Vocational Education And Training Programmes Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Texan CTE and Australian VET Programs

Texas is facing a worker deficit crisis for the nearly 1 million “middle skill” jobs requiring applicants to possess industry-based certifications earned through technical training and learning- think plumbers, dental assistants, estheticians, and mechanics. Since our society heavily depends on the contributions of middle-skilled workers for proper functioning, the recent deficit in qualified applicants has elicited significant operational disruptions throughout Texas. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a secondary school framework that aims to “provide individuals with rigorous academic content and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers.” CTE is just one of the many avenues of advancement Texas schools are pursuing in hopes of graduating a new generation of career-ready citizens who can resolve the middle-skill worker crisis. However, CTE is far from perfect, and Texas could benefit greatly from referencing successes of international vocational frameworks to inform their curriculum decisions and revisions. This research outlines a comparative analysis of Texan CTE and Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) conducted using data from three avenues of query: subject matter expert interviews, CTE student survey results, and scholarly references. This analysis concluded that CTE is designed to expose students to diverse postgraduation career options, while VET places focus on students earning industry-based qualifications via on-site experience. In other words, CTE offers exploration of a breadth of vocational offerings, while VET offers depth of tangible outcomes for students in desired middle-skill industries. In reflecting on these discoveries, Texas would benefit from integrating aspects of the Australian School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) model into its present CTE framework to simultaneously address the middle-skilled worker crisis while providing students with a more fruitful and flexible educational experience.

Harmonizing Pedagogy and Technology: Insights into Teaching Approaches That Foster Sustainable Motivation and Efficiency in Blended Learning

This study aims to investigate the impact of blended learning strategies on various student outcomes in Vocational Education and Training (VET) contexts, addressing gaps in the existing literature and informing the refinement of blended learning approaches to enhance educational experiences. The main goal of the study was to explore the impact of teaching approaches used on student attitudes, satisfaction, motivation, and the workload of VET students. Data were collected from 106 students across seven VET programs through an online survey. The findings reveal that collaborative learning significantly enhances student engagement and satisfaction, while the integration of technology in blended learning environments improves educational experiences. However, challenges such as perceived overload are acknowledged. The study also highlights the critical role of assessment and feedback in fostering student satisfaction and competence. Based on these results, the study recommends enhancing collaborative learning through strategic support for diversity and technology integration and optimizing assessment and feedback mechanisms to improve engagement and reduce stress. These recommendations aim to refine blended learning strategies in VET, contributing to better educational outcomes and addressing the identified gaps in the literature.

How training quality, trainer competence, and satisfaction with training affect vocational identification of apprentices in vocational education programs.

Vocational identification means being identified with an organization and with one's career. Both are key objectives of vocational education and training (VET) programs and advantageous for employees and employers. For employees, vocational identification is often associated with positive work-related emotions and job satisfaction; for employers, workers' identification with the organization and the career enhances their performance and reduces turnover. Thus, investment in employees' professional development that has the potential to support vocational identification is advantageous for all involved. In light of current demographic changes and a decreasing demand for full-time work, which are leading to a shortage of skilled workers and lower enrolment in apprenticeship programs, it is essential to bind young talents to companies at an early stage and avoid resignations during or after training. Findings from various empirical studies confirm that those who identify with their chosen career and the organization for which they work are more satisfied, think less about quitting, and perform better. Little empirical research has been conducted on how apprentices in VET programs identify with their career or organization or the extent to which such identification enhances their job satisfaction. In this study, we therefore investigate factors that influence apprentices' identification with their career and organization, in particular, the effects of training quality and trainer competence. Our results indicate that apprentices identify strongly with their career and with the organization where they are doing their training and are mostly satisfied with the quality of their training. Structural equation modeling reveals the relevance of career choice, training quality, and job satisfaction for identification with an organization and (less) with a career. The learning and working conditions in the organization, and more specifically, the variety of tasks offered to the apprentices and the trainer's pedagogical aptitude explain satisfaction with the training and career identification; the trainer's presence and the apprentices' satisfaction with training explain, to some degree, variance in organizational identification.

