Assessing the effects of informal learning on occupational compe ...

The Research Unit "Transitions to Work" ("Übergänge in Arbeit") was set
up at <strong>the</strong> Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI) to investigate school-to-work transitions
among disadvantaged young people and to evaluate training and
o<strong>the</strong>r schemes established to improve <strong>the</strong> occupational and social integration
<strong>of</strong> this group. In addition, we have revived <strong>the</strong> DJI's tradition <strong>of</strong> studying
<strong>the</strong> problems and <strong>the</strong> educational, occupational and social integration <strong>of</strong>
young people from immigrant families.
In order to assess <strong>the</strong> long-term <strong>effects</strong> <strong>of</strong> education and training we use
both retrospective and panel approaches. Over <strong>the</strong> past three years we have
been involved in devising and implementing large-scale quantitative longitudinal
studies on school-to-work-transitions. We employ tried and tested
scientific methods in order to acquire knowledge that will promote <strong>the</strong>
development <strong>of</strong> solutions at a practical and a political level.
This paper was prepared for <strong>the</strong> Leonardo project "Informal Competences
and <strong>the</strong>ir Validation (ICOVET)" which is a cooperative effort <strong>of</strong> ten partners
from six European countries.
This project has been carried out with <strong>the</strong> support <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Community.
The content <strong>of</strong> this project does not necessarily reflect <strong>the</strong> position
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Community, nor does it involve any responsibility on <strong>the</strong>
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Community.