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This article examines how discourses on migrants, language skills, and the suitability of educational and vocational paths can racialise the students perceived as migrants in Finnish vocational education and training (VET). The study draws on observations and interviews with students and teachers on two differently gender-typed programmes, women-dominated dental technology and men-dominated mechanical engineering. In both programmes, most students have moved to Finland and started learning Finnish a few years before entering vocational education. Drawing on critical race theory and critical discourse analysis, the article identifies four discourses that racialise the students perceived as migrants. The discourse on VET as ‘a realistic choice for migrants lacking language skills’ in dental technology and the idealisation of ‘hard-working migrants’ in mechanical engineering encourage migrants’ entry to these programmes, but simultaneously racialise them. The discourse on ‘sufficient Finnish skills’ in mechanical engineering encourages, while the discourse on ‘high level of language proficiency’ in dental technology discourages migrants’ entry to the profession, and demonstrates that racism can be hidden behind the talk on language skills. Together, these discourses show that the processes of racialisation are mundane in VET and can direct people’s educational and occupational paths. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Background: Although the professions of medical and dental assistants are some of the most popular apprenticeships among young women, the shortage of skilled workers in medical practices and medical care centers is growing alarmingly. Despite a high willingness to start training, apprenticeships in the field of medical and dental assistants are terminated prematurely more often than average. Research question: Which profession-specific training structures in medical and dental practices may contribute to the educational programs not being completed as scheduled? Methods: Training statistics and cross-occupational research findings are analyzed and related to results of occupation-specific surveys. Possible correlations of institutional factors influencing training conditions are discussed and research gaps are identified. Results: Institutional and structural framework conditions for the training of medical and dental assistants are considered by various perspectives as needing improvement, and this is leading to below-average satisfaction rates among trainees. The current absence of uniform standards for the qualification of vocational trainers, in conjunction with concepts for the didactic organization of dual training, is a matter of concern. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that a lack of appreciation and comparatively low training allowance are associated with high drop-out rates. Conclusion: The findings highlight the essential importance of training-promoting framework conditions in the practical training institutions and the pedagogical–didactic development of the training as a factor that can be directly influenced by the actors in the genesis of training drop-outs. © The Author(s) 2025.

Residential childcare workers provide critical support to vulnerable children around the world. Building and maintaining a qualified residential childcare workforce is challenged by myriad forces, the foremost of which is recruiting and retaining staff for valuable work often misaligned with available compensation; making individual qualifications at hiring; ongoing training; supervision; and data support systems to monitor performance critical for quality care. This study explored the similarities and differences among these essential elements of staffing across distinct programs: Youth Education Centers (YEC) in Poland, CiudadEscuela Muchachos (CEMU) in Spain, and the Boys Town Family Home Program (BTFHP) in the United States. Using an autoethnographic approach, the authors, who are a diverse team of practitioners and researchers, provide insights guided by personal experience about the programs as they compared and contrasted program training and evaluation manuals and materials, job descriptions, etc. The focal programs shared several similarities, most notably prioritizing children’s dignity. However, notable differences also offer possible solutions for region-specific challenges in building and sustaining a qualified residential childcare workforce. Future implications for ongoing international collaboration to establish training standards are discussed. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Introduction: Research on educational change consistently shows that the success of any implementation process depends on the involvement of stakeholders. The Change Laboratory (CL) is a method that involves stakeholders in co-creating their work practice. Its application in medical education has been proven to result in improvement of learning environments. The aim of this study is to explore participants' perceptions on how the use of the CL impacts their commitment to change. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to explore participants' experiences with a CL intervention focused on redesigning a workplace-based assessment program in postgraduate medical training in Oman. Semi-structured interviews with nine participants (residents, faculty and administrators) were conducted to examine how the CL process influenced their commitment to change, focusing on learning and agency. Data collection and analysis followed an iterative process. We used a reflexive thematic analysis approach and constructed a model of how the CL intervention resulted in transformative changes at the individual, team and organization levels. Results: Participants' intrinsic motivation to actively engage in assessment re-design was driven by perceptions of a shared understanding of tensions in the assessment system and the realization that, as a group, they would be able to initiate meaningful change. Three shifts experienced by participants while progressing through the CL were identified: from individual learning to collective competence; from individual responsibility to collective agency; and, from collective agency to organizational learning, reflecting engagement in change processes beyond participants' residency training program. Conclusion: By illustrating how a CL intervention fosters transformative shifts in learning and agency, at individual, collective and organizational levels, this study extends prior work on participatory design in medical education. It provides empirical evidence that co-creation supports both personal and professional development, fostering stakeholders' competencies to collaboratively navigate and lead educational change processes. © 2025 The Author(s). Medical Education published by Association for the Study of Medical Education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The quality of workplace training in firms is a key factor in both apprentices’ development of skills and the prevention of dropouts in corporatist dual vocational education and training (VET) systems. This article addresses the governance practices at the micro level of VET in a French-speaking Swiss canton by examining how the legal framework for quality inspection is put into practice. Based on interviews with cantonal inspectors who control and promote quality training in firms, the article focuses on how they adapt the legal framework to their conditions of action. Due to the high workload, inspectors seldom visit firms regularly enough to address problems and conflicts at an early stage to prevent dropouts. Empowering apprentices, who are often reluctant to defend their rights and ask inspectors to intervene, is thus an important measure. Given the trainers’ lack of both qualifications and time for training, inspectors also prioritise guidance over control. Withdrawing a firm’s training licence is rarely initiated, however, as it is an arduous process and often not feasible. The article highlights the impact that actors, such as inspectors, have at the micro level of VET and how coordination with trainers and apprentices defines how a legal framework is implemented. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Introduction: vocational students often struggle to diagnose EFI systems due to the abstract nature of the concepts and limited digital skills. Conventional teaching methods fall short in fostering creativity for solving complex technical problems. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a Problem-Based Learning model integrated with Digital Literacy (PBL-DL) to enhance students’ creativity in diagnosing EFI systems. Method: using an adapted Borg and Gall development model, the study involved 176 participants, including teachers, students, and media/material experts. The research proceeded through four stages: preliminary study, design and development, user response testing, and effectiveness testing. Data collection instruments included questionnaires, expert validation checklists, and creativity observation sheets. Analyses used descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. Results: the PBL-DL model significantly improved students’ creativity in diagnosing EFI systems. Indicators such as fluency, originality, and elaboration showed statistically significant increases. The integration of digital tools also enhanced students’ access to and engagement with learning materials. The model shows potential for broader application in other complex vocational learning contexts. Conclusions: integrating digital literacy into problem-based learning strengthens students’ creative problem-solving and classroom engagement. The PBL-DL framework contributes to more effective vocational education while supporting the development of essential 21st-century skills. © 2025; Los autores.

