Vocational Education and Training in the United Kingdom


Book Description

The effective governance of education and training in the UK is the responsibility of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is a major priority of the UK government. Many aspects of initial and continuing training are subject to continuous reform as the UK builds on its strengths and addresses challenges in the emerging systems of lifelong learning. Priorities in the UK are closely in line with the objectives of the Lisbon strategy. Vocational education and training (VET) systems in the UK tend to be complex as well as fast changing. This short review gives an overview of the main structures, trends and challenges. Key elements include the notion of competence to define the content and assessment of VET learning and the increasingly flexible and diverse approach to learning provision.




International Comparisons of Vocational Education and Training for Intermediate Skills


Book Description

Paul Ryan has brought together the writings of the most prominent British research into vocational preparation in Britain in comparison to the other advanced economies, primarily within the EEC. The book, originally published in 1991, documents various aspects of inadequacy in British practice at the time, concentrating upon intermediate skills, which are of crucial importance for economic performance. The introduction outlines the strengths and weaknesses of comparative research. Part 1 discusses the use which has been made of it by policy makers in Britain and various aspects of comparative methods in practical comparisons, including an Anglo-Scottish one. Part 2 concerns vocational preparation in connection with productivity and produce markets, noting its importance for economic performance and its dependence upon companies’ product choices. Part 3 contains studies of the organization of skills and work and the finance of training within the EEC as a whole. Part 4 comprises studies of training in relation to labour market structures, each of which indicates similar alternatives for training policy in Britain – alternatives whose relevance and political prospects can only be enhanced by the demise of Thatcher government deregulatory policies.







The Future of Vocational Education and Training in a Changing World


Book Description

Across the globe, vocational education and training is characterised by a number of over-arching trends, including the increasing use of technology, the growing importance of information and communications systems, and changes to national demographics. At the interface between the education and training system and the world of work, VET faces the challenge of tackling these changes, of making a constructive contribution to solving the problems posed by the transition from education to employment, and of ensuring that the next generation has the skills it – and the economy – needs. This volume comprises thirty individual contributions that together add up to a comprehensive overview of the current situation in vocational education and training, its strengths and weaknesses, and its prospects. VET experts from Canada, the USA, India, China, Japan and Korea, as well as from a number of European countries, focus on their national context and how it fits in to the bigger picture. The contributions combine theoretical discussions from various strands of VET research with evidence from country case studies and examples from current practice.




OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training Learning for Jobs


Book Description

An OECD study of vocational education and training designed to help countries make their systems more responsive to labour market needs. It expands the evidence base, identifies a set of policy options and develops tools to appraise VET policy initiatives.







OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training A Skills beyond School Review of the United States


Book Description

This book examines vocational education and training programmes in the United States, including coverage of how they are changing, how they are funded, how they are linked to academic and university programmes and how employers and unions are involved.




Internationalization in Vocational Education and Training


Book Description

This edited book addresses a range of aspects of internationalization in vocational education and training (VET) in different countries. It considers the impact of internationalization and student mobility on VET at the sectoral, institutional and individual levels as the sector emerges as a key tool for social and structural change in developing nations and as a flexible and entrepreneurial means of growth in developed nations. The book explores not only the effects of the neo-liberal market principle underpinning VET practices and reforms, but importantly considers internationalization as a powerful force for change in vocational education and training. As the first volume in the world that examines internationalization practices in VET, the book provides VET and international education policymakers, practitioners, researchers and educators with both conceptual knowledge and practical insights into the implementation of internationalization in VET.




Routledge Revivals: Vocational Education and Training in the Developed World (1979)


Book Description

First published in 1989, this book primarily sets out to provide detailed accounts of the policy towards and the provision of vocational education and training in five countries of the developed world: Japan, Australia, the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom. Professor Cantor concentrates on the training of skilled personnel at operative, craft, and technician levels, and describes provision both within public and private institutions, such as further education colleges, and in industry and business. Comparisons are drawn between each country, for example between the ‘British’ traditions of vocational education and training in Australia and the United Kingdom, and the more ‘entrepreneurial’ approach of Japan and the United States.




Handbook of Vocational Education and Training


Book Description

This handbook brings together and promotes research on the area of vocational education and training (VET). It analyzes current and future economic and labor market trends and relates these to likely implications for vocational education and training. It questions how VET engages with the growing power of human development approaches and with the sustainable development agenda. Equity and inclusion are discussed in a range of ways by the authors and the consideration of the construction of these terms is an important element of the handbook. It further addresses both the overall notion of system reform, at different scales, and what is known about particular technologies of systems reform across a variety of settings. Vocational learning and VET teacher/trainer education are discussed from a comparative perspective. National and comparative experiences are also shared on questions of equity and efficiency in funding in terms of those that fund and are funded, and for a range of funding methodologies. As well as reviewing existing gaps, this handbook is looking forward in identifying promising new directions in research and environment. Areas covered: The Changing World of Work | Editors: Margarita Pavlova and Salim Akoojee Skills for Sustainable Human Development | Editor: Lesley Powell Planning and Reforming Skills Systems | Editor: Robert Palmer Private Training Markets | Editors: Michael Gessler, Larissa Freund and Susanne Peters Vocational Learning | Editors: Karen Evans and Natasha Kersh Competence and Excellence | Editor: Kirby Barrick Measuring Learning and Instructional Performance | Editor: Esther Winther Supporting Learners | Editor: Joy Papier VET Teacher/Trainer Education | Editor: Volker Wedekind