Empowering Vocational Students: A Research-Based Framework for Computational Thinking Integration

Vocational Education and Training (VET) faces significant challenges in equipping individuals for modern workplaces, which increasingly require digital literacy and Computational Thinking (CT) skills. This paper addresses the imperative of integrating CT into VET programs and outlines key research questions. Our methodology primarily involves a systematic literature review, resulting in the identification of 29 relevant papers. Through qualitative content analysis, we develop a CT integration framework that connects CT practices and integration elements to the engineering design process, while highlighting the VET context. Arguably, the innovative aspect of this framework lies in its core dimensions of harnessing computational power for enhanced efficiency. Raising the question of whether computers can optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of specific tasks is paramount for addressing challenges in technology-rich environments. Therefore, this inquiry merits unwavering attention at every stage of the process. The proposed framework provides educators with a structured approach to identify integration opportunities and help prepare students for multifaceted vocational careers. Furthermore, other key findings underscore the inherently interdisciplinary nature of VET, the growing demand for STEM competencies, and the transformative potential of CT integration. Implications emphasize the need for further research, supportive policies, and practical CT integration. Despite limitations, this study strongly advocates for CT integration, empowering VET students for success in the contemporary workforce.

The vocational teacher, an inventor in special needs education: A study on Swedish vocational programmes

Upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Sweden has been subject to frequent educational policy reforms which have resulted in reduced numbers of students and student groups comprising many students with special education needs (SEN). These changes can be assumed to have resulted in increasing demands on VET teachers’ work with special needs education (SNE). The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge about VET teachers’ conditions for, and work with, SNE in Swedish VET programmes. An analysis of interviews with 15 teachers from eight VET programmes revealed the following themes: 1) Framework factors in the learning environments affecting teaching and learning, 2) The schools’ organisation of special educational competence and the VET teachers’ application of special needs education, 3) Communicative teaching for increased knowledge of students’ strengths and needs, 4) Adaptations at individual and group level, 5) Integration of theory and practice, and 6) Reconsidering teaching approaches through follow-ups. The analysis, based on Skrtic’s theory, reveals a dichotomy in the VET teachers’ conditions for, and work with, SNE. In the schools, a bureaucratic approach is applied where overriding goals are attributed high value, while the VET teachers strive for an adhocratic approach where the teaching is based on their students’ needs. Based on Ainscow’s theory, the analysis shows that the VET teachers take an interactive learning environment-related approach, which means that, based on their understanding of the students’ difficulties, they develop adaptations to stimulate their students’ learning and development.

Long-term effects of different VET-to-labor market transition patterns on subjective well-being

AbstractSeveral studies have analyzed the outcome of vocational education and training (VET); however, they primarily compared individuals with different qualification levels. This perspective neglects the fact that adolescents can differ in their training courses and transition to the labor market. Thus far, evidence on the consequences of different VET-to-labor market transition patterns is scarce. Therefore, the present study distinguished different VET-to-labor market transition patterns of German trainees and analyzed the long-term consequences on subjective well-being (SWB) later in life. Our results show in-between differences in the SWB of trainees in further life by different VET-to-labor market transition patterns. Compared to individuals with direct VET-to-labor market transitions, individuals who experienced a premature training termination and did not return to institutionalized education were more likely to have lower SWB later in life. Additionally, participating in general or higher education programs after VET seems to be beneficial. However, completing multiple VET programs did not influence SWB. The results underline the importance of strategies to prevent early leaving from education and training.

Competence-based approaches in curricula: A comparative analysis of Russian and Chinese commercial vocational education and training programmes

In recent decades, Competence-Based Education (CBE), which emerges to promote the competence development of learners, has been recognized as a pivotal framework, initiating paradigm shifts in Vocational Education and Training (VET) across the globe. Notwithstanding critiques regarding conceptual limitations and its association with neoliberal models of education, the concept of CBE is widely adopted in the VET systems of many countries. However, there is the dearth of empirical evidence about how this concept is implemented into educational practice within the national VET contexts, in which the CBE concept is introduced and regarded as initiative of VET modernization. Against this background, this study investigates the implementation of the approaches to competence orientation (also called competence-based approaches, abbr. CBA) in the curricula of commercial VET programmes in China and Russia, specifically focussing on Accounting and Logistics. Through qualitative content analysis, the study illuminates features of the CBA embedded in curricular documents at both national and institutional levels within these countries. The comparison of the results highlights potential similarities and distinctions regarding the realization of the CBE concept into educational practice of VET between both countries. The comparative findings reveal significant alignment with labour market needs, yet differences emerge in the principles regarding competence-based teaching and learning between both countries. While Chinese VET programmes showcase more individualized embedment of the CBA in different institutions, greater standardization of the CBA embedment evident in Russian VET curricula. These findings underscore the influence of national contexts in shaping the interpretation and application of global educational trends, offering nuanced insights for policymakers and educators looking to optimize the realisation of the CBA within VET curricula.

