%0 Report
        %A McGuinness, Seamus
%A Kelly, Lorcan
%A Devlin, Anne
%A Whelan, Adele
        %T Vocational Education, Earnings and Job Satisfaction in Europe
        %D 2025
        %8 2025 Sep
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 18134
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp18134
        %X This paper examines the earnings and job satisfaction of Vocational Education and Training (VET) graduates in the European Union (EU) using two definitions of vocational education: a self-reported definition and a more specific definition that incorporates work-based learning. The incidence of third-level VET falls from 74% to 29% under the stricter definition. Across the EU, the returns to vocational and academic qualifications are comparable for upper secondary, post-secondary and tertiary qualifications. Earnings premia vary between countries, with VET generating higher returns in just under one-third of all EU-28 members. Additionally, third level VET graduates enjoy higher levels of job satisfaction.
        %K work-based learning
%K european countries
%K job satisfaction
%K earnings
%K vocational education
%K on-the-job training