Let’s talk! How conversation can act as an engine in vocational orientation

A whole series of various pedagogical provision is being made available over a longer period to help young people cope effectively with the transition from school to work. The full extent of the individual contributions made by this pedagogical provision, i.e. the learning opportunities it affords in school-based vocational orientation, is not yet fully known. This article presents a study which investigates the long-term effect of selected learning opportunities on relevant dimensions of successful occupational development. This shows that the informal conversations young people have with their parents and friends, for example, may be particularly conducive to occupational development, including in the long term. By way of contrast, default learning opportunities such as work experience placements or analyses of potential do not exhibit any long-term effects.