TVET System Research

Research on TVET systems now comes up with various theoretical approaches. Apart from methodological issues, such as ‘typologies’, comparative criteria are crucial theoretical components by which existing TVET systems can be analysed. It is against this background—and not just by looking at the institutional and/or organisational pattern typical of a given TVET system—that underlying factors, such as the evaluation given to TVET, the different cultural imprints, the meaning of TVET and the political attention states dedicate to the field of post-compulsory education in general, should be taken into account. Differences between the German-speaking countries and the Anglo-Saxon world are hereby obvious and a good example for depicting cultural and pedagogical diversity in the field of TVET. The article focusses on various methodological perspectives for the purpose of understanding, among others, these differences

Recruitment of Skilled Employees and Workforce Development in Germany : Practices, Challenges, and Strategies for the Future

This chapter focuses on workforce development in the German context. Two issues are relevant: the fi rst one deals with the links between the standard form of initial VET, that is, the dual apprenticeship system, and formalised further training, which in its various facets has a major function in the German context when it comes to career building, but also to establishing a craft business. Second, companies in Germany, as in other countries, use internal schemes of personnel development and further training to maintain their workforces both in quantitative and qualitative terms. A crucial challenge currently seems to be demographic change, and the way companies try to cope with his challenge has led to new forms of incompany personnel development that were unknown in the past. Both aspects are discussed in this chapter

Fostering workplace learning : looking through the lens of apprenticeship

This article argues that researching the lived reality of apprenticeship in contemporary workplaces provides a useful lens through which workplace learning more generally can be examined. Drawing on data from a 3-year study of the social and pedagogical relationships between apprentices and older workers in the English steel industry, the article proposes that, building on Engeström?s work, an ?expansive? as opposed to a ?restrictive? approach to apprenticeship will not only deliver the broader goals being set for apprenticeship programmes around the world, but will also foster workplace learning. The article offers a critique of Lave and Wenger?s novice to expert conceptualisation of apprenticeship and, using data from employee learning logs, argues that pedagogical relationships between apprentices and older workers need to be better understood. A conceptual framework for analysing the relationship between organisational culture and history, work organisation, and workplace learning is provided

Does the Concept of Apprenticeship still have Relevance as a Model of Skill Formation and Vocational Learning in Contemporary Society?

Apprenticeship, Skill formation, Human capital, Vocational learning, Lifelong learning, Education policy, D80, I20, J24,