Different systems, same inequalities? Post-compulsory education and young adults’ literacy in 18 OECD countries

an article by Camilla Borgna (Research Unit “Skill Formation and Labor Markets”, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany) published in Journal of European Social Policy Volume 27 Issue 4 (October 2017)

Abstract

Education is increasingly seen as a substitute for social policy, but opportunities for skill development vary by social background and educational institutions are not neutral in this respect.

While previous research has extensively examined how schooling affects skills distribution, the role of post-compulsory education has been long overlooked.

Using data from the 2011/2012 Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competences, this article investigates how selected features of upper secondary and tertiary education are connected to the social stratification of young adults’ literacy skills in 18 OECD countries.

First, I use individual-level regressions to assess the extent to which disparities in the skills of 24- to 29-year-old individuals are explained by parental education in each country.

Second, I apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis across countries to investigate under which institutional conditions the social stratification of young adults’ literacy skills is most severe.

The findings point to the existence of functionally equivalent education regimes:

• young adults face severe disparities not only in socially selective higher education systems but also in relatively open systems characterized by institutional differentiation; moreover,
• disparities arising during compulsory schooling are consequential for the skill distribution of young adults, underscoring the importance of a life-course approach to education policies.

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A vocational qualifications system fit for adults? Revisiting some ideas from the university for industry

an article by Stan Lester (Stan Lester Developments, Taunton, UK) published in Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning Volume 5 Issue 2 (2015)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make a case for creating a strand of negotiated qualifications in the English (and more generally UK) vocational education and training (VET) system, using the approach established through Ufi-Learndirect Learning through Work (LtW).

Design/methodology/approach
The paper identifies some limitations in the recent Whitehead review of adult vocational education in relation to people already in work. Drawing on research into learning at work, modifications to the VET qualifications system are proposed based on the LtW approach.

Findings
The VET qualifications system assumes a purpose of preparing people for occupational entry and developing essential competence. The needs of adults already in work can be accommodated provided that they can be fitted within structures reflecting this assumption. It is less able to meet the bespoke needs of individual workers or employers. The LtW approach, which enables individual accredited programmes to be negotiated, offers a way forward that preserves the integrity of the qualification system.

Practical implications
Implementing a LtW-type approach in the VET sector is structurally more difficult than in higher education, although less likely to encounter academic resistance. The main challenge is likely to come from the need to modify regulatory rules and design principles for vocational qualifications.

Originality/value
Individually negotiated qualifications have been resisted in VET due to largely unfounded fears about reduced rigour and loss of control of content. The proposed approach offers a means of meeting individual needs while retaining the integrity of the qualifications system and reducing the proliferation of units and content within it.

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Where next for post 19 vocational education and training?

via UKCES (UK Commission for Employment and Skills) and Department for Business, Innovation & Skills

In our latest guest blog, Professor Ewart Keep, Director of Oxford University’s Centre on Skills, Knowledge & Organisational Performance discusses the key points from his latest UKCES Masterclass on the future of vocational education and training.

You can watch the session in full on our Youtube channel, and find more information on past and future UKCES Masterclasses on our website.

Post-19 vocational education and training (VET) is a foggy old issue, but certainly a pertinent one. It’s also one to which clarity has not been brought by an undulating policy landscape. The first step to clearing the clouds then is identifying the problems – something I aimed to do at the latest UKCES Masterclass session, asking “Where next for post-19 VET?”.

There is now a (largely-unacknowledged) underlying crisis regarding concerning the basic aims and function of skills policy at government level in England. Over the last 30 years or so, the implicit assumption developed that policy’s function was to deliver ‘world class skills’ as measured by various international benchmarking exercises, such as the OECD’s PISA and PIAAC surveys, and the Leitch Review of Skills’ league tables of qualification stocks.

Continue reading the blog

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Training for the unemployed: differential effects in white- and blue-collar workers with respect to mental well-being

an article by Antti Saloniemi, Katri Romppainen and Pekka Virtanen (University of Tampere, Finland) and Mattias Strandh (University of Umeå, Sweden) published in Work Employment & Society Volume 28 Number 4 (August 2014)

Abstract

In this study we investigate the effects of active labour market policy measures on health and well-being and how these effects are connected with socioeconomic status.

The data were collected among the participants (n = 212) in 24 conventional vocational training courses in Finland.

According to the results, training was accompanied by improvements in health and well-being among participants with a higher socioeconomic status, whereas for blue-collar workers the changes were neutral or even detrimental.

The results raise questions about the role of active labour market policy measures as a public service. There seems to be a risk that these types of measures maintain or even produce health differences between socioeconomic groups.

