Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Purpose: Students in higher education (HE) and Technical vocational education and Training (TVET) represent a significant source of future entrepreneurs. While pro-entrepreneurial traits like core self-evaluation (CSE) are vital, little research explores the environmental factors shaping CSE in these groups. Our study addresses this void. Design/methodology/approach: Data was captured using a cross-sectional survey of 221 HE and TVET students, and hierarchical regression to model CSE based on a number of environmental factors, namely social conditions (role models, parents with HE) and experiential factors: full-time work experience (FTWE), self-employment experience (SEE), and entrepreneurship education (EE), while controlling for age and gender. Findings: Parents with HE positively associated with CSE among TVET students but not HE students. Overall, the study found that TVET and HE students do not share a mutual set of experiential factors associated with their CSE; FTWE and SEE were linked to higher CSE among HE students, but this was not the case among TVET students. Conversely, EE was positively associated with CSE among TVET students but not among HE students. There was a mean difference of −0.10 for our TVET sample. Originality/value: Our study is among the first to comparatively examine external influences on potential entrepreneurs’ CSE, focusing on HE and TVET students—two distinct entrepreneurial pathways. We extend the literature on CSE and entrepreneurship by shifting beyond individual traits to social and experiential factors, offering new insights with implications for EE and public policy. © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of firms that influence their hiring decisions regarding the share of newly hired apprentices with Abitur and maximum lower secondary certificates. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses 2,004 training firms of the BIBB Qualification Panel data from 2013 to 2018 to estimate fixed-effects regressions analysing the effect of firms’ qualification structures and recruitment problems on the share of newly hired apprentices with Abitur (highest German secondary school-leaving certificate) and maximum lower secondary certificates (in German maximal Hauptschulabschluss). Findings: The results indicate that firms with a higher qualification structure hire a higher share of apprentices with Abitur. However, the effect gets insignificant once controlling for the share of applicants with Abitur. Further, the study suggests that firms reduce their requirements on the school-leaving certificate of VET applicants when they suffer from unfilled training positions. Moreover, the share of applicants with Abitur and maximum lower secondary certificate has high explanatory power for the share of newly hired apprentices with these certificates. Originality/value: The study highlights the role of firms in facilitating the transition of young people entering dual VET in Germany, whereas most studies so far have focused on the individual level. Further, the study contributes to the understanding of firms’ hiring processes of apprentices beyond the question of whether a firm provides VET at all and could be used for designing labour market policy programs for youth. © 2025, Anett Friedrich.

The alignment of vocational education with industry needs is crucial to guarantee that graduates are prepared with the skills required by employ ers in a developing labor market. This chapter discusses the necessity of effective collaboration between vocational education institutions and industry partners to create curricula that suit current and future job mar ket demands. Successful case studies of such partnerships are featured, highlighting best practices and techniques that have led to better student employability and industry satisfaction. Additionally, the chapter addresses the obstacles faced in aligning educational methods with the rapid changes in technology and industrial trends, while also discussing the possible influence of such partnerships on regional economic development. The chapter presents ideas for expanding vocational education programs, with an emphasis on the growing importance of innovation and technology in addressing industry requirements and building lasting collaborations. © 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global Scientific Publishing is prohibited.

In a world where technical, social and environmental challenges demand highly trained and proactive professionals, Higher education training must prioritize the development of skills that transcend technical knowledge. This study analyzes the relationship between proactivity and professional skills in Aquaculture Engineering students at the State Technical University of Quevedo in Ecuador, in order to understand how these skills contribute to their comprehensive training. A descriptive-correlational methodology was used with a sample of 221 students, where surveys were applied to measure proactivity and professional skills. The results show a significant positive correlation between proactivity and professional skills, indicating that more proactive students have a greater development of skills. Specifically, student initiative is positively related to quality conservation skills. In addition, it is highlighted that approximately 92.3% of the variability in professional skills can be explained by student proactivity. In conclusion, these findings underline the importance of promoting proactivity in academic training, not only to improve professional performance, but also to face the global challenges of the aquaculture sector, such as food security and sustainable development. © (2025), (Universidad del Zulia). All rights reserved.

21st-century skills are critical abilities for today’s generation to face changes and challenges in this era. The industrial world greatly needs competence in the field of welding. This study comprehensively seeks to develop a technology-enhanced teaching module using augmented reality integrated (ARI) and animation for valid, effective, and practical learning. This development research was conducted following the DBR model, which consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Qualitative data were obtained through comments and suggestions for improvement in questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were obtained from validation test scores, practicality tests, validity and reliability tests of questions, and pretest and posttest score data. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis and qualitative descriptions. The validation results from experts obtained a value of 91% with valid criteria. The practicality of the module obtained a value with an average of 84% with practical criteria. The effectiveness of the ARI teaching module was calculated using the N-Gain formula, producing an average value of 0.36, which meets moderate criteria. It can be concluded that the ARI teaching module produced is valid, effective, and practical for training students’ 21st-century skills. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

In the context of Industry 4.0, employability skills have become a vital indicator of an individual's readiness for work, particularly in industrial sectors. They are essential for increasing competitiveness, productivity, and long-term career development. However, a significant gap persists among vocational education graduates in Indonesia, where high unemployment rates and skill mismatches pose challenges. This study aims to analyze employability skills among vocational graduates using a human capital investment framework adapted to a digitalization approach. A total of 2587 vocational high school graduates in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were surveyed using an online questionnaire and selected through exponential snowball sampling. Employability skills were measured through 37 indicators and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to test both measurement and structural models across 24 hypotheses. The results demonstrate that the proposed empirical model is valid, reliable, and possesses strong predictive power with an R-squared of 0.855 and a Q-squared of 0.605. Digital Communication and Collaboration emerged as the most influential full mediator, effectively linking all exogenous variables to Digital Creativity and Production, highlighting its importance in developing digital productivity and innovation. Several direct relationships were statistically unsupported, including the paths from Technology Adaptation and Specific Software Skills to ICT Resources Integration and Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills to Digital Communication and Collaboration and Digital Creativity and Production. These findings emphasize the importance of structured learning interventions integrating technical training with ICT-based group projects to promote collaboration, digital interaction, and problem-solving. The study contributes practical insights for vocational curriculum development to enhance graduate readiness in the digital labor market. © 2025 The Authors