Vocational Training Programs Research Articles

The Value of Reentry Housing, Zoning, and “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) Obstacles, and How to Overcome Them

Given the housing issues that people who have been in prison face, this article examines the permitting process to operate a vocational and life skills training program for the formerly incarcerated in Salt Lake City, UT, called The Other Side Academy (TOSA). This article employs participant observation, personal and public meeting conversations, planning division staff reports, public comments, and newspaper articles to answer the following question: How was TOSA described in the public input process for a conditional use permit? The author examines how TOSA neighbors first opposed the project and then came to support it. But even with community support, planning staff struggled to find a zoning code that would allow TOSA operations. In the end, the final decision to approve the conditional use permit came to the hearing officer, who sided in favor of TOSA. In this case, planners can learn about the zoning obstacles that reentry housing faces and how those obstacles can be overcome. Finally, academia and planning divisions need to better educate planners involved in administrative process into understanding the intent of the code to achieve just outcomes.

THRIVE: A Theory-Based Program to Support Hospital Nursing Assistants.

Nursing assistants are vital healthcare team members who often experience personal challenges to professional success. The Transformational Healthcare Readiness through Innovative Vocational Education (THRIVE) program is designed to combat these challenges through coaching and curriculum that is steeped in adult learning and social theories. The program's goal is to increase retention and success of newly hired nursing assistants through personal and professional support. Components of THRIVE can be adapted in a variety of healthcare settings.

Technologies for Designing Professional Educational Training Programs for the Digital Economy

In this article, the authors consider the issues of training qualified personnel for the digital economy at the present stage of higher education development. The article describes the relationship between the emergence of new technologies and high-tech industries and the emergence of new directions and specialties in the field of higher education, requiring students to master new competencies. The concept of "competence" and the problems of implementing the competence approach in the system of higher professional education are investigated. The main definitions and principles of the competence approach to the design of educational outcomes in higher education are outlined. The analysis of published studies and presented software products devoted to the design of curricula is given. An important analytical conclusion is that one of the important points in the development of educational programs is to focus on the needs of production in young professionals with a certain set of competencies, but now most programs of higher and secondary vocational education do not have time to take into account the latest achievements in the technological and industrial spheres. The development of students’ competencies is the goal of educational programs, therefore they should be structured in such a way as to ensure the consistent and systematic development of the necessary skills and knowledge. The authors note that the competence approach in higher professional education is implemented in the form of an approximate basic educational program that forms a model of a specialist whose competencies must meet production standards to perform specific labor functions. The article sets the task to form a set of disciplines that is optimal in terms of labor intensity and levels of competence formation, allowing the most effective implementation of the competencies of a student in the bachelor’s degree direction, taking into account the level of formation and limitations of the curriculum set by the employer. The mathematical model of solving the problem and the technology of designing the optimal competence model of the graduate, taking into account the requirements of the employer, are presented.

Обучение рабочих и специалистов для горнодобывающей отрасли в аспекте безопасности труда

Labor safety in the mining industry is a set of measures aimed at improving the production environment that affects the health and operability of a person at work and the continuous professional development of employees. The objective assessment of safety of all stages of the production process is a crucial aspect of the enterprise’s activities. It is based on compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities in the field of labor protection and industrial safety, occupational standards as characteristics of labor conditions, qualifications and professional competence of an employee, as well as compliance with the federal state educational standards as a basis of training of a specialist or a worker who are the main participants of the technological process in mining. The formation of professional competencies of each employee that ensure safe operation at the site or enterprise, the in-depth knowledge, development of operational algorithms, and the skill to perform technological operations at the workplace primarily depend on the basic education of employees obtained under the programs of secondary vocational education. The Federal State Educational Standards existing since 2013 became outdated and were gradually updated in 2022–2023. The training terms were normatively determined within the framework of the federal project «Professionalism» which aimed to resume close cooperation between educational organizations and enterprises. Educational organizations were enabled to increase the time to practice. The qualification of graduates under skilled worker training programs has become universal and does not specify the type of activity, whereas a new type of professional activity, namely ensuring the functioning of the occupational health and industrial safety management system at the site (or enterprise), was introduced for midlevel specialists. All this should ensure the future training of new personnel in compliance with the requirements of Federal Law of July 21, 1997 № 116–FZ «On industrial safety of hazardous production facilities» and the Russian Federation Government Decree of August 17, 2016 № 806 «On application of the risk-oriented approach in the organization of certain types of state control (supervision) and introducing amendments to some acts of the Government of the Russian Federation».

