The rapid pace of technological advancement and globalization is reshaping the landscape of work and innovation. This paper discusses the importance of empowering tomorrow's innovators through the development of essential skills, trade knowledge, and entrepreneurial competencies. By focusing on education, policy support, and community engagement,…

This paper explores the Centre for Insurance, Risk and Data Analytics Studies (CIRDAS) as a case study of online adult education which offers flexible upskilling and reskilling opportunities to employees across the Irish insurance sector. It explores how CIRDAS's agile programme development enabled flexible entry, exit and progression routes for…

Civil engineering is rapidly evolving as research discoveries, technological evolution, and changing regulations alter the state of practice. To adapt to the advancement of the field, engineers must have the ability to be lifelong learners. While a number of studies have focused on developing lifelong learning skills among undergraduates, far…

Global megatrends, such as digitalisation, and contemporary crises have highlighted the importance of continuous development and learning in the work context. Learning can be inspiring and motivating but also stressful when generating competence that is not applicable or has poor utilisability. In this study, we approached the ambivalent nature of…

Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people's skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. They can increase the provision of…

The concept of affordance is helpful to understand the advantages that can be offered to users. However, little is known about the affordable Micro-Credential courses (MC) offered by Higher education (HE) providers. This study utilizes Gibson's affordance theory as a lens and aims to validate the affordances of MCs for HE. Furthermore, this study…

This book presents a comprehensive discussion of sociocultural perspectives on graduate employability and workplace-based learning development. It draws on Vygotsky's theories such as situated learning and sociocultural perspectives, as well as the constructivist learning theory. This book showcases theoretical and empirical analyses that show how…

This paper was presented at an event, 'The Skills Revolution: can lifelong learning save the UK economy?', jointly organised by NEON, Ruskin College, The University of West London, and CEILUP (Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up). In the paper the author argues that there is an urgent need to rethink and reform England's skills system and…

Technology is radically transforming every industry sector in Singapore and most parts of the world. As Singaporean leaders have continually reiterated, this will continue to have a severe impact on jobs, professions and careers. The key to growth ultimately depends on how fast a country is able to restructure its industries to remain competitive…

The pervasive role of digital technologies in adult learning and education (ALE) was a prominent theme throughout the deliberations of the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) held June 15-17, 2022 in Morocco. CONFINTEA VII embodied the worldwide interest in digital technologies through the use of a hybrid format…

This study explores the implementation of the university-as-a-service (UaaS) paradigm in higher education. Through qualitative research, it examines student and stakeholder experiences to inform the redesign of university programmes. The UaaS model aims to enhance university engagement with the business ecosystem and meet the demands of the…

Background: In Belgium, and elsewhere, the use of portfolios as a reflective practice for pre-service primary and secondary teachers has long been established in higher education. Reflective thinking is recognised as an effective process for examining daily practices, awakening students to the key elements of their profession, and fostering…

The doctoral capstone is the culminating experiential learning component of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate degree, however there is limited literature regarding its usefulness or value as perceived by graduates. This qualitative descriptive study used focus groups with a semi-structured interview guide to ask participants about the…

The challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution have become defining issues of our time. These crises are global in scope, affecting all regions of the planet, with impacts felt across all sectors of society. Facing these daunting challenges requires rethinking how we engage with the environment and, more deeply, how human…

Fueled by exponential advances in technology, the world will change more in the next few decades than in all of human history, futurist Thomas Frey says. Community college leaders will have to think beyond traditional structures such as semester-length courses and two-year degree programs, designing micro-learning experiences that better match…