Context: This study uses a social space approach to investigate Virtual Reality (VR)-based workplace learning in the context of apprenticeship training in the electronics industry in Switzerland. It was one part of a project which developed a prototype VR environment that enables apprentices to practice testing an electrical installation in a…

Comparative studies on 'apprenticeships' in Europe increasingly cover a variety of programmes previously not considered under this heading. The paper explores the potential of a new, combined cultural-historical and functional classification of apprenticeships on the basis of their underpinning training logic. Four main logics are discussed which…

In vocational education and training, coaching can be used to support apprentices' ability to manage their own (further) competence development 'on the job'. This is largely requested among employees at workplaces in internationally competitive sectors of the economy which require of their workforce a great deal of flexibility and learning…

Despite the importance of dual VET for economic growth and stability, internationally, systems struggle with quality assurance and quality improvement. In recent years, numerous research efforts have been made to identify and describe quality aspects in dual VET, especially with regard to in-company training conditions as perceived by apprentices.…

Employment-based training (EBT) is training for paid employees which is integrated within a work setting, related to their role, and provided or supported by employers. It can be nationally recognised or non-nationally recognised. It can be structured, or unstructured. For many employers, the crucial aspect of EBT is whether the training helps…

There is strong evidence that learning gained in, through and for work, whether it is through employment, voluntary, community, domestic or any other kind of work, helps to equip people with the capabilities that can improve their working lives, their employability and their life skills (Lester and Costley, 2010, Beehives, 2018, WEXHE, 2019).…

The primary function of any firm is not to train but to produce goods and services. However, firms in collective skill formation systems, such as those in Switzerland, train apprentices in 'dual' vocational education and training programmes, where the firms become important educational actors. Generally, all training firms are coined by their…

Context: Through a dual model, based on 2 years of education in upper secondary school followed by two and a half year of apprenticeship training, Norwegian plumbing education has become an integrated part of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Competence and skills are described in national plumbing curriculum. However, there…

Motivated students have been shown to persist longer in post-secondary education. As a multidimensional psychological construct, motivation is shaped by within- and between-person perceptions of context. Empirical measures of distinct workplace and trade school subjective task values (STVs) were examined, and their predictions of apprentices'…

Recent research has linked the development of self-directed learning of building and construction apprentices to the quality of relationship between the apprentice and their sponsor. This relationship was found to be critical for the apprentice to develop the capacity for self-directed learning. The sponsor as a more confident or experienced other…

The misalignment between the skills learned in tertiary education and the skills demanded by industry is well documented. One of the ways this misalignment can be reduced is through the introduction of an internship phase in degrees. This article identifies the perceived benefits and challenges that internship programmes offer academic staff in a…

Following the financial crisis and the ensuing economic downturn in the past decade, apprenticeship sparked renewed interest among policy-makers both in Brussels and the EU Member States. Since, European and national crisis management strategies have advocated apprenticeship both as a short-term solution to youth unemployment and a useful response…

The aim of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities of designing and delivering Degree and Higher Level Apprenticeships (D&HLAs) at levels 4-7 from a multi-stakeholder perspective namely employers, Universities, independent training organisations and professional bodies. Twenty-seven face-to-face interviews were undertaken and…

Workplace learning in vocational education and training (VET) is often claimed to be an important metric to define "high-quality" programs, but outcomes beyond initial employment are not well understood. In this study, we estimate outcomes of upper-secondary-school VET programs with different levels of workplace learning in…

Context: After the Eurozone crisis unfolded a decade ago, comparative political economy has investigated reforms of public administration, labour market, welfare state and economic policy particularly in Southern European nations which were hit hardest by the crisis. However, analyses of skill formation reform, particularly vocational education…