Search Results for
"Vocational education"

This study examines the impact of increased access to higher education on wages, employment, and labor market structure by analyzing establishment-level data. I focus on the quasi-experimental increase in the number of universities and universities of applied sciences in Bavaria since the 1970s and establishment of such higher education institutes under the “Future of Bavaria Offensive” program in the 1990s. I use administrative establishment-level data and find a positive but statistically insignificant effect on median wages resulting from expansion of higher education. While there is a negative but insignificant impact on wages of highly skilled workers, those without an academic or vocational degree experience an increase in wages. I also find that training activities decline immediately after the establishment of a new higher education institution. Further empirical analyses indicate that this decline is not due to fewer slots in apprenticeship training, but rather to a larger number of vacant slots and a higher probability of having vacant slots in apprenticeship training. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) encompasses a variety of educational experiences that seek to bridge the gap between academic study and the world of work. However, Design Thinking although widely applied as a pedagogical framework for structuring student multidisciplinary, problem-based learning projects with industry partners, it has not yet been conceptually or empirically examined within vocational education as a model of WIL. This study seeks to position Design Thinking as a systematic approach for organising student problem-based WIL projects. Using qualitative case studies, data were gathered from 37 key stakeholders’ students, faculty, and industry partners across 13 multidisciplinary Design Thinking projects conducted on three continents. Stakeholder perspectives revealed multiple points of convergence between Design Thinking-driven projects and the defining characteristics of effective WIL, including the intentional integration of practice and industry partners into the curriculum, purposeful engagement in authentic work tasks, and the application of major specific knowledge to workplace contexts. The findings suggest that Design Thinking offers a promising framework for enhancing vocational education and training programmes by developing transferable skills such as multidisciplinary problem-solving and creativity prior to students’ transition into the workforce. © 2026 The vocational Aspect of education Ltd.

Three-quarters of US prisons offer vocational training programs, which aim to place trainees in middle-skills jobs in specific occupational sectors post-release. These middle-skills jobs may more effectively reduce recidivism than the jobs that normally characterize the labor market experience of the formerly incarcerated, yet whether vocational training programs succeed in placing individuals into these “better” jobs is unclear. This paper estimates the impact of vocational training participation on sector-specific job attainment in the first year after release using an instrumental variable design. I find that trainees are more likely to secure employment in their training sectors compared to similarly situated peers. However, employment gains in target sectors are short-lived, challenging the notion that vocational training leads to stable employment in the jobs they target. Notably, however, trainees are more likely to remain employed and experience significant earnings gains later in the year. This suggests that trainees may be leveraging their initial work experience in training sectors to transition into employment journeys in other sectors. For a population facing steep labor market barriers, and given the sobering results of employment-focused reentry programs, this is a meaningful result, as it suggests that prison-based vocational training programs can successfully steer employment trajectories post-release. © 2026 The Author(s). Criminology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Criminology.

While discrete choice experiments (DCE), have increasingly been used in the medical literature, little is known about the use of these methods for eliciting preferences from and about students and trainees in health professions. The objectives of this scoping review are to (1) describe the extent to which DCEs have been used in health professions’ education, (2) identify which health professionals have been studied, and (3) identify thematic areas of research in which these methods have been used thematic areas. Between June and September 2024, we conducted a scoping review of the PubMed/Medline, EconLit, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus databases to identify articles. Studies were eligible for inclusion in this review if they included a health profession training population and if conjoint analysis, DCE, or best-worst scaling studies were used. Forty-nine articles, comprising 60 studies and 21,731 health profession trainees, were included in this review. Medical and nursing students constitute the majority of the population studied. The greatest number of studies have been conducted in China (n = 11) and the United States (n = 8). The two most popular thematic areas in which these studies have been used are to identify preferences for policies and incentives to take a job in a rural area and residency training preferences for medical students. There has been a gradual increase in the use of these methods in the health profession education literature. The extent to which findings have been used for curriculum or policy design is not clear. DCEs are increasingly used to study health profession students and other trainees. More research is needed to explore the validity of preferences and whether preferences correlate with student outcomes or observed behavior. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Previous research shows that individuals’ educational level is associated with skill mismatch, but knowledge about the influence of horizontal dimensions of education and education’s variation throughout the career is limited. This study analyses the link between education and skill mismatch by considering the influence of educational levels, vocational specificity, and occupational specificity from a career perspective. Using the survey wave 2016 of the German NEPS Adult Cohort, I find that individuals with a higher educational level are less likely to be underskilled, but more likely to be overskilled. Conversely, higher vocational specificity is associated with a higher likelihood of underskilling but a lower likelihood of overskilling, whereas occupational specificity is not significantly related to skill mismatches. The findings also highlight that the link between education and skill mismatch varies with time since graduation, and that the role of vocational and occupational specificity differs across educational levels. © The Author(s) [2025]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

