This article provides a response to the other contributions in this special issue and explores the range and scale of the opportunities for policy learning across the four UK nations. It addresses the importance of locating FE and skills policy within wider national policy contexts, national choices between markets and systems and the wider…

This publication provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees who completed an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2020. The figures are derived from the 2021 National Student Outcomes Survey. Information is presented on apprentices' and trainees' reasons for training, their employment outcomes, further study outcomes and…

This article builds on the previous articles in this special issue to explore two related concepts -- a 'UK policy laboratory' and 'expansive policy learning', with a specific focus on further education (FE) and skills. We argue that the potential for a UK policy laboratory in this area is based primarily on a new balance between the forces of…

The informal economy in India provides more than 90 per cent of the labour force. This leads to the largest number of people in informal settings being trained informally and their skills are considered to be low. Previous research findings, however, have not supported this general assumption about low skill levels. The current study is concerned…

Purpose: This paper explores the implications for higher education of the rapid development in technology used by the manufacturing sector. Higher education programmes change or new courses are introduced in attempts to match labour market demands. However, the pace of change in the manufacturing industry challenges the authors to reconceive how…

This guide has been designed as part of a wider project to raise awareness of ways in which English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) learners can benefit from and progress to employment as an apprentice. It also illustrates how a focus on meeting ESOL learners' needs in the workplace can benefit employers and training providers. It is drawn…

Apprenticeships for adults are one of the policy solutions to the need for supporting adults willing to train, while broadening the skills base of the working population across Europe. According to Cedefop estimates, there are around 128 million adults with potential for upskilling or reskilling in the European Union (EU). EU Member States have…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the factors affecting tacit knowledge transfer from a master to an apprentice in the informal sector among hairdressers in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: A case study was used as the research design. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 47 master hairdressers. Semi-structured…

In this second annual summary of the their work, the Investing in Community Initiative provides practical advice for community leaders and policymakers around four critical issues. First, how should local needs be defined? Chapter 1 argues that data about local economies can show whether communities are best served by creating new jobs,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address a gap in the comparative research literature on vocational education and training (VET) and skill formation systems. It examines the impact of international technical standardisation and regulation on the design, organisation and delivery of apprenticeships in the aeronautical and aerospace sectors…

This article describes a service-learning program developed at the University of Verona, Italy. This community service research learning (CSRL) program involves preservice and in-service teachers and incorporates learning, community service, and research. We detail the program's theoretical basis and then present the results of a research project…

Custom tailors working in the informal sector in Nairobi, Kenya, mainly acquire technical skills through undertaking traditional apprenticeships (TAs). However, most of these tailors are semi-skilled, produce low-quality products and are often poorer than their formally trained counterparts. This qualitative case study explores the aspects of…

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…

Engaging in undergraduate research is identified as a High Impact Practice (HIP), an experience that improves student learning outcomes. In this paper, we report the differences in the relative rates of increase in skill and knowledge gains associated with early engagement in undergraduate research from students who have little to no prior…

Over the last decade, cost pressures, technology, automation, globalisation, de-regulation, and changing client relationships have transformed the practice of law, but legal education has been slow to respond. Deciding what learning objectives a law degree ought to prioritise, and how to best strike the balance between vocational and academic…