Working their way to school completion: a snapshot of School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships for young Australians

This paper highlights troubling patterns within the Australian School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs) by analysing statistical data of 21,000 of 15–19 year old apprenticeship/traineeship learners engaged in Vocational Education and Training in School (VETiS). It confirms the alignment of social groups to certain qualification fields and levels and provides a compelling picture of the learner profile of SBAT including the type of occupations and qualifications being undertaken at school level. In a complex policy environment, where VET in Schools has been assigned the important task of preparing ‘workforce job-ready’ students for the ‘high skill and high earning roles our economy demands’, we argue that the SBAT pathway is not yet adequate to meet these high expectations. It is not an effective apprenticeship pathway as it potentially ‘locks-in’ already disadvantaged young people to precarious pathways, and reinforces the nature of an already highly gender-segregated Australian labour market. The paper helps to focus attention on endemic weaknesses in the Australian VET system that serve to entrench disadvantage in Australian society.     

Safety in stereotypes? The impact of gender and ‘race’ on young people's perceptions of their post‐compulsory education and labour market opportunities

This article examines the impact of gender and ‘race’ on young people's perceptions of the educational and labour market opportunities available to them after they complete their compulsory schooling in England. Its findings are based on a study of the views of girls and boys about the government‐supported ‘Apprenticeships’ programme, which, because it reflects labour market conditions, is highly gendered and also segregated by ethnicity. The research shows that young people receive very little practical information and guidance about the consequences of pursuing particular occupational pathways, and are not engaged in any formal opportunities to debate gender and ethnic stereotyping as related to the labour market. This is particularly worrying for females, who populate apprenticeships in sectors with lower completion rates and levels of pay, and which create less opportunity for progression. In addition, the research reveals that young people from non‐White backgrounds are more reliant on ‘official’ sources of guidance (as opposed to friends and families) for their labour market knowledge. The article argues that, because good‐quality apprenticeships can provide a strong platform for lifelong learning and career progression, young people need much more detailed information about how to compare a work‐based pathway with full‐time education. At the same time, they also need to understand that apprenticeships (and jobs more generally) in some sectors may result in very limited opportunities for career advancement.     

英国现代学徒制中企业参与激励机制研究

自2012年《理查德学徒制评论》发布以来,英国的现代学徒制获得了跨越式发展,这背后离不开企业的积极参与。英国政府主要采取了一系列激励企业参与的改革举措:健全法律法规,构建企业参与学徒培训的良好制度环境;开展宣传活动,提升企业对现代学徒制的了解和认可度;满足企业需求,发挥企业在学徒培训中的重要主导作用;简化实施流程,减少学徒制实施过程中企业的交易费用;进行经费资助,弥补企业由于"外部偷猎"造成的损失;引入市场机制,发挥学徒培训中介推动企业参与的作用。英国在现代学徒制实施过程中,构建了在法律法规保障和宣传制度支持下,内部需求激励和外部物质激励为主、第三方激励为辅的企业参与激励机制,以此推进企业参与学徒培训。我国的现代学徒制已经从试点走向全面推进阶段,应通过将现代学徒制纳入相关法律法规、发挥职业教育宣传制度的作用、落实企业在现代学徒制中的主体地位、利用互联网搭建现代学徒制网络平台、完善现代学徒制的经费资助体系等方式,激励企业积极参与。     

英国首个GES学位学徒制:背景、内容及启示

英国在2015年开始施行学位学徒计划,开展本科层次职业教育,吸引了不少本科院校甚至精英大学的参与。其首个学位级别的"经济学徒计划"依然坚持专业转型带动本科院校发展职业教育,依据职业标准设置课程,实行工学结合的人才培养模式,并采用能力本位的人才评价体系。该计划旨在培养经济类公务员中的高技能人才,引起了政府部门的高度重视,也为我国培养高层次应用型人才提供了可资借鉴的经验:邀请雇主开发职业标准,为课程教学提供依据, 依托工学结合的人才培养模式,深化校企合作, 建立能力本位人才评价体系,合理安排评价方式。     

