Barriers and facilitators to the successful school-to-work transition: A qualitative study with vocational college students from rural China.

Abstract

Rural youth with low educational attainment are among one of the most vulnerable populations in China and face numerous challenges in the school-to-work transition (STWT) process. This study aimed to investigate the barriers and facilitators to the career development of vocational college graduates from rural China, with a particular focus on how these factors affected their entry into the workforce. As a secondary aim, we explored their view of work. We conducted a consensual qualitative analysis of 18 interviews with Chinese vocational college graduates from rural areas. Barriers to their STWT included economic constraints, low educational attainment, unfavorable labor market conditions, and a lack of social networks in cities, while protective resources included government financial support, family emotional support, support from school professionals, connections with individuals from their village, and critical consciousness. Moreover, our participants aspired to jobs that would allow them to meet survival needs, enjoy leisure time, achieve education-employment fit, and facilitate personal growth. The results empirically confirmed the recent adaptation of the STWT model from the psychology of working theory in a non-Western context. Implications for future studies and interventions to facilitate STWT are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).