Does employment assistance promote employment of the impoverished in China? Evidence from a mixed methods approach

AbstractThe issue of employment is extremely significant, and employment assistance programs work for special social assistance and employment support for the impoverished in China. Are employment assistance programs, particularly those providing job recommendations and free vocational training, effective in promoting employment in China? This study answers this question using a mixed methods approach. Logistic regressions and propensity score matching–difference in differences models using unique data from the “Construction of Social Policy Support System for Urban and Rural Impoverished Families in China” project demonstrates that providing either job recommendations or free vocational training does not significantly promote employment. Qualitative analyses of in‐depth interviews show that the ineffectiveness of providing job recommendations and vocational training programs can be attributed to three reasons: (1) lack of coordination among employment assistance providers, (2) mismatch between employment assistance provision and recipients' needs, and (3) employment assistance as subordinates to Dibao and labor market policy. This study has important theoretical and practical implications for research on and improvement of employment assistance.

Механизм реализации наставничества на примере взаимодействия образовательной организации среднего профессионального образования и предприятия

The article considers the mechanism for the implementation of mentoring of students in secondary vocational education programs within the framework of joint activities of an enterprise and an educational organization in the form of dual training. This form of training and development of young specialists is one of the most effec-tive ways to improve their qualifications and professional growth. The objectives of the mentoring system, aimed at transferring theoretical knowledge and preparing students for practical work, have been argued. Therefore, cooperation between educational organizations and leading enterprises is an important condition for the successful implementation of dual training and improving the quality of training of young specialists. Educational organizations need to cooperate with enterprises to gain access to the resources and opportunities offered by dual training. The interactive nature of such a system ensures the flow of knowledge and experience between enterprises and educational organizations, which allows learners to acquire the necessary competen-cies for their future professional activities.

Evaluation of Technical and Vocational Education Programme of Nigerian Correctional Service Reformatory Institutions in Cross River State

The evaluation of the programmes in the institutions dealing with juvenile offenders in Cross River State is long overdue. This study was patterned on the discrepancy evaluation model aimed at evaluating the technical and vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes for inmates of Nigerian Correctional Service Reformatory Centres in Cross River State. The main thrust of this study is to evaluate the extent to which practices on technical and vocational education and training programme have adhere to; The objectives of the study are to consider the criteria for assigning inmates to different trades, adequacy of curriculum content and facilities. A survey research design was adopted, the total respondents of the study consisted of 394 persons. The total population of 394 was studied, hence no sampling procedure was used. A structured questionnaire with three sections, (A - C) was used as instrument for data collection comprising forty-four items. The items in section A and C were structured on a five-point Likert scale, while section B adopted a check list response type questions of ‘YES or NO’. the instrument was pilot tested on 236 respondents who were not part of the population for the study after being subjected to face validation by three experts. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was calculated to be 0.83 using Cronbach Alpha formula. Three research questions and three hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. Frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics were employed to test the hypotheses. Among other findings, on the criteria for assigning inmates into technical and vocational areas in the reformatory institutions, the identified four useful criteria usually adopted as interest of the inmates, sex of the inmates, educational background and societal needs. The study equally showed gross inadequacies in the training facilities used for the skill acquisition needs of the inmates (representing 33.33%). Findings of the study showed quite a number of instructional techniques are used for instruction in the reformatory institutions to include among others individualized instruction, demonstrations and questions techniques. Based on these findings’ recommendations were made among others that interest of the inmates should be considered seriously in assigning them into technical and vocational areas, the idea is to ensure that the inmates do not abandon training due to disgust and boredom. Previous technical and vocational experience or job was equally recommended, this was to tailor training to the needs, aptitudes and abilities of the inmates.

Quality assurance: a conceptual framework for teaching and learning standards in vocational and technical education programs

PurposeThe issue of quality assurance in vocational and technical education (VTE) programs identifies a perilous need to develop a conceptual framework for teaching and learning standards. This study aims to identify standard components for teaching and learning to ensure quality delivery for the achievement of VTE objectives. The quality assurance framework for teaching and learning is envisioned as a closed-loop management process that functions as an effective operational scheme to coordinate teaching processes that support the structure for quality assurance in VTE programs.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected through a questionnaire developed to examine the quality standards for teaching and learning in VTE from 259 respondents from colleges of education. The identified quality components for teaching and learning and their quality indicators were analysed.FindingsThe conceptual framework for teaching and learning with the 12 quality components and 62 quality indicators is the key standard for improving quality teaching and learning to meet the desired goals of VTE programs.Originality/valueThe framework proposed is flexible and can be applied to many other programs to ensure that teachers are professional enough to teach effectively to provide adequate learning outcomes.

