Youth Transition Survey

Youth Transition Survey:

A Questionnaire

Revised by ETF, Michael Gebel and CBS

version checked by AZE 27.11.09

Please give an ID number to each interviewed person
Reference week is a week preceding the survey: from Monday…../…… to Sunday……/…….
Reference month is a month preceding the survey
Internal comments are in square brackets in italics
Please apply codes for ‘No answer’, ‘Do not know’, ‘Not applicable’ consistently throughout the questionnaire
For people who would have to answer parts of the questionnaire pertaining to the first significant job before leaving education, first ever job after leaving education, first significant job after leaving education and current job one might consider to provide a reduced questionnaire for each job after the very first one

Part I:

Screening questions to define a target group, i.e. individuals aged 15-30, who left continuous education in the 5 years preceding the survey

1. What is your date of birth?

[month and year]

Enter the 6 digits of the date concerned (e.g. 101973 means October 1973)

[if the interviewee was under 15 years of age or 31 and over at the moment of survey

OUTSIDE THE TARGET POPULATION]

2. Sex [please indicate sex of a person, ask if unclear]

1. Male

2. Female

3. Are you still attending education?

1 yes go to Q5

2 no

4. Have you finished (with or without gaining a certificate) education in the last five years?(interviewee should at least successfully complete the first cycle of education)

1 Yes  please answer surveygo to Q6

2 No (they finished their education more than five years ago) please do NOT answer the survey

5. [If yes in Q3]In the last 5 years, was there a period of 12 consecutive months where you

(interviewee should at least successfully complete the first cycle of education)

(i) Stopped the study in order to work

(ii) Worked more than you studied

(iii)Unemployed

(iv)Fit between work and study

If yes to (i), (ii) or (iii)  please answer the survey  go to Q6

If yes to (iv) please do NOT answer the survey

6. When did you leave education for the first time? [Indicate both month and year – EVERYBODY IN THE SURVEY HAS TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THIS CENTRAL QUESTION OF THE SURVEY: For people who are still in education, please indicate the starting date of the period discussed in Q5. This starting date should be always considered in the following questions as thedate they left education for the first time]

Enter the 6 digits of the date concerned

[Interviewer guideline: Please remember this "date of leaving education for the first time" throughout the whole interview because it defines which period has to be considered as BEFORE leaving education for the first time and which period has to be considered as AFTER leaving education for the first time]

“Education” means:

Education or training can be either general or vocational, part-time or full-time education;

‘Dual system’, apprenticeship and similar training programmes have to be associated with education (unless if it can be assessed that less than 10% of the total training time is/was organised in the educational/training institution).

“Leaving education” has to be interpreted as finishing studies whatever the final results obtained during the last programme attended. It has not to be directly associated with “successful completion” or “graduation”.It should also be applied to cases where the respondent is currently still in education, but had a break of more than 12 months (yes to Q5 (i), (ii) or (iii)).

Part 2:

Situation before leaving continuous education for the first time

Section I: Continuous education and training

7. Did you acquire a completion certificate when leaving education for the first time?

Yes → Go to Q8a
No → Go to Q8b

8. What was the level of education or training successfully completed, when leaving education for the first time?

[please provide answers within the national educational classification, so that they can be fitted into the ISCED classification (see appendix 1). Please make sure the differentiation is made between general and vocational tracks on the upper-secondary and, if possible, on the tertiary levels]

Kindergarten or first basic education cycle
Basic education Second Cycle
General secondary education
Vocational secondary education
Practical vocational secondary education and apprenticeship
average institute for 2 years after secondary school
average institute for 1 year after secondary school
Master Degree
Diploma
University degree
PHD

9. At what level have you studied, when leaving education for the first time?[Only if a respondent left school without completion, Q7=2]

Kindergarten or first basic education cycle
Basic education Second Cycle
General secondary education
Vocational secondary education
Practical vocational secondary education and apprenticeship
average institute for 2 years after secondary school
average institute for 1 year after secondary school
Master Degree
Diploma
University degree
PHD

10. What were the main factors influencing your leaving school without graduation?[Only if a respondent left school without completion, Q7=2. Tick all that apply]

I was tired of studding
You think that you cannot succeed in education any more
Other school factor (please specify) ______
You wanted to work
You needed to work
Getting married
Other economic or work factor (please specify) ______
Family factors (please specify) ______
Health factors
Doesn’t apply
Other (please specify) ______

