When an employer sees on a resume that an applicant graduated at the top of his or her business school class, does that necessarily translate into guaranteed success behind the desk at the company? A business school background can't hurt, but most organizations know it is far from enough. With more individuals touting business school degrees on…

This paper outlines how the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) meets the definition of "credential" as defined by the US Department of Labor Employment (US DOL) and Training Administration's Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 15-10. The NCRC fits the US DOL definition of a credential both (a) in the context of…

This study discusses the industrial training programme at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, specifically the issues that need to be addressed in order to enhance the employability skills of graduates. Findings from the feedback obtained from trainees and organizations in the 2008/2009 academic session were examined in terms of the extent to…

Governments across Europe have been encouraged by the European Union (EU) to take measures to upskill their workforce to ensure growth and social inclusion. Low-skilled workers are particular targets and learning providers and employers are expected to provide learning opportunities for them. However, research shows that those with low skills…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore small firm owners' perceptions of the impact of employee training on small firm competitiveness in the context of Greece. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a qualitative orientation. Empirical data were collected from 43 owners of small and micro-firms operating in various sectors of…

Most organizations focus on one-off training solutions to address a single workplace learning need at a single time rather than integrating learning and nonlearning interventions to help staff develop increasingly complex levels of expertise specific to their jobs. Curriculum is a long-term, integrated approach to training in which workers take…

Purpose: The primary objective in this paper is to examine the role of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in promoting and/or hindering educational opportunities to adult employees in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on 12 case studies of SMEs in England and Scotland, which form part of a larger European Sixth Framework…

This paper is an initial exploration of the integration of work and learning and is intended to inform NZCER's Learning at Work research programme. It shows how the traditional separation between work and learning is being challenged and looks at what that means for education professionals, institutions and programmes. The paper considers the…

This paper provides an overview of vocational education and training (VET) system in India, and discusses various challenges and difficulties in the Indian VET system. The paper also examines labour market outcomes of vocational graduates and compares these with those of general secondary graduates using a large-scale nationally representative…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of entrepreneurship education and training in Kenya as a strategic approach to addressing the unemployment problem among the school and university graduates in Kenya and Africa in general. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a critical review of the literature method to…

Training and development activities in Bangladesh have yet to be systematic and able to fulfil the needs of the economy and industry. The national educational and training system failed to provide adequate knowledge and skills to the workforce. However, private sector organizations are undertaking different initiatives to cope with the industry…

This paper is a review of literature on employer engagement with vocational education and training (VET). The main conclusion is that the major form of engagement is through the competency-based training system, which is manifested through training packages. Another way employers are encouraged to engage with VET is through competition amongst…

The Nigeria's oil industry has been criticized for some time now for its inability to render adequate services to the general public. This criticism is predicated on the fact that the standards of productivity in their services are low and that their facilities (i.e. the refineries) are not working up to capacity. This is evident in their…

Using the UK experience as a template, this paper explores the concept of competencies as a viable bridge to employer engagement. In this context, the definition of competency coalesces into three primary interpretations (input, output and "behaviour"), leading to three applications: work related skill sets, standards and…

Examines work experience in the Youth Opportunities Programme and summarizes guidelines that should be useful to those running work experience programs and those involved with any industrial training that involves work experience. (JOW)