Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Background Nurses' competences in providing spiritual care can increase quality of care for and quality of life of patients with cancer and job satisfaction but are often suboptimal. Training to improve this mostly takes place off-site, although implementation in daily care practice is key. Objectives The aims of this study were to implement a meaning-centered coaching on the job intervention and to measure its effects on oncology nurses' spiritual care competences and job satisfaction, and factors influencing this. Methods A participatory action research approach was adopted. Mixed methods were used to assess intervention effects in which nurses of an oncology ward in a Dutch academic hospital participated. Spiritual care competences and job satisfaction were quantitatively measured and complemented with content analysis of qualitative data. Results Thirty nurses participated. A significant increase in spiritual care competences was found, particularly regarding communication, personal support, and professionalization. More self-reported awareness of personal experiences in caring for patients, and an increase in mutual communication and involvement around meaning-centered care provision as a team were found. Mediating factors were related to nurses' attitudes, support structures, and professional relations. No significant impact was found on job satisfaction. Conclusion Meaning-centered coaching on the job increased oncology nurses' spiritual care competences. Nurses developed a more exploratory attitude in their communication with patients - instead of acting based on their own assumptions about what is of meaning. Implications for Practice Attention to and improving spiritual care competences should be integrated into existing work structures, and terminology used should match existing understandings and sentiments. © Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dual vocational education and Training (dual VET) has become an important educational model across Europe, although it is implemented in significantly different ways and remains a minority educational pathway in most countries. Previous research highlights that the capacity of dual VET models to resolve social and economic challenges requires a high degree of involvement and coordination of social partners. This article explores the role played by trade unions and employer organisations in the governance of experimental ‘dual VET systems’ under Southern statist skill formation regimes where social partners play a comparatively less institutionalised role in providing skill formation–namely, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. In doing so, the article draws on a systematic governance approach which distinguishes three governance levels (political-strategic, technical-strategic, technical-operation) and combines desk research (specialised literature, policy documents, institutions’ legal statutes, etc.) and fieldwork (key informant interviews). The article shows that the three countries have each developed some collective responses to ‘dual VET’ and, accordingly, cannot be assessed as strictly or exclusively statist governance models. At the same time, the article illustrates interesting cross-country differences across the three governance levels. © 2024 The vocational Aspect of education Ltd.

Various academic fields have focused on the transfer of vocational education and Training (VET) policies and practices, and the research base on VET policy transfer is broadly scattered. Recognising this deficit, researchers have sought to organise the current research. However, VET policy transfer studies carried out in European Union (EU) member states have made no such synthesising attempts. I conducted this systematic literature review to analyse the research methodology in this context. I searched for publications on the Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), and ERIC databases, identifying a total of 577 publications, finding a total of 35 publications that met the inclusion criteria and that I subsequently analysed in detail. This review argues that research on VET policy transfer in the EU has particular gaps. It outlines four key areas that require attention: the lack of methodological diversity; the data collection from specific policy transfer actors and the exclusion of others; the geographical spaces that remain unexamined; and the focus on particular VET practices at the centre of policy transfer. The results identify lacunas in the current methodological practice of research on VET policy transfer in the EU and provide recommendations for future research. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Introduction: this study aims to analyze the various factors influencing the employability of students in ordinary undergraduate institutions and to propose targeted strategies for improvement. Method: the research examines key determinants of employability, including educational background, vocational skills, and social resources. Through a comprehensive investigation of the employment status of college graduates, the study employs reliability testing and principal component analysis to identify pivotal variables affecting employability. Results: the analysis reveals several key factors impacting the employability of ordinary undergraduate students. These include the alignment of educational curricula with market demands, the adequacy of vocational training, and the availability of social networks and resources. Conclusions: in light of the findings, the study recommends strategies to improve employability, such as optimizing curricula, enhancing career guidance services, and promoting personalized training programs. These recommendations aim to bolster the employment competitiveness of graduates from ordinary undergraduate colleges and universities, providing a theoretical framework for educational reforms and supporting graduate employability initiatives. © 2025; Los autores.