Assessment of Economic Opportunities Available to Vocational and Technical Education Programmes for Sustainable Local Content Policy in The Oil and Gas Sector in Bayelsa State Nigeria

The study assessed economic opportunities available to vocational and technical education programmes for sustainable local content policy in the oil and gas sector in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Two (2) research objectives were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study comprised of all stakeholders in vocational and technical education and oil and gas sector in Bayelsa State. A sample of 230 respondents (180 lecturers from the vocational and technical education in the three tertiary institutions in Bayelsa State and 50 staff of Nigerian Content Monitoring and Development Board from the corporate headquarters). The instrument for data collection was an “Assessment of Economic Opportunities Available to Vocational and Technical Education Programmes Questionnaire” which was developed by researchers and validated by experts. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha Formula and a coefficient of 0.87 was obtained. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation via Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. The findings revealed that lack of adequate local skills and expertise, Limited access to financing for local businesses, insufficient support and incentives for local businesses, limited infrastructure (power, transportation, etc.), poor enforcement of the policy regulations, insufficient efforts to provide training and capacity building programs to enhance local skills and capabilities, lack of information about available opportunities, limited access to networks or partnerships with larger corporations, stringent qualification criteria and regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles are major the challenges inhibiting the implementation of Local content policy in Bayelsa State. It was recommended that The Nigeria Content Monitoring and Development Board should continue to sponsor vocational and technical based programmes that will create the required awareness on the need for indigenous domination of the Oil and Gas Industry.

Protocol for a cluster randomized study to compare the effectiveness of a self-report distress tool and a mental health referral service to usual case management on program completion among vulnerable youthenrolled in a vocational training program.

1) To compare the effect of the self-report distress tool (DT) and rapid mental health referral process (MH) on vocational training program attendance. 2) To compare the effect of the DT and MH on vocational training program completion. 3) To compare the effect of the DT an MH on post-vocational training program employment. Pragmatic, multi-centre, 2x2 factorial, cluster randomized, superiority study with 4 parallel groups and primary endpoints of vocational program attendance and completion at 12 weeks and post-program employment at 24 months. Cluster randomization of each training cohort will be performed with a 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio using a site stratified, permuted-block group schema. Final sample size is expected to be 400 participants (100 per group). Students enrolled in Community Builder's Trades & Diversity Training Program in either the city of Barrie or Sudbury (in Ontario, Canada) will be eligible for enrollment if they have an active Ontario Health Insurance Plan number and Canadian Social Insurance Number and provide written informed consent prior to Training program commencement. The primary outcome includes: 1) Difference in proportion of absence-free program days from date of randomization, where absence-free days are defined as being present in class or work setting for ≥ 8 hours from Monday to Thursday during the 12-week program duration. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05626374 (November 23, 2022).

Parental and Learner Factors Affecting Teaching of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programmes in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

This research work examined the Parental and Learner Factors Affecting Teaching of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Programmes in Tertiary Institutions. TVET is an education that gives individuals the skills to live, learn and work as a productive citizen in a global society. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population of the study is 589 which comprised all the TVET lecturers from the thirteen colleges of education in North-west, Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the two technical colleges of education from the thirteen colleges of education. 161 TVET lecturers from the two colleges of education selected, participated in the study. A questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. The findings revealed that poor attitudes of parents and low Interest of the learner to learn TVET with mean score of 3.4 and 3.7 respectively are key factors affecting teaching of TVET programmes in Tertiary Institutions. It was concluded that students’ interest need to be sustained in vocational technical subjects. The study recommended that successful entrepreneurs in all areas of technical and vocational education should be invited to give career-talks and serve as role models to create awareness to students.

