‘Occupation’, labour markets and qualification futures

Abstract

Whether there is or should be a relation between ‘occupation’ and ‘qualification’ is a contested issue in vocational education and training (VET). The privileged shelter of structured occupational labour markets stands pitted against the near impossibility of access by those at the margins of employment opportunities. This paper investigates the relation between occupation and qualification, conceptually and empirically. The key finding is that the relation manifests in labour-market specific ways in relation to two types of occupational qualification. One qualification type references ‘whole’ occupations and the other dilutes occupation into an ideology of occupationalism, while drawing on the discursive resources of ‘occupation’ to mask the segmentalist logic of ‘unitised’ or part-qualifications. For those desperately seeking to become employable, ‘occupation’ may well have greater appeal than ‘competence’ as labour market currency but it is the nature of the qualification to which ‘occupation’ is linked that ultimately determines its labour market efficacy. © 2020 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Keywords

Author Keywords

workplace learning vocational education and training Competence vet and the labour market policy issues

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations

School of Education, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Funding & Acknowledgements

Department of Higher Education and Training, DHET

Funding text 1: This paper draws on research conducted between 2012 and 2015 under the Labour Market Intelligence Partnership, a research consortium led by the Human Sciences Research Council, and funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa. The research project was entitled Work and Qualifications Futures for Artisans and Technicians (Gamble 2016a). The participation of four research colleagues, Carel Garisch, Marianne Spies, Jane Gallagher and Vanessa Davidson is gratefully acknowledged, as well as the theme leadership of Dr Angelique Wildschut and the overall leadership of Dr Glenda Kruss. The author of this article takes sole responsibility for the argument presented.; Funding text 2: This paper draws on research conducted between 2012 and 2015 under the Labour Market Intelligence Partnership, a research consortium led by the Human Sciences Research Council, and funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa. The research project was entitled Work and Qualifications Futures for Artisans and Technicians (Gamble ). The participation of four research colleagues, Carel Garisch, Marianne Spies, Jane Gallagher and Vanessa Davidson is gratefully acknowledged, as well as the theme leadership of Dr Angelique Wildschut and the overall leadership of Dr Glenda Kruss. The author of this article takes sole responsibility for the argument presented.

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‘Occupation’, labour markets and qualification futures

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