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Empowering vulnerable adults to tackle labour market challenges

A Cedefop publication (number 4122)

This publication presents findings from 25 study visits, in 2010/11 and 2011/12, related to empowering vulnerable adults to tackle labour-market challenges. It focuses on ways to support vulnerable adults to exploit their knowledge, skills and competences to the full, to get information and guidance, to participate in vocational training, to recognise their skills and competences, and to have access to meaningful and rewarding employment.

Group reports prepared by study visit participants were the main source of information; 29 successful initiatives are featured. These were presented at a Cedefop seminar on 6 and 7 June 2012 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

This publication aims at enriching the awareness and understanding of decision-makers and practitioners on how European countries deal with the specific challenges of education, training and employment. It should also help them find partners for cooperation projects and networks at national and European levels.

Full text (PDF 86pp)

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Labour market, welfare reform and inequality in the United Kingdom

an OECD Economics Department Working Paper (Number 1034) by Christophe André, Clara Garcia and Jon Kristian Pareliussen (OECD, France) and Giulia Giupponi (affiliation(s) unknown)

Abstract

Employment has risen by more and unemployment has risen less than expected, given the path of output.

Nevertheless, long-term and youth unemployment and involuntary part-time work are high.

A polarised labour market risks worsening income inequality, which is high by OECD standards, despite a recent and likely temporary decline. The UK welfare system is an essential safety net, which needs to promote employment, while protecting the most vulnerable. The reformed welfare system, Universal Credit, and the employment programme for disadvantaged workers, Work Programme, will generally improve work incentives and provide support for return to work, but need to be refined. Skill deficiencies are holding back employment and fostering inequality, as low education achievements penalise children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Vocational training needs to be strengthened and cooperation with employers reinforced. Transition from education to work can prove challenging, requiring more attention to the integration of university graduates into the labour market.

JEL Classification: I38, J21, J24

Full text (PDF 45pp)

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‘But pasta is pasta, it is all the same’: the language, literacy and numeracy challenges of supermarket work

an article by Kim Hastwell, Pat Strauss and Catherine Kell (AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand) published in Journal of Education and Work Volume 26 Issue 1 (2013)

Abstract

This paper reports on an ethnographically-based study of entry level supermarket work. The study, carried out in a large suburban supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, focused on the literacy and numeracy practices of supermarket assistants, all who had English as an additional language.

It found that skills such as oral communication, personal presentation, reliability and motivation were considered vital by management for good ‘customer service’, a fundamental tenet of the supermarket and essential for its successful operation.

However, for some assistants, the mastery of highly context-specific literacy texts and potentially complex ‘embedded’ numeracy was also necessary in order for them to carry out their work. This requirement was often poorly understood by management.

The paper describes some of the literacy and numeracy challenges faced by assistants and their different personalised strategies for establishing meaning. It also discusses the significance of the findings for the teaching of literacy and numeracy in vocational training programmes.

Findings indicate that off-site programmes have an important role in providing a learning foundation but also point to the importance of, and need for, workplace-specific, needs-based on-the-job literacy and numeracy training.

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Teaching entrepreneurship in vocational education viewed from the regional and field perspectives

an article by Taina Järvi (Lapland Vocational College, Rovaniemi, Finland) published in Journal of Vocational Education & Training Volume 64 Issue 3 (September 2012)

Abstract

Very little research has been conducted on the teaching of entrepreneurship, in particular in vocational education. Entrepreneurship is included in the national curriculum of many European countries, but there is concern over the competence of its teachers and their training in entrepreneurship (European Commission 2009, 14).

This article explores entrepreneurship education from teachers’ viewpoints eliciting their views on its aims, methods and content.

The article investigates the planning behind entrepreneurship studies in a region of Northern Finland and is informed by a literature review of entrepreneurial learning and input from teachers. The analysis indicates that entrepreneurship education should be assessed and applied from the perspective of field and region. The study suggests how vocational field, region and entrepreneurial learning can be brought together when planning the content and methods of practical studies, for example in work-based learning.

Hazel’s comment:
Is entrepreneurship a taught subject in British schools and colleges?
Is it a subject that can be taught or does it have to be learned through experience?
Given that the answer to both the above questions is “yes” just how effective is the learning?

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The social benefits of initial vocational education and training for individuals in Europe

an article by Ricardo Sabates (University of Sussex, Brighton) and Emma Salter and Polina Obolenskaya (Institute of Education, London) published in Journal of Vocational Education & Training Volume 64 Issue 3 (September 2012)

Abstract

This article investigates the social benefits of initial vocational education and training (VET) for individuals in different European contexts.