Promoting youths' skills acquisition through experiential learning theory in vocational education and training in South Africa

PurposeThere is a global concern about the effectiveness of vocational education and training (VET) programmes in developing job-related skills and competencies for real-world environments for disadvantaged and unemployed youths. Experiential learning (EL) is a major component of VET programmes. This article aims to examine the effects of facilitating VET through EL theory to promote youths' skills acquisition. The study looks at the effects of material resources on the use of experiential learning theory (ELT), the types of EL and the contribution of ELT to VET programmes.Design/methodology/approachThe research design mainly entails a qualitative research design and research method to allow the researcher to view the reality as is experienced from the inside out by the trainees and training centre managers on important data for a thorough understanding. The study participants were 512 young trainees who completed different training courses from the VET programmes and 24 centre managers in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.FindingsThe findings reveal that the use of ELT in VET programmes helped the trainees to gain real-world skills, hence contributing to their empowerment in terms of work experience and competence for their future employment. Based on the findings, the study concludes that ELT is an effective instrument to promote VET programmes for disadvantaged and unemployed youths.Practical implicationsThe practical and social implications of the findings are that, while disadvantaged youths cannot access and afford higher education, public and private sectors can remedy their situation by providing non-school-based technical and vocational training to help such youths enter the labour market. The findings will motivate the providers of skills development for unemployed youths to use ELT in designing course curricula, planning resources and directing teaching-learning approaches to help trainees to acquire skills and competencies to perform tasks close to real-work situations.Social implicationsThe socio-economic implication of the article is that skills development plays an important role in poverty reduction. Investing in the skills development of citizens is vital to raise the incomes of poor groups and to reduce poverty (ILO, 2018). Although the causes of unemployment have also to do with economic factors in a country, skills development is an essential ingredient in developing capacities for labour market entry and increased income generation of a vulnerable group of people.Originality/valueThe article is significant because the study provides new insights into the use of ELT in VET programmes to improve their effectiveness in developing job-related skills and competencies for real-world environments for disadvantaged and unemployed youths. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by establishing a solid base for the evidence-informed practice of the effects of facilitating the VET programme through ELT to promote skills acquisition for the employment of unemployed and disadvantaged youths.

Development, predictors, and effects of trainees' organizational identification during their first year of vocational education and training.

The vocational identity of trainees is one component of their professional competence and is considered to be a central goal of vocational education and training (VET) programs. From the numerous identity constructs and conceptualizations, this study focuses on the organizational identification of trainees, that is, the extent to which trainees internalize the values and goals of their training company and perceive themselves as part of this company. We are specifically interested in the development, predictors, and effects of trainees' organizational identification, as well as the interrelations between organizational identification and social integration. We use longitudinal data of n = 250 trainees in dual VET programs in Germany at the very beginning of their VET program (t1), after 3 months (t2), and after 9 months (t3). A structural equation model was used to analyze the development, predictors, and effects of organizational identification for the first 9 months of training and the cross-lagged effects between organizational identification and social integration. The results showed a high stability of trainees' organizational identification over the first 9 months. Regarding the predictors, the results indicated positive direct and indirect effects of the formal socialization tactics implemented by the training company, as well as of support by the trainer at the beginning of the training. However, collegial support at the beginning of the training did not seem to play a significant role in organizational identification. Moreover, organizational identification positively affected trainees' emotional engagement and self-perceived competence while negatively predicting dropout intentions after 9 months of training. Finally, the cross-lagged effects between organizational identification and social integration were not significant, and only at t3 were these constructs positively correlated. However, regarding the development, predictors, and effects, very similar results were found for organizational identification and social integration. The results underline the positive significance of organizational identification for the individual, the company, and society, even at this early stage of training. The results are discussed regarding both their scientific and practical implications.

Dropping or stopping out of apprenticeships: The role of performance- and integration-related risk factors

The dropout rate in vocational education and training (VET) programs is high in Germany. Yet, this study shows that most instances of dropout are not permanent departures from VET. Instead, most trainees later re-enter into a new training program in a different occupation or company (a phenomenon labelled “stopout”). We use Tinto’s model of college dropout, which suggests that the importance of performance-related and integration-related risk factors differs for permanent dropouts and stopouts, and their timing. Our analyses are based on longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), which provides measures for competencies and socioemotional (also called noncognitive) skills prior to starting VET programs, information to capture factors related to dis/satisfaction with training and longitudinal information on school-to-work transitions. To examine the relative importance of performance- and integration-related factors, we use Shapley decompositions. Our analyses reveal that performance-related risk factors (in terms of low math competence) increase the risk of permanently dropping out, and both cognitive and socioemotional skills predict occupational changes (occupational stopouts). Whether the VET program corresponds to the desired occupation is the most important integration-related factor, and a poor match increases the risk of both permanent dropout and occupational stopout. Moreover, lower satisfaction with training leads to changes in occupations or training companies. Finally, early training dissolutions are more strongly linked to integration-related problems, while later ones are more due to performance-related problems.

