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.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance |
Early online date | 22 Jan 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 22 Jan 2021 |
Keywords
- employability
- career-first
- career development
- labour market policy
- capability