18^th ANNUAL WORKSHOP DUBLIN (IRELAND)

9-11 September 2010

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS

The 18^th annual workshop of the European Research Network on Transitions in Youth will take place in Dublin (Ireland) on the 9-11^th of September 2010.

The Network welcomes contributions on all aspects of the transition from youth to adulthood, and particularly the transition from education to the labour market. Contributions are particularly welcome on the theme for this year's workshop, which is:

Transitions into and out of higher education: A changing context?

In recent decades, there has been a dramatic increase in participation in higher education among young people in many Western countries. However, countries continue to differ in the absolute level of participation and in the degree of social inequality evident in patterns of higher education entry. In many cases, increasing participation has been the direct result of government effort to increase the skill level of the future working population. Such an emphasis has prompted further policy debate regarding how best to finance higher education and how to increase participation among previously underrepresented groups, especially working-class and/or older students.

An increasing number of young people with higher education qualifications is likely to have significant consequences for labour market outcomes and broader life-chances. Does credential inflation result from a situation where many young people have degree-level qualifications? Do other differences in educational experiences (for example, type of institution attended and field of study taken) become more important in these circumstances? What kinds of skills and competencies are fostered within higher education? Are these skills and competencies rewarded within the labour market? How has policy reform (such as the Bologna process) influenced labour market outcomes after graduation?

We would welcome papers addressing any aspect of higher education in this changing context. The following topics are of particular interest:

• Pathways into higher education;

• Inequality in higher education entry and outcomes;

• Differentiation within higher education (institution, length of course, field of study etc.);

• The labour market returns to higher education - qualifications, skills and competencies;

• Policy issues relating to the financing of higher education;

• The impact of policy reforms on labour market outcomes among higher education graduates.

Contributions are also welcome on all aspects of the transition from youth to adulthood or the transition from education to the labour market. Papers are welcome on topics such as the transition between school and work, the returns to vocational education and training, and youth unemployment.

Anyone who wishes to present a paper at the workshop should send a one-page abstract by email to the address indicated below by March 5^th, 2010. In keeping with our usual procedures, abstracts will be assessed for selection by the members of the Network Committee on the basis of their quality and relevance to the theme of the workshop. Authors will be notified of the decision on their paper by April 30th at the latest.

The conference fee is set at €500 and includes 4 nights of accommodation (single room), lunches and social events. Since only a limited number of places will be available, anyone who wishes to attend the conference without presenting a paper should notify the conference organisers as soon as possible. In order to ensure the smooth running of the workshop, participants should register before May 10^th, 2010, to be guaranteed accommodation organized by the workshop secretariat. The conference fee should then be paid by 6^th June, 2010. For papers to be made available in advance to workshop participants, final (electronic) versions should reach the local organisers at the very latest by August 20^th, 2010.

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS