Drawn to work: what makes apprenticeship training an attractive choice for the working-class

Abstract

The article investigates mechanisms of class reproduction by looking at school-to-work transitions of young blue-collar workers from Austria. The study adopts a Bourdieusian explanatory framework to show how working-class kids are guided towards picking up apprenticeship training instead of pursuing further education. Two classed dispositions are presented as a crucial influence: first, a preference for practical and manual labour. Second, the embodiment of wage labour not only as an economic necessity but as a foundation for recognition and appreciation. The results point to the importance of analysing educational decision-making not only in the context of the educational system but also with regard to the labour market and the different values and meanings attached to both spheres.