An Analysis of the Empowerment of Indian Tribal Women through Education

The purpose of this paper is to examine India’s tribal education system in terms of its literacy rate, Gender Parity Index, gross enrolment ratio, and dropout rates. The goal of education is to better prepare students for the demands of a dynamic, ever-changing world. By providing appropriate acknowledgment to the degree that an individual is able to pursue or acquire a skill, the educational system’s improvements should also help to close social gaps. Across India, the tribal population has experienced a range of forms of hardship, including being cut off from their land and resources. In particular, tribal women are excluded from the mainstream of national life, yet this does not shield them from the effects of socioeconomic shifts that affect society as a whole. The tribal woman is compelled to follow certain standards during this period of transformation, which may even rob her of her freedom, authority over the conventional production system, home, family, and even her own life. It is still the case that many tribal women have dropped out of school at various points, and in order to empower them, chances must be given for them to take on leadership roles in areas such as economic independence and even social change. It is frequently said that these ladies are content with who they are and what they have, and that they do not have high aspirations. It frequently applies not just to women but to everybody who feels dissatisfied and powerless. However, sufficient educational opportunities must be offered in order to enhance their level of desire and develop their motivation to engage in, support, and eventually start their own development programs. Thus, an analysis of the current state of the educational resources available to tribal women and girls has been attempted in this work. It is also advised to offer tribal women residing in rural areas skill and vocational training programs.

Formation of professional competencies based on the integration of higher education and vocational training programs

Formation of professional competencies based on the integration of higher education and vocational training programs

State management of vocational education in Vietnam: Inconstancy in the past and present challenges

Vocational education is a level of the national education system, providing primary, intermediate, college and other vocational training programs. Vocational education has been formed and developed in Vietnam since 1945 until now as an inevitable requirement of the economy and society. This article presents state management activities for vocational education through periods and connects them to outline the ups and downs in the past and current challenges. The results show that state management activities are a major concern of the Vietnamese Government in all historical periods. Although it continuously shows worried and concern, the Government squirms and has not found any feasible solution in real terms to manage vocational education effectively. After nearly 80 years of construction and development, Vietnamese education has the opportunity to approach concept of vocational education in the world; The Government has institutionalized a number of viewpoints, guidelines and policies to develop vocational education. State management of vocational education in Vietnam today still has many existing challenges.

Engineering Education goes Lifelong Learning: Modularized Technical Vocational Education and Training Program for the Automotive Sector

Continuing technical vocational education and training (TVET) and professional development of the entire automotive sector towards implementing Industry 4.0 and 5.0 tools, methods and technologies has become an essential component of today's knowledge society. The principle of lifelong learning permeates all areas of professional and private life and has manifested itself as an essential component of today's knowledge society. Especially the automotive sector is challenged to successfully master the green and digital transformation. This needs engineers with expertise to actively shape the dual transformation. In this context, continuing education and training on a postgraduate level is indispensable. This paper illustrates continuing technical vocational education and training at Graz University of Technology, managed by the Life Long Learning organizational unit. As an example, a course concept is described in more detail on the basis of the university course Automotive Mechatronics. The aim of this paper is to present a successful TVET program and to show how postgraduate education over the lifespan can succeed sustainably for engineering professionals in the automotive sector.

Tailored Training for Building Resilience in Changing Climate: BeWare Project's Approach

The objective of the ERASMUS+ funded BeWare project is to provide education and training for professionals in the construction sector, aligning with the requirements of the European Green Deal. This initiative aims to enhance the resilience of buildings to climate change and extreme weather events, while fostering knowledge, innovation, and value addition in the construction industry. The project's core is the Vocational Education and Training (VET) program, tailored for evolving job market demands.Benchmarking was conducted to evaluate emerging trends and professional requirements within the BeWare VET program. The main conclusions from the results are as follows: 1) The majority of the 63 analyzed syllabi focus on "sustainable buildings" and "energy," with less attention given to climate resilience and climate change mitigation; 2) the scarcity of training programs addressing these issues underscores the critical need to prioritize building resilience in the face of climate change and extreme weather events; 3) In the context of Construction Industry 4.0, BIM takes a central role, expanding the use of digitized data beyond traditional 2D modeling and; 4) Sustainable building gains momentum, with an emphasis on materials, life cycle assessment, circularity, sustainable development, environmental sustainability, and certification integrated into VET course curricula.

