TRAYECTORIAS EDUCATIVO-LABORALES DE JÓVENESESTUDIANTES DE EDUCACIÓN TÉCNICA EN CHILE: ¿TIENE SENTIDO UN SISTEMA DE FORMACIÓN PARA EL TRABAJO EN LA EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA?

This article analyses educational-working paths of a cohort of students graduated from vocational high school in Chile. The background allows indicating that this training modality is no longer an instance of early exit to the world of work for an important segment of youngsters, who pursue higher education after high school graduation. However, it is also observed that approximately 40% of high school graduates do not pursue further studies, engaging in working activities that are not linked to the training received. Most of these students access to temporary jobs, mainly in the service sector and perform tasks that strictly would not require the formal training intended by the curriculum of technical education. This duality points out the need of a deep discussion about a number of issues regarding this educational modality: its characteristics, the place of employability skills training and the reforms eventually needed by the educational system based on the experiences of students themselves.