Careers are a central phenomenon of individual, organisational and societal reality on a practical
as well as theoretical level. Although career research is sometimes labelled as already mature,
research of careers and career paths in some contexts is underrepresented. This is arguably the
case for (Viennese) blue-collar workers. This research project explores the following research
questions: Which career patterns can be observed for former apprentices in Vienna and how are
they influenced? How do former apprentices conceptualize their professional career? The project
uses both a quantitative and a qualitative research design, drawing on instruments and experience
from the Vienna Career Panel Project (ViCaPP, www.vicapp.at), which provides an additional
frame of reference and comparison concerning the results.