Since the mid-1990s, governments of different political persuasion have tried to reform VET policy to address problems in skills formation and social inclusion. Despite considerable policy activism, success has been somewhat limited, and England failed to overcome the problems associated with its liberal training regime. This article assesses the…

The Australian economy is in transition. Its future prosperity will depend on greater economic diversification and on innovation and entrepreneurship, hallmarks of Industry 4.0. This has implications for skills development for future workers and for those needing to move into new jobs or roles. It also has a direct impact on apprenticeships--an…

"The Wiley Handbook of Vocational Education and Training" offers an in-depth guide to the theories, practices, and policies of vocational education and training (VET). With contributions from a panel of leading international scholars, the Handbook contains 27 authoritative essays from a wide range of disciplines. The contributors present…

This article is based on a keynote address given on the last day of the 2011 International Society for Culture & Activity Research (ISCAR) Congress in Rome. The first part reflects on the kind of work being presented at the conference. It was exciting and stimulating to learn about a rich range of new research in many different venues during the…

This article focuses on the reforms in the field of vocational education, as well as on representations related to work, in Argentina during Peron's political leadership. In the framework of far-reaching economic reforms and social transformations, while in the position of secretary of labour (1943-1945) Peron started a vocational education…

Could the labour market gender balance be improved by introducing new types of apprenticeship-trained workers? This article investigates what happened in the wake of the Norwegian VET programme for health and social care, a new approach introduced via the 1994 educational reform. By upgrading this traditionally female-dominated area of education,…

Government spending is declining, yet the need for jobs and training is higher than ever. The current supply of quality apprenticeships is clearly not sufficient to meet demand and that was highlighted this year when British Telecom received 24,000 applications for only 221 places on its apprenticeship programme. The main obstacle to increasing…

Public policies on training are firmly rooted in the historical, political, economic and social context of their countries. This paper explores the acceptability of such policies to stakeholder groups including learners and employers, and its impact on policy take-up, viability and longevity. The paper uses a comparative analysis of developments…

State leaders in business, labor, public policy, education and community development are invited to come together around multiple pathways and build a new agenda for high school improvement in California. This group can become a powerful force for transforming high school education by examining and forming consensus around the multiple pathways…

A discussion of vocational education in the Netherlands covers the options available to students, enrollment and distribution trends, testing, and the link between vocational education and employment. (MSE)

Organized labor in Oregon supports a high-skill, high-wage economic development strategy. The Oregon AFL-CIO Committee on Worker Education and Training has made policy recommendations that support this strategy. The Oregon AFL-CIO believes that fundamental reform of education is needed and recommends the following: emphasis on a high level of…

Although youth apprenticeship models appear to have great potential, the following problems must be addressed before the strategy can succeed: (1) securing employer involvement; (2) assuring and improving the quality of on-the-job learning; and (3) confronting equity issues in public policy in incorporating work into the core educational system.…

The structural problems present in vocational education in France and reform efforts under way to solve them were studied. Eighteen experts from government, science, and industry were interviewed, and statistics and other relevant publications were analyzed. The development of the French initial training system was outlined, and trends in…

Youth apprenticeships have the potential to address simultaneously two national dilemmas: how to prepare U.S. business and its workers for a high skills future and how to upgrade the academic skills of all students. The highly successful German model may require some modification to work well in the United States. The biggest change may have to…

In 1983, management of public policy regarding vocational training in France was partially entrusted to France's regional authorities. However, division of responsibility for defining and implementing vocational training programs and policies among state, regional authorities, and professional organizations remained an issue. The regions were…