Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive description and analysis of quality levels with regard to dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) at companies participating in this programme in Spain, with a specific focus on company size. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a quantitative cross-sectional…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the degree apprenticeship labour market and employers' strategies for apprenticeship recruitment using job advertisement data. Specifically, this study identifies the skills, attributes, experience and qualifications that employers look for in IT apprentices. The study also identifies the…

The success of student teachers studying on employment-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes partly depends on a synthesis of the influence of theoretical university inputs and professional standards with the specific, local requirements of the schools where they are employed. Improving the quality of student teacher learning,…

The Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University was the first higher education institution in Germany to combine on-the-job training and academic studies. The study model integrates theory and practice, both being components of cooperative education. The success of this university is based on its cooperation with over 10,000 companies.…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the availability of qualifications through work-based traineeships in Australia assists social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: Industry case studies, of the finance and cleaning industries, were undertaken as part of a national research project on quality in traineeships. The two…

This paper is a critique of the initial teacher education (ITE) of further and adult education teachers in the UK. It argues that the employer-led, national standards model in the UK is not the basis for ITE and professional development because it takes no account of learning in the workplace, disregards the multi-specialist and professional…

The Finnish vocational education and training system underwent remarkable transformations at the turn of the century. One of the biggest changes was introducing compulsory and guided on-the-job learning periods in all study programmes. In this article students' experiences of on-the-job learning and in particular of integrating school-based and…

This paper explores two different ways of understanding communities of practice in relation to workplace learning. This is based upon a case study of secondary school teachers working and learning in four subject departments in two English schools. In spite of institutional similarities, the cultures and working practices of the departments were…

Because of high unemployment, western European governments have created temporary employment, provided on-the-job training, and helped the unemployed set up businesses. The authors examine initiatives to illustrate types of employment programs and discuss how the schemes are designed, implemented, and financed by looking at structure, content, and…

Part of the documentation for Katimavik, a nine-month volunteer community service and learning program for 17 to 21-year-old Canadians, the bilingual student manual focuses on the work skills portion of the learning program. The manual includes learning program objectives, trimester guidelines and a checklist for activity participation, optional…

A survey was conducted of 332 Spanish participants in initial vocational training in schools, occupational training for specific jobs or industries, and work-based training that takes place in a real work environment. Trainees considered work-based training most useful, vocational training second. Perceptions of usefulness differed by gender,…

This guide for coordinating the efforts of teachers and administrators provides a framework for setting up and improving work education programs within the parameters of the legislation and definitions that apply in the Province of Manitoba. The first five sections discuss work education. Work education is defined, and programs that use work…

Presents an approach to making practical on-the-job work experience of secondary school students part of instruction in social studies. Maintains that social studies classes can serve as a vehicle for students to gain social learning from their work experiences. Includes tables outlining the conceptual framework of this approach. (DB)

In the face of chronic youth unemployment, decision makers in many countries are questioning the role and effectiveness of alternance between school-based vocational training and in-company work experience. This notion applies to three very different realities: training courses offered as an alternative to traditional school-based training for…

The purpose of this study was to describe the recent extent and distribution of work experience of young people in Scotland, using data from the Scottish Young People's Survey (SYPS). SYPS, based on a 10 percent sample of all schools in Scotland, is conducted biennially in spring by mail and achieves a response rate of around 80 percent. In the…