England's mainstream upper secondary curriculum is driven by academic, exam-based GCSEs and A levels, with applied learning qualifications an alternative for 'less-academic' 16-18-year-olds. This paper elides two studies of the impact of the BTEC National Diploma on employment and career trajectories, one from the perspective of 16-22-year-olds,…

Many students in vocational education and training (VET) programmes in Norway fail to see the connection with the school-based curriculum content they explore and learn and the tasks they perform during work placements. Consequently, the relevance of various vocational concepts remains invisible when conducting tasks at work, hence student…

This study explores the ecosystemic impacts of higher education (HE) on the economies of African countries, emphasizing the need for competence-based, and skills-demand-driven standards in collaboration with industry. HE is vital for equipping individuals with essential knowledge and skills for socio-economic transformation. However, in Africa,…

This qualitative study examined how educators' relationships with businesses impacts the nature of and access to work-based learning opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The study used the social network constructs of tie strength, density, reciprocity, and trust to explore relationship structures between…

This playbook provides ways in which business and industry can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. Business and industry play a significant role to Raise the Bar for student success by developing an "education-to-workforce system" focusing on Unlocking Career Success.

Work Integrated Learning is essential for healthcare degrees where students learn to "become" healthcare professionals. As a complex form of learning the quality of student placement experiences are variable, impacting student wellbeing and development of professional competencies. Getting it right, students enter the workforce ready to…