The impact of dual apprenticeship programmes on early labour market outcomes: A dynamic approach

This study examines the impact of enrolling into dual apprenticeship programmes during secondary education on six early employment outcomes. Our contribution to the literature is threefold. First, we apply a method that has rarely been used in this literature to control for potential selection biases. Second, this method allows us to distinguish between the programmes’ direct effect (conditional on educational achievement) and indirect effect (via educational achievement) on labour market outcomes. Third, we examine the impact of two distinct dual apprenticeship programmes in a novel setting: Flanders (Belgium). We find evidence for short-term labour market advantages only for the programme with the most days of on-the-job training, which fade out quickly over time.     

Constituting an apprenticeship curriculum

Apprenticeships are required for many trades and can take different forms. In Sweden, one form can be viewed as a pathway where students complete a three-year-long vocational education in upper secondary school followed by a post-secondary apprenticeship in a particular trade. Another takes the form of vocational training within the framework of upper secondary school through an apprenticeship. This study analyses how a more clearly defined apprenticeship curriculum can provide sufficient knowledge to identify and understand learning outcomes in apprenticeships. A theoretical framework of an apprenticeship curriculum is used in the analytical work. The findings show that educational goals are often overlooked during apprenticeships, and thus a deliberative education is overridden by deliberative learning that stems from and is closely connected to the individual’s own perception of what to learn. By constituting an apprenticeship curriculum, this article contributes to an enhanced understanding of how to analyse vocational learning, and thus adds important elements to the research field.     

我国现代学徒制培训迁移的影响因素分析及其提升——基于培训迁移理论的探讨

培训迁移是评估培训是否成功最直接而有效的方式,现代学徒制培训应重视培训迁移。培训迁移理论认为,学习者个人特征、培训项目的设计与内容、工作环境特征是影响培训迁移水平的三个重要类别。基于学徒制的学习过程理论和培训迁移理论的研究发现,企业导师的指导质量、培训氛围与上级支持、培训内容的有效性、学习者自身特征被认为是影响现代学徒制培训迁移的重要因素。因此,校企双方应深化合作水平,致力于提高企业导师的指导质量、创造支持迁移的学习氛围、提高培训内容的有效性、激发学徒培训迁移的意愿,从而提高我国现代学徒制的培训迁移水平。     

Early School Leavers and Social Disadvantage in Spain: from books to bricks and vice-versa

It can be argued that in Spain there is a relationship between the high rates of early school leaving (ESL) and inactive or unemployed young people, as is evidenced by the current situation in which over half the working population aged 25 or younger is unemployed, many having completed compulsory education only. ESL and its social and economic consequences must be considered within the parameters and expectations of the Spanish labour market and how these expectations are/were linked to demands (or not) for continued education. This article considers the monumental social, political and economic changes that have occurred in Spain during a short span of time (including the real estate crash of 2008 and subsequent economic crisis), and how these issues intersect with measures that directly concern the educational system. It also considers a variety of endogenous and exogenous factors related to the Spanish educational system, and the impact these have on rates of ESL. The article ends with a discussion of policies and practices that may reduce ESL rates and help transform the Spanish general perception of early school leavers from a ‘lost generation’ to a generation of young people with potential for helping Spain move out of its current economic crisis.     

英国《学徒制、技能、儿童和学习法案》述评

《学徒制、技能、儿童和学习法案》是英国近年来最为重要的职业教育法案。本文介绍了法案的出台背景;分析了法案的基本框架;并从对学徒制重要文档的规范、职业教育行政管理体系的变化、考试与资格制度的调整以及对员工离职培训的规范四个方面陈述了法案的主要内容;最后分别点评了法案的积极意义及其不足之处。     

The expansion of higher education,employment and over-education in China

The article considers the current situation in the labour market for higher education graduates in China, showing what kinds of graduates have an advantage when facing potential employers. Secondly, it discusses the tendency of supply and demand between higher education graduates and the labour market from the perspectives of employment probability and over-education. Finally, the article suggests what should happen in the Chinese higher education system if it is to achieve a more effective relationship with the labour market.     

