Search Results for
"Vocational education"

This article analyzes the learning strategies of university graduates in Higher VET programmes in Spain. The objective is to show whether this decision obeys to an upskilling or reskilling strategy. The methodology used is quantitative, based on the latest nationwide Survey on education-Training and Labour Market Transitions (ETEFIL-19). First, the number and profile of those involved in this transition are analyzed. Second, the relationship between the field of study and the professional family of destination is determined. Thirdly, the perceived usefulness of this choice in terms of employability is studied. The results reveal that this trajectory is mostly developed by women and that the decision is made years after completing their university studies. The relationship between the previous field of study and the family of the completed cycle is positive and statistically significant, so their decision is mainly based on an upskilling strategy rather than a career change. Likewise, they perceive that their vocational training qualification has been useful for finding employment. Finally, the implications in the field of policy and practice are considered, along with the limitations of this study and the need for future lines of research. © 2025, Ministry education and Science. All rights reserved.

Purpose: This study aims to enhance employability through vocational and technical skill development among Nigerian youth and adults. The objectives were to identify the vocational and technical skills needs of Nigerian youth and adults, assess the effectiveness of existing programmes, and investigate the barriers to accessing vocational and technical training in Nigeria. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey. To gather information on their vocational and technical skill needs and experiences, 100 Nigerian youths and adults were surveyed. Ten experts in the field of vocational and technical education in Nigeria conducted focus group discussions to elicit more information on the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector. Research Limitation: It relies on self-reported data regarding training efficacy and skill, with limited exploration of the broader contextual factors influencing educational accessibility. Outcomes may not be generalised. Findings: The results of the respondents’ perceptions of the essentiality of vocational and technical skills in their employment showed that skills such as plumbing (3.97), tilling (4.15, automotive repair (4.29), etc., were efficient, with mean scores above 3.05. Communication and technology (ICT) and network marketing (2.27) were found to be less effective. The respondents identified a lack of job opportunities as the biggest challenge facing youth and adults in Nigeria and believed that the government should prioritise vocational and technical education. The study revealed that some of the programmes were often not aligned with the needs of the labour market. Practical Implication: The government should prioritise vocational and technical education, especially in the ICT and Agro sectors. Social Implication: vocational and technical education can improve employability, increase productivity and reduce poverty. Originality/Value: This study provides insights for improving employability among youth and adults by designing and delivering vocational and technical training programmes that meet labour market needs. © African Journal of Applied Research.

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The Norwegian school system aims to include all students, but what exactly are students being included in? What is knowledge, and do we all learn in the same way? What if the ideal of treating everyone equally creates inequality? The article is based on fieldwork among lower secondary school students making scooters at an upper secondary school. The scooter production was part of a local initiative - the "Åssiden model" - established in Drammen to assist young people in the transition from lower secondary school to vocational education programs. The article analyses teaching practices through the lens of the anthropology of knowledge, and the significant recognition that concepts precede language. This affects how anthropologists explore expressions of knowledge. While the study of diversity and complexity has become central, the focus paradoxically reinforces an underlying assumption that, despite differences, we all acquire knowledge in the same way. The article builds on the premise that all knowledge is social practice, but questions how this perspective can explain breaks and differences between types of knowledge. To account for this, the article presents a transactional analysis based on Barth's contributions to the anthropology of knowledge, where knowledge transfer is understood as transactions between experts and novices. The analysis shows that, unlike conventional classroom teaching, the Åssiden model highlights a critical point: when students do not acquire the same knowledge, the framework within which they learn also differ. The Norwegian school system inadvertently produces inequality because it fails to recognise and accommodate these fundamental differences. © 2025 Scandinavian University Press. All rights reserved.

