Vocational Sector Research Articles

Ambivalent Precarity: Career Trajectories and Temporalities in Highly Skilled Sports Labor Migration from West Africa to Northern Europe

AbstractTransnational migrants are often considered to be the core of the new global precariat. On the one hand, migrants are particularly likely to become precariats, due to the outsourcing of precarious work to migrant workers and the attribution of precarious citizenship status to migrants. On the other hand, labor migrants’ accounts show that this precarity is not exclusively based on oppression, misery, and exploitation, but that labor migration is also driven by hope and the imagination of a better future; hardships may even open up new opportunities. This article aims to scrutinize the ambivalence of precarity and the ways in which precarization processes also appear in highly skilled labor migration (in this case sought‐after jobs as transnational athletes). The article draws on material from multisited field studies among aspiring and current soccer migrants. The experiences and conditions are described for female and male soccer players who originate from various West African settings and move to Northern European locations. The analysis finds ambivalent precarization processes at various points of the career. The temporality of precarization processes becomes apparent when comparing the large number of young men and women who strive to migrate to the few individuals who become professional players abroad but often struggle with occupational challenges after their careers. The article ends by suggesting an engagement with the ambivalences of precarious work in future studies, both in sport and other vocational sectors.

Mapping Nursing Pathways

Articulated education pathways between the vocational education training sector and universities provide opportunities for students wishing to progress to higher qualifications. Enrolled nurses seeking to advance their career in nursing can choose to enter baccalaureate degree programs through such alternative entry routes. Awarding of credit for prior studies is dependent on accurate assessment of the existing qualification against that which is sought. This study employed a modified Delphi method to inform the development of an evidence-based, structured approach to mapping the pathway from the nationally consistent training package of the Diploma of Nursing to the diversity of baccalaureate nursing programs across Australia. The findings of this study reflect the practical nature of the role of the enrolled nurse, particularly the greater emphasis placed on direct care activities as opposed to those related to professional development and the generation and use of evidence. These findings provide a valuable summative overview of the relationship between the Diploma of Nursing and the expectations of the registered nurse role.

Meritocratic Epistemic Communities: An Alternative Policy Paradigm for Higher Education

This paper attempts to propose an alternative policy frame for higher education policy by demonstrating the inadequacy of the market approach adopted by the 2011 English higher education policy in addressing the economic and social agenda, and by reframing higher education as a mechanism that selects and distributes talents to vocational sectors in a way that achieves socially optimal outcomes. The paper shows why government control is more appropriate than market mechanism in managing higher education cost, how effective screening and distribution of talents can be achieved through deliberation among epistemic community members and how the alternative policy frame supports a social justice agenda. The idea of a meritocratic epistemic community for screening and educating talents is central to this new frame as it facilitates the creation of a common space where competing stakeholders of one vocational sector gather together to deliberate on the merits of the future workforce.

The Lemons Problem in a Labor Market with Intrinsic Motivation - When Higher Salaries Pay Worse Workers

We study the Lemons Problem when workers have private information on both their skills and their intrinsic motivation. When workers are motivated, ine¢ ciencies due to adverse selection are mitigated and a change in salaries may have unexpected consequences. With a su¢ ciently strong and positive association between motivation and productivity, a wage increase may attract less motivated and also less productive workers. When the association is positive but small, it instead may attract more productive and also more motivated workers. Our theoretical analysis reconciles contrasting empirical evidence on vocational sectors such as for public servants, teachers, health professionals and politicians. Our results also inform the current policy debate on whether it is possible to improve the overall quality of workers by changing their salary.

Assessing the quality of the learning outcome in vocational education: the Expero model

