This book explores how career development experiences during education are relevant for wellbeing in youth career transitions from an interdisciplinary lens, using longitudinal data from different national educational contexts. Seven empirical chapters culminate in a conceptual model and recommendations for careers and wellbeing-oriented prevention and intervention programs to assist young people as they transition into the world of work.

Following a foreword by Professor Stephen Lamb (the Springer International Study of City Youth series editor) and introduction by the editors, the book consists of empirical chapters based in six national and educational contexts, focusing specifically on schooling, higher education and transitions between compulsory schooling and young adulthood. Each national context chapter generates insights based on a longitudinal cohort study with at least two data points concerning information on young people’s career development and wellbeing. The empirical chapters are followed by discussion and conclusion chapters by the editors. The editors reflect on the evidence generated in this book and question what we know about the relevance of career development experiences on young people’s wellbeing during education-to-work transitions. Implications of these empirical findings on career interventions and policy making across the educational systems are discussed.

The contributions in this book show that career development experiences while in education matters, not only for employment outcomes, but also for our subjective wellbeing in early careers. Key conclusions point towards a need for theoretically integrating: (i) the sensemaking role of time; (ii) resource-based approaches to careers; as well as (iii) the efficacy of career development experiences to overcome structural inequalities. Methodologically, this book shows the value of nationally representative longitudinal datasets that focus on young people’s educational and labour market experiences.

Career development
Career thoughts
Employability
Career aspirations
Wellbeing
Life satisfaction
International education systems
professional occupational aspirations
Longitudinal studies
Careers counselling
Youth transitions
Education to work transitions
Career issues in schools
career-related wellness
Careers interventions
Wellbeing interventions
higher education in the UK
young people at the Italian labour market
subjective wellbeing of students
students’ life satisfaction in Belgium

• Front Matter
• Setting the Context on Young People’s Career Development and Wellbeing
• Reimagining the Relationship Between Career Transitions and Wellbeing: An Insight into Graduate Higher Education Journeys in the UK
• Analyzing the Gap Between Job, Earning, and Career Satisfaction Among Young Graduates: Evidence from Italy
• Secondary Students’ Subjective Wellbeing in Barcelona: From School to Future Careers
• The Occupational Aspirations and Wellbeing of Young People in the UK
• Career Activities and the Wellbeing of Young People in Australia
• Significant Others as Environmental Resources: Toward a Sociological Refinement of Social Cognitive Career Theory
• Preparing for Career-Related Wellness: Understanding the Determinants of Occupational Well-Being in the United States
• Policy Reflections on Young People’s Career Development and Wellbeing: An Enquiry Across National Education Systems Based on Longitudinal Data
• Theoretical Contributions About Young People’s Career Development and Wellbeing

Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
Elizabeth Knight

Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Belgin Okay-Somerville

Book Title
Young People’s Career Development and Wellbeing

Book Subtitle
An Enquiry across National Education Systems Based on Longitudinal Data

Editors
Elizabeth Knight, Belgin Okay-Somerville

Series Title
International Study of City Youth Education

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68229-2

Hardcover ISBN
978-3-031-68228-5
Published: 23 October 2024

Softcover ISBN
978-3-031-68231-5
Due: 06 November 2025

eBook ISBN
978-3-031-68229-2
Published: 22 October 2024

Series ISSN
2524-8537

Series E-ISSN
2524-8545

Edition Number
1

Number of Pages
XVI, 218

Number of Illustrations
15 b/w illustrations

Topics
Education Policy, Career Skills, International and Comparative Education, Employee Health and Wellbeing, Child and School Psychology