Research design

VET-LSA seeks to assess competences in VET in specific vocational areas and across the domains and link those with basic competences required for successful participation in the world of work.

Tests must be provided for measuring:


  • domain-specific competences, which subsume young adults` abilities to successfully apply their knowledge and experience to authentic occupational situations in selected vocational fields;
  • cross-occupational competences, which refer to the notion of key skills or “core competences”, e.g., acting autonomously in work environments, knowing the structures of organisations and labour markets; and
  • basic competences, such as reading, writing and mathematics.

Institutional and individual context factors are fundamental for young adults’ competence developments. Therefore, key variables of VET relating to institutional conditions and individual background (multi-level analysis) will be included in the survey (background questionnaire).