Challenges Facing Learners’ Acquisition of Employability Competencies under Competency-Based Education and Training Approach in Vocational Education and Training Centres in Tanzania

The purpose of this article is to investigate the causes of inadequate employability competencies among vocational education and training (VET) graduates using a competency-based education and training (CBET) approach. The article identifies respondents' perspectives on the challenges of acquiring employability competencies during the civil artisans' training and learning process in VETIs under CBET and explores opinions for overcoming those challenges. Data were gathered from 126 respondents through semi-structured interviews with trainers and employers, an open-ended questionnaire for learners, and employee-focused group discussions. A qualitative exploratory approach research design was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyse documents and interview transcripts. The findings revealed that the acquisition of employability competencies is hampered by learner characteristics, insufficient training and learning resources, shortage of trainers, English language problems, training methods, and negative perception of parents and learners on VET programmes, all of which were identified in the conceptual framework and mentioned by all categories of respondents. It is likely that the challenges discovered were not novel, with the exception of a lack of internet and a scarcity of clean water and food, which were context-specific issues. As a result, the study recommends that government and VET stakeholders should ensure the availability of learning resources to enhance effective training and learning at VET. More serious English language instruction should begin in primary school, according to the government and VET stakeholders. VET trainers should improve field supervision exercises and expose trainees to the working environment where employability competencies can be imparted more easily than through classroom training alone. Trainers should also participate in workshops and industrial visits to gain skills and knowledge about labour market needs. This will improve trainers' and trainees' understanding of labour-market requirements.

Vocational education and training systems in Europe: A cluster analysis

European countries differ widely in terms of vocational education and training (VET) tradition and the delivery of VET at the upper secondary level. A statistical approach to build a classification of VET systems in Europe is presented in the present article on the grounds of the size of the vocational enrollment, on the one hand, and the percentage of vocational enrollment in programs in which work and school are combined, on the other hand. Twenty-two European countries with full available information are considered in the study: 18 European Union (EU) countries, three Schengen Area (non-EU) countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), and the UK (non-EU state outside Schengen). Cluster analysis is a quantitative form of classification. The country groupings emerging from the K-means analysis performed in this paper allow us to distinguish mainly between vocational-oriented countries with high vocational specificity (e.g. Germany, Switzerland, and Austria), highly vocational-oriented countries with traditionally school-based VET programs (e.g. the Czech Republic and Slovakia), and less vocationally-oriented countries (general education-oriented countries such as Estonia and Spain).

Skill Endowment Through Vocational Education and Training Programmes and Early Career Mobility

This article addresses inequalities in short‐ and medium‐term career outcomes of workers with different vocational education and training (VET) programmes during the early career. In particular, we examine how the degree of vocational specificity of VET programmes affects occupational status mobility throughout individuals’ early careers, a topic that has hitherto received little attention. We adopt a life course perspective and combine an individual‐level theoretical approach (human capital and signalling theory) with an institutional approach. The former focuses on individuals’ skill acquisition during VET and across the early career. The latter emphasises that individuals’ allocation to a training programme influences the amount and types of skills they acquire. The multinomial logistic regression analyses are based on a combination of detailed curricula‐based occupation‐level data on the specificity of training programmes and individual‐level data from the Transitions From Education to Employment (TREE) longitudinal dataset. The results show, firstly, that labour market allocation at the beginning of a career has consequences for later labour market outcomes. Second, practical occupation‐specific education and training facilitate status stability at labour market entry, while general skills and knowledge are decisive for long‐term upward mobility.

Motivations to have a Second Career as a Teacher in Vocational Education and Training

In Sweden, upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) teachers must have high relevant vocational experience from a previous career, but 44% do not have a teaching certificate and thus are not formally qualified. However, there are significant differences between the 12 national VET programs in this respect. For example, 68 percent of the Child Recreation Program teachers are qualified, but only 28 percent of the HVAC and Property Maintenance Program teachers. The overall aim of this study is to identify and understand factors that motivate individuals to choose VET teaching as a second career in Sweden. As the Factors influencing teaching choice (FIT-Choice) scale has been rarely used in a Swedish VET context, a secondary aim is to test its suitability in this context. Thus, we investigate Swedish VET teachers’ choice of a second career, using the FIT-Choice scale. The findings show that it has sufficient validity and reliability for investigating Swedish VET teachers’ motivational determinants, and that the factors motivating their career change are highly dependent on their former occupation and working conditions. Other important factors include the family-friendly work schedules. The findings contribute to understanding of factors that motivate people to become vocational teachers, which is essential for improving the development of the highly skilled employees required in numerous sectors.