Unemployment,Apprenticeships and Training: does it pay to stay on at school?

Data from the National Child Development Study are used to compare the progress up to age 23 of young people who reached 16 in March 1974 and who left full time education at 16, 17 or 18. Later leavers had higher unemployment rates on first entering the labour market because of rising national unemployment, but in the long term had a clear advantage. More significantly, those who left at 17 or 18 with qualifications no better than those of minimum age leavers suffered no long term disadvantage in comparison with the latter, despite their loss of potential work experience, and some groups had lower unemployment rates in the long term than minimum age leavers with equally good qualifications. Apprenticeships were more common among later leavers than expected, and later leavers compared favourably with early leavers in terms of other forms of in‐work training. It is concluded that the ‘non‐academic sixth’ could have a useful role alongside YTS.     

英国学徒制的未来:调解员在新模式中的作用

世界各地的学徒制都必须适应不断变化的国际经济形势和社会环境,英国也不例外。立足于"调解员"的视角,分析英国最新的学徒制模式表明,这些调解员与雇主一起在地区层面工作,培养和提供当前的大部分学徒,在英国学徒制改革中发挥着重要作用。在"现代扩张主义"的背景下,通过分析不同类型调解员的概念及模型,以了解这些调解员所发挥的作用。分析认为,英国新学徒制模式面临许多挑战,特别是在如何吸引中小企业、如何更好地支持学徒的流动和发展方面。主张建立由雇主、继续教育学院和其他提供者、高等教育机构和地方政府组成的区域及本地网络,以此来维持学徒市场,并提供学员进修途径和刺激雇主对技能的需求。在适当的条件下,此类网络可能会发展为"高技能生态系统"。     

The impact of dyslexia on pupils' self‐esteem

This study investigates the factors that affect the self‐esteem of learners with dyslexia. It provides a brief overview of some of the key literature in this area and then describes a small‐scale study conducted in two mainstream secondary schools in the north of England. Data were collected using semi‐structured interviews with secondary‐aged pupils who had received an official diagnosis of dyslexia. Nine pupils volunteered to be interviewed. The study considers the impact of factors such as comparisons made against other students and the impact of teachers, peers and family on pupils' self‐esteem. The results of the study indicate that these factors contribute significantly to self‐esteem for pupils with dyslexia. However, the study found that the most significant factor that contributed to students' self‐esteem was a positive diagnosis of ‘dyslexia’ and ownership of the label. The study concludes that an early diagnosis of dyslexia is essential for creating a positive self‐image and recommends that further research is necessary into the significance of the diagnosis for these learners.     

略论高校教育服务市场与劳动力市场

高校教育服务市场和劳动力都是较狭义的概念。高校教育服务市场限定为高校与求学者之间商品交换关系的总和,劳动力市场特指高校毕业生就业市场。文章探讨了高校教育服务市场和劳动力市场各自的供求主客体之间的关系,分析了高校、求学者的市场角色和地位以及两种市场如何沟通联系等问题。以促进高校的发展,使其在市场竞争中立于不败地位,同时对确立求学者(毕业生)的市场主体地位有重要意义。     

How does social inequality continue to influence young people’s trajectories through the apprenticeship pathway system in South Africa? An analytical approach

The paper contributes by proposing an analytical approach that allows for the identification of patterns of participation in education and training and the labour market, through empirical measurement of the number of transitions and distinct trajectories traversed by groups of individuals. To illustrate the value of the approach, we focus on an original survey data set of a 2009/2010 cohort of participants in the apprenticeship system in South Africa. The paper demonstrates that despite a clear shift in access, transition into the apprenticeship system remains strongly determined by race and gender. Race, class and gender likewise determine those who experience more complex transitions to the labour market. The methodological and analytical approach thus allows a clear identification of the location and the nature of potential structural inequalities in a pathway system. This ability is critical in many country contexts where social inequalities continue to hamper growth and development, but the ways in which these manifest structurally in skilling systems are often poorly identified and understood, and consequently, blockages are poorly addressed.     

