ABSTRACT
Thus far we have told stories of especial interest. Laura and Helen had changed career paths during the time of the study, Elaine and Alison had used the Training Credit to exercise choice over training provision, whilst Clive and Becky had contrasting problems over training. In this chapter we focus on the remaining four young people, whose experiences were less dramatic. David, Peter, Sam and Frances share two common features. All experienced a relatively unproblematic career progression during the period of our investigation and all were broadly happy with the training and work experiences they received. To avoid repetition, we have reverted to a more conventional approach, describing patterns found within the four stories, illustrated by selected quotations. We concentrate on four issues: career intentions and finding a placement, the role of NVQs in training, career progression within and beyond training, and the significance of gender in career choice. We begin with brief pen-portraits of the young people.
