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In both Switzerland and Germany, necessary reforms in vocational education have been taking place for the past few years. By taking a closer look at the commerce sectors of both countries and their reforms, one can better compare their systems of apprenticeship. While the necessity for change in the commercial sector was similar in both countries, the course of these changes has been quite different. A widespread reform of the Swiss commercial sector began in 2003. In Germany, a comparable sweeping change in commercial apprenticeships cannot be seen, although many reforms have been implemented. In order to analyse the process and results of modernisation of both vocational education systems, they are compared and contrasted. Finally, hypotheses are formed about the possible reasons for the differences in vocational education in these two countries. © 2007 British Association for International and Comparative Education.

In this chapter, we report the results of a study comparing current student’s perceptions of computer information systems with student’s perceptions of 12 years past. We found that students continue to prefer more interaction than they perceive an IS career to provide. Given this we (1) report on some programs available in high schools to interest students in a CIS career and (2) discuss case or problem-based learning as a means to provide students with the interaction they desire and show them that it is an integral part of a CIS career. © 2008 by IGI Global.

The translation of lifelong learning theory into educational practice raises a number of important issues. Although these issues are, to some extent at least, immanent to the theory, the experience of them is heightened in periods of educational reform associated with the implementation of lifelong learning theory. Here I examine what are arguably the more important of these issues - those arising from the focus in lifelong learning theory on learning outcomes and on the existential realities of individual learners. These positions have led to charges of value relativism, of the privatisation of educational responsibility and of mis-education through a wide range of effects, including the loss of curricular coherence, a pre-occupation with training, a focus on learning in non-educational contexts, the commodification of education, an erosion of important conceptual distinctions and a focus on issues of immediate interest or concern. While I argue that the claim or experience of value relativism is a serious and potentially disabling misreading of lifelong learning theory, the privatisation of educational responsibility is an inherent feature in more welfare-driven contexts of reform. However, charges of miseducation are sustainable only from educational perspectives that are significantly divergent from that of lifelong learning theory. From a lifelong learning perspective, educational reform in such oppositional contexts may be resisted and subverted, but its quality should fall short of its theoretical potential only to the extent that its implementation is denied, diminished or subverted. These issues would seem to be likely to affect adversely the quality of lifelong learning practice and to generate opposition and resistance to it. To understand the issues and how they may be managed could be important in minimising their adverse effects. This chapter is directed to furthering that understanding. © Springer 2007.

The two main objectives of lifelong learning policy, theory and practice in Britain – and also to a large extent in Europe and Australasia (Hyland, 1999; Field – Leicester, 2000) – are the development of vocational skills to enhance economic productivity, and the fostering of social inclusion and civic cohesion. Direct links are made between inclusion and economic prosperity in the ‘vision of a society where high skills, high rewards and access to education and training are open to everyone’ (DfES, 2001:6). Although this policy does, to some degree, represent a change from the rampant neo-liberalism of the 1980s and 1990s in Britain, the promotion of economic capital always has pride of place and there is a real danger that the social capital objectives of contemporary vocational education and training (VET) may be neglected in the obsession with economic competitiveness (Hyland, 2002). Since work-based learning (WBL) is now a central element in most current VET policy initiatives in Britain, it is suggested that attention to the systematic management and support of learning on WBL programmes – with due emphasis given to the important social values dimension of vocationalism – can go some way to achieving the crucial social objectives of lifelong learning. © Springer 2007.