Participation in Vocational Education and Training: The Institutionalized Roles of States, Firms and Unions - New Insights from New Piaac Data

In this study we look at how social institutions shape interest in, perceived barriers to and actual participation in vocational training. We discuss how the degree of integration of governance, businesses and organized labor into the education, vocation and skill formation systems shapes individual decision-making and social stratification comparatively. Using data from PIAAC and various macro- and meso-indicators we investigate how different patterns in the configuration of these institutions promote or reduce inequality in vocational training outcomes, and the social stratification that results. Our exploration of theory and data points towards an crucial role of unions; however, they do not operate in isolation and are part of larger institutionalized skill formation structures in each society. Using the forthcoming second round of PIAAC - to be released in the next few months - we will be able to analyze two decades of individual interest in, perceived barriers to and actual participation in vocational training in over 30 countries including some middle and a few lower income countries. Given the multi-level nature of the data with fewer cases at the highest level and cross-classifications of countries and time, we use both regression and set logic (qualitative comparative analysis) approaches to analyzing outcomes. We hope to not only understand training better, but broaden the state of the art of analyzing cross-classified data with fewer cases in comparative sociology.