CEDEFOP published on 19 June 2013 the publication Labour market outcomes of vocational education in Europe - Evidence from the European Union labour force survey.
The research paper present the results that relative to medium-level general education, there is evidence that vocational graduates enjoy a faster transition to work and are more likely to have a permanent first job in line with their qualifications. But it also shows that there are substantial differences between countries. As a result, benefits for vocational graduates are most prominent in countries with strong vocational education and training systems with a close connection between school- and work-based learning. In the longer term the findings are less outstanding, as people age and gain experience, differences between medium-level general education and vocational graduates diminish. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/5532_en.pdf