This article outlines briefly the changing nature of agriculture in Kyrgyzstan, including post-Soviet era market reforms and land allocation. Women carry a major part of the load for economic sustainability of the family livelihood, and so need opportunities to generate income and develop new roles for themselves in a context of social and…

In the United Kingdom there has been a considerable increase in the academic recognition of workplace learning, and a number of new awards drawing on workplace learning have been introduced. These include apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships, both of which contain National Vocational Qualifications, and the Foundation Degree. In addition,…

Strong education and training systems are viewed as a route to increased labour market participation for groups that have traditionally been excluded from, or marginalised in, the labour market. Engagement in the labour force for such groups has both individual and societal benefits. However, while this emphasis on an increased role for the state…

Longitudinal research, conducted between 1999 and 2002, tracked the academic progress of a small sample of mature students entering the University of Tasmania, Australia, from a disadvantaged region of Tasmania to pursue degrees in accounting and education. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine the impact of alternative…

This study examined the impact on a course evaluation of the course being either an elective or a required part of a training programme. Three elective and three required courses were evaluated using both a scaled and an open-ended response form. Many variables were taken into account when examining the effect of course status which other…

The Irish economy has grown at an unprecedented rate over the last decade and the demand for skilled workers has increased dramatically. The Irish Standards-Based Apprenticeship (SBA) system has been one of the cornerstones of intermediate skills development with the capacity to produce high-quality craft workers and in sufficient numbers to meet…

This article examines the causes and consequences of the increasing control of English education and training (E&T) by central government and its agencies. It poses three questions--what are the reasons for national government becoming the dominant player in this area of policy, why is the English system so statist in design and operation, and…

This paper validates the concept of exemplary practice in work-based education (WBE) programs. The validation uses two theoretical frameworks: Social Cognitive Career Theory, and Billett's research on workplace learning. The empirical component of the validation study consists of two widely differing case studies of high school students in work…

In the labour market, formal qualifications--both school and vocational or university degrees--are of increasing importance. This may be especially true in Germany, where formal qualifications are highly valued. Dropping out of vocational or university training is therefore regarded as a risk for young people in the process of entering the labour…

Recent reform in the Hong Kong senior secondary education has awakened the need for a balanced and comprehensive learning experience in the academic, vocational, organizational, social service, arts and sports domains to prepare students for employment, for learning and for life. Following on from its recommendation, the Education and Manpower…

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) involves an idea of "making learning visible"--of valuing knowledge irrespective of how, when and where it is learnt. This is a phenomenographic analysis of how a group of caretakers from a Swedish property management company experience participation in an RPL initiative focusing on their vocational competence.…

With reference to the Literacies for Learning in Further Education TLRP project, this article suggests that teachers' and students' views of students' literacy capabilities are often influenced by a deficit model of literacy which does not take account of students' everyday literacy practices. The article revisits some of the literature on…

The requirement that teachers in the learning and skills sector are appropriately qualified and the setting of national standards for teacher training qualifications have led to an increased focus on teacher education within the sector. However, this does not appear to have been reflected in commentary or published research about the teacher…

The article draws on the findings of a longitudinal study of an opportunistic sample of full-time further education trainee teachers attending an English new university. The study commenced in 2002 seeking to examine the processes through which trainee teachers entered the profession. Initially the research explored the routes followed and…

Vocational academic programs in secondary classrooms and in university settings are interdependent in terms of teacher preparation and curriculum design. Significant changes in either entity will affect the viability of the other. Family and Consumer Science programs in US secondary schools are facing several challenges. A focus group design was…