Globally, there has been attention given to addressing the workforce shortage in nursing. One strategy to respond to this has resulted in renewed emphasis on the development of career and education pathways for students in the final years of high school. An evaluation of the School Based New Apprenticeship (SBNA) initiative in nursing in a…

This article presents findings from an investigation into the experiences of a single cohort of students, studying on a BA (Hons) degree in Britain. It examines the students' attainment on the degree and relates this to their profile on entry, examining their previous work experiences taken as part of a vocationally focused entry qualification,…

Transfer of soft skills (e.g. communication skills) to work situations is one of the most important outcomes of training. However, research suggests that there is less than optimal transfer of training to actual work behavior. A potential reason for this is a pessimistic perception of openness of climate (OOC). Perceived OOC refers to the extent…

This article considers the modularisation of initial vocational training (including apprenticeships) as a modernisation strategy in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Training systems are similarly structured in these three countries with the apprenticeship system at their heart, and the three national philosophies of education and training are…

The demands placed on medical trainees by the different specialty training programs are important considerations when choosing a medical specialty. To understand these demands, 193 junior doctors completed a web-based survey, and: (a) ranked medical specialties according to perceived level of training difficulty (incorporating entry difficulty,…

We conducted a study among students in secondary vocational education programmes in nursing and care (N = 68). The students work on learning tasks, self-assess their task performance and formulate points for improvement. We compared two groups of students on self-assessment, identification of points of improvement and perceived effort for the…

Apprenticeship plays a key role in the preparation of skilled trades people and as a pathway into labour markets. In the face of scarcity of resources, effectiveness and efficiency of apprenticeship become important. Attrition and retention in apprenticeship constitute important indicators of efficiency and effectiveness of the training system and…

This article discusses the emergence and significance of new knowledge configurations within the Dutch agri-food context. Knowledge configurations can be characterised as arrangements between VET and (often regional) partners in business and research aimed at improving knowledge transfer, circulation or co-creation. Based on a literature review…

The French apprenticeship system has been an object of research in France for more than 30 years now, by experts from different backgrounds. Over the past 15 years apprenticeship has grown significantly in higher education. At this level, if a greater importance is attached to theory, it becomes more difficult to connect this theory to more…

This paper examines recent development in Apprenticeship training in England. Since the introduction of Modern Apprenticeships in the mid-1990s this form of training has been subject to much analysis and reform. This paper summarises the current situation and highlights some of the challenges and opportunities which face Apprenticeship over the…

This study investigates whether occupational training networks enable the selection of apprentices to be less discriminatory. Training networks are a new organisational form of VET that is becoming increasingly widespread in Switzerland, as well as in Germany and Austria. In the Swiss model, an intermediary lead organisation recruits the…

In this article we seek to explore the motivations for studying a vocational qualification of 40 students currently in further education. We consider student decision making, in terms of the support and guidance received, and examine the value these students place on their training, particularly with respect to their future employment. Drawing on…

This research presents a descriptive study regarding collaborative learning in a multicultural classroom at a vocational education school in The Netherlands. The study bridges two domains of research: research on culturally diverse learning environments--which has mostly concerned primary and general secondary education--and studies on…

Policymakers in England have recently, in common with other Anglophone countries, encouraged the provision of higher education within vocational Further Education Colleges. Policy documents have emphasised the potential contribution of college-based students to widening participation: yet the same students contribute in turn to the difficulties of…

In present-day society students are no longer expected to learn for stable employment, but for lifelong employability. This implies a major shift in educational approach. Previous research has shown which characteristics of learning environments correlate with students' competences to self-direct their careers, but until now this had not inspired…