Many countries with apprenticeship-based systems of VET face a shortage of apprenticeships. Some countries, including Denmark and Norway, address this supply-demand mismatch by offering alternative school-based routes to vocational qualifications for students not able to secure an apprenticeship. Other countries offer no alternative routes, but…

In this article, it is explored how digital transformation is reshaping existing conceptions of technology adoption in the workplace and, as part of this, why the adoption of enterprise technology often lags behind consumer technology. The effect of business intractability towards technological advancement is examined. Also, the inability to…

This article presents a work-based learning and research approach to professional postgraduate education specifically in the case of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) programs. It highlights a prototype of the Cohort-based Advisory Team (CAT) model as a useful strategy. The authors propose that a design thinking approach that empathises with the…

There is broad acknowledgement that higher education should produce career-ready graduates and the role of practical experience--such as part-time employment, unregulated extra-curricular internships and work-integrated learning (WIL)--in achieving this. WIL is critical for developing the non-technical skills, disciplinary expertise and career…

Insider research studies are common in work-integrated learning (WIL) research, yet little has been written about the methodological and ethical dilemmas that WIL researchers face. Using a case study narrative, the position of an insider researcher is justified, and the challenges faced, when a researcher undertakes an in-depth study of their own…

This paper extends arguments for differentiating knowledge into conceptualisations of occupational practice. It is argued that specialised forms of knowledge and practice require recognition and differentiation in ways that many contemporary approaches to practice theory deny. Drawing on Hager's interpretation of MacIntyre, it is suggested that…

The UK entered the deepest recession in history in 2020, following a decade of sluggish growth. Coronavirus restrictions led to a sharp rise in unemployment, vacancies plummeted, and millions were furloughed. The pandemic has also accelerated technological change, with increased digitalisation and firms discovering new ways to harness emerging…

This paper argues that the emergence of design thinking and design-research provide a renewed opportunity for expansive learning, and proposes a model for educational design using concepts drawn from Activity Theory, Ecological Cognition, and other systems-based understandings of learning. The model is argued in the context of a design project…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the differences in mindfulness, meditation and flow and the conditions in which each occurs. It summarizes research that demonstrates positive benefits of these three for employee and organizational learning. While mindfulness focuses awareness on what is occurring in the moment, flow involves total immersion in…

While portfolios have seen an unprecedented surge in popularity, they have also become the subject of controversy: learners often perceive little gain from writing reflections as part of their portfolios; scholars question the ethics of such obligatory reflection; and students, residents, teachers and scholars alike condemn the bureaucracy…

Work-based learning is an educational strategy that offers students an opportunity to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields and demonstrate their skills in an authentic setting. Managing work-based learning requires layers of coordination, which is typically done by an individual or organizational…

In today's volatile economy, we can no longer afford to underinvest in America's opportunity youth. The costs of ignoring these young people, who are disconnected from education and out of work, are too high and growing. Building skills and gaining work experience are key to young people's upward mobility, but the pandemic has all but shut off…

Ongoing research and evaluation that produce actionable, widely disseminated evidence are central to the continuous improvement of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) programs. In addition, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) requires DOL to conduct periodic, independent evaluations to inform the effective operation of WIOA…

Every year, BC Student Outcomes collects feedback from former students who took post-secondary programs. Student feedback is essential to maintain quality and relevance in the education system. In 2021, just over 29,500 former students were surveyed; key results from those surveys are presented here. In 2021, 92 percent of the former…

This paper examines a significant challenge facing students and educators in work-integrated learning (WIL), the learning and assessment of practice immeasurables. Often student assessment focuses on the overt and those aspects of practice that are readily observable and measurable. Educators also need to look at those aspects of practice which…