Here you will find the latest relevant studies regarding to work-based learning, apprenticeship and vocational education.
- Work-Based Learning and Innovation
- Work-Based Learning in Ireland
- Work-Based Learning in the United Kingdom
- Work-Based Learning in Higher Education and Lifelong Learning in the Netherlands
- The Creative Disruption of Degree Apprenticeships in the UK
- Lifelong Learning Policies: The Case of Work-Based Learning
- Company Engagement in Apprenticeships in Crisis-Hit Greece: A Critical Overview
- Work Based Learning for Enterprise education?
- La formatività del Work-Based Learning The Formativity of Work-Based Learning
- The challenges of managing degree apprentices in the workplace
- Practice-based learning in the Tequila industry
- Training‐related dimensions of apprenticeship programmes in crisis‐ridden Greece
- Apprenticeships: Bringing College to the Workplace
- Work based learning in motorcycle classroom
- Vocational Education and Learners’ Experienced Workplace Curriculum
- Workplace Learning for School-Based Apprenticeships: Tripartite Conversations as a Boundary-Crossing Tool
- Variations in Implementing the Dual VET System: Perspectives of Students, Teachers, and Trainers in the Certified Trades in Iceland
- VET students’ integration of knowledge engaged with in school-based and workplace-based learning environments in the Netherlands
- Transfer of learning in Swedish technical vocational education: student experiences in the energy and industry programmes
WORK-BASED LEARNING AND INNOVATION
Empirical findings report an acquired mindset of innovative thinking and behavior by students participating in a dual higher education concept which integrates academic studies and workplace training. Work-based learning (WBL) innovation indicators relevant to international commerce degree students are reviewed and an approach presented that can be used to provide rigorous analysis of innovation activity by students participating in WBL. The research method involved a qualitative methodology to formulate a framework for a tentative generic WBL innovation model. Innovation indicators useful to the three-way partnership of employer, university teacher, and student are identified.
Citation: Angove, Marilia (2019). Work-Based Learning and Innovation. 10.4018/978-1-5225-7721-8.ch009. In: Innovation and Social Capital in Organizational Ecosystems, pp.173-193
WORK-BASED LEARNING IN IRELAND
The chapter reviews the development of work-based learning (WBL) in Ireland. As in other nations, WBL has been created following a combination of internal and external pressures. Tutors and students have recognized the need for change, but there has also been external pressure from government and employers to make education more relevant to the workplace. The change in practice has resulted in amendments to the traditional curriculum in higher education so that WBL is seen as a mechanism for preparing students for employment rather than as something for those already working. An important development has been increased recognition of prior learning, an often-essential element in WBL. Practice has been facilitated by time-limited projects, such as “Education for Employment” and the Roadmap for “Employment-Academic Partnership.”
Citation: Sheridan, Irene & Linehan, Margaret (2018). Work-Based Learning in Ireland. 10.4018/978-1-5225-6977-0. In: Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives.
WORK-BASED LEARNING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
The term work-based learning has been widely used in higher education in the UK since the 1990s, and there is evidence of a spread in practice. However, it is not recognized as a subject by the UK Higher Education Statistics Authority so that the extent of practice is unknown. A small unpublished survey sheds some light on the varieties and extent of practice in England and Wales, identifying five different approaches. Different pedagogical practices can exist within single universities, and most of the chapter outlines how the University of Chester incorporates two practices. Its work-based learning (WBL) module is available for all full-time second-year undergraduates regardless of discipline. Its purpose is to enable all students of the university the opportunity to gain real-world workplace experience and sensitize them to the requirements of experiential and lifelong learning. By contrast the work-based and integrative studies (WBIS) is an example of a fully negotiated whole program designed to facilitate the development of practice for those already working.
Citation: Talbot, Jon (2018). Work-Based Learning in the United Kingdom: What We Know of Practice and an Example – The WBL Module and WBIS Program at the University of Chester. In: Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives
WORK-BASED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE NETHERLANDS
Developments and issues in the Netherlands with regard to work-based learning (WBL) and its relevance for higher professional education (HPE) and lifelong learning (LLL) are discussed. While traditionally in LLL the emphasis was on formal and non-formal learning in organized settings (adult education), nowadays there is growing awareness of the importance of informal LLL in the workplace. Different and more intensive patterns of interaction between companies and HPE are being developed to improve the connection between learning in education and in the workplace. There are steps towards an effective pedagogy of WBL as employers and HPE strive for high-quality outcomes. As a final point, the authors discuss the recent developments with regard to accreditation of prior learning as a way to raise the qualification levels of the working population.
