Career development is a complex lifelong process influenced by a diversity of factors. This paper examines the perceptions of children and adolescents about the influence of school on their career development. The data was gathered through focus group interviews with children and adolescents in the following school age groups: pre-school, infants, primary, secondary and post-compulsory. While young people were able to make links between school and career on a number of dimensions, these links were made differentially. Recommendations for much closer formal links between school and work were made.
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