The reform of post‐16 education and training and the lessons from Europe

Abstract

With the future shape of Britain's post‐16 education and training still undecided policy makers are increasingly looking abroad for new models to follow. The educational debate has become internationalized. As in the late 19th century it is the pressure of economic competition from Europe which has galvanized British interest in the relative ‘success’ of training in countries such as France and Germany.

This paper examines the current use and misuse of comparative examples in British debates over reform. It analyses the systems of vocational education and training (VET) in France, Germany, and Sweden and assesses what lessons, if any, we can draw from them for the reform of British VET.     

The Situation of Women in Technical Professions in the Federal Republic of Germany

In West Germany, women have traditionally worked in a very restricted range of jobs, with skilled women workers being concentrated in administrative and service sector employment. The article reviews the reasons for this situation and the initiatives which have been taken to increase the proportion of women in jobs traditionally undertaken by men, including technical jobs at all levels. The Federal Government supported by the Lander (West German States) has introduced a number of projects across the country to train more young women in non-traditional vocational areas, especially in the mechanical and electronic/electrical engineering fields with a view to producing skilled craft workers and technicians. The difficulties faced by young women who have taken up such training, both during the training period and when seeking work subsequently are discussed

The situation for women engineers at the professional level is also outlined and a number of strategies which may be helpful in improving the position of women in engineering in the Federal Republic is outlined. Recently, computer courses organised by women's groups have proved successful in attracting women students from a wide variety of backgrounds and age ranges with little or no previous technical or scientific training.     

Taking Control of Their Lives? A comparison of the experiences of unemployed young adults (18-25) in England and the new Germany

This paper explores the experiences and actions of young adults who have had difficulties in entering and sustaining a place in the labour market. The research was carried out in selected localities undergoing economic transformation in England and the new Germany, as part of the project 'Taking Control' in the ESRC's Youth Citizenship and Social Change Programme. The 18-25 age group has been newly 'targeted' for interventions through programmes such as 'New Deal' and 'JUMP'. Through a combination of questionnaire survey and group interviews the research has explored how, in different ways, choice and uncertainty can be important dimensions in young adults' biographies in the current moment. Their experiences and actions are not exclusively determined by socialising and structural influences, but also involve elements of subjectivity, choice and agency. The article discusses findings on the lives and perspectives of 300 young people affected by unemployment. The sample is drawn from a wider questionnaire survey ( n = 900) and a series of group discussions in the three cities of Derby (England), Hannover (Western Germany) and Leipzig (Eastern Germany). The research builds on and extends the authors' previous comparative research into the education and training experiences of younger age groups in the two countries.     

Career education that works: an economic analysis using the British Cohort Study

There is significant policy interest in the issue of young people’s fractured transitions into the labour market. Many scholars and policy-makers believe that changes in the education system and labour market over recent decades have created a complex world for young people; and that this can partly be addressed by enhanced career education while individuals are at school. However, the literature lacks in-depth quantitative analysis making use of longitudinal data. This paper draws on the British Cohort Study 1970 to investigate the link between career talks by external speakers and employment outcomes, and finds some evidence that young people who participated in more career talks at age 14–16 enjoyed a wage premium 10 years later at age 26. The correlation is statistically significant on average across all students who receive talks at age 14–15; but remains the case for 15–16 year olds only if they also described the talks as very helpful.     

英国业本学习路线下的现代学徒制

20世纪90年代初，英国政府开始重视在青年人的教育和培训计划中引进业本学习路线，现代学徒制培训就是一种典型的业本学习实践，主要面向完成义务教育后的青年群体(受高等教育者除外)。本文对英国现代学徒制培训的组织和实践进行较为全面的梳理与分析，以期对我国当前的职业教育与培训有所启示。     