PurposeThis paper aims to present an innovative model to evaluate the quality of the learning outcome in vocational education and training (VET) considering a wide approach that includes, in particular, stakeholders' expectations and perceptions.Design/methodology/approachThe Expero model was implemented in various kinds of vocational schools and educational institutions in different European countries.FindingsThe model was validated through review by several international experts and by translation into a quality standard certification model.Research limitations/implicationsExpero needs a larger testing phase in non‐European countries to validate its appropriateness. Different vocational systems in non‐EU countries could enrich and widen the model in terms of transferability and sustainability as well as fostering cross‐educational requirements and needs that may impact the quality of the learning outcome. The Expero model is mainly dedicated to vocational education and, in its current form, is not suitable to be applied to other levels of education (i.e. primary or secondary). Meanwhile, it seems promising in terms of its application in higher education institutions, in workplace learning, and in continuous professional training.Practical implicationsExpero permits analysis of the quality of the learning outcome, which constitutes the prior mission of a school. Being dedicated to the vocational sector, Expero is based on stakeholder evaluation, including school personnel, trainees, industries, companies and external bodies interested in a school's results. Applying the Expero model, a school can analyse its strengths and weaknesses in a systematic way; strengthening – or even creating – a collaborative network with its stakeholders finalised in improving learning outcome.Originality/valueAmong the various opportunities a school has to perform a quality assessment (ISO 9000, EFQM, CAF), Expero is the first model focused on the quality of the learning outcome based on multi‐stakeholder data analysis.

‘The one less travelled’: adult learners moving from the academic sector to the vocational sector in Singapore and Australia

The notion of learner pathways has assumed considerable policy interest in many countries as they seek ways of enhancing seamlessness within their educational systems. In contemporary society, where job boundaries are blurring, there is need to consider many types and directions of pathways between educational sectors throughout lifetimes. Focus has been mostly on transition from Vocational Education and Training to Higher Education. The road ‘less travelled’ lies in the opposite direction, and far less is known about this pathway. This article analyses how adult learners experience this pathway, appropriating the concept of ‘boundary-crossing’ in interpreting these experiences. It draws on information from surveys and interviews in two different countries. Singaporean (n=101) and Australian respondents (n=190) had graduated from both sectors, and were therefore in a uniquely informed position to reflect on their experiences. Findings provide insight into relationships between these sectors.

The high performance of Dutch and Flemish 15-year-old native pupils: explaining country differences in math scores between highly stratified educational systems

This paper aims to explain the high scores of 15-year-old native pupils in The Netherlands and Flanders by comparing them with the scores of pupils in countries with the same highly stratified educational system: Wallonia, the German Länder, the Swiss German cantons, and Austria. We use the data from the Programme for International Pupil Assessment (PISA) 2006 together with the specific PISA data of Germany and Switzerland. We apply a multilevel model that takes into account the individual-, curriculum-, and system-level features in these highly stratified educational systems. The high scores of the Dutch pupils can be explained by the size of The Netherlands' vocational sector. The high Flemish scores can be partly explained by the high curriculum mobility. Central exit exams are not a good explanation of the high Dutch scores. Despite being limited to highly stratified systems, we still find educational policies and arrangements to have significant effects on the educational performance of pupils.

An evaluation of the Advanced Diploma from the perspective of staff and learners

The article presented evaluates the experiences and aspirations of learners enrolled on the Advanced Diploma (level three 14–19) as well as documenting the thoughts of developers, managers and practitioners who have been responsible for the implementation of the award. In order to gain a clear picture of existing research, analysis of the literature to date has been undertaken. In addition to this, nine interviews and three focus groups have also been performed. These activities were undertaken in order to determine the opinions of those persons involved in the development, management and delivery of the Advanced Diploma. Twenty-six learners enrolled on Advanced Diploma courses have also been questioned in order to discover their views. Several recommendations and conclusions are presented as a result of this research. This work was completed by the Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Lifelong Learning Network (LLN). This LLN was led by Staffordshire University in partnership with Keele University, University of Wolverhampton, Open University, Harper Adams University College and 13 further education colleges across the network’s area. LLNs were introduced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England during 2004 to create progression routes and progression agreements into and through higher education for vocational learners in identified vocational sectors. This article comprises part of a portfolio of work that has been completed by the LLN.

‘Ethnics’ and ‘Anglos’ in the Labour Force: Advancing Australia Fair?

Multiculturalism as ideology and policy has been criticised for over-focusing on cultural identities and differences and a lack of focus on the structural inequality of ethno-cultural groups. This paper focuses on the latter issue through a comparative analysis of the workforce integration of immigrants to Australia. Past research has shown that non-English-speaking-background (NESB) immigrants were worse off than both the Australia-born and English-speaking-background (ESB) immigrants in achieving a job status and income corresponding to their educational qualifications. The paper compares 2006 Census data on education level, type of job, length of residence and English proficiency for eight NESB groups, one ESB group (UK) and the Australia-born. The investigation focuses on how well different birthplace groups are able to translate their skills into appropriate jobs, when controlling for English proficiency and length of residence. The main finding confirms that NESB immigrants still have worse employment outcomes than the Australia-born and UK-born overall, but some NESB groups match the success of the Anglophone groups in vocational sector employment. Among the tertiary educated, the employment outcomes of the Australia-born are better than those of all immigrant groups, closely followed by the UK-born and two other European groups.