Drawing on data from the European Community Household Panel, results show that initial VET is associated with positive changes in social outcomes for individuals across Europe.

Health benefits were mainly found in egalitarian contexts such as Sweden whereas benefits in terms of civic participation were mainly found in countries that reward participation in civil society such as Sweden and Austria or where participation in voluntary activities may be seen as an insurance to avoid falling into unemployment, for instance in Italy, Greece, and Spain.

Overall, the benefits of initial VET for individuals are possibly where there are institutional factors that support the formation of these benefits.

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Labor Productivity and Vocational Training: Evidence from Europe

a discussion paper (No 6171) by Hector Sala (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and IZA) and José I. Silva (Universitat de Girona) published in November 2011 by Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit (Institute for the Study of Labor)

Abstract

In this paper we show that vocational training is an important determinant of productivity growth. We construct a multi-country, multi-sectoral dataset, and quantify empirically to what extent vocational training has contributed to increase the growth rate of labor productivity in Europe between 1999 and 2005. We find that one extra hour of training per employee accelerates the rate of productivity growth by around 0.55 percentage points.

Full text (PDF 23pp)

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Coping with Complexity and Instability in the UK Vocational Training System

an article by Gábor Halász (ELTE University Budapest) published in European Journal of Education Volume 46 Issue 4 (December 2011)

Abstract

Vocational training systems that take the needs of the world of work seriously and maintain strong and dynamic connections with it are faced with growing complexity and instability. Some countries try to cope with this through creating new mediation mechanisms between the systems of training and work that allow higher level complexity while maintaining appropriate social control over the linkages between these systems.

The training policy of the United Kingdom offers an interesting example for this.

The key message of this article is that increasing complexity and high level instability may seriously impede the engagement of employers for training and human resource development but reducing it have to be made in a cautious way, so that it does not harm the achievement of the strategic goals of making training more demand-led, making it more responsive to the changing skills needs of companies and letting employers have a decisive role in determining the content of training and the way it is delivered. The skills policy of the United Kingdom is used as an example to illustrate the growing social complexity that characterise modern social systems, including vocational training, and one specific way of devising public policies based on new innovative forms of steering and regulating that enhance coping with complexity and instability.

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Options study for the long-term evaluation of apprenticeships

report of research conducted by Terence Hogarth, Lynn Gambin, Chris Hasluck, Peter Elias and Faye Padfield (Warwick Institute for Employment Research) with Paul Ryan (Kings College, University of Cambridge)

Sponsored by the Skills and Funding Agency

The primary objective of this study is to identify the potential methods for the evaluation of Apprenticeships and assess each one of them on their merits. The study assesses how to track young people and adults into Apprenticeships, through their training (including into any subsequent learning) and then into employment, demonstrating the extent to which their future earnings and employment status are influenced by the experience of their Apprenticeship.

The study looks at how data can be disaggregated by a number of different factors to obtain a greater understanding of how and why Apprenticeships delivered to certain individuals (e.g. of different ages, genders and backgrounds) and in particular circumstances (e.g. at different levels and in different sectors) deliver better outcomes.

A copy of the report (BIS Research Paper No 56 (Ref URN 11/1312)) (PDF 116pp) can be downloaded from here.

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The role of education, training and skills development in social inclusion: …

 The University of the Heads of the Valley case study

an article by Paul Jones, Christopher Miller, David Pickernell and Gary Packham, (University of Glamorgan Business School, Pontypridd) published in Education + Training Volume 53 Issue 7 (2011)

Abstract

Purpose
The objective of this paper is to examine the initiation of the University of the Heads of the Valley Initiative (UHOVI) project and evaluate the development of its focus, materials and structure.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology employs interviews with a purposive sample of local employer stakeholders. The rationale for this approach is that it allows identification of the key requirements that UHOVI will need to fulfil if it is to be successful in this endeavour, within a reasonable timeframe. The in-depth interviews also allow increased clarity in terms of the conclusions that can be drawn, particularly in terms of the recommendations for the next stages of UHOVI project.
Findings
UHOVI’s aim is to encourage social inclusion, through vocational education and training programmes explicitly suited to non-traditional learners in an area of high social deprivation. UHOVI is a strategic partnership backed by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Social Fund, between the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales, Newport. The purpose of the project is to alleviate the long-term problems inherent within the Valleys area of Wales, which include low levels of professional and managerial jobs, limited qualifications and educational progression and high levels of economic inactivity, sickness and disability.
Practical implications
This study can also act as a case study for other similar policies undertaken in similar economic geographies in the future. It also provides an important and original insight into the underpinning design of a large scale social inclusion educational project which will be of interest to policy makers, academia and enterprise support agencies.
Originality/value
The paper provides an in-depth study of the significant UHOVI project, examining the requirements for such an initiative in terms of both content and delivery of vocational education, and how this can affect the role that an education and training programme can play in meeting a social inclusion agenda.