英国华文教育的历史发展与影响因素分析

英国华文教育的发展经历了三个阶段：从20世纪50年代末以前的初步发展,到20世纪60年代初至80年代末形成的第一波热潮,再到20世纪90年代至今的新高潮。目前正面临着机遇与挑战并存的局面。英国华文教育的发展主要受到四大因素的影响：移民潮的涌入构成了英国华文教育两次跳跃发展的直接动因;英国政府语言政策的变革为华文教育的发展提供了政策空间;华人社会的倾力支持为英国华文教育的发展提供了原动力;香港政府的鼎力支持和祖国的繁荣昌盛为华文教育的发展提供了外部环境支撑。英国华文教育的未来变革应注重与主流学校的协调与耦合,以形成合力,相互促进,使华文教育既能满足英国经济与文化教育发展对汉语学习的需求,又能符合英国华人社会对华文教育的基本诉求。     

A Comparative Exploration of Learning Pathways and Transition Systems in Denmark and Australia

In the area of education and training, different configurations of government with different institutional structures may produce similar or quite different educational and employment outcomes. Other factors come into play in assessing outcomes. For example, young people's transitions from education to work are shaped by a variety of structural and institutional relations in education and the labour market. We argue that analysis of developments in approaches to education and training benefits from including these perspectives. This article explores these differences and similarities in a comparative transnational context across two continents. The article suggests that it not useful, whether from a policy or scholarly perspective, to link education and employment without examining the role and type of the welfare state, including the role and type of capitalism within that state, and the relationship of the welfare state to transition systems. With these concerns as our focus, the article has two objectives. The first is to establish some links between comparative research on transition systems and the literatures on welfare state regimes and varieties of capitalism. The second is to draw out some of these links with two concrete and contrasting examples in a comparative manner, focussing on Denmark and Australia.     

White British; dual heritage; British Muslim: Young Britons' conceptualisation of identity and citizenship

This paper examines young British people's conceptualisation of identity and citizenship. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey from 442 young male and female citizens of majority and minority ethnic origins, aged 14–24 years and at different stages of education, employment and non-employment. This was followed up by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 40 participants. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, and by closely examining the two key concepts of identity and citizenship, the paper analyses the ways in which young Britons perceive their multiple identities and citizenship status. The research shows that education and career are the major priorities of these young people. They have clear notions of identity and citizenship and most are comfortable with their own identities and feelings of citizenship. However, some of those who are from a minority ethnic background have doubts about being viewed as British citizens because of racial harassment or stereotyping, particularly in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in the West. The research has implications for pedagogy, education policy, community cohesion and social justice.     

What has Happened in the Teaching of Politics in Schools in England in the Last Three Decades,and Why?

During the last three decades there have been very different approaches to political learning in schools in England. Very generally, prior to the 1960s, if anything was done explicitly, there was a concentration on learning facts about the British constitution. The late 1960s and into the 1970s saw a 'burgeoning of interest' (Heater) in political education characterised by attention to skills within a broader definition of politics than had been used in British Constitution courses. The 1980s saw the birth or, in some cases, redevelopment, of a whole raft of adjectival educations concerned with peace, development, the environment, 'race', in a way that was more holistic and affective than earlier initiatives. The current period has been described as 'the decade of the citizen' (Dahrendorf), which for most of the 1990s seems to have meant some attempt at learning about responsibilities within a framework of officially sanctioned values, and opportunities to undertake voluntary action in the local community. Very recent developments shift education for citizenship into more enlightened waters but there may be little cause for optimism that widespread implementation will occur. The reasons for such shifts are discussed and trends and consequences (actual and likely) are explored.     

Reviews

National curricula convey narratives that are never inclusive of whole communities, and history curricula in particular need examination of their role as forms of 'identity politics'. Minorities tend to be excluded from the master historical narratives. The examples are derived from Estonia and the new German Lander, which made up the German Democratic Republic. In both cases, the grand narrative of communism was used as the backbone of history curriculum. When, abruptly-around 1990 - the narrative lost its credibility, a quest for a new narrative arose. In the case of Estonia, history was needed for nation-building and was, therefore, framed within the grand narrative of nationalism. In Germany, the educators challenged themselves by attempting to make school history into a Habermasian open space for critical communication. However, the question remains: how far can a curriculum be socially inclusive?     

