This paper introduces young people’s voices to describe how they experienced the world of education and the world of work after having completed their studies in second chance provision in England, Denmark and Hungary. These young people attended second chance education, because they had dropped out of and felt alienated in mainstream education. This research reflects on how experiences gained in second chance provision developed their skills and their personalities. These supported them in re-engaging into mainstream education and making career choices, as well as functioning in their later careers. From the analysis of students’ interviews, two themes emerged. The first captures the positive effects of second chance provision. The second describes students’ reflections on the significant role of second chance in the given country context. The paper recommends that rigid education systems need to adopt more flexible methods, individual study pathways and career guidance to work with challenging youth.
Keywords: and confidence, curiosity, second chance provision; dropouts; career adapt-ability; career concern