Citation: Onstenk, Jeroen (2019). Work-Based Learning (WBL) in Higher Education and Lifelong Learning in the Netherlands. In: Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives.
THE CREATIVE DISRUPTION OF DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS IN THE UK
The introduction of an apprenticeship levy for employers with a payroll above £3m in 2017 has transformed the landscape for higher-level skills in the UK. While there is some evidence of the economic benefits of higher education, it seems to be largely operating to reproduce economic position rather than as an agent of social mobility. At the same time, UK employers have made it clear that graduates do not possess the range of skills that they require and yet have a poor record of investing in the development of their employees. In this problematized context, degree apprenticeships can operate to creatively disrupt our understanding of the relationship between higher education and work. Assumptions about the presumed differences between academic and professional standards, knowledge and competence, on-and-off-the-job learning are all challenged by the introduction of degree apprenticeships. Can universities overcome these challenges to rethink the role of higher education as the worlds of work and learning align?
Citation: Bravenboer, Darryll (2019). The Creative Disruption of Degree Apprenticeships in the UK. In: Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives
LIFELONG LEARNING POLICIES: THE CASE OF WORK-BASED LEARNING
In this paper the role of validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning, focusing on work-based learning (WBL) is examined. The paper is based on the analysis of EU and international organizations policy documents related to developments in the areas of Lifelong Learning and the development of learning processes through WBL. In the first section, a general overview of the wider condition of the society and economy and the necessity of the discussion on the paper’s theme take place. In the next part of the paper a mention of key points of the European policies on life-long learning with the focus of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning is been presented. In the third part, the section before the concluding remarks, the theme of Work-based learning, the development of necessary validation processes and the challenges are being analyzed.
Citation: Kavasakalis, Aggelos & Liossi, Foteini (2019). Lifelong Learning Policies: The Case of Work-Based Learning. Journal of Education and Training. 6. 30.
COMPANY ENGAGEMENT IN APPRENTICESHIPS IN CRISIS-HIT GREECE: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW
In contrast to the relatively limited attention given in the past to apprenticeships and apprenticeship-related issues in Greece, the crisis has triggered a definite interest in this area. This is largely due to the serious implications of the crisis, in conjunction with the idea that apprenticeships could be an alternative educational pathway for boosting labour market integration, an idea also promoted by EU institutions. Against this backdrop, the present article is, essentially, the first effort made to highlight, in a succinct and critical way, the crucial dimensions of an under-researched key aspect of the apprenticeships in Greece: company engagement. Drawing on the findings of a large-scale, mostly qualitative, research project (December 2015–March 2017) that reviewed apprenticeship programmes in this country, and during which, inter alia, 150 stakeholders were surveyed and an online survey was conducted with 828 employers, the article highlights the strengths characterizing company involvement in apprenticeships, but also severe shortcomings which overshadow the strengths. It is argued that there is an urgent need for restructuring. Otherwise, the potential of apprenticeships in Greece to be an alternative educational pathway to boost employment at a time of extremely high unemployment, especially for young people, will be undermined.
Citation: Lalioti, Varvara & Karantinos, Dimitris & Chrysakis, Manolis (2018). Company Engagement in Apprenticeships in Crisis-Hit Greece: A Critical Overview. Social Sciences. 7. 103. 10.3390/socsci7070103.
WORK BASED LEARNING FOR ENTERPRISE EDUCATION?
The purpose of the paper is to present the results of using work based learning pedagogy within the curriculum to embed enterprise skills within Liverpool John Moores University and review the potential relevance of WBL Pedagogy to create impactful learning experiences within the curriculum. Design/methodology/approach The authors used quantitative methodology for this study using a pre- and post-program questionnaire (E-factor) to measure their entrepreneurial competencies. Data was collected from over 500 students over a two-year period.
The study indicates that work based learning can provided transformational learning experiences for students of all disciplines as 85 per cent of the students enhanced their entrepreneurial competencies and mindsets. Research limitations/implications This study provides significant evidences of the impact WBL pedagogy had on students over a two-year period at Liverpool John Moores University. However, the data was collected from the student population of a single Higher education institution and longitudinal evidence is needed to evaluate the long-term benefits of completing a comparative study with another University.
