Modeling vocational competence is increasingly crucial for monitoring and enhancing the quality of Vocational Educational Training (VET), particularly in the context of ongoing international comparative studies known as "large-scale assessments" of vocational education and training. This study endeavors to provide well-structured and…

A considerable number of German multinational enterprises (MNE) are located in the Greater Shanghai Area. German MNE in the industrial sector show an inclination to export German forms of technical training--more specifically German-style dual apprenticeship training--to their worldwide subsidiaries. Within China, this is especially the case for…

This article explores change possibilities towards status improvement in vocational education's social construction. Following other researchers, it assumes that higher-status vocational education should give vocational learners perspectives that would accord with their identities and desires, broadly ranging between working in a particular…

Purpose: The digital transformation and the increased use of technologies have changed the world of work severely. With it, collaboration and cooperation methods among employees. Therefore, new ways of working together must be applied to work in an international and digital working environment. For Vocational Education and Training (VET),…

This study examines the influence of social contexts on the decision to either complete or leave the first vocational education and training (VET) position among young German apprentices--an aspect that has received little attention in dropout research. In particular, the role of three reference groups--parents, friends and classmates at…

Occupational expertise has always been constituted and afforded recognition and status in work contexts, however, these contexts are becoming increasingly interconnected and interrelated, underpinned by, 'intangible assets'. To explore this complex process and its implications for vocational education and training (VET), this article uses the…

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) based simulation and training is gaining increasing importance in vocational education and training (VET). However, while IVR is primarily investigated and utilized in technical domains, its implementation and the resulting effects in commercial education remain largely unexplored. Moreover, the experience of motion…

While labour geography notes that subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNCs) exploit workers, studies in vocational education show that the international subsidiaries perform education and training. Often, the latter strand of literature relates to cases of MNCs from countries with 'dual' apprenticeships that combine comprehensive vocational…

German establishments heavily rely on the apprenticeship system for skill supply. With one in four apprenticeship contracts ending before successful completion, it is in the interest of establishments and policy-makers to determine factors, which reduce non-completion. This paper investigates the role of apprenticeship wages and income prospects…

Converging evidence of high stress levels in the nursing profession as well as their detrimental effects on the execution of nursing actions, quality indicators of care, and self-reported job satisfaction justify the need for test environments that assess stress coping competences in dealing with domain-specific stress factors. Reliable and valid…

European education and training policies have gained momentum with the debt crisis and soaring youth unemployment. In 2013, the 'European Alliance for Apprenticeships' was launched. In Germany, a role model for apprenticeship training in Europe, a national 'Alliance for Initial and Further Training' was signed just one year later. Both Alliances…

This paper provides evidence on the effect of apprenticeship costs on the decision whether care facilities employ apprenticeship graduates after completing apprenticeship training. To account for the endogeneity in apprenticeship costs, we exploit an exogenous reduction in the apprenticeship costs of care facilities by exploiting the fact that the…

Context: Dealing with professional complexity has been of scientific interest in the research field of vocational education and training for decades. So far, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding how professional complexity finds its way into learning processes in VET. A common option is to model complexity through authentic simulations…

Criteria lists of academic skills are widely used to assess the work readiness of people who are looking to enter or re-enter the apprenticeship market. These instruments represent a particular hurdle in the path to vocational training for low-skilled would-be trainees. We investigate the validity of one such list used in Germany. As different…

We analyse the economic returns in lifetime labour income of various educational paths in Germany. Using recent data, we calculate cumulative labour earnings at different ages and for different educational paths while controlling the parental background of individuals. We find that after the age of 55, lifetime labour income is higher for…