Peer-assessment was used within a negotiated curriculum in a module on training and development at ECTS level 3. The students on the programme were exclusively day-release and all had a major responsibility for the management and delivery of work-based training programmes. Analysis of student evaluations, supplemented by those of university…

In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), one of the German states, catchment areas for part-time vocational schools were abolished in 2008. With the intention to foster competition between schools in order to improve school quality, training companies now may freely choose the school of their choice. NRW is the first German state to take this step. In the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present empirical evidence outlining the ways in which small businesses orientate themselves towards the training market. The primary aim is to illuminate the factors influencing small firms' (non-) participation in formal, externally-provided training. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected via…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the ways in which Australian companies can achieve high quality apprenticeship and traineeship systems in a time of labour shortage through close attention to the recruitment and development of apprentices and trainees. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on six qualitative case studies…

Purpose: This paper will examine the two year modern apprenticeship undertaken by trainees in the English professional football industry. Design/methodology/approach: Representatives of seven clubs were interviewed in the summer of 2005; all of them were responsible for youth development in their club. These interviews were the first of what will…

Workplace training produces 2 types of human capital: general and firm-specific. Based on specific human capital theories pioneered by Gary Becker, this article empirically examines the impact of on-the-job training and off-the-job training on wage levels in urban China. It is found that off-the-job training in previous firms significantly raises…

While much is known about the economics of training in the developed world, studies of issues associated with training in less-developed countries are rarely found. Based on a survey conducted in China, the present study attempts to fill this gap. Job characteristics and firm background were found to play key roles in determining training…

This report is an interpretative examination of on- and off-job sites as learning environments. It explores meanings that apprentices, workplace mentors, and technical and further education (TAFE) teachers develop and place on integrated training. Key insights from research on 32 apprentices, 21 host employers, and 6 TAFE teachers in South…

Lifelong learning and skill flexibility are especially important for workers in China, where structural economic adjustment has generated 22 million layoffs from state-owned enterprises since 1997. Skills that were in huge demand in previous years, such as accounting, international trade, and language translation, are now facing serious oversupply…

This document contains the agenda and papers on work and training presented at the Agora VII meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece in October, 1999. The Foreword describes each session with a list of the topics and papers, along with a brief introduction to the topics. The three sessions are: Work and Training in Society in the 21st Century; Working…

This paper presents various approaches to studying cultures of different countries. The starting point is Hofstede's dimensions of cultural values as well as Hall's approach to high- and low-context cultures. After that the interaction between culture and organizational behavior is discussed. A special attention to the impact of culture on…

Interviews with 32 apprentices, 21 employers, and 6 teachers in technical and further education and on-the-job learning environments showed that groups had different perceptions of the complementarity of on- and off-job learning. Learning was complicated by movement among different communities of practice with sometimes contradictory messages.…

In the year 2000, approximately 1.75 million Australians (13.2% of the country's population) undertook some form of vocational education and training (VET). Of all VET students, 75.5% undertook training with Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and other government providers versus 13.0% with community providers and 11.5% with other registered…

The United Kingdom management population is a large and moving target. A growing number of individuals describe themselves as managers; the widely held view is there will be many, many more. Figures suggest the scale of the potential market and need for management education and training development (METD) is considerable. Levels of qualifications…

Research into workforce development (WD) considered the relationship between corporate assessments of workers' development needs and WD strategies; how learning at work takes place; and what learning methods are used and their effectiveness. Focus was on practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methodology included a literature…