11. What was the field of your study? [repeat if necessary: when leaving education for the first time]

00 General Programmes

01 Basic programmes

08 Literacy and numeracy

09 Personal development

10 Education

14 Teacher training and education science

20 Humanities and Arts

21 Arts

22 Humanities

30 Social Sciences, Business and Law

31 Social and behavioural science

32 Journalism and information

34 Business and administration

38 Law

40 Sciences

42 Life sciences

44 Physical sciences

46 Mathematics and statistics

48 Computing

50 Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction

52 Engineering and Engineering Trades

54 Manufacturing and production

58 Architecture and building

60 Agriculture

62 Agriculture, forestry and fishery

64 Veterinary

70 Health and Welfare

72 Health

76 Social services

80 Services

81 Personal services

84 Transport services

85 environmental protection

86 Security services

12. What was your final (average) mark upon graduation? [only if Q7=1; In case a respondent does not remember, ask him/her an approximation]

Accepted
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Honours

13. Did you study …

Full-time
Part-time
Per correspondence
Other (please specify)

14. Was the school you left public or private?

Public
Private
Religious foundations/ associations
Civic foundations/ associations
Other (please specify)

15. Did you or your parents have to pay for schooling?

Yes
No → Go toQ16

16. How much did you have to pay for a year/semester of studies? [In case a respondent does not remember, ask for an estimate]

______

17. Did you receive a grant or a scholarship for your studies?

Yes
No → Go to Q18

18. How high was your grant/scholarship per year? [In case a respondent does not remember, ask for an estimate]

______Syrian pounds

19. During your studies, i.e. before [repeat month and year of the end of training, if necessary], did you do remunerated or unremunerated training periods in companies as part of your training programme?

1.Yes

2 .No Q20

20. What was the total length of all these training periods in weeks or months? [Either weeks or months]

______weeks

______months

21. During your studies, i.e. before [repeat month and year of leaving education in Q6, if necessary], did you do self-studies?(multiple answers possible)

1.Yes, computer skills

2. Yes, language skills

3.Yes, other skills

4. No Q24

22. What was the total length of all these self-study periods in hours?

1. less than 40 hrs (less than 5 days)

2. less than 300 hrs (less than 2 months)

4. from 300 hrs to 700 hrs (less than 5 months)

5. from 700 hrs to 1,200 hrs (less than 9 months)

6. more than 1,200 hrs (more than 9 months)

23. How much was the cost of these self studies?

______Syrian pounds

24. Who financed most of your self studies?

Self financed
Parents
Other (please specify) ______

Section II: Casual employment before leaving continuous education

25. During schooling did you also have

- jobs during school holidays1 - often 2 - sometimes3 – never

- week-end or night jobs1 - often 2 - sometimes3 – never

- part-time casual jobs (e.g. baby-sitting, cleaning)1 - often 2 - sometimes3 – never

[if always 3→ Go to Q27]

26. What kinds of casual jobs did you do? [multiple answers are possible]

1. agriculture, gardening, field work

2. construction, plumbing, painting, electricity, carpentry

3. machine repair, metal work, car repair

4. class teaching, tutoring, translation, data processing

5. secretarial, bookkeeping, receptionist work

6. retailing, transport, moving

7. hotel, restaurant

8. house cleaning, janitorial, ironing, babysitting, attending sick or old people

9. holiday camps, camp counsellor, crafts and entertainment

10. warehousing

11. other (please specify) ______

27. In total, about how many hours per week (on average) did you work in this/these casual job(s) in the most recent year in which you held the job?

______hours per week

Section III: Significant employment before leaving continuous education

28. Independently of these casual jobs, did you start any significant job before leaving continuous education for the first time?

1. Yes

2. No Go to Part 3 (calendar of activities)

In this context “significant job” means:

With a minimum six month duration

With a minimum of 20 hours a week

Excluding any type of casual work (as mentioned before in Section II)

Excluding apprenticeships, ‘dual system’, training scheme

Including unregistered work

29. When did this job begin? [Indicate both month and year]

______Enter the 6 digits of the date concerned

30. Do you still hold this job?

Yes Go to Q32
No

31. When did this job end? [Indicate both month and year]

Enter the 6 digits of the date concerned

32. Why did this job come to an end or why was it interrupted?

Dismissal or redundancy
Illness or complete or partial disability
End of contract of limited duration
Closure of company
You quit / resigned
Moving to another job
You had children and wanted to care for them
You wanted to care for other family members (elderly or disabled)
You got married
Other personal or family reasons
Other reasons (please specify)

In the following, we will ask you some questions about the characteristics of this significant job before leaving continuous education. Please answer these questions referring to the situation at the beginning of this job.

