ABSTRACT
There are consistent differences between the career paths of young people from different backgrounds in many societies. In Britain, possibly to a greater extent than elsewhere in the world, these differences are partly class related. 20 years ago, Ashton and Field (1976) identified three broadly different types of work. These they called 'long-term career jobs', which were dominated by the middle classes; 'working-class career jobs' which included technical, clerical and skilled manual occupations; and 'low-skill' jobs including unskilled manual and shop work.