Professional education for licensed nurses in Australia is a complicated matter involving two education systems—vocational education and training, and higher education—each characterized by a different curriculum model. The contribution of the two systems follows a division of the workforce into Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses, with vocational education serving the first division and higher education the second. Although the systems are intended to provide connecting educational and career pathways, it results in a binary education landscape featuring two distinct forms of curriculum and contrasting assumptions about knowledge. This discursive discussion analyses the impact of the competency-based curriculum on Enrolled Nurses' education, entry to the profession of nursing, and their aspirational educational pathways towards registered nursing. Many Enrolled Nurses successfully articulate to become Registered Nurses; however, we argue that traversing between the two distinct curriculum approaches creates barriers to these transitions. We also argue that apart from undermining the learning trajectories of nurses, the influence of the competency-based curriculum model threatens the coherence of the profession at a time when conditions of work are both intensified and globalized, calling for a solution in the form of curriculum harmonization. Nursing Inquiry© 2025 The Author(s). Nursing Inquiry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Student skills test instruments, based on industry needs, help measure and ensure that students have the practical skills needed in the workplace. This study evaluated the performance criteria of students in concrete structure work, which was used as the basis for designing a work skills test instrument for vocational high school students based on construction service needs. This study involved vocational high school teachers, construction service providers, and vocational education experts as participants. The research data from the responses of the research participants were analyzed in terms of practicality and effectiveness index values, while the essence of the instrument was analyzed with the Lawshe index value. The instruments designed in this study were adjusted to types of concrete structure work. The results showed a practicality index of 4.83 and an effectiveness index of 4.93, while the Lawshe index value was 0.64. This study has found the vocational high school student skills test instrument very practical, effective, and essential as a tool for measuring the level of vocational student skills. This student skills test instrument can be integrated with a competency certification program for students before entering the workforce. The results of this study serve to recommend that related educational institutions implement the student work skills testing process. ©Authors.

This research aimed to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education-based learning using an engineering design process with Training Packages for use in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in vocational Thailand. The purposive sample consisted of 134 participants who were vocational certificate students in Thailand, selected using a quasi-experiment framework with a one-group pretest and posttest design method. The research tool consists of 1) the training packages, 2) the achievement test, and 3) the student satisfaction assessment form. The statistical approaches involved the Mean (M), standard deviation (SD.), and t-test for the dependent samples. The research results found that 1) the evaluation result of the training packages is at a high level (M = 4.64, SD. = 0.13), 2) the evaluation result of the STEM education-based learning using the engineering design process is at a high level, 3) the learning achievement of students after studying is significantly higher than before studying at a statistically significant level of .05. (p<.05), and 4) the students are highly satisfied with STEM education-based learning using the engineering design process with training packages for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) (M = 4.50, SD. = 0.28). The practical implication of the developed STEM education-based learning is that it can effectively promote the knowledge and skills required for engineering skills. ©Authors.

This study analyses the effect of acquiring vocational training or apprenticeship on youth employment in Cameroon. The results highlight the positive effect of acquiring vocational training or apprenticeship on access to employment on youth employment. The marginal effect is slightly lower for formal employment (17.6 percentage points) compared to informal employment (24 percentage points). The study also highlights the positive effect of vocational training or apprenticeship on job quality indicators such as having an employment contract, having a pay slip, or being registered at the National Social Insurance Fund. © 2025 Documentation Francaise. All rights reserved.

In the absence of appropriate transition planning practices to promote a smooth transition process, successful transition from vocational education to post-school settings can be particularly challenging for students with disabilities (SWDs). This study was conducted to explore vocational teachers’ perceptions on challenges related to the effective implementation of transition supports and services for SWDs in Botswana. The study examined vocational teachers’ knowledge of transition challenges, the influence of gender and teaching experience on vocational teachers’ perceptions of transition challenges, and differences of vocational teachers’ perceptions in two school regions. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 158 participants. Factorial ANOVA was used to compare means across vocational teachers based on gender and teaching experience. Also, t-tests were run to determine differences of participants’ perceptions of transition challenges between the two school regions. Among others, participants perceived that there was limited training of teachers, shortage of staff in schools, and limited funding to support the transition planning process. Generally, participants varied on the influence of gender and teaching experience on perceived transition challenges. Kgatleng region vocational teachers agreed more than their counterparts in Sout-East region that poor collaboration with external entities, unclear transition guidelines, and mismatch between vocational courses and employment goals negatively impacted the transition planning process. This calls for vocational schools to take deliberate action to devise strategies for bridging the disparities in participants’ transition perceptions. Strategies include teachers’ increased participation in professional development activities, increased collaborative efforts, and development of a legal framework on transition. © 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 pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).