Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Conventional technical education has been implemented within an apprenticeship system; however, the framework to support this system is now collapsing. Today, the technical education of plasterers is often implemented using training methods far removed from those of the conventional apprenticeship system.However, in Japan, the training of technicians has been left to subcontractors; this has resulted in a lack of consistency, and this approach is now in a state of neglect.In the West, vocational education is provided in schools, and technical training is implemented through collaboration between educational institutions and the corporate sector.The modern building industry is characterized by major advances in construction technology and the challenge of new building technologies. In view of this, there is a need to train top-class plasterers who are capable of adapting to a constantly changing work environment.Unlike other occupations, the work of plasterers can be divided into three categories, each with a unique work description and work methods.The work description of an advanced-level plasterer is to perform plastering work requiring advanced skills (that is, work that only a skilled craftsman or supervisor can handle), to work with clients and engineers to propose technical solutions and coordinate work processes, and to train, instruct, and guide young and subordinate workers.In order to perform these activities, advanced-level plasterers must have the management skills to provide appropriate and timely instruction, guidance, and proposals on-site. In September 2007, upon completion of a Kanto-area seminar, I conduced a questionnaire survey of participants.The seminar enabled participants to efficiently learn communication and leadership management skills through off-the-job training and brainstorming.This paper clarifies and presents one aspect of educational methods for training subcontractor technicians-a subject that has been somewhat neglected up to now.On the basis of these concepts, the first objective of this study is to raise specific issues in relation to vocational education and personnel development-the cultivation of plasterers to perform plaster work, one of the main kinds of subcontract work in Japanese construction projects-and to describe a method for training building-industry technicians that enables the acquisition of occupational ranks according to the individual's stage of skill development, in line with a model system (from hiring to the attainment of the highest technical qualification) for the current employment of plasterers). © Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management.

This article examines the role of Australian unions in vocational education and Training (VET). The article identifies three dimensions of union engagement with VET issues and it highlights the way in which different dimensions have been to the forefront of union activity over training. The article provides case studies of the engagement of three unions in training issues and identifies some important influences upon each unions' approach to training. © 2010, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

education policymakers are currently faced with the challenge of enabling young people with learning difficulties to achieve an upper-secondary level qualification. Switzerland has introduced a new type of combined school/ work-based VET programme that lasts two years. One of the key pre-requi-sites for success of two-year VET programmes is the willingness of host companies to create an adequate number of apprenticeship positions. We therefore examine the costs and benefits of two-year VET programmes for a sample of 409 host companies. Our main findings indicate that, on average, the value of the productive output of apprentices in two-year VET programmes slightly exceeds the overall costs of the training provided by host companies. Firms that operate in a competitive market are thus able to provide apprenticeship training to less capable young people.

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Explanations of the employment differences between children of some groups of immigrants and children of natives can be found on both the supply and the demand side of the labour market. This chapter focuses on the demand side. Three issues are highlighted: Recruiting through networks, discrimination and labour market institutions. Networks play an important role when recruitment and promotion are largely made through informal channels. There are differences between the networks of children of immigrants and children of natives. Compared to children of natives, the children of immigrants on average to a greater extent have unemployed parents and relatives, live in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods and attend segregated schools. This means that the children of immigrants have less access to networks with links to the labour market and to the most rewarding areas of the labour market. There are several studies showing discrimination against the children of certain groups of immigrants. One reason behind discrimination could be that employers, coworkers and/or customers dislike being in close contact with people from certain minorities. Another source of discrimination is what economists call statistical discrimination, which occurs if information on the individual job seeker's productivity is difficult or costly to obtain. Employers' hiring decisions are in this case based on preconceptions of the average productivity of the group the job seeker seems to belong to, and not on the abilities of the job-seeking individual. Children of some groups of immigrants are ascribed various characteristics that can be attributed to some individuals in the group but not to all. Generalising negative characteristics to every individual in the group contributes to statistical discrimination. Different institutions can counteract the difficulties caused by discrimination and the lack of networks. Educational institutions are important for the transition from school to work. If occupation-specific human capital is provided in the regular educational system, employers are well informed of the potential productivity of an inexperienced job seeker. Young people with credentials from such vocational tracks have an advantage in finding not only a job, but also an appropriate job. The disadvantages are obstacles for the children of immigrants to gain entrance into attractive vocational tracks, in particular to training places at the work place, where there is a risk of discrimination against the children of immigrants or an extensive use of selection through networks. On the other hand, more comprehensive educational systems have the benefit of being less selective, but the disadvantage of giving less informative signals to the labour market. When discrimination and the lack of resourceful networks are obstacles for children of immigrants to gain employment, labour market programmes can improve their chances. Programmes that are very close to the labour market are found to be the most effective in terms of increasing the participants' employment possibilities. Such programmes are wage subsidies in ordinary jobs and labour market training of high quality. Another measure found to be effective is intensified matching and counselling. The important issue is whether the children of immigrants have access to high quality programmes to the same extent as children of natives or if they are overrepresented in programmes that are very far from the labour market. There are some indications that this is the case, but the issue needs further research. The policy implications constitute of measures that compensate for the lack of networks and counteract discrimination. Correspondence testing could be a useful tool to assess the extent of discrimination against children of immigrants. Besides legislation there are a number of other measures, which have in common that they increase the chances of children of immigrants to refute preconceptions about their abilities and give them a chance to demonstrate their true productivity to employers. Educational institutions need to more vigorously involve themselves in the acquisition of apprenticeship and other training places in the ordinary labour market and in the allocation of pupils to these training places. Labour market programmes should be subjected to a systematic use of evaluation methods. Such evaluations should consider how the policy is implemented as well as the labour market outcomes of programme participants. Differences in implementation or in outcomes between the children of immigrants and the children of the native-born should be identified. education on discrimination and the mechanisms behind should be included in the inservice training at employment offices and schools and be mandatory in all intercultural courses. © OECD 2010.

