In the interview, Prof. Imdorf discusses some of the main questions addressed by ProSkills2Work: how skills acquired through education are translated into opportunities on the labour market, how young people make decisions about their education and professional future, and to what extent their skills and expectations correspond to employers’ needs.
Particular attention is given to the longitudinal panel study launched within the project in 2026. In April and May, more than 6,500 final-year secondary school students from across Bulgaria completed a questionnaire covering their educational pathways, acquired skills, aspirations and plans after graduation. The same young people will be surveyed again in 2028, allowing the research team to follow their actual transitions into higher education or the labour market.
Prof. Imdorf explains that this type of data makes it possible to go beyond a snapshot of the current situation and to analyse processes and causal relationships in the transition from education to work. Among the questions the study will help explore are why some vocational school graduates continue into higher education, what barriers young people face when entering the labour market, and how school and family environments influence their choices.
The interview also addresses the role of vocational and dual education, employers’ involvement in skills formation, the potential for Bulgaria to draw on experience from countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the ways in which the findings of ProSkills2Work can reach public institutions, businesses and educational organisations.
Prof. Imdorf also highlights the role of the ProSkills2Work Advisory Board, which brings together representatives of key institutions, employer organisations and international researchers and helps connect the project’s research activities with the needs of relevant stakeholders.
The full interview with Prof. Christian Imdorf is available on the Bulgarian Science website: https://nauka.bg/prof-kristiyan-imdorf-shte-prosledi-patyat-6500-mladi/