Vocational qualifications in England are undergoing another round of reform. This paper starts by reviewing the alleged weaknesses of English vocational qualifications, but argues that these do not necessarily establish a case for radical reform. The issue is not so much whether the system needs to be changed as the nature of the change that is…

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) was formally launched in 2001. It is a comprehensive credit-based National Qualifications Framework (NQF) with twelve levels, intended to accommodate all qualifications and assessed learning in Scotland. It aims to support access to learning and to make the education and training system more…

The term "transition system" describes features of a country's institutional arrangements which shape young people's education-work transitions. It explains why national differences in transition processes and outcomes persist despite apparent pressures for convergence. This paper asks how the concept of transition system has been conceptualised…

In this article, we compare Curriculum 2000 and Higher Still, recent reforms of post-16 education in England and Scotland respectively. Current and earlier research on the unification of academic and vocational learning in England, Scotland and other European countries is drawn on in order to suggest areas for mutual learning to inform future…

Responses from 556 part-time students in two universities and two further education colleges in Scotland found that 81% were employed full time; 62% had mixed personal and vocational motivations; and considerable fee support from employers was offset by a decline in released time for study. (SK)

Examination of Scottish students' progression through National Certificate Modules shows that by 19, women had started and completed fewer modules; men and women tended to select different subjects at different status levels; over time, women's participation declined more rapidly; women made less use of modules to progress to higher education; and…