The paper brings together a range of debates on the left that address TVET's future in current context. At the heart of these debates rest two issues. The first addresses competing views of capital and the second focuses on the contradiction between the interests of capital and workers. The paper argues that capital is not all of a piece and that…

This qualitative study explores the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs through employer perspectives. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominant themes that emerged from this study include education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical…

China is currently focusing strongly on developing its vocational education and training system, and Germany is an important partner in this process: many German companies operate major manufacturing sites in China and need highly skilled employees. So do German companies in China continue to meet their training needs through the familiar German…

The concept of 'aesthetic labour' is relatively new in work-life research. It focuses on how service organisations utilise the physical appearance and personality of employees to support a particular business brand. In this way, employees are used as part of a differentiation marketing strategy. Whereas much of the research in aesthetic labour…

To become employed, upper-secondary vocational graduates need adequate competences that correspond with the needs of working life, particularly with the expectations of their potential employers. However, research on the necessary competences of upper-secondary vocational education and training (VET) students is limited. This study examined what…

According to the 2016 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Education at a glance, much of the learning at work takes place through employer-supported training. Both employers and employees recognise the benefits of such training because skilling the workforce can lead to better jobs, greater firm competitiveness,…

Reforms of the vocational education and training (VET) system in Spain are committed to a closer relationship between the VET system and companies' needs. One of these needs is for a greater contribution of the VET system to innovation in companies, especially SMEs, which have limited resources to innovate. This contribution could materialise…

This study explores employers' perspectives on workforce training from 10 firms in three industries (red meat processing, road freight transport, and freight forwarding) located in urban and regional areas of five states on Australia's eastern seaboard. The analysis draws on data collected at interviews with senior managers and internal and…

Lifelong learning has become one of the keys to making workers' career paths more secure at both the French and the European policy level. However, the implementation of these policy lines raises delicate questions as to how the responsibility for vocational training should be shared among employees, employers and public institutions. The…

Workplace learning is identified by UK and Scottish governments as an important means of achieving social mobility, and therefore producing a more equal society. However, there appears to be a patchwork of provision and funding arrangements, making it difficult for employers and employees to identify suitable routes. Analysis of large scale survey…

A survey developed by the Occupational Education Division of Howard University to determine employee supply and demand in Howard County, Texas, involved both employees and employers. Employer data were compiled from interviews with 319 out of a possible 409 employers who employed three or more people. Conclusions and recommendations for the…

A pilot survey was conducted of employers of 300 former students trained in preparatory career education programs in Iowa. The completed questionnaires were analyzed by education program, school, and merged area. The data from the survey indicated that employers were generally pleased with the abilities of the employees when first hired. Over…

This report presents the background methodology, findings, and recommendations of three studies that comprised System-Wide Tests of Occupational Programs, a 4-year research program to assess the impact of vocational education using various followup techniques. Part 1 focuses on Project CATCH (Career Training Choice), a followup study of students…

As an extension to the development of the Student Accountability Model (SAM), California's vocational student follow-up system, a procedure for obtaining employer feedback information that could assist with occupational program review and evaluation was designed and tested. The design plan included the development of a consortium of community…