How low-qualified adults enact their career – findings from a narrative study in Germany

ABSTRACT

Career paths, career development and participation in adult learning are to a large extent dependent on learning experiences and labour-market entrance in early life stages. However, within the group of people with relative weak educational and vocational background variance was found in terms of how people perceive their situation and how they describe, plan and realise their career. Based on narrative interviews with low-qualified adults, the presented study describes individual circumstances and approaches to lifelong learning and career development. Based on the concept of enacted career, the article shows how the differences in the perceptions of career and learning can be understood as contextualised action. The article shows inner resources and external constraints have potential influence on the educational and career development in this group. The discussion focuses on consequences for career counselling and guidance.

KEYWORDS:

• Career development
• career counselling
• inequalities
• enacted career
• narrative approaches
• qualitative methods

Acknowledgements

We thank CEDEFOP which initiated, enabled and supported this study within a larger research project (narratives of learning from people in mid-career who started working with few initial qualifications). And we express our thanks and our appreciation to the people who have contributed with their narratives. We also appreciate the helpful support, comments and recommendations offered by colleagues from the international project team and the anonymous reviewers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Peter C. Weber (Dip. Päd. Adult Education) is a researcher at Heidelberg University, Institute for Education Science. His main research focus lies on career counselling and organisational implications, especially quality and competence aspects. Current projects focus on recognition of competence for career professionals.

Alexander J. Kochem (M.A. in Organisational Psychology, MBA) is an experienced psychological counsellor and holds a Master's degree in Business Administration. He has been a counsellor since 2006 and a licensed psychotherapist since 2008.

Sylvie Weber-Hauser (Dipl. Päd. Adult Education) is a freelance researcher and HR consultant. She holds a Master's degree in Adult Education and has been an adult educator and trainer since 2001. She has been an HR expert and career consultant since 2003 delivering outplacement, placement and individual career coaching services.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CEDEFOP.