Internship as part of work-integrated learning (WIL) is a critical curriculum component in higher education to better prepare for the future workforce. To assess WIL, educators typically select authentic assessments such as reflective journals and managerial reports to solve existing workplace problems. Despite the academic discourse supporting…

For refugee migrants, proficiency in the language of their host country is a significant factor affecting their chance of integration and employment in their new society. For this reason, many Western nations provide host-country language training for such migrants. Australia thus offers English language training within its Vocational Education…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is recognised as a valuable pedagogical strategy for developing graduate employability, increasing employment prospects and contributing to a range of other learning outcomes. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the degree to which WIL students in higher education, felt they fully engaged in…

This article compares policy aims with experiences following the introduction of a new model for STEM apprenticeships in the UK. Degree apprentices work while studying for a degree, undertaking work-based learning and attending on-campus classes. Specifically, this study explores an implementation in Scotland, where computing degrees are designed…

This article addresses the transition from vocational worker to vocational teacher in a Norwegian higher institution. Specifically, the vocational worker identity is examined to obtain a deeper knowledge of how trainee teachers describe the transition from vocational worker to vocational teacher. Previous research has highlighted the challenges of…

Canadian society is characterised by a plurality of immigrants and Canadian migration policy and corresponding recognition approaches are strongly geared to economic criteria, qualifications and skills. This paper addresses the question how immigrants who have acquired their highest qualification outside Canada are able to use their foreign…

This paper brings together concepts drawn from Actor Network Theory and data generated in a research project that was conducted across the island of Ireland. Using surveys and interviews with school staff, that research explored the limits and possibilities for workplace learning as a valued component of the senior school curriculum. The current…

In Australia, the inception of veterinary technology, as a higher education discipline underpinning an emerging, mid-tier paraveterinary field, reflected global trends for more highly educated veterinary paraprofessionals to meet changing societal demands. In this study, veterinary technology graduates were surveyed about their experiences in the…

The past two decades have seen considerable growth in new apprenticeship registrations in Canada. However, this has not been matched by a corresponding increase in completions. Across provinces, trades and time, there is considerable variation in apprenticeship completion rates. In Canada, apprenticeship programmes are provincially regulated and…

The French apprenticeship system has been an object of research in France for more than 30 years now, by experts from different backgrounds. Over the past 15 years apprenticeship has grown significantly in higher education. At this level, if a greater importance is attached to theory, it becomes more difficult to connect this theory to more…

This article investigates whether the characteristics of feedback identified by the literature can be found within written assessment records for work and competence-based qualifications. It uses a brief literature review and analysis of the formative feedback within 257 learner portfolios. The characteristics identified by the literature are…

This article presents findings from an investigation into the experiences of a single cohort of students, studying on a BA (Hons) degree in Britain. It examines the students' attainment on the degree and relates this to their profile on entry, examining their previous work experiences taken as part of a vocationally focused entry qualification,…

This article analyses recent national policy on further education and training (FET) college lecturer development in South Africa in the light of more established curricula and practice for the training of vocational teachers internationally. The policy published by the national Department of Education suggests standards for college teaching which…

This article examines internships as part of the apprenticeship model of learning adopted in higher education. We focus on employers' views on internships, which have hitherto received only limited attention. Our study explores employers' experiences in organizing internships, and their collaboration with one University of Applied Sciences,…

This article focuses on pedagogical aspects of initial vocational training in the context of the Swiss VET system. Even though apprentices are usually the responsibility of one main supervisor within companies, a number of other colleagues, experts and fellow apprentices interact with them as they engage in productive tasks. In that context, the…