The Cybergogy approach is a teaching and learning methodology that integrates technology and pedagogy to promote critical thinking skills and inventive problem-solving among Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) learners. This approach leverages the affordances of digital technologies such as virtual reality, simulations, and gamification to create immersive learning experiences that engage learners and promote higher-order thinking skills. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the use of the cybergogy approach and the development of thinking skills and inventive problem-solving skills among the TVET learners and analyze the correlational strength between Thinking skills and Inventive Problem-Solving skills. The study used a quantitative research design, with correlational study, with 164 sample size from TVET learners. The data collected from the study analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric test. The analysis explored the differences in the development of thinking skills and inventive problem-solving skills. The analysis will also examine the learners' perceptions of the effectiveness of the cybergogy approach in promoting these skills. The study findings showed that the Cybergogy approach can be an effective way to promote thinking skills among TVET learners. However, cybergogy approach not effective way to improve problem solving skills. The findings of the study could inform the development of effective teaching strategies that incorporate cybergogy to enhance the learning experience and improve the skills of TVET learners. The study could also contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the use of cybergogy in education. © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Higher education institutions have had to transit toward a competency-based curriculum, which has led to constant changes and updates to their curricula. There is a need to review and analyze empirical research in competency-based training contexts, specifically regarding gender subjectivity. Scientific articles were collected from the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases under the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) model. A sample of 907 articles was obtained, from which seventy research studies were finally selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results showed that most of the studies were concentrated in Spain and characterized by a descriptive quantitative method. Most of the participants were of the female gender, which left a gender gap concerning male gender subjects. The proposal of competencies and their implication in gender subjectivity was focused on the gender self-concept of the individuals, mainly on their self-esteem, self-efficiency, and authenticity, mediated by the typification and stereotypes associated with professional roles. On the other hand, the instruments used to measure competencies were focused on self-reporting and perceptions and were not situated in real or simulated contexts. Finally, the degree of knowledge was focused on understanding the potential they had to learn and do—that is, to value conceptual and procedural knowledge. © 2025 Common Ground Research Networks. All rights reserved.

Employability skills of vocational high school students are needed to prepare for a reliable, professional, and globally competitive world of work. The poor work skills of vocational high school students are influenced by many factors. This study analyzes the research trends and factors that influence vocational high employability. Type of literature study using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Data collection for 2020-2024 Work skills based on a search of Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases was conducted from October 25 to 31, 2024. VOSviewer application to analyze research trends. Search using keyword employability skills and vocational high school students. The selection process was conducted by inviting three authors to review articles. If an article does not meet the criteria, the solution is to invite other reviewers or experts to help complete it. Data analysis techniques include an identification stage with records from the database and continued filtering of data that meets the criteria and does not. Filtering stage with feasibility assessment Study Stage in article Review. The results of the study identified 1016 articles, 311 articles, 39 articles, and 96 factors influencing work skills. Six dominant factors determine work skills: creativity (FI_1), communication skills (FI_2), adaptability (FI_3), problem-solving (FI_4), critical thinking (FI_5), and self-confidence (FI_6). The determining factors of work skills internationally are more dominant in self-confidence, adaptability, and communication skills, while in Indonesia, they are communication skills and creativity. A limitation of the data search process is the use of incomplete keywords. The contribution of this study is that six determining factors were used as considerations for the qualifications of student graduates in contextual and meaningful vocational learning. ©: © 2025 Puji Hartini QA et al.

This paper explores the role of Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) relative to academic education in the transition of youths to the labor market in Kenya. Kenya’s education system has experienced tremendous changes and diversification over the years, from replacing the old curriculum with the 8-4-4 system, and later transitioning to a competency-based curriculum, not to mention an overhaul of TVET via the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act No. 29 of 2013. Due to these reforms, enrolment in TVET institutions has progressed upward over the past five years. The growth of the TVET sector has been promoted to help curb the rising rates of youth unemployment, but the evidence of the effectiveness of reforms to date has been sparse. The study provides evidence on two issues: (i) the effect of TVET on youth employment relative to academic education and (ii) the structure and status of the TVET sector in Kenya. We used quantitative and qualitative methodologies to generate the evidence. Findings demonstrate that youth with a TVET background have strong prospects of securing employment than those without TVET skills. However, the data from KIIs reveal gaps in the TVET sector that hinder graduates from competing effectively with their university counterparts in the labor market. The study recommends a review of the curriculum to promote holistic TVET training and match it with current technological innovations. ©: © 2025 Mujuri B and Kathomi I.