The present paper presents empirical results from a German panel study which collected longitudinal data regarding the job entry of young adults in six of the top training occupations in the service and technical-industrial sectors. The data clearly demonstrate the influence of gender and social origin on the access to training in particular occupations. Furthermore, the existence of gender and occupation-specific patterns of career development is demonstrated. However, the apprenticeship system also provides mobility opportunities which depend on the specific training occupation. Moving along a certain occupational pathway results in an interplay between the structural opportunities and constraints of occupational contexts, on the one hand, and the young workers' aspirations and orientations, on the other. These orientations and aspirations were investigated with qualitative methods which helped to identify different modes of biographical action orientations of young workers.
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