Assessing psychosocial work‐related stress across five European countries: implications for workforce development

PurposeThe European Union's (EU) social and employment policy emphasizes that member states should develop workforce development policies that combat work‐related stress. Within the EU, there are few comparative data on the psychosocial job strain characteristics and experiences of staff working in the vocational rehabilitative sector in mental health and intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a Leonardo Da Vinci‐funded project – The Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment Project (ROSE) – which aims to reduce stress amongst managers and support staff working in the mental health and intellectual disability occupational support sector across the EU.Design/methodology/approachThis research paper reports the findings of a small‐scale across method study, using a cross‐sectional design and focus groups, on psychosocial job strain amongst managers and support workers in five European countries. Data were gathered through administration of the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and a series of focus groups.FindingsFindings from the JCQ showed that just under 20 percent of the sample exhibited symptoms of job strain. Results from the focus groups indicated that the key stressors for workers were balancing work demands with time available to carry out tasks; poor communication within organizations; and feeling unsupported in one's work. In addition, it was found that there are no national or European data collected, at any level, upon which to base effective interventions to combat occupational stress and no effective mechanisms in the workplace to deal with occupational stress for professionals working in this sector.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, a web site was developed that provides helpful information to managers, trainers, and support workers to manage personal and organizational stressors and raises awareness of the issue within Europe and beyond.Originality/valueThe ROSE project is significant at this time considering the current thrust of EU policy initiatives on mental health, workplace stress and employee well‐being.

More can mean less motivation: applying a motivational orientation framework to the expanded entry into higher education in Hong Kong

A motivational orientation framework for higher education has previously been derived from interviews with 36 undergraduate students in an elite university system. The framework consists of six interacting facets of motivation represented by continua labelled: compliance, individual goal setting, sense of belonging, interest, career and university lifestyle. The aim of this study was to see whether the framework also applied to entrants to a community and vocational college sector, the emergence of which has boosted participation to mass higher education status. Individual interviews were conducted with 25 students in five colleges in Hong Kong. Analysis identified main themes and referenced these against those of the previous study. The data were consistent with the facets of the original framework. A fuller understanding was reached of the less motivated ends of the continua, as these were more commonly displayed than by the undergraduate sample in the previous study. There was evidence of avoidance goals, in the form of fear of failure. Sense of belonging was, in some cases, manifest in a form in which students socialised at the expense of academic work. There was evidence of interest being stifled because of curriculum design problems, as the awards were often not suited as terminal vocational awards, nor led to places in undergraduate degrees. The conclusion was that the motivational orientation framework also applies to the type of students entering mass higher education systems.

Vocational qualification frameworks in Asia‐Pacific: a cresting wave of educational reform?

The introduction of national qualification frameworks (NQFs), including frameworks specifically for the vocational sector (NVQFs), are policy initiatives that have far reaching implications for the management and delivery of education and training. Despite the caution called for by researchers and the challenging reality of implementation in both developed and developing countries, NQFs and NVQFs continue to be included in national reform programs in many regions of the world. This paper summarises current developments in the Asia‐Pacific region, where enthusiasm for national qualification frameworks has reached new heights. The paper also draws on the author’s experience in working on NVQF development and implementation in Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea to highlight the role of donors who are active partners in the expansion of the international trend to implement qualification frameworks.

Editorial: Globalization and educational challenges of tertiary, vocational and community sectors in the Asia-Pacific