33. What was your status in this job?

Registered employee Go to Q37
Unregistered employeeGo to Q37
Self-employedGo to Q33
Family helperGo to Q35

5.Other (please specify)Go to Q33

34. Were you [only for self-employed, i.e. if Q32=3]

1.A farmer

2.A self-employed craftsman

3.A shopkeeper

4.A street-seller

5.An industrialist

6.In the professions

7.A manager and majority stockholder of a limited stock company

8.Free manager or tenant manager

9.Employee of your own company

10.Other (please specify)

35. How many employees did you have? [only for self-employed, i.e. if Q32=3]

1. none

2. 1 to 2

3. 3 to 5

4. 6 to 9

5. 10 or more

36. The person whom youhelpedwas [only for family helpers, i.e. if Q32=4]

1. farmer

2. self-employed craftsman

3. shopkeeper

4. head of a company

5. in the professions

6. other (please specify) ______

37. This person was [only for family helpers, i.e. if Q32=4]

1. your father

2. your mother

3. your spouse

4. a brother or sister

5. another relative

6. other (please specify) ______

38. What was your occupation in this job? [enter the conventional title for this job, see Annex 2 for the list of occupations]

39. What was the main activity of company where you worked?[For convenience of terminology, the term company will be used throughout the questionnaire. A company can, however, have several establishments. If that is the case, then information about the establishment in which interviewee actually works/ed will be gathered. If respondents is unsure what is meant here, name please ‘construction’, ‘manufacturing’. Please give an accurate description. See Annex 3 for the list of economic activities]

40. What was your monthly net salary (i.e. take-home pay)at that job (if necessary approximately)?

Syrian pounds I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___,___I___I [Enter the amount]

41. Was this job… [not for self-employed and family helpers, i.e. Q32=3or Q32=4](only for paid workers)

in a private company or for a private individual
in the public sector
in a company with mixed form of ownership

4. other (please specify)

42. How many employees worked in this company/organisation, including you [not for self-employed and family helpers] (only for paid workers)

1. 1 to 2

2. 3 to 5

3. 6 to 9

4. 10 to 49

5. 50 to 199

6. 200 to 499

7. 500 or more

43. How many subordinates did you have? Other variants: How many persons did you supervise / oversee? For work of how many persons were you responsible? [not for self-employed and family helpers](only for paid workers

______Enter the number

44. Did you work full-time or part-time in this job?

Full time →Go to Q45
Part time

45. What was the main reason for accepting a part-time job?

1.You did not find a full-time job

2.You had to change from full-time to part-time work due to the economic situation of your company

3.In addition to another part-time job

4.Combining studies or training with part-time employment

5.You could not work full-time on health grounds (disability)

6.Professional reasons (work climate, working conditions, stress, harassment, …)

7.In order to care for your children or incapacitated persons…

a - because suitable care services for children are not available or affordable

b - because suitable care services for ill, disabled or elderly are not available or affordable

c - because suitable care services for both children and ill, disabled or elderly are not available or affordable

d - for other reasons

8.Other personal or family reasons

9.You did not want to work full-time

10.Other reasons (please specify) ______

46. How many hours per week did you work in this job on average?

____ Enter number of hours

47. What kind of work contract did you have?

a work contract of unlimited duration or a permanent appointment Go to Q49
a temporary appointment without prospects for a permanent job
a temporary appointment with prospects for a permanent job
a seasonal contract
no contract Go to Q48
other (please specify) ______

48. What was the length of your work contract? [choose either weeks or months or years]

______(weeks)

______(months)

______(years)

49. Why did you accept a temporary / seasonal / no contract job?

You could not find a permanent job
You did not want a permanent job
Other reasons (please specify)

50. Have you already worked or done a training period in this company before?

1. yes, once

2. yes, several times

3. no Go to Q51

51. If yes, the first time was

1. to do an apprenticeship, qualification contract, etc.

2. to do a training period, an applied training period during studies

3. to hold a holiday or week-end job, a casual job

4. as a temporary worker

5. as another employee

6. to do military service

7. other (please specify)

52. Before entering this company (the first time) did you know anyone who worked there?

1. yes, a family member

2. yes, a friend or acquaintance

3. no

53. How did you find this job?

1. through an unprompted application, personal initiative

a - after being given information by a third person

b - without any prior information (mailing etc.)

2. through a friend, relative or contact, word of mouth

a - family

b - personal friends

c - professional contacts

3. through a temporary job

4. through an official organisation (an employment agency, a recruiting firm)

5. through advertisements (press, radio, internet)

6. through your school, apprenticeship training centre

7. contacted by the company for this job

8. through a job transfer, a transfer to another establishment in the company

9. through competitive examination

10. through a start-up of my own business

11. other (please specify)

54. What was the minimum level of education required by your employer for this job?[UBA1]

[please provide answers within the national educational classification, so that they can be easily fitted into the ISCED classification (see appendix 1). Please make sure the differentiation is made between general and vocational tracks on the upper-secondary and, if possible, on the tertiary levels]

1Kindergarten or first basic education cycle

2Basic education Second Cycle

3General secondary education

4Vocational secondary education

5Practical vocational secondary education and apprenticeship

6average institute for 2 years after secondary school

7average institute for 1 year after secondary school

8Master Degree

9Diploma

10University degree

PHD

55. What was in your opinion the minimum level of education required for the job?[UBA2]