Career-first: an approach to sustainable labour market integration

Fuertes, Vanesa; McQuaid, Ronald; Robertson, Peter J.

Abstract

Active labour market policies aim at supporting people entering and, importantly, remaining in the labour market. Initiatives to this end have often been characterised by a mixture of ‘human capital’ and ‘work-first’ approaches, although both have had a relatively limited effect on achieving job sustainability for those most distant from the labour market. This paper explores a distinctive approach to supporting job entry and sustainable employment that we have called ‘career-first’. The career-first approach to labour activation draws on three separate traditions of thinking: labour market, career development, and the capability literatures. Common ground is found in these three perspectives so each complements the weaknesses of the others. A career-first approach may be able to help deliver benefits to the individual, their family, and the wider society.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 20, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jan 22, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Deposit Date: Jan 25, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 25, 2021
• Journal: International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance
• Print ISSN: 0251-2513
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-1782
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Pages: 429-446
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-020-09451-2
• Keywords: Education; Visual Arts and Performing Arts
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2717298