Developing effective support measures for young people transitioning from education to employment requires an understanding of what is actually happening at European level, and not just within individual countries. This necessitates data that captures the same phenomena in a comparable manner and can trace how young people’s educational and employment trajectories develop across different transition pathways and national systems. The first mapping of the European data landscape within the EDU-LAB project directly addresses the question of whether this foundation currently exists.

Based on an analysis of 49 national and international datasets covering educational pathways within general education, vocational education and training, as well as transitions into and out of the labour market, significant data gaps have been identified. These are not gaps in the sense of missing data, but rather limitations in usability. The available data often cannot be reliably used for cross-country comparisons.

The comparability problem

For many countries, national data is available that enables well-founded analyses of transitions from school to the labour market within individual countries. However, the challenge arises as soon as these national findings are to be juxtaposed and compared with one another. Methodological differences between datasets – such as varying sample designs, differing age definitions, inconsistent definitions of NEETs, and different measurement tools – significantly limit cross-national comparability. These limitations are not always immediately apparent to those working with the data. Future analyses could therefore reveal systematic gaps in our understanding of how key determinants operate in different national contexts, precisely because the existing data infrastructure does not yet sufficiently support the necessary comparisons.

Each of the 49 datasets was systematically examined in terms of its structure, variables and metadata. In addition, exploratory variable mapping was carried out to assess the extent to which the available data capture the key determinants and transitions. The results of this mapping show that analyses within individual countries are generally possible, whilst comparative analyses at European level on access, participation and completion in education and training pathways remain limited.

What the mapping indicates

Two possible strategies are identified to bridge this gap. The first approach involves developing methodological agreements to merge existing national datasets. This would involve establishing common definitions, coordinated sampling procedures and harmonised variable coding to improve the compatibility of national datasets. The second approach envisages the development of a completely new international dataset, designed from the outset to enable valid cross-country comparisons of transitions from school to the labour market. Both approaches require close coordination between the organisations that collect and fund the relevant data, including the OECD in the field of educational research, Cedefop, national education ministries and European data analysis organisations.

In parallel, the project is conducting in-depth analyses of the available datasets. The current focus is on the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) in Germany, which maps educational trajectories across various phases, including school, vocational education and training, and higher education, as well as transitions into the labour market and patterns of subsequent transitions. These analyses will be extended to further datasets and countries in later project phases.

The issue of data infrastructure is closely linked to that of policy-making, as it forms the basis for the latter. The precise identification of areas where the European evidence base is currently insufficient, and the determination of what would be required to close these gaps, in itself represents an important contribution to more reliable evidence-based management of youth transitions.

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