Future apprenticeships in England: the role of mediation in the new model

Apprenticeship systems across the globe are having to adapt to changing international economic and social trends. England is no exception. This article examines the latest model of apprenticeship in England from the perspective of the ‘mediators’ who work at local and regional level with employers to construct and deliver the majority of current apprenticeships. The role of these actors is examined through a conceptual framework analysing different forms of mediation in the context of ‘the modern expanded state’. Their views were collected through 27 focus groups in nine regions of England in Spring 2016 and involving over 100 participants. These data suggest that the new apprenticeship model faces a number of challenges; notably how to engage small and medium-sized enterprises and how to better support the mobility and progression of apprentices. Participants advocated the development of regional and local networks comprising employers, FE colleges and other providers, HEIs and local government, as ways of sustaining the ‘apprenticeship market’, providing learner progression routes and stimulating employer demand for skills. The article concludes by suggesting a set of necessary local and national conditions if these networks are to have an impact on the successful development of the new apprenticeships.     

Equity in higher education and graduate labour market outcomes in Australia

The rate of higher education participation in Australia has increased over the past decade for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study contributes to the knowledge on the outcomes of disadvantaged individuals who complete higher education by looking at the labour market outcomes of university graduates from equity groups. The number of Indigenous graduates and graduates with disabilities was found to be very low, suggesting that more needs to be done to improve higher education completion for these two groups. The labour market outcomes for other equity groups are mixed, with those from low socio-economic status backgrounds and regional and remote Australia performing well in the labour market, while graduates from non-English-speaking backgrounds and female graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields experience substantial disadvantage in the labour market. The findings suggest that selection processes prior to the graduates’ entry into the labour market are important.     

“Should I stay or should I go?” Exploring high school apprentices’ pathways

Completion rates are one measure of the success of apprenticeship training. But little is known about outcomes for youth who begin an apprenticeship in high school. This paper draws primarily on interviews with youth who did not continue training or work in their high school apprenticeship trade in two Canadian provinces. Our analysis focuses on why these youth decided to enrol in high school apprenticeship, why they did not continue and what they did afterwards. Findings suggest that a narrow focus on apprenticeship training completion diverts attention from the complex learning and work transitions experienced by most youth. Instead of assuming a linear pathway from school-to-trades work, we argue that partners involved in high school apprenticeship and policy-makers could do more to raise student awareness of multiple trajectories and skills transfer, make apprenticeship training more expansive, and increase the flexibility of pathways by providing greater articulation between different post-secondary education pathways and opportunities to change direction.     

Social selection in higher education. Enrolment,dropout and timely degree attainment in Italy

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive picture of social selectivity in higher education in Italy by focusing on enrolment and two alternative indicators of success: retention and timely completion. The existing literature has shown that young individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds have lower enrolment probabilities and higher chances of withdrawal. This paper analyses the size and features of this cumulative disadvantage, shaping the chances of high-school leavers of eventually attaining the university degree. We analyse whether social background inequalities are stronger at enrolment or at later outcomes, and how these inequalities vary with previous schooling experience. We confirm previous evidence that disadvantaged groups with respect to enrolment are also disadvantaged on persistence, add new findings on timely completion and show that cumulative inequalities are very strong. Inequalities are strongest among students holding technical and vocational high-school qualifications and weakest among well-performing students from lyceums. In addition, we examine the role of labour market conditions and whether they explain geographical differences. Enrolment, retention and timely completion probabilities appear negatively related to local youth unemployment rates, suggesting that with poor labour market prospects, individuals lose motivation and reduce their engagement in education.