Young Adult Development at the School-to-Work Transition: International Pathways and Processes

The school-to-work transition is a critical part of the human life-span for young adults, their families, and society. The timing of the transition varies greatly and its co-occurrence with a number of other life transitions make it challenging to summarize or generalize. Individual differences and normative developmental factors, as well as external contextual factors such as global pandemics, changing economic circumstances, workplace demands, and cultural shifts, intersect to create a range of challenges and opportunities for those navigating this transition. Written by internationally renowned scholars in developmental psychology, applied psychology, counseling, and sociology, the chapters in this book highlight the trends, issues, and actions that researchers, academics, practitioners, and policy makers need to consider in order to effectively support young adults' transition to work pathways. This volume provides an explicitly international perspective on this area, broad coverage of psychological topics on the school-to-work transition, and an inclusive focus on sub-groups and minority groups, making it a must-read for those who support young adults as they move from school to work.

About the Author

E. Anne Marshall is a counseling psychologist and Adjunct Professor in the Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies Department at the University of Victoria, Canada. Her scholarship and community-engaged research focus on adolescent and young adult well-being, life and work transitions, and mental health in cultural and community contexts, particularly for Indigenous communities and marginalized youth. Jennifer E. Symonds is a developmental psychologist and Associate Professor of Education at the School of Education, University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. She is Director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies in Ireland (www.clsi.ie) and Associate Editor for the Journal of Early Adolescence . Jennifer's research aims to support young people to engage in learning, schools and society, and flourish across educational transitions.