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Vocational education and training is good for you: …

The social benefits of VET for individuals

Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) Research Paper No 17

The Executive Summary is four pages long so I’ve chosen to pick the Foreword for you.

Foreword

The Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth, foresees increasing people’s knowledge, skills and competences as one of the main growth engines to propel Europe out of the present deep economic crisis.

Vocational education and training (VET) plays a central role in Europe’s response to the unparalleled socioeconomic and technological challenges facing it. VET systems have to endow workers with the right mix of skills and competences, as preventing skill shortages will enable Europe to achieve its full growth potential.

To fulfil their role, VET providing institutions will have to reach out to workers and learners of all ages and social backgrounds. The Bruges communiqué recognises that a new impetus for VET in Europe is needed and that a key strategic objective lies in improving the quality and efficiency of VET as well as its attractiveness and relevance to learners.

The magnitude of the economic and social returns associated with it is an important determinant of attractiveness of VET. While there is extensive evidence on the economic returns on education, only a small, but distinguished, set of findings exists on the social returns. Very little is known about the social and economic returns associated specifically with VET.

The present study is part of a wider research effort by Cedefop to fill this knowledge gap. Over the past four years, Cedefop has investigated the social and economic returns on VET for economic systems, workplaces and individuals. This report complements Cedefop’s findings on the economic benefit of VET accruing to individuals, by focusing on wider social benefits such as health, civic participation, and satisfaction with job and income.

This report provides evidence of positive social outcomes generated by VET in terms of increased civic participation and improved health, and that workers in their early career can experience strong positive returns from VET participation. National institutional set-ups are, however, identified as key mediating factors for the realisation of social benefits of VET, i.e. the nature of the social benefits of VET will change depending on the type of system and, hence, according to country. Comparing the social outcomes of continuing vocational training with other types of adult learning (of a general nature) demonstrates that all forms of continuing education and training generate positive social outcomes for individuals and that these are of the same nature and magnitude whatever the type of adult learning.

I trust this research paper, and Cedefop’s work on VET benefits, will help policy-makers in continuing to make the case for increasing the attractiveness of VET among learners of all ages and demonstrating that VET is a crucial pillar of European productivity growth and social cohesion.

Christian F. Lettmayr
Acting Director of Cedefop

Full paper (PDF 116pp)

Despite the length of this paper I believe that it is worth reading in full. If you really can't face that then do, please, read the Executive Summary.

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… vocational education and training lacks esteem

A briefing note via Cedefop News tells us that vocational education and training provides many benefits to both individuals and the societies in which they live. Why is it, therefore, that the social value placed on vocational learning equates to non-academic i.e. for less intelligent people?

It is eminently worth reading this document (PDF 10pp)

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Mobility attitudes and behaviours among young Europeans

an article by Noeleen Doherty, Michael Dickmann and Timothy Mills (Cranfield School of Management) published in Career Development International Volume 15 Issue 4 (2010)

Abstract
Purpose

The paper seeks to explore the career attitudes, motivations and behaviours of young people in initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory web-based survey was conducted during the European year for mobility. Drawing on existing research on the motivators of international careers, it explored young people’s perceptions of barriers and incentives to mobility.

Findings

The study differentiates “natives” (those who did not go abroad) and “boundary crossers” (those who did). Cultural exposure, travel and a desire for adventure are key motivators. Counter-intuitively, those who chose not to go abroad are significantly more positive about the potential for professional development but are significantly more concerned for personal safety. Some maturational trends are apparent.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to a “European-wide” perspective from a sample, which had access to the web survey. Further research could usefully explore differences in attitude and mobility behaviours within and across specific European countries.

Practical implications

Factors restricting boundary-crossing behaviour may be rooted in aspects of psychological mobility such as perceived benefits of the experience, self-confidence and risk aversion. This has practical implications for policy-makers and career development for early career foreign didactic experiences where support for placements may need to focus more on psychological mobility, an area currently under-researched.

Originality/value

This exploratory paper provides data to examine the mobility behaviours among young people in IVET, distinguishing between “natives” and “boundary crossers”. It presents an important attempt to more fully understand the dynamics of mobility attitudes and behaviours among young people.

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