Relational support, social inequality and completion in upper-secondary VET to age 28: evidence from a linked survey-register cohort in Norway

Abstract

Relational conditions, such as caring teachers and close networks, are often highlighted for their role in students’ motivation and engagement. Whether such support relates to completion remains unclear. This study examines whether relational support reported midway through upper-secondary VET differentiates completers from non-completers in Norway, alongside prior achievement and family background. I analyse a 1992 cohort, linking survey responses at the age of 18 to register-based completion records up to age 28 (2020). The analytic sample is N = 389. Teacher support captures student-reported relational care/expectations in school; a family/peer index measures perceived encouragement. Background includes parental education, country background, and gender. Compulsory-school points represent prior achievement. Findings are descriptive. Completion shows clear gradients by compulsory-school points and family background (parental education and parental country background). By contrast, teacher support and family/peer support show no detectable differences between completers and non-completers. The findings suggest that completion-oriented strategies may need to prioritise academic preparedness and background-related inequalities and, when targeting ‘support’, distinguish relational care/expectations from more instrumental guidance. Future studies should use support measures with greater dispersion and repeated observations across key transitions.