Towards a model of vocational security in pre-university students

In many countries, particularly in Peru, university dropout rates are high due to deficiencies in decision-making processes related to academic major selection. This study explored associations aimed at understanding vocational decision-making certainty among pre-university students. It examined the roles of Psychological Well-Being, Self-Concept, Emotional Intelligence, and Solution-Focused Thinking throughout this process. A quantitative study was conducted with 572 high school students using validated measures for each variable. Exploratory structural modeling analyses suggested that Psychological Well-Being and Self-Concept may be direct predictors of Vocational Security, while Emotional Intelligence and Solution-Focused Thinking may exert indirect effects through Self-Concept and Psychological Well-Being. Besides, Psychological Well-Being appeared to increase Self-Concept, Emotional Intelligence was positively related to Solution-Focused Thinking, and Solution-Focused Thinking was associated with Vocational Security. These exploratory findings suggest the potential value of integrating Solution-Focused Thinking strategies into educational—particularly vocational—programs, while recognizing the need for further confirmatory studies. The results provide preliminary insights that can inform the design of intervention programs aimed at improving vocational decision-making confidence in secondary school students, but should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than definitive.