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…

This article argues that the current social settlement underpinning vocational education and training (VET) in Australia is fractured. The current settlement is low trust and consists of qualifications based on competency-based training models of curriculum and competitive markets. The result is narrow qualifications that do not prepare people for…

This paper examines recent changes in the Scottish apprenticeship system of skill formation for joiners through an occupational skill ecosystem lens. Building trade apprenticeships in Scotland are based around a social partnership model more akin to "dual systems" than typical arrangements elsewhere in the UK. Drawing on in-depth…

The study examines whether the reduction in the timeframe for the completion of university studies in Greece will affect students of different socio-economic background disproportionally. To this intent, it assesses the influence of the status of students, defined as working and non-working, on the duration of studies but the relevance of other…

Korea's developmental skill formation system was shaped in the 1970s by the Korean developmental state that proactively sought rapid Heavy and Chemical Industrialisation as the nation's overarching goal. Vocational education at the upper secondary level and post-school in-company training in particular were strategically nurtured and…

Professionals' knowledge and decisions influence all facets of modern life. Some might argue that professionals' learning and work are not terribly different to other vocational practitioners. The authors are among those who accept, first, that professional practice is a particular domain of vocational learning and work, and second, that…

Career management skills (CMS) are increasingly touted as necessary for all citizens, young and adult, particularly given the realities of employment and self-employment in a knowledge-based society, where "protean", "portfolio" careers are expected to increasingly become the norm, and lifelong career guidance an entitlement of all citizens. This…

Qualifications frameworks are political instruments that are supposed to facilitate the assessment of learning outcomes. They are hoped to be drivers for change since they are meant to provide the impetus for a number of fundamental reforms required in education and training systems. These considerations frame the design and implementation of…

The one-year research project on the implementation of NQFs in developing countries was launched by the ILO 2009 in collaboration with the ETF. This article reviews some of the educational issues that arose from the project. The findings of the case studies raise issues that are important for how future research and policy on NQFs is taken…

This article outlines some of the major factors leading to the introduction of the New Zealand National Qualifications Framework (NQF). It also describes the NQF's design, outlines changes that were introduced following its introduction in 1991, and explores its impact to date. The New Zealand case is interesting, as the agency responsible for the…

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a "first generation" qualifications framework that was established in 1995. Its purpose was to create "a comprehensive, nationally consistent yet flexible framework for all qualifications in post-compulsory education and training." It encompasses all post-compulsory qualifications in Australia,…

The national qualifications framework (NQF) in South Africa has been seen internationally as one of the most, if not "the" most, ambitious qualifications frameworks. Support for the NQF at its inception was described as "extraordinary". It aimed to replace all existing qualifications in the country with a set of new qualifications designed by new…

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in Mauritius was created to play two distinct roles. First, it was intended to organise qualifications across the three main sectors of the education and training system: (1) primary and secondary education; (2) technical and vocational education and training (TVET)/workplace; and (3) tertiary education.…

The emergence of a global knowledge-based economy has given rise to drastic changes in both higher education and employment. On one hand, governments in advanced societies have launched policies to expand higher education to compete internationally in educating and attracting highly skilled workers. At the same time, both global economic…

This paper reviews and critically evaluates recent reforms in higher education in New Zealand. It assesses the impact of the reforms on the social status of higher education and their impact on the reproduction of inequality. To help theorise possible forms of social inclusion and exclusion that might result from the reforms, the paper draws upon…