The impact of economic coordination and educational institutions on individual-level preferences for academic and vocational education

Integrating the literature on the varieties of capitalism with sociological studies of educational stratification, this paper argues that macro-level institutions significantly shape the relationship between educational background and preferences for different kinds of education on the micro level. In particular, we find that the institutional set-up of the education system and the degree of coordination prevailing in a given economy both have a distinct impact on micro-level associations. Segregated education systems dominated by vocational training at the secondary level increase the strength of the association between educational background and preferences, whereas higher levels of coordination weaken this relationship. Our claims are supported by an empirical analysis of Eurobarometer survey data, using multilevel regression statistics. Our findings have important consequences for our understanding of the relationship between skill formation processes, labour market institutions and social equality.