The world saw a new era of globalization two decades ago. The momentum for a new economic order was signaled by political events, such as the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and technological breakthroughs like the emergence of dotcom enterprises in the Silicon Valley. Since then, the world has not looked back and publications on the consequences of globalization, especially its bearing on the economy, continue to proliferate. They drew one conclusion; knowledge is gradually replacing physical resources as the most important stimulus of economic growth. As higher education is one of the cradles of the knowledge economy, there is also keen interest to find out how it responds to the demands of the neworder after all these years. However, unless we have an idea of what challenges higher education faces, we do not have a context that helps us to understand why it chooses to respond the way it does. It is well-established in the literature that higher education has to contendwith an unprecedented global quest for better educational qualifications, amongst many other challenges. In his article, Wing On Lee reiterates some of these demands that are levelled on higher education before he discusses their implications and how it wrestles them. Besides surfacing the common approaches that higher education draws on, he also highlights the emergence of the entrepreneurial university, tasked first and foremost to manage the challenges that globalization unleashes. He ends on the note that the university should take on a more integrative role if it is to tackle these challenges more competently. Tan andPillay, likeWingOn, also anchor their study against the higher educationbackdrop, but they approach it from another perspective. They aremore concernedwith how adults learn within the university context in Malaysia. To help them evaluate the learning attributes, they make use of the Students’ Approaches to Learning framework, but being mindful that it is culturally biased, they adapt it for their study. They conclude that there are significant differences between the Malay and the Chinese adult learners when it comes to subscribing

Electrical sector suffers from disconnection between Executive's education and vocational training policies

PurposeThis paper aims to present the viewpoint of David Wright, head of External Affairs for SELECT, the Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland. Its purpose is to highlight the adverse impact on the electrical sector of a disconnection between the Scottish Executive's education and vocational training policies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper chronicles relations between the Scottish Executive vis‐à‐vis its education and vocational training policies and Scotland's electrical sector regarding the funding (or otherwise) of apprenticeships.FindingsThe paper points out that the Executive is simultaneously promoting a rise in the number of apprenticeships and a rise in the number of pupils staying on longer at school. The paper found that this contradiction has arisen largely as a consequence of the Westminster decision to fund apprenticeships for all 16‐18 year‐olds rather than provide social security payments for anyone unemployed within that age group, while the Executive is simultaneously encouraging 16‐18 year‐olds to stay on at school by funding them to do so. It found that an 18 year‐old leaving school seeking to embark on an apprenticeship will be unlikely to receive any funding, while a 16 year‐old will be guaranteed funding.Practical implicationsThe paper covers SELECT's support for the policy promoted by the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee for lifelong learning through the creation of individual learning accounts, whereby funding for vocational training is available to individuals of any age rather than restricted to narrow age parameters. It calls for funding programmes which recognise the practical consequences of the government's policies and which will enable people in their late teens and early 20s – and older – to train or retrain as apprentices.Originality/valueThis paper is of value to policymakers, employees, school pupils and apprentices.

The implications of contemporary cultural diversity for the hospitality curriculum

PurposeThis viewpoint paper aims to assess a curriculum response within a specific vocational sector, hospitality, driven by the recent surge in intra EU labour migration and the ensuing increase in workplace cultural diversity.Design/methodology/approachThe paper identifies an appropriate curriculum response by assessing the industry implications and proffering a conceptual model of curriculum response.FindingsThe experience across business sectors, such as hospitality, emphasises the need for training that is geared to meet the needs of both international and indigenous employees and that, critically, intercultural issues represent a significant training gap. It is posited that the curriculum response is multifaceted embracing the need to address course content, learning outcomes, assessment methods and the training needs of educators.Originality/valueThe paper is targeted at academics within applied business education, specifically in those areas of the services sector that have experienced significant labour migration in recent years. It is also of wider value to those involved in curricula design in a vocational context.

Employing Evidence: Does it Have a Job in Vocational Libraries?

Objective - Evidence based librarianship (EBL) springs from medical and academic origins. As librarians are tertiary educated (only occasionally with supplementary qualifications covering research and statistics) EBL has had an academic focus. The EBL literature has significant content from school and university perspectives, but has had little, if any, vocational content. This paper suggests a possible Evidence Based Librarianship context for vocational libraries.
 
 Methods - A multidisciplinary scan of evidence based literature was undertaken, covering medicine and allied health, librarianship, law, science and education. National and international vocational education developments were examined. The concept and use of evidence in vocational libraries was considered.
 
 Results - Library practice can generally benefit from generic empirical science methodologies used elsewhere. Different areas, however, may have different concepts of what constitutes evidence and appropriate methodologies. Libraries also need to reflect the evidence used in their host organisations. The Australian vocational librarian has been functioning in an evidence based educational sector: national, transportable, prescriptive, competency based and outcome driven Training Packages. These require a qualitatively different concept of evidence compared to other educational sectors as they reflect pragmatic, economic, employability outcomes.
 