The WBL pedagogical approach can be applied to all subject areas to allow enterprise education to be embedded throughout the university curriculum. The research also shows that “Live” civic engagement projects provides excellent examples of experiential learning and reflection in the assessment process
Citation: Gibson, D. and Tavlaridis, V. (2018), "Work-based learning for enterprise education? The case of Liverpool John Moores University “live” civic engagement projects for students", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 5-14.
LA FORMATIVITÀ DEL WORK-BASED LEARNING THE FORMATIVITY OF WORK-BASED LEARNING
The Paper reflects on "the innovative horizon" of Work-Based learning-today fundamental pillar of European Strategies related to issues of "training and work" within the Framework VET (Vocational Education Training), fo-cusing on two main models of WBL: apprenticeship and alternance school-work. The contribution, also provides the "theoretical postulates "of research on doctoral thesis, with a first reflection on "the principle of formatività". The working hypothesis, identified with the translation of a concept of formativ-ità-the "cornerstone of research"-in order to build a taxonomy of quality indicators of educational processes for those involved in work-based-learning paths.
Citation: Marcone, Valerio Massimo. (2016). La formatività del Work-Based Learning The Formativity of Work-Based Learning.
THE CHALLENGES OF MANAGING DEGREE APPRENTICES IN THE WORKPLACE
The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues and challenges facing employers as they manage degree apprentices in the workplace. It examines the relationship between managers and apprentices undertaking a work-based degree. This research is of particular relevance at this time because of the UK Government’s initiative to expand the number of apprenticeships in the workplace to three million new starts by 2020, inevitably bringing a range of pressures to bear on employers (BIS, 2015). The purpose is to share early experiences of employer management of degree apprenticeships, and provide a range of recommendations to develop and improve employer and higher education institution (HEI) practice.
Citation: Rowe, L., Moss, D., Moore, N. and Perrin, D. (2017), The challenges of managing degree apprentices in the workplace, Journal of Work-Applied Management, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 185-199.
PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING IN THE TEQUILA INDUSTRY
The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology and results of practice-based learning in the Business School of a higher education institution (HEI) in Mexico, with a focus on students’ participation and learning experience. Design/methodology/approach This research is a descriptive and qualitative analysis of six team experiences within a larger project developed through university–business partnership with the aim of helping develop organizational capabilities of small and medium enterprises within the Tequila industry in Mexico.
Participation of students in project-based learning, in genuine scenarios alongside professional consultants, is an effective way to develop learning and to apply prior knowledge. Learning occurs at several levels, including developing professional knowledge, teamwork, leadership and communication skills, and to some extent consulting skills. Client organizations also develop learning in work-based learning (WBL) projects.
Citation: Toledano-O’Farrill, R. (2019), Practice-based learning in the Tequila industry: the business school goes out of the classroom, Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 305-318.
TRAINING‐RELATED DIMENSIONS OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMES IN CRISIS‐RIDDEN GREECE
Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been increased interest in apprenticeships in Greece, largely due to the perception that apprenticeships, in comparison to academic studies, may improve the employment prospects of young people. Before this time, there had been little interest in vocational education and training (VET) and consequently few efforts to develop the VET system. This exploratory article focuses on training, a crucial aspect of apprenticeship programmes, and offers a critical overview of key dimensions of the training content of apprenticeships in Greece. The article draws on the findings of a large‐scale, mostly qualitative research project (carried out between December 2015 and March 2017), which aimed at reviewing the Greek apprenticeship system and gathered, inter alia, the views of 150 individuals representing different groups of stakeholders. It is argued that, despite positive features, the training offered in Greek apprenticeships still suffers from severe shortcomings, which highlight the need for urgent reform and restructuring. Without such reform, the potential of the system to be an effective, alternative to the academic pathway or to boost employment will be seriously constrained.
Citation: Lalioti, Varvara et al. (2019). Company Engagement in Apprenticeships in Crisis-Hit Greece: A Critical Overview. In: International Journal of Training and Development 23(1).
