Percepção de Barreiras da Carreira em Adolescentes Portugueses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the perception of career barriers in Portuguese adolescents. Both an inquiry of demographic data and the Perception of Career Barriers Inventory-Revised were administered to a sample of 1005 Portuguese students, 488 from grade 9 (age mean 14.5 years old) and 517 from grade 12 (age mean 17.5 years old). Results reveal that the most important barriers to their career development are: numerus clausus in high school to higher education transition, employment precariousness and unemployment. Participants from particular social groups had also specific perceived barriers to career development. These findings are discussed in terms of their practical implications.