Learning at Work and in the Workplace: Reflections on Paul Hager’s advocacy of work-based learning

Abstract

Sound initial vocational education is an important precondition for subsequent episodes of vocational education or professional development. The presence of strong occupational identities and labour markets is argued to be a precondition for high-quality initial vocational education and training (IVET) and continuing vocational education and training (CVET) in many countries. The question of whether occupational identity and boundaries are in decline or are relatively stable is examined in relation to the UK and to northern European countries, particularly Germany. A review of the evidence suggests that, in contrast to societies such as the UK where occupational identity is relatively weak, countries such as Germany where it is very strong are characterized by strong systems of IVET and relative occupational career stability. Broadly based IVET also allows for occupational mobility across intrasectoral occupational boundaries. In the UK, take-up of CVET is closely related to positive prior educational outcomes.

Keywords:

• occupation
• continuing vocational education and training (CVET)
• initial vocational education and training (IVET)
• skills and qualifications
• transferability
• front loading

Notes

1. These have, within the German VET system, specific recognition as ‘Fähigkeiten’ in contrast to skills (‘Fertigkeiten’). See also Ryle (1979) on ‘adverbial verbs’, chapter 1.

2. I owe this example to my colleague, Dr Gerard Lum.

3. http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_archive/. These figures obscure the fact that the proportion of total level 3 starts for the 16–18 age group has been in decline in recent years (Wolf, 2011, p. 168).

4. Separate figures are not given for age 25 and above.

5. VET Data Report Germany 2011: http://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/DR2011_engl._Screen.pdf

6. In the USA it is 15% for three-digit occupational change and 18% for four-digit change.

7. UKCES Ambition 2020 (2010, p. 78).

8. See Willis (1977, chapter 5). See also the bottom row in Table 2.