APPRENTICESHIPS: BRINGING COLLEGE TO THE WORKPLACE
Research suggests that one in six third-level learners are dropping out of their college courses during their first year (Higher Education Authority (HEA), 2017, cited in O’Brien, 2017). The European People’s Party claim statistics show that one in 5 young people in Europe under the age of 24 is currently not in education, employment or training (Maydell, 2015); a contributory factor to the recent reinvigoration of apprenticeships as a model of education. Following a review of Apprenticeships, commissioned by Ruairi Quinn T.D, and Minister for Education and Skills, the new apprenticeship model emerged in Ireland. The new apprenticeship, or post 2016 apprenticeship, is no longer a mid-level skills-based, craft training programme but a work-based learning programme in a wide range of disciplines leading to awards from level 5 to level 10 on the National Framework for Qualifications.
Citation: Magner, Siobhan & Jackson, Naomi. (2018). Apprenticeships: Bringing College to the Workplace. DBS Business Review. 2. 10.22375/dbr.v2i0.33.
WORK BASED LEARNING IN MOTORCYCLE CLASSROOM
This research was conducted with the aim to analyze schools of vocational education (SMK) which are feasible to be modelled schools for the application of the learning model of work based learning. The research was done by direct observation of all SMK Kompetensi Keahlian Teknik Sepeda Motor which are vocational schools for motorcycle engineering. All schools involved followed the guided class program of PT YIMM. The scope of this study relates to the availability of facilities, infrastructure, human resources and support from the industrial world, which encourages the implementation of the learning model of work based learning. Data collection was done by analyzing ten SMK Kompetensi Keahlian Teknik Sepeda Motor under the guidance of PT YIMM in West Java by using instruments that have been compiled and verified by authors and experts of vocational education, as well as from the industrial world. The result of the analysis was derived by observing all SMK Kompetensi Keahlian Teknik Sepeda Motor with advice and supervision from PT YIMM in West Java. Results showed only four schools meeting the criteria to practise and apply the learning model of work based learning as seen through their adequate facilities, infrastructure, human resources and support from the industrial world. Therefore, these four schools will be used as the model for research development of the learning model for work based learning in subsequent research.
Citation: Hafid, D & Gafar, A. (2018). Work based learning in motorcycle classroom. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 434.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND LEARNERS’ EXPERIENCED WORKPLACE CURRICULUM
There has been a growing emphasis on providing students in vocational education and training (VET) with workplace experiences. School-based VET and apprenticeship training have been parallel routes in the Finnish VET system, but relatively little is known of their characteristics regarding students’ experiences. This study addresses this research gap by investigating these two VET pathways and addressing the following research question: How do learners experience workplace learning on various learning pathways? This study further investigates three different vocational fields: social and health care, business and administration, and construction. The study was based on semi-structured individual interviews (N = 33): 18 of the participants were students in school-based VET, and 15 were apprentices. The interview data were analysed with thematic analysis. The themes highlighted how the VET pathway builds a frame for participation that is then shaped by work practices and social practices and how, eventually, individuals alter boundaries to participation. The study implies that the two VET pathways, school-based VET and apprenticeship training, have significant differences. However, in the construction sector, differences between students’ experiences of workplace learning seem to be less visible. Based on learning experiences, it seems that apprenticeship training and school-based VET cannot be considered parallel or interchangeable routes. This should be acknowledged because the recent reform of vocational upper secondary education aims to advance a flexible combination of school- and work-based pathways, and it can also be considered when discussing the coherence of VET systems.
Citation: Rintala, Heta & Nokelainen, Petri. (2019). Vocational Education and Learners’ Experienced Workplace Curriculum. Vocations and Learning.
WORKPLACE LEARNING FOR SCHOOL-BASED APPRENTICESHIPS: TRIPARTITE CONVERSATIONS AS A BOUNDARY-CROSSING TOOL
This chapter examines how a vocational education and training activity, the tripartite conversation, is shaped in the context of the Swedish upper secondary apprenticeship education. Learning in school and in a workplace is often emphasised as complementary. Research that draws on activity theory emphasises the development of shared spaces to support integration of learning across these sites. In this chapter the tripartite conversation is investigated as a tool intended to support integration of experiences across school and workplace. The focus of this study was the following question: What does the tripartite conversation indicate about what the parties try to achieve with regard to students’ learning? Field studies were conducted in three upper secondary schools in 2014. Sixteen tripartite conversations between vocational teacher, workplace tutor and student have been analysed. Activity theory and the concepts of tensions and contradictions have formed the analytical framework. The tripartite conversation is identified as a boundary-crossing tool to plan and negotiate workplace learning paths. The findings show that students were expected to develop knowledge, skills and abilities to handle daily work assignments and complex work situations in the workplace. These goals were sometimes hard to achieve due to uncertainties among participants about the learning objectives, norms and rules that guided the students’ learning in the work place. It is concluded that integration of experiences across sites can be supported when workplace learning is collaboratively planned and evaluated from the perspectives of school and workplace respectively.