The automobile technology is rapidly advancing, requiring advanced facilities for effective auto-electricity/electronics training in Nigerian technical colleges. However, poor training facilities still limit Motor Vehicle Mechanic (MVM) graduates’ practical skills. This study examined facility-based gaps affecting the implementation of the auto-electricity/electronics part of the MVM programme, in relation to current automobile industry needs. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected participants, including MVM teachers, administrators, master craftsmen, and automotive industry employers. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo 14 software. Five major themes emerged, highlighting facility-based gaps: limited industry collaboration, digital and technological infrastructure, instructional and educational resources, power and utility provisions, and workshop and training infrastructure. The study emphasizes the need for stronger industry partnerships, increased funding, and modernization of infrastructure to better prepare graduates for the modern automobile industry. © The Author(s) 2026

In an increasingly turbulent world shaped by rapid technological advancement and intensifying geopolitical tensions, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Higher education Institutions (HEIs) presents both opportunities and ethical complexities. Among HEIs’ most critical objectives is enhancing students’ employability and adaptability in the evolving labor market. This study aims to explore the relationship between AI experience and future career adaptability, with a focus on the mediating role of job insecurity and Career prospective estimation, as well as the moderating role of psychological distress. This study adopted a quantitative study with 385 participants from HEIs. The findings indicate that students with stronger AI experience exhibit higher levels of career adaptability and vocational learning capabilities. Furthermore, the career prospective estimation acts as a mediator to bridge AI experience and learning ability. Lastly, the moderator role of psychological distress was found to have a negative relationship with AI experience, job insecurity, and career prospective estimation. This study offers theoretical and practical implications for students, educators, and HEIs, highlighting the importance of strategically guided AI adoption to foster career readiness and adaptability in the digital age. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2026.

This mixed-methods study investigates the impact of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) method and fifth-semester student engagement on entrepreneurial competencies in the higher education of the makeup and beauty program at Padang State University. Using a convergent parallel design, data were collected from 117 fifth-semester students through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and portfolio assessments. The data were analyzed using Two-Way ANOVA and thematic analysis. The quantitative results revealed that the STEAM approach significantly outperformed conventional methods. Specifically, 83.33% of students achieved excellent leadership scores (M = 89.00, SD = 2.85), and 78.33% excelled in creativity (M = 87.50, SD = 2.98). High levels of engagement (M = 4.33) across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions correlated with enhanced competencies (p < .001). Qualitative findings indicated increased motivation, collaborative learning through platforms like TikTok Shop, and heightened mental engagement from diverse resources. The interaction between the STEAM and student engagement further amplified outcomes (F = 3.75, p = .025, R² = 0.454). This study highlights the transformative potential of the STEAM method in developing entrepreneurial competencies, underscoring its applicability in vocational education. Educators should integrate STEAM methodologies and digital platforms into their curricula, while future research should examine the long-term impacts and scalability of these approaches. © 2026 The Author(s).

This study aims to identify latent employment quality patterns among vocational high school graduates and examine how these patterns are influenced by their upper-secondary vocational education and training (VET) experiences. Grounded in the International Labour Organisation's concept of decent work, this study considers employment quality within diverse indicators: job relevance to education, decent hours, social protection, employment status, adequate earnings, work–life balance, and social dialogue and workplace relations. Using nationally representative data from 1463 Korean vocational high school graduate workers, latent class analysis is employed to classify individuals into distinct employment quality patterns based on multiple dimensions of decent work. The analysis reveals three latent groups: stable (26.7%), partially stable (54.8%), and precarious (18.5%). Results from multinomial logistic regression indicate that students' active participation in vocational coursework, acquisition of industry certifications, and work experience are significantly associated with these latent patterns. Moreover, these relationships vary across different occupational programmes, including STEM, business and services, and others tracks. This study underscores the importance of incorporating diverse indicators of employment quality rather than relying on a single metric. It also suggests that VET strategies should be tailored to the unique characteristics of each occupational programme to improve employment outcomes for vocational high school graduates. © 2026 The Author(s). International Journal of Training and Development published by Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This article examines how Technical and vocational education and Training (TVET) lecturers in a South African college conceptualise a humanising pedagogy within Work Integrated Learning (WIL) practices. Against a backdrop of high youth unemployment and persistent skills mismatches, the study considers how WIL might be reframed to support employability while fostering learner agency. Using a qualitative, critical design, five purposively selected lecturers drawn from the college’s five campuses participated in the study. Data were generated through participatory visual methods (collage-making and a modified Mmogo-method®) combined with semi-structured group discussions. Findings reveal that although lecturers seldom used the term ‘humanising pedagogy’, their practices often reflected its principles: learner-centredness, dignity, and responsiveness to students’ lived realities. The visual artefacts and narratives highlighted tacit and affective dimensions of pedagogy that interviews alone might miss. However, humanising practices were constrained by compliance-driven frameworks that emphasised logbooks, placements, and bureaucratic requirements. The study acknowledges that students’ perspectives were mediated through lecturer accounts, suggesting future research should include learner voices and direct observations. Overall, the paper argues that humanising WIL holds transformative potential by nurturing purpose, workplace readiness, and entrepreneurial imagination. It contributes to debates on vocational reform by offering context-responsive guidelines for socially inclusive WIL. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.