Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

4 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?Training (IVET) in many countries. Thus, some systems, such as Germanyand the Netherlands, focus on the provision of occupationally specificskills within vocational tracks (Müller and Gangl, 2003). In contrast, othersystems emphasise the development of generic work-related skills and socould be characterised as pre-vocational in nature. Thus, in the UnitedStates, the perspective has been one of a ‘new vocationalism’, with uppersecondary level combining academic and pre-vocational education (Lewisand Cheng, 2006; Grubb et al., 1996; Kantor and Tyack, 1982).The consequences of tracking for young people’s later lives have beenfound to vary according to the strength of linkages between education andthe labour market (Iannelli and Raffe 2007). On the one hand, systemsunderpinned by an ‘employment logic’ (such as Germany and theNetherlands) involve employers in shaping the nature and content ofvocational courses and vocational qualifications have a strong market value.As a result, outcomes for academic and vocational graduates are ‘differentbut equal’. On the other hand, in systems characterised by ‘education logic’,the emphasis is not on the development of occupationally-specific skillsand the relationship between vocational and secondary education is definedmore by its lower social status than by a stronger orientation toemployment (e.g. Scotland) (Iannelli and Raffe, 2007).Ireland has followed a number of international and European policytrends that have been aimed towards providing flexibility and diversity inthe options available to young people within second-level education(OECD, 2000; 2002). Ireland has been characterised as occupying anintermediate position in terms of having an ‘education’ or ‘employment’logic (Iannelli and Raffe, 2007). Similar to the US programmes promotingthe ‘new vocationalism’, the LCA places emphasis on the acquisition ofgeneric skills (problem-solving, teamwork, communication skills) ratherthan specific skills, and on career pathways, with a substantial componentof the programme structured around preparation for working life throughvocational preparation and guidance. This brings us to one of the manydebates around the structure and content of the LCA. While there is avocational element underpinning the LCA, the effectiveness of theprogramme has been questioned because it deals more with the processelement of work rather than developing specific skills (Tuohy, 2002). Thisraises the issue of whether the programme can provide viable pathwaysfrom school to work or further education for LCA students. This issueforms an important part of our research. The pathways of LCA schoolleavers are compared with those of other school leavers in Chapters 7 and8.To date, commentaries on the LCA in the early days of its introductionexist rather than any systematic research studies (for example, see Tuohyand Doyle, 1994; Gleeson and Granville, 1995). Concerns about the ‘ringfenced’nature of the programme have been expressed (Gleeson andGranville, 1995) both in terms of curricular content but also assessmentpractices. Touhy and Doyle (1994) acknowledge that the programme shows“an admirable concern to cater for all students” but also express concernthat the programme could further rather than reduce inequality. This reportaims to consider these issues using a mixed methods approach.