Citation: Andersson, Ingela. (2018). Workplace Learning for School-Based Apprenticeships: Tripartite Conversations as a Boundary-Crossing Tool.
VARIATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING THE DUAL VET SYSTEM: PERSPECTIVES OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND TRAINERS IN THE CERTIFIED TRADES IN ICELAND
Vocational education and training (VET) in Iceland is generally organized as a dual system at the upper secondary level. An analysis of the curricula of 34 certified trades in Iceland – where a journeyman’s exam is legally required for working in a field – revealed considerable variations in the way the dual system is implemented (i.e. dual-system models), particularly in terms of the duration of the work-based learning period and sequencing of the periods in the workplace and in school (where the programme should begin and end). The variability in the dual-system models among the certified trades suggests independence in development and a lack of centralized governance in the VET system in Iceland. To study the implications of different VET dual-system models, four trades were selected as representatives of the various models found among the certified trades, and students, teachers, and workplace trainers in each were interviewed. The goal was to look at the rationale for the various VET dual-system models and the effects of integration of school-based and work-based experiences as viewed by the various stakeholders within the system. The results revealed conflicting goals and important trade-offs between economic and pedagogic goals of the VET system. Tensions relating to the duration of the work-based learning period revolved around providing comprehensive training on the one hand and the cost and productivity for the companies on the other. Tensions relating to sequencing revolved around when work-based learning periods should be placed in the programme: if placed early in the programme, they provided students with a sense of place and purpose, while later work-based learning meant the students were ready for work and created the opportunity for a seamless transition into employment. Overall, the results indicate two different patterns of VET dual-system models, reflecting different attempts to balance economical concerns and the educational requirements laid down by the trades, both with clear benefits and particular challenges.
Citation: Eiríksdóttir, Elsa. (2018). Variations in Implementing the Dual VET System: Perspectives of Students, Teachers, and Trainers in the Certified Trades in Iceland.
VET STUDENTS’ INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE ENGAGED WITH IN SCHOOL-BASED AND WORKPLACE-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS
In vocational education, students learn in different school-based and workplace-based learning environments and engage with different types of knowledge in these environments. Students are expected to integrate these experiences and make meaning of them in relation to their own professional knowledge base. This study focuses both on what types of knowledge students learn in these environments and how they integrate these different types of knowledge. Individual and group interviews were conducted with students, teachers and workplace supervisors in a vocational programme in the Netherlands. Results show that students recognise the importance of vocational knowledge learned in school-based learning environments while they are in the workplace and vice versa, and continuously contextualise knowledge to make it applicable for new circumstances. Also, students learn differently at school due to their experiences in the workplace.
Citation: Baartman, L.K.J. & Kilbrink, Nina & Bruijn, E. (2018). VET students’ integration of knowledge engaged with in school-based and workplace-based learning environments in the Netherlands. Journal of Education and Work. 1-14.
TRANSFER OF LEARNING IN SWEDISH TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN THE ENERGY AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMMES
One of the most important issues in vocational education is the interaction between learning at school and at different workplaces. Students need to transfer what they have learned in and between these different learning arenas. However, little agreement exists among researchers on how to conceptualise and empirically study transfer of learning. This article aims to enhance our understanding of this process in technical vocational education by adding a new perspective on transfer: the phenomenological lifeworld approach. Eleven interviews with students enrolled in the Energy and Industry programmes at a Swedish upper-secondary school were conducted. Three transfer themes emerged from the data: learning for new situations, variation and integration of theory and practice. The student perspective, based on the lifeworld approach shows that the different learning arenas – the school and workplaces – can complement each other. The learning arenas offer different opportunities for learning, and learning in both arenas is necessary in order to prepare for an unknown future, according to the students in this study.
Citation: Kilbrink, Nina & Bjurulf, Veronica & Baartman, L.K.J. & Bruijn, E. (2018). Transfer of learning in Swedish technical vocational education: student experiences in the energy and industry programmes. Journal of Vocational Education & Training. 1-21.