Conference Agenda

What are the factors that most influence the school-to-work transition of Italian young people in the current context? What role do known variables - such as family and education - and factors under-explored until now, such as soft skills, have in determining a faster entry into the world of work? Recent literature has highlighted a lengthening of duration to enter a stable job and the variety of experiences young people face in the entry phase. These experiences are often made up of temporary and underpaid jobs, which can stimulate access to new learning activities, through an apprenticeship or vocational courses. On these issues, a statistical sample survey will start in September 2025, involving a sample of the 18-34 y.o. population. Indeed, the vast empirical literature has often focused on changes in labor market status, considered as isolated events; however, individuals may face several interconnected transitions - work, family, training, etc. – which draw complex and individualized trajectories. Following the transitional labour markets approach by G. Schmid (2009 and 2017) and Amartya Sen's capabilities approach, which are integrated into the life-course approach (Elder, 1994), we are going to study youth school-to-work transitions within longer trajectories, to understand medium- and long-term consequences.

For young people making the transition from school to work, transversal competences help them to integrate more easily into working life. Employers often consider these competences as important as, or even more important than, technical skills (Deming, 2017). Health and social care occupations are essential to meet labour market needs at upper secondary level. Many young people undertake VET in these fields as a way of gaining access to stable employment. In our study, we investigated the role of socio-emotional competences in the adjustment to vocational education and training among apprentices (N = 374) in the health and social care professions. Our aim was to identify apprentices' 'emotional profiles' and to explore how these profiles relate to professional commitment, motivation, burnout and life satisfaction. Professional commitment appears to be higher in individuals with Emotional Management and Strategic Emotional Reactivity profiles, the Emotional Overflow profile is most vulnerable to burnout, whereas Emotional Management shows the lowest exhaustion and highest life satisfaction, suggesting greater resilience. Effective adaptation in health and social professions depends on managing emotions, even with high emotional reactivity. Promoting balanced socio-emotional competences is essential, suggesting the need to integrate such training into vocational education for better preparing future professionals.

Empathy, understood as the ability to recognize, understand, and appropriately respond to learners’ emotions, is crucial in educational settings. Concurrently, teachers adopt various teaching styles shaping their interactions with learners. This study sought to examine how different facets of empathy align with teaching styles in VET schools. Using a multidimensional scaling (MDS) approach, the study explored the interaction between teaching styles and empathy to gain a deeper understanding of their coexistence. A total of 202 vocational teachers from French-speaking Switzerland completed an online questionnaire. Empathy was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, capturing empathic concern, perspective-taking, fantasy, and personal distress. Teaching styles were assessed through six classroom vignettes representing autonomy support, control, structure, and chaos. Data were analyzed with Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS), with strong goodness-of-fit. Findings confirm two core teaching dimensions—need support/thwarting and directiveness—though item configurations differed from Aelterman et al.’s (2019) model. Autonomy support and structure overlapped, while control and chaos remained distinct. Empathic concern and perspective-taking aligned with supportive styles; personal distress with chaotic styles. The study underscores that effective teaching requires both instructional strategies and socio-emotional skills, especially in VET where learners face varied challenges.

This study examines the construction of professional identity in pre-service middle school art teachers within a Professional Learning Community (PLC). It explores how transversal skills—such as relational and communication competences, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and adaptability—shape educators’ professional self-image. Conducted within a university training program at SUPSI (Locarno, Switzerland), the study adopts a qualitative, exploratory approach. Twelve pre-service teachers in visual and plastic arts education participated, organized into three PLC groups and mentored by professional practice teachers (PPTs). The research investigates how collaborative learning environments impact both disciplinary learning and transversal competence development. Data collection includes reflective journals, field notes, imagery analysis, and focus groups. Findings highlight that collaboration and peer support fostered a strong sense of belonging, improving lesson planning and classroom management. Increased empathy and active listening enhanced participants' awareness of interpersonal dynamics and teaching strategies. Adaptability in communication styles improved peer interactions and student engagement. Regular feedback exchanges promoted self-reflection and professional growth. The study emphasizes the dynamic nature of professional identity formation and the crucial role of transversal skills in teacher education. It suggests that PLCs effectively bridge theory and practice, fostering reflective, adaptable, and relationally competent educators.