This paper identifies and discusses various challenges met by apprentices when joining the workplace at the very beginning of their training programme. These challenges have become of interest to policy makers and vocational researchers in a context where transitions from school to work are often seen as problematic experiences with growing numbers of young people dropping out of apprenticeship programmes. In a case study drawn from empirical data referring to the Swiss vocational education system, difficulties in sharing meaning at various levels and in (re)negotiating participation at work are described as typical patterns of interactions between apprentices and expert coworkers who train them. These challenges, it is proposed, are not external to language use, but are deeply mediated by discourse practices, including a variety of semiotic resources. From that standpoint, concepts and methods developed in the field of applied linguistics can be seen as relevant tools for illuminating the complexities associated with workplace learning. The paper explores possible continuities and complementarities between vocational education research and discourse studies and argues for an increased research effort in this field of applied linguistics. © 2011, EQUINOX PUBLISHING.

The placement in colleges is a crucially formative experience for trainee teachers on pre-service Further education (FE) initial teacher training courses. A project at the University of Huddersfield researched these placements in four colleges in the north of England and the relationships that were formed between the trainees, their mentors, other staff and students. Where the trainees were placed and who they taught were often matters of expedience, and their individual circumstances were contingent upon diverse, often local, factors. As such, the picture that emerged of the lived experience of placement defied simple classification and explanation. Drawing on data gathered during the project this paper argues that the experience of placements is characterised by confusion, insecurity and marginalisation on the one hand and integration, enthusiasm and development on the other. Regardless of their individual experience, however, there is evidence that the trainees learnt to cope and even that messiness may be useful preparation for the unstable FE workplace. The paper problematises the developmental basis for placements and questions what constitutes a successful placement before considering how trainees can be best prepared to teach in the FE sector. © 2010 The vocational Aspect of education Ltd.

This paper presents the results from a study undertaken to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in engineering education courses, specifically for Technical and vocational education (TVE) system in Bahrain. A teaching and learning assessment tool was developed for participants (existing TVE teachers in electrical and electronic engineering and a pilot group of TVE students). The purpose was to examine the existing approaches of teaching and learning practised in TVE educational environment as well as learning styles preferred by TVE students. The results confirmed that TVE teachers applied limited methods of teaching and learning. However, TVE students had widely varying learning preferences, as they are more motivated by using the experiential learning approach. The experiential learning model allowed students to make their own learning choices and relate what they were learning to the real-work applications (using diagrams, hyperlinked text, video, pictures, interactive examples, virtual reality simulations, and animations). Based on the drawn conclusions, a teaching and learning guideline for engineering education was originated specifically for the needs of the TVE system in Bahrain. The guideline is a potential tool for structuring and improving engineering learning courses in TVE. The guideline will also help in meeting modern industrial requirements by equipping students with better skills, abilities and attitude. © Common Ground, Mohamed Alseddiqi, Rakesh Mishra, Salah Mahdi Abdulrasool.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, such as co-operative education programs, offer students a learning environment which exists outside the traditional classroom and specific discipline boundaries. This necessitates assessment practices that go beyond traditional practices and relationships. Work placement supervisors are best located to observe the students' learning and development and offer feedback on performance and improvement. An investigation was carried out in order to articulate the role of supervisors and work colleagues in facilitating learning in the workplace environment and their involvement in assessment practices. Interviews were conducted with academics and industry representatives on their perceptions of assessment task validity in terms of professional and generic skill development. A synthesis of the findings formed the basis of the research described in this paper. Key findings highlighted the need for better preparation of industry supervisors as to their role in providing feedback and assessment; better preparation of students for transition from the classroom to the workplace; and the importance of ongoing involvement of the three stakeholders (academic, supervisor and student) to maximise learning and professional development. Recommendations for assessment practices include suggestions on how to involve employers in appraising workplace performance; how to measure the real life application of learning; and the development of generic employability skills. © Common Ground, Kathy Henschke, Joan Richardson.

This article reviews the arguments and evidence on the role and contribution of the vocationally trained workforce and vocational training system in technical innovation. The primary focus in terms of the vocational workforce is on skilled production workers and, in particular, tradespersons and technicians. These occupations and the vocational training system are found to have a unique role and make a significant contribution to innovation in both production and Research and Development (R&D). The primary role of the VET system in innovation is technology diffusion. However, there are a number of impediments to achieving this role. These are sustained budget cuts and exclusion of the VET system from national innovation policy, programmes and advisory structures. The latter is attributed largely to the failure of the innovation studies discipline, which has strongly influenced government policy in this field, to study in detail the role of VET occupations and training system in the innovation process. This conclusion is paradoxical as the discipline's own analysis of innovation makes a compelling case that these occupations and training system should be central agents in this process.