A Feminised Profession: women in the teaching profession

The education profession in Germany is presented as a feminised profession. This is defined and qualified, showing what sort of schools women are employed in and why there is a difference between women's opportunities in certain school types. An analysis is presented as to why women were allowed to enter the education profession when they did, linking women's employment opportunities and national shortages. The prejudice still existing against women's professional status within the employment sector is questioned. The paper shows how the education profession in Germany has been feminised and how the feminisation of a profession affects its pay and social prestige.     

浅谈德国的“双元制”职业教育

职业教育是促进就业的教育。适应劳动力市场的需要,满足社会对合格劳动力的要求,解决社会就业问题,是职业教育最主要的目标。德国的"双元制"职业教育名列世界各国之首,是促进德国经济迅速腾飞的重要原因。"双元制"教学活动的总目标是为青年人提供尽可能广泛的个人教育,使他们在接受教育的过程中逐渐熟悉未来的工作和社会。     

Europe and the Crisis in Scientific Vocations

During the 1990s, the number of students enrolling in science subjects at universities was declining each year in Germany, France, Italy, amongst other countries. These decreases are too readily attributed to a general disaffection caused by the image that younger generations have of scientific studies: they are seen as being the most 'difficult'. This explanation is true but not sufficient. Over and above the similarities that can be seen between European countries — which stem from the fact that they are simultaneously experiencing strong growth in and democratisation of their student populations —, profound differences continue to exist, resulting in apparently similar effects, but with very different causes. Not only do higher education structures taken as a whole remain very different despite the Bologna process, but more fundamentally, the very meaning of the higher education system within each national society, its relationship with employment, and its position in individuals' personal career paths all vary. A comparison between Germany, Italy and France shows three ideal types of relationship between training and employment and three ways of explaining symptoms that appear similar.     

Marketization of higher education in the People's Republic of China

Reforms of higher education in P.R.C. since the overall promulgation of the socialist market economy have impacted both the employment of graduates and the funding mechanism of higher education. All students are charged tuition starting from the academic year of 1995/96 and are “employed” rather than “assigned to jobs” after graduation. It is evident that market forces start to have a role to play in marketization of higher education in P.R.C. because it influences both the students' choices of disciplines leading to future career opportunities and the government's allocation of public spending in higher education. British universities are ahead of their Chinese counterpart in experiencing the impact of market forces on higher education. The framework of marketization of higher education in Britain will be discussed with considerations of unique characteristics of higher education in the P.R.C.     

The odyssey: school to work transitions,serendipity and position in the field

Little work on the significance and implications of decision-making has been undertaken since that led by Hodkinson in the 1990s, and the experiences of young people on vocational programmes and their reasons for undertaking them remain under-theorised and poorly understood. Drawing on two narratives from a study exploring young people’s motivations for undertaking vocational programmes, this article explores the relationship between their positioning in fields and career decision-making. The article argues that social positioning is significant in its relationship to decision-making, to the way in which young people perceive and construct their careers and to the influence of serendipity on their transitions. Drawing on a range of international studies, the article explores the implications of these findings in terms of young people’s future engagement with the global labour market, giving consideration to (dissonant) perceptions of vocational education and training as contributing to economic growth whilst addressing issues of social exclusion and promoting social justice.     

From the Decade of the Enterprise Culture to the Decade of the TECs

Abstract

This article looks back at the rise of the enterprise movement in the 1980s and forward to the establishment and performance of 82 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in England and Wales during the 1990s. Both strategies are thought to be part of an ideological project of the Conservative Government to transform Britain's economy and education by means of the enterprise culture. The main intiatives designed to promote such a culture are described, the concept of enterprise as used on enterprise courses is examined and the conclusion drawn that there is no generic skill of enterprise whose essence can be distilled and taught A number of crucialissues in relation to the new TECs (the need for a national plan for education, training and employment, the commitment of employers, future remit, accountability and representation, etc.) are discussed and some constructive suggestions made. The next ten years will show whether TECs prove to be an ambitious, forward‐looking and productive strategy or an ill‐advised, risky and unsuccessful gamble with the future prosperity of Britain.     