The Influence of Vocational Skills Training on Youth Employability and Job Creation in Lagos State

Curbing the problems of unemployment, employ ability, and skills development has been of interest to the government, international donors, businesses, and researchers. This study examined the Influence of Vocational Skills Training on Job Creation and Youth Employ ability in Lagos State. The researcher employed a sequential explanatory mixed method. The study used primary data obtained through a structured questionnaire, and interviews among a sample of participants purposively selected. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and Descriptive statistics. The study found that there was a positive and strong relationship (r=.788, p =.05, n= 118) between youths’ employ ability development (YED) and skills acquisition (SA) in Lagos State. Also, the Pearson correlation result of (r = 0.795, p-value 0.035), indicated a positive and significant relationship between youth employment and skills acquisition in Lagos State as the p-value computed at 0.035 was lower than the level of significance at 0.05. The Pearson correlation analysis also showed a significant and positive relationship (r = 0.732, p-value 0.024) between skill acquisition, and entrepreneurial capability in Lagos State. The computed p-value (0.024) was less than the study’s chosen significance level (0.05). These findings showed that vocational skills training and skills acquisition programmes have impacted youth’s employability skills development and employment creation in Lagos State. The study recommended that the government should provide adequate funding for skills acquisition programmes, integrate more relevant partners, and make vocational skills centers available in all local government areas of the state.

The typology of initial TVET Teacher Education in Germany

The discourse on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teacher education in Germany is dominated by the high demand for TVET teachers. A shortage of TVET teachers is arguably a part of the “tradition” of the TVET system. For many years, universities developing new programs for initial TVET teacher education to tackle this problem. However, this has led to a non-transparent structure of degree programmes on offer. This article presents, as a result of a qualitative research approach, a typology of initial TVET teacher education programmes in order to provide more transparency in the TVET teacher education system. Basis for the presented typology are the information provided by all universities in Germany (N=52) who offer vocational teacher education programmes. These information were then run through a criteria matrix, resulting in a typology of seven different study models. In conclusion, we can see that traditional models, while being offered the most in German universities, are challenged by a lot of different study models who are generally not considered traditional.

‘I am Pleased to Share my Thoughts and Opinions’- Including Marginalised People with Disabilities in Inclusive Qualitative Research in Bangladesh Through Creative, Relational Methodologies

The rhetoric of ‘nothing about us without us’, motivates much disability inclusive research, but meaningful participation of the most marginalised is still rare. There is a tendency to recruit only people with disabilities who are perceived as ‘easier to include’. We reflect critically on recent fieldwork in Bangladesh working with local and international NGOs on a disability inclusive employment project. We focus on inclusion of the most marginalised people with disabilities: those with complex communication, psychosocial, intellectual or multiple impairments, or those who face intersecting inequalities. During a two-stage process, we engaged with 4 small groups of people in 2 sites. The participants were involved in an adapted vocational training programme, and had either both visual and hearing impairments, or were economically disadvantaged young disabled women. We discuss how creative, inclusive, participatory methodologies were combined to explore participants’ experiences of pathways to work through learning a trade. We consider the ethical, methodological rationales for our research epistemologies; including development of local research teams’ and participants’ awareness, confidence and capacities; and what worked and didn’t to enable or constrain inclusion and knowledge generation. We synthesise insights and recommendations about engagement/recruitment, situated ethics, accommodating individual needs, challenging assumptions, building communication capacities and group agency, maintaining inclusive interaction, multi-modal communication, using visual, tactile, narrative and creative methodologies, sequencing and layering methods, generating emotional knowledge, and collective analysis. We discuss the dynamic situated, emotional, interactional, and relational enablers of inclusion, and how participatory methodologies are applicable in research contexts to move beyond working with the ‘usual suspects’ to effectively engage people who are most often excluded.

Exploring education and labor market outcomes: insights from diverse global contexts

This study investigates the relationship between education and labor market outcomes across various countries, focusing on the ways educational systems shape employment opportunities, job quality, and income levels. Through the analysis of educational factors such as attainment levels, institutional types, training participation, and certifications, the research examines how disparities in access to quality education contribute to unequal labor market participation, particularly among marginalized populations. It also highlights successful strategies from different nations that align education with workforce demands to promote economic equity and growth. The findings reveal that higher educational attainment is strongly associated with better employment prospects, reduced unemployment, and higher income, as evidenced in Germany's robust vocational training programs and Kenya's efforts to improve opportunities for women. However, persistent gaps in educational access and quality, particularly in rural areas and underserved communities, continue to limit equitable labor market outcomes, as seen in countries like Nigeria and Mexico. Programs such as Germany’s dual education system and certifications provided by TESDA in the Philippines demonstrate the potential of aligning education with industry needs to enhance employability and address skill mismatches. This study underscores the importance of improving access to quality education, fostering vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities, and addressing systemic inequities to create inclusive and resilient labor markets. By implementing these strategies, countries can harness the potential of education to foster long-term economic growth and address global inequality.