Educational specialization: a decisive factor for the start of a working career

Young people's working careers depend on their general education level but also, and significantly so, on their specialization. For instance, young French graduates with production-releated vocational diplomas (CAP and BEP) find work more easily than some mainstream higher-education graduates. Likewise, holders of industry-oriented higher-education degrees (DUT and BTS) often have easier career starts than holders of master's degrees in humanities and social sciences. For education levels ranging from CAP/BEP to DUT/BTS, specialization in services often leads graduates toward saturated segments of the labour market, whereas applicants with degrees in mechanics, electricity, and information technology are highly sought after in the business sector.