Theories in Practice: School-to-Work Transitions-for-Youth With Mild Disabilities

Systematic research into the school-to-work (STW) transition of young people with mild disabilities, a relatively new emphasis in education, has produced a wealth of information about factors associated with adult employment. Further, legislative mandates and recent educational reforms related to transition and access to the general curriculum have generated useful policy discussions about how schools can best support young people with disabilities to overcome documented barriers to work. However, theoretical perspectives embedded in and generated from research, policy, and practice on STW transitions of young people with disabilities are rarely discussed. The intent of this article is fourfold: (a) to summarize current research and models of practice on STW transition within the field of special education, (b) to identify implicit yet infrequently named theories in our research and practice, (c) to make connections to STW theories outside special education, and (d) to suggest how emerging perspectives can shape future research.     

美国职业教育改革的新动向及启示

20世纪90年代以来，美国的职业教育改革主要体现为更加重视学术教育，增强职业针对性，以及注重就业与再就业的培训工作。通过探析美国当前职业教育改革的新动向，可以为我国当前经济体制改革下的职业教育发展提供良好的经验与启示。     

Labour Market Relevance of European University Education. From Enrolment to Professional Employment in 12 Countries

In accordance with the education policy which puts human capital at its heart, higher education is expected to produce marketable competent professionals in response to the needs of an expansive knowledge-based economy. In one reading, to support competitive knowledge-based economy, higher education students should graduate as young and fast as possible. The article asks whether it is credible that the young & fast principle as an objective for university education would provide a feasible way of enhancing professional labour force to serve knowledge economies. The analysis of study careers of 17,000 European second cycle university graduates shows that transitions from school to higher education to professional employment vary considerably in the 12 countries. The key finding is that countries with rather slow progression in the initial part of the transition tend to do better in the end, and vice versa. Belgium (Flanders) is the most obvious example of young and fast-graduating students that need a relatively long period after graduation to start their professional careers. In Finland, Austria, and Norway, relatively old and experienced graduates are employed rapidly. The time before professional employment after graduation is short for students who have acquired relevant work experience and acquainted themselves with professional fields. The youngest professionals are found in France where they tend to have access to opportunities for professionally relevant training. However, professional employment cannot be fostered by simply trying to recruit student populations as young as possible, but rather by enriching the labour market relevance of their student careers.     

Curriculum transition in Germany and South Africa: 1990–2010

At first sight, there is not much to compare, or any reason to compare, German and South African curricular frameworks. The history, nature of their respective transitions, level of development and educational legacies are very different. But the fall of the Berlin Wall and ending of apartheid brought both within a common neo-liberal global framework. A significant literature in comparative education points to increasing homogeneity in education systems and their curricula, while another points to how states and societies transfer, borrow, absorb or deflect such ideas in a manner that confirms difference and diversity, linked to historical specificity. The article probes these questions by comparing the history curriculum changes and their implications in both Germany and South Africa from 1990 to 2010 using a framework derived from Hayden White. It argues first that while the transitions in the 1990s were notably dissimilar, the international testing movement a decade later helped to precipitate common responses in the adoption and strengthening of standards in the early 2000s. However, despite this apparent convergence, the nature of standards developed differed substantially and these differences were linked to respective histories of history education in the transition. This article argues secondly that history curricula of both East and West Germany and a unified Germany had fully elaborated knowledge-focused curricula until the 2000s when competences were introduced. South Africa's 1997 curriculum did not build on past curricula, but its outcomes became hybridised artefacts before being abandoned in 2009 when the period of superficial convergence of form between the two countries came to an end. The article uses a combination of primary and secondary documents.