WP1). Second, an efficiency assessment of policies and investments in GE and PVET will be carried out (WP2). Third, novel quantitative and qualitative evidence will be provided on how determinants, including policies and investments, contribute to young people’s pathways and transitions, specifically to inclusion and equity, and their participation and completion of GE and PVET (WP3A, WP3B).

EDU-LAB relies on a mixed-methods approach, with emphasis being placed on secondary quantitative analyses of openly available empirical data and newly collected qualitative empirical data. Specifically, EDU-LAB considers all stakeholders and conducts systematic literature review, qualitative conceptual analysis, quantitative trend and regression analysis, difference-in-differences analysis, expert interviews and surveys, and qualitative case studies (WP4) focusing on young people’s voices and based on Research-Practice Partnerships.

The following EEA targets are scrutinized: (a) increasing the rate of youth with tertiary education attainment; (b) reducing the share of early leavers from E&T; (c) increasing work-based learning in vocational E&T; (d) increasing the number of students belonging to groups underrepresented in educational fields (e.g., based on gender, ethnic minority, migration, etc.).

Objectives

EDU-LAB’s main research objective is to expand the current knowledge base on the main factors and determinants influencing young people’s choices, pathways and transitions in E&T and from E&T to the labour market in Europe.

EDU-LAB targets five specific research objectives:

1. To develop a complex multi-perspective theoretical model of pathways and transitions of young people in GE and PVET and to employment (WP1).
2. To develop a comprehensive assessment matrix to measure the efficiency and efficacy of policies and investments effectively and reliably at different levels of education governance and management (WP2).
3. To conduct a secondary analysis of quantitative data in EEA countries (statistics and past surveys) and use its analytical outcomes to inform the research themes addressed by the model proposed in research objectives 1 and 2 (WP3A, WP3B).
4. To gain in-depth knowledge of young people’s views, experiences and expectations towards education, training, and early labour market pathways and transitions by conducting 12 qualitative case studies in seven European countries (Austria, Finland, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom) (WP4).
5. To synthesize the knowledge produced by EDU-LAB’s research program and use it to elaborate practical recommendations and policy briefs targeted at specific groups of stakeholders at the local, national and international levels (WP5).

Project Duration

01-01-2025–31-12-2027

Project Reference

101177428 — EDU-LAB

Funding

European Research Executive Agency (REA) (3 000 000.00 EUR)

For EDU-LAB project information see also: https://www.edu-lab-project.eu/