Trainees Dropout at the Public Vocational Training Institute (PVTI) in Patras, Greece

Our Toolkit Ambassador Georgios Giotopoulos (GR) reports on a research that took place from June 23 up to July 27, 2020 and was focused on the dropouts from October 2016 to June 2020 from the PVTI of Patras. There were 481 dropouts in total. The demographic profile of the participants is as follows: almost 3 out of 4 dropouts are females (71.7%) and 28.3% is male. As regards the age of the participants, 7 out of 10 are up to 30 years old. 66% of the sample lives alone, while 11.3% is married with a child. Moreover, approximately 9 out of 10 dropouts (90.6%) are Lyceum (upper secondary school) graduates with the remaining 9.4% being graduates of various Vocational Lyceum specialties. Additionally, 75.5% of the sample was not studying in another institution while studying at the PVTI while the remaining 24.5% was studying in another institution such as a Technological Educational Institute, a University or a post-graduate program. Furthermore, 60.4% was working while studying.

Based on the answers provided by the participants, the following results are deduced. Regarding the reasons for the dropout: they abandon their training (extremely and very) due to the evening timetable, which is not convenient (45%); because they found an employment (34%); because of emergency financial obligations (30); because of emergency financial difficulties (30%); or because they did not know that there was compulsory attendance (22%). According to the survey, those who drop out live alone and have more financial problems or financial emergencies. Similarly, those who have financial emergencies and find a job are more likely to drop out of their training. Women with financial problems, residing within the Achaia prefecture and are either single or married with two children, are more likely to drop out as well. Women, who now reside outside the prefecture, drop out when they have financial problems and are married with children. Finally, women who have found employment and have financial emergencies seem to drop out more often.