The role of training agencies in supporting young people’s transition from school to work: do they widen access to apprenticeships for disadvantaged young people?

Abstract

Abstract

This article examines the roles training agencies in Norway play in companies’ recruitment to formal apprenticeships leading to upper secondary education credentials, and whether these roles widen access for disadvantaged young people. Drawing on brokerage theory and 27 interviews with employers and training‑agency staff in healthcare, sales and electrical trades, we identify three interrelated roles through which training agencies support disadvantaged young people: screener – matchmaker (information gathering and matching), company supporter (lowering perceived risk through follow‑up and resource mobilisation), and apprentice applicant supporter (pre‑placement preparation and relational support). By balancing loyalties to both companies and young people, they enjoy the trust required to play a brokerage role. The paper contributes to the literature by specifying how brokerage is enacted by training agencies, indicating key enablers such as information sharing and trust. However, the paper also indicates the labour market-contingent nature of their roles as their mediation of disadvantaged young people is more efficient in sectors where applicants are in short supply (health, sales).