Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Over the past decade, the proportion of graduates from upper secondary vocational schools who have progressed to higher education (HE) has increased significantly in China. This study adopts a multiple case study methodology to provide an in‐depth examination of the under‐researched role vocational schools play in HE progression. Drawing on interview data, relevant policy documents, and administrative records, our findings reveal that vocational schools have actively promoted the “HE progression” trend. This role serves not only as a strategy for organizational survival—addressing challenges related to resource dependence and the pressure of institutional isomorphism—but also as a means of establishing organizational legitimacy. To improve HE admission rates, the schools in our case studies have implemented similar efficiency mechanisms in response to environmental pressures. These include enhancing the delivery of integrated‐education programs with symbolic quality control during the transfer process, adopting classification‐based student management systems that differ in form but are similar in substance, and establishing systems characterized by strong “examination‐oriented” features. © 2025, Cogitatio Press. All rights reserved.

vocational high schools (BHS) constitute a popular school type in Austria and are particularly appealing to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. These five-year schools provide an alternative pathway to a general higher education entrance qualification, combining academic schooling with the “safety net” of school-based vocational training. Although BHS represent an important route into higher education, with approximately half of graduates entering higher education within three years, the other half do not, with many opting to enter the labour market directly. Drawing on rational action theory, this study examines the relationship between students’ social backgrounds (measured by parental education level), labour market prospects following graduation from BHS, and higher education enrolment. We analyse the further educational and labour market pathways of the entire 2016/17 cohort of Austrian BHS graduates, using unique data that combines several high-quality administrative registers. Descriptive analysis shows that transition rates to higher education vary considerably according to parental education. We employ logistic regression models to demonstrate that higher regional unemployment rates for the particular vocational qualification of BHS are associated with increased transition rates to higher education. In contrast with the assumptions of the “diversion thesis,” findings indicate that this effect does not vary according to the education of students’ parents. Consequently, BHS graduates with lower levels of parental education are equally likely to be deterred from pursuing higher education by the prospect of employment as those with higher parental education. © 2025 by the author(s).

Pathways to higher education through vocational upper secondary schools (VUSSs) are intended to increase permeability. However, in both VUSSs and general upper secondary schools (GUSSs), participation is socially selective. This article examined differences between GUSS and VUSS students in (a) the attainment of a higher education entrance qualification (HEEQ) and (b) the subsequent transition to higher education. Taking entry selectivity into account, we analysed the extent to which inequalities between GUSS and VUSS in both outcomes could be explained by differences in school achievement and educational considerations— namely, cost–benefit perceptions, expected success, and status maintenance motives. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; Starting Cohort 4), we selected a sample of individuals who entered upper secondary education in either VUSS or GUSS (N = 5032). Two binary dependent variables were used to indicate (a) the successful attainment of an HEEQ and (b) the subsequent transition to higher education (as opposed to vocational education and training). The results from logit models indicated that VUSS students were significantly less likely to obtain an HEEQ and progress to higher education. This association was smaller but still persistent when controlling for entry selection, school achievement, and educational considerations (AMEHEEQ = −0.047, AMEtransition = −0.150). However, when intake selection was considered in the logit models, school achievement and educational considerations during upper secondary education were insignificant in explaining why VUSS students were less likely than GUSS students to obtain an HEEQ and enter higher education. © 2025 by the author(s).

Neurodiverse learners (ND) have a unique perspective on Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). Because they often face challenges in traditional educational settings, they are among the first to adopt new technologies and are eager to see how Gen AI can improve their learning experience. ND learners may struggle with sensory overload, social interactions, and executive functioning. Gen AI can help address these challenges by providing personalised learning experiences by modifying information resources to match the learner's abilities. Applications of Gen AI that can support ND learners in VET education include tools that adapt to each learner's individual learning style or create accessible learning materials such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text transcriptions and visual representations of learners’ ideas. However, educators need to also consider the challenges and limitations of Gen AI and to balance Gen AI-assisted learning with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and creativity. Therefore, the perspectives of ND learners on Gen AI can be usefully applied to inform VET curriculum development and pedagogy. An online survey was used to gather the perspectives of tertiary ND learners on Gen AI. They were asked about their experiences with Gen AI, their perceptions of the potential benefits and challenges of using Gen AI in education, and their suggestions for ways Gen AI use would improve learning experiences. This research suggests that Gen AI has the potential to be a valuable tool for ND learners, but it is important to be aware of the challenges and to use these tools responsibly. These findings inform VET curriculum development and pedagogy in several ways. For example, the research identifies specific ways in which Gen AI can be used to address the academic needs of ND learners, informs the development of more inclusive and accessible teaching practices and can be used to raise awareness of Gen AI's potential to improve the learning experience of ND learners. This information can be used to inform the development of more inclusive and effective teaching practices, the development of Gen AI powered learning tools, and policy changes that support ND learners in VET education, including the growing international focus on supporting ND learners reflects a global shift towards more inclusive educational practices across various learning environments, including vocational education and training. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

In this first chapter, the background, context (including the unique bicultural Aotearoa NZ setting and its education/vocational education system), and rationale for the book are presented. The book approaches artificial intelligence (AI) from VET practitioners’ viewpoints. In particular, to realise the challenges posed by AI on education and the world of work; better understand how to leverage AI to improve VET learning; and ensure the introduction of AI and its application align with how disciplines/occupations will envisage its application. The chapter closes with summaries of the chapters in the volume along with a short discussion on the project’s limitations. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

