The Winners, the Left Behind and all the Others

Transitions Following Secondary Vocational Education and Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland

Abstract

Drawing on the LABB administrative database, this study examines school-to-work transitions of vocational education and training graduates in Switzerland. Comparing three cohorts to identify changes linked to the pandemic. Results show fewer direct transitions into employment, more precarious trajectories, and increased pursuits of education. Variation across occupations are also analyzed. Finaly, the paper introduces the use of “noise clustering” to identify atypical trajectories and improve typology quality.