 Conclusions - Vocational and other librarians have been doing research but need to be more systematic about design and analysis. Librarians need to develop ‘evidence literacy’ as one of their professional evaluation skills. Libraries will need to utilise evidence relevant to their host organisations to establish and maintain credibility, and in the vocational sector this is set in a competency based framework. Competency based measures are becoming increasingly relevant in school and university (including medical) education.

Work-related determinants of return to work of employees on long-term sickness absence

Purpose. The aim of the study is to identify work-related determinants of return to work (RTW) of employees who are on long-term sickness absence.Method. The study was based on a sample of 926 employees on sickness absence (maximum duration of 12 weeks). The employees filled out a baseline questionnaire and were subsequently followed until the 10th month after listing sick. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify determinants of RTW.Results. Working in one of the vocational sectors public administration, construction, financial and commercial services, transport, or education (P = 0.00) and having low co-worker support (P = 0.01) were related to longer duration to RTW in the mulitvariate model. Having low supervisor support (P = 0.01) was associated with a higher RTW rate.Conclusions. Vocational sector is a strong predictor of RTW. Especially employees from the sector education are slow as to RTW. The observed association between low supervisor support and RTW was unexpected. However, the study confirms earlier research on the association between low co-worker support and RTW.

Aboriginal Health Workers: professional qualifications to match their health promotion roles

Aboriginal Health Workers are recognised as critical to meeting the health promotion needs of Indigenous communities, but addressing the complexity of these needs requires Aboriginal Health Workers to have a high level of professional skills and knowledge. Considerable progress has been made in developing health worker training programs, particularly in the vocational sector. However, a national review finds that training is still inadequate for enabling health workers to meet the level of communities' health needs and asks why this is so.

The Creation of a Vocational Sector in Swiss Higher Education: balancing trends of system differentiation and integration

AbstractThe article discusses the establishment of a vocational sector in Swiss higher education as a complement to the existing two‐tier system of cantonal Universities and federal Institutes of technology. The origins of this new player, its missions and organisational features are discussed. This overall discussion is placed into the context of changing landscape of Swiss higher education policy characterised by increasing pressures for geographical reorganisation of the higher education sector under the auspices of a more direct role of the federal government.The article makes two points. First, it argues that the creation of a vocational sector in Swiss higher education combines two contradictory trends. On the one hand, this new sector tends to provide differentiation at the system level, through the creation of a new, more marked‐oriented sector of higher education. On the other hand, system differentiation at the system level is threatened by increased demands for greater inter‐institutional cooperation and system integration, emanating principally from the federal level.Second, the article also argues that the distinction between ‘academic/scientific’ vs. ‘vocational/professional’ education generally referred to when studying the emergence of non‐university sectors in higher education, is not pertinent for the analysis of the Swiss case. Two reasons are brought forward to sustain this argument. First, this distinction reinforces an artificial binary divide, no longer relevant to assess the evolution of higher education institutions placed in a context of academic and vocational drifts. Second, the ‘academic’ vs. ‘professional’ opposition does not take into consideration the political organisation of the country and how this impacts on policy making in higher education; a crucial element in the Swiss context.

Formulations of participation and nonparticipation in trainees narratives of school-to-work transitions

In this article, I examine trainees' construction of vocational identities through formulations of participation and nonparticipation in the various systems that constitute the British vocational sector. Combining a discourse-analytic perspective on identity with insights from activity theory on the relations between learning, identity and participation in practice, I draw on Lave and Wenger's (1991) notion of communities of practice to describe the different settings and social networks in relation to which trainees' narratives construct more or less peripheral positions. My analysis compares two types of data: i. A corpus of promotional brochures, targeted at school-leavers, that feature edited 'trainee narratives' about their experience of vocational training schemes; ii. semi-structured interviews with South Wales school-leavers who have enrolled in training schemes about their experience of the school-to-work transition. Comparing modes of participation across various systems, I show that the brochure narratives construct successful vocational identities through self-direction and responsibility in relation to material practice, reciprocal social relationships, access to participation in the adult world, and outbound career trajectories. The interview accounts, on the other hand, construct more ambiguous and hybrid forms of participation that do not fully accommodate the entrepreneurial stances mapped out by the brochures and find an alternative site for negotiation in the training center itself.