This study addresses key contradictions within the vocational education curriculum system - namely technological generation gaps, fragmentation of the curriculum resource ecosystem, and insufficient dynamic adaptability. We establish an optimization framework for vocational education large models based on a "diverse data inputs-computing power support-algorithm-driven"approach. By constructing a four-dimensional curriculum optimization model (encompassing objectives, content, strategies, and evaluation) at the theoretical level, this framework promotes collaborative resource co-construction among multiple stakeholders, the development of multimodal intelligent teaching systems, the establishment of dynamic evaluation mechanisms, and the enhancement of teachers' digital literacy in practice, thereby forming a systematic solution. Empirical studies in public security vocational education demonstrate that this model improves curriculum update timeliness by 96.1%, increases the utilization rate of practical training resources by 150%, enhances real-case scenario matching by 69.1%, and boosts internship unit recognition by 30.6%. These results verify the feasibility of curriculum optimization driven by vocational education large models and provide theoretical support and practical paradigms for the digital transformation of vocational education. This research holds significant value for deepening industry-education integration and cultivating comprehensive technical and skilled talents. © 2025 IEEE.

This chapter examines wellbeing’s position in vocational taxonomies, focusing on wellbeing as a potential skillset and wellbeing literacy (WBL) as a mechanism for wellbeing skill acquisition. vocational taxonomies-hierarchical structures of knowledge, skills, abilities, work styles, values, and tasks mapped to vocations-underpin many vocational education and training (VET) systems. We begin by defining WBL, including its components and mechanisms for enabling wellbeing, followed by an explanation of Competence Based Training (CBT) in VET and its relevance to wellbeing education. Key vocational taxonomies and unification attempts are outlined, alongside an overview of modifiable wellbeing qualities across four wellbeing science domains: positive psychology interventions, non-cognitive educational competencies, resilience and coping, and peak performance mental skills. Throughout, we connect these concepts to WBL theory and present comparative case studies of VET graduates-one trained in wellbeing skills, another in technical skills only-navigating workplace challenges. We address limitations of the skills-based wellbeing conceptualisation, particularly concerns about individualising wellbeing responsibility. The chapter concludes by advocating research toward holistically integrating wellbeing factors from wellbeing science into vocational taxonomies and VET. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Lindsay G. Oades, Narelle Lemon, Jacqui Francis, and Tim Lomas; individual chapters, the contributors.

The OLIVE (Online Learning and Interactive vocational education) project proposes a novel interdisciplinary framework to address the fragmentation and opacity of competency-based educational systems. It introduces a visuo-cognitive approach to academic guidance using the metro map metaphor. Drawing on research in cognitive metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 2003), educational semiotics (Sander, 2024), and visual knowledge representation (Burkhard, 2004; Shahaf et al. 2012; Wallinger, 2020), OLIVE leverages AI, UX/UI design, and semantic web technologies to develop a dynamic, navigable model of educational pathways. The project’s ambition is to enhance the accessibility, modularity, and personalization of academic trajectories across French and Brazilian educational ecosystems. This paper presents the project’s theoretical foundations, methodological structure, and expected impacts. It also explores OLIVE’s ambition to foster the creation of a double-degree program based on the master’s curriculum Management et Valorization de l’Information Numérique – MAVINUM at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, which specializes in data, knowledge, and digital information professions should summarize the contents of the paper in short terms, i.e. 150–250 words © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

This study aimed to analyse the current state of youth unemployment in the Ashanti region, identify key contributing factors, and propose inclusive career development strategies to enhance employability. The study employed a qualitative case study design with face-to-face interviews to gather comprehensive data from a purposive sample of 15 participants aged 18–35, including those about to complete school, unemployed, underemployed, and engaged in vocational training programmes. The study was grounded in the human capital theory, which suggests that investments in education and training enhance individuals’ skills, productivity, and employability. Participants attributed unemployment to educational barriers, limited access to quality education, skill gaps between education and job market needs, economic challenges, lack of job opportunities, poor infrastructure and resources for businesses, societal expectations limiting career options, gender and regional disparities, personal limitations, lack of career awareness or motivation, and inadequate networking opportunities. Inclusive strategies suggested to improve youth employability include educational reforms, enhanced vocational and technical training, policy and institutional support, government and NGO collaboration for youth initiatives, incentives for businesses to hire young workers, targeted programmes for disadvantaged groups, and mentorship and peer-support initiatives. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Purpose – The study examines how governance structures and systemic factors undermine technical and vocational education and training (TVET) workforce development, addressing key research gaps and offering actionable insights for reform. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing a qualitative approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with 28 key stakeholders across Malaysia’s TVET landscape, including public and private sector representatives, policymakers, training providers, and industry experts. Findings – Findings indicate that fragmented governance and overlapping mandates hinder coordinated TVET efforts. Industry-academia collaboration remains weak, limiting alignment with labor market needs. Workforce readiness is affected by soft skills gaps and limited practical training. Policy implementation challenges include gender disparities and slow career progression. Originality/value – This study offers a unique contribution by critically examining how governance structures and systemic challenges undermine TVET workforce development, addressing gaps in the literature that often overlook these complexities. Unlike previous research focused on curriculum alignment or skills development, it highlights fragmented administration, equity concerns like gender disparities, and limited industry engagement as key barriers. Drawing on diverse stakeholder perspectives within Malaysia, the study provides actionable insights for reform, aiming to enhance the responsiveness, inclusivity, and effectiveness of TVET systems. Its governance-centric approach and focus on equity issues present valuable implications for global TVET discourse and policy development. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited