Conference Program

Evaluating the quality of educational and training systems increasingly requires approaches that go beyond completion and placement rates, capturing how young people participate in pathways, access support, and navigate non-linear transitions across school, vocational education and training (VET), higher education, and work. This contribution presents a research-to-intervention pipeline developed within the cross-border Euregio Transizioni project (Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino), which translates qualitative evidence on youth transitions into actionable guidance and training tools. While the project addresses multiple pathways, we discuss implications particularly relevant for VET and apprenticeship-related contexts, where equity and participation depend strongly on institutional practices and access to guidance.

The qualitative strand comprised 32 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in Trentino and South Tyrol with young people aged 13–29, designed to represent diverse transition patterns (e.g., school-to-VET/work, school-to-university, re-orientation, interruptions and returns). Interviews were inspired by a narrative approach grounded in Career Construction Theory and the construct of career adaptability (Concern, Control, Curiosity, Confidence) (Savickas, 2013; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012), and by life design principles focused on meaning-making and agency (Nota & Rossier, 2015). A thematic analysis combined theory-informed coding with inductive themes emerging from participants’ narratives, consistent with perspectives on adaptive career behavior and career self-management (Lent & Brown, 2013) and with a sustainability-oriented view of careers (De Vos et al., 2020; Van der Heijden et al., 2020).

Findings highlight that “transition resources” are not only individual attributes but are produced through interactions with institutional practices: accessible guidance channels, opportunities for safe experimentation (e.g., internships, work-based learning, apprenticeship-like experiences), and recognition/feedback from significant adults. These mechanisms shape participation and equity by either widening or narrowing young people’s perceived options, particularly in critical moments (misfit, uncertainty, re-orientation). Such dynamics are especially salient in VET trajectories, where timely support and work-based learning opportunities can prevent disengagement and support re-entry, aligning with broader notions of sustainable careers across the lifespan (De Vos et al., 2020; Van der Heijden et al., 2020).

Building on these narratives, the project prototyped 15 interactive digital storytelling exercises on the Elevate platform, integrated into the Adagio digital environment. The exercises are structured as branching transition stories with reflective prompts and feedback designed to support meaning-making, agency, and informed decision-making (Nota & Rossier, 2015; Savickas, 2013). They were embedded in two professional development cycles for teachers and guidance practitioners following an Input–Practice–Reflection model (Lipowsky, Rzejak, 2015), enabling field testing and refinement.

We conclude by proposing design principles and evaluation implications for “quality-oriented” guidance and training across systems, with direct applicability to VET: low-threshold participation, non-stigmatising narrative formats, structured debriefing as a core pedagogical component, and governance conditions for scaling tools and practices across institutions and territories.