Promoting the recognition of prior learning in the context of development cooperation: The case of Bangladesh

In view of the growing importance of the ‘recognition of prior learning’ (RPL) in educational development in lower- and middle-income countries, and of the dearth of research on this new trend, this article presents a study of vocational education and training (VET) in Bangladesh. It examines the evolution of RPL in this country in terms of causal factors and implementation challenges. Based on an analysis of policy documents, practices and qualitative interviews, we develop our argument around Margaret Archer’s model of morphogenetic educational change. The findings suggest that RPL in Bangladesh has grown in the context of considerable general growth in its educational system, but has not been caused by this. More important for RPL’s expansion has been its inclusion in what McGrath calls the “VET policy toolkit”, which donor agencies have started to actively promote in Bangladesh. At the same time, our reading shows that key actors in the development of the country’s VET system have resisted any alterations of the pathways to existing VET qualifications, as they continue to be of the view that access to established VET programmes should be limited to those who have passed eight years of formal schooling (even though many of these graduates still lack solid literacy and numeracy skills). The article argues that global-level actors might need to take such concerns more seriously.

Transition from School to Work \u2013 Explaining Persistence Intention in Vocational Education and Training in Switzerland

Vocational education and training (VET) programs are typically regarded as the means to enable successful school-to-work transitions. However, high rates of premature contract terminations in VET programs suggest that adolescents face difficulties during this transition. This paper aims to examine the determinants of persistence intention, claiming that persistence intention is a crucial indicator of imminent dropout decisions. The analysis is based on a longitudinal data set of trainees in dual VET programs in Switzerland (n = 1,163) containing two measurement points (before and after the transition from school to VET). Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent & Brown, 2008, 2013), we are interested in the effects of work adjustment indicators, selected characteristics of the vocational choice process, and environmental support before and after the transition on trainees’ persistence intention. We use structural equation modeling to analyze both direct and indirect effects of different predictor variables on persistence intention. The results show significantly positive effects of both occupational self-efficacy and perceived person-vocation fit during the training program on trainees’ persistence intention. Moreover, there are only indirect effects of anticipated person-vocation fit and occupational self-efficacy at the end of compulsory education. Trainees’ relationship with the trainer also has an indirect effect on persistence intention. Social integration in the workplace is both directly and indirectly linked to persistence intention. Overall, the model explains 48% of the variance in persistence intention. Implications for VET programs and future research are discussed.

General digital competences of beginning trainees in commercial vocational education and training

Against the background of digital transformation processes that are currently changing the world of work, this paper examines general digital competences of beginning trainees in commercial vocational education and training (VET) programs. We are particularly interested in factors influencing digital competence profiles. From survey data including N = 480 trainees in one federal state in Germany, we were able to identify three different competence profiles (based on the trainees’ self-assessment of their general digital competence). Initial descriptive analysis reveals differences between competence profiles of different training professions (industrial clerks and retail salespersons reach higher competence levels than salespersons). However, regression results indicate that these differences can be explained by differences in school leaving certificates. Contrary to prior empirical evidence, we find no significant effect of trainees’ gender. Finally, the frequency of certain private digital activities (e.g. using office programs, conducting internet searches) affects digital competence profiles. Implications for both VET programs and further research are discussed.

Innovating in VET

The research project GInnoVET (’Design characteristics of innovative vocational education and training (VET) – Developing innovation at the intersection between VET and higher education (HE)’) investigates the design characteristics of innovative VET programmes, which are conceived and tested within the programme scheme InnoVET initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The GInnoVET research group at the Chair of Business Education and the Chair of Engineering Education and Didactics of Technical Education at the University of Magdeburg works jointly with the research groups at Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the University of Paderborn on cross-cutting research issues InnoVET. GInnoVET focuses on the systematization of the different innovation approaches developed within InnoVET and analyses the potential effects of an overall implementation of these approaches within the German VET system, for example on the attractiveness of VET and on the professionalisation of VET teachers and in-company trainers.

PROPOSALS FOR ADAPTING CURRICULAR CONTENT TO TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS

The article analyzes the subject related to the national curricula implementation for compulsory disciplines at high school component within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs. The authors develop some proposals based on arguments regarding the curricula adjustment to the VET programs requirements and needs.

PROBLEMS OF IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES OF LEADERS OF THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM

In this article it is written about institutional leaders in vocational education and training (VET) refer to those who are appointed or employed in a recognised leadership position to oversee VET programmes and institutions and who have responsibility for the goals set by the organisation that offers VET programmes.