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This article investigates the current popularity of the concept of competencies. After a brief exploration of perspectives on the concept of competencies, a study will be presented that was conducted in order to gain more insight into the backgrounds of the current status of this concept and to investigate competency-based practices. The study investigated the applications in enterprises and higher education. The last section summarises the main findings and raises some issues that need further elaboration. © 2003 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The pragmatist model of experiential learning in the form of work placements in industry provides opportunities for tertiary institutions to produce well-rounded graduates, possessing knowledge of workplace culture and values along with technical competencies. Work-based learning programmes provide graduates and leaders of tomorrow for a variety of business in the manufacturing sectors; such graduates are reported to rapidly advance in companies, and assume middle and senior management roles. Here, the authors propose that such employees need to develop an understanding of sustainability and suggest that work-based learning could act as a vehicle for delivering education for sustainability (EfS). This article begins with a description of the principles that underpin concepts for sustainability and EfS, and examines three models as to how work-based learning programmes could act as a vehicle for delivering EfS. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Nowadays, graduates need to cope with an increasing diversity and complexity of care situations in healthcare organisations. In order to improve the school-to-work transition it has been decided to broaden curricula. To date, research on the development and effects of broad curricula has been limited. Very little research has been conducted on the effects of curricula type on the employability of nursing and healthcare graduates. This is remarkable given the fact that, over the last twenty years, significant investment has been made in developing curricula to fulfil the requirements of the labour market as the care situations in healthcare organisations are becoming more diverse and complex. This article describes a mainly quantitative empirical study in which the focus has been on the influence of curricula on the employability of nursing and healthcare graduates. Results showed that the curriculum indeed has an influence on the employability of nursing and healthcare graduates. Thus, this explorative study has made a contribution to curriculum research, although much more needs to be known before definite conclusions can be drawn. © 2003 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The issue of gender-related differences in the transition of secondary vocational education graduates from school-to-work is discussed, relative to ‘male’, ‘female’ and ‘neutral’ curriculum choices, using findings from a national survey of graduates. The discussion explores this issue using matched employment and earnings as critical indicators. Comparisons are made with corresponding findings in a survey conducted by CEREQ for France. This article suggests that gender equity in entry and transition to labour market is a complex issue, when explored relative to gender-related choices of vocational streams and gender differences in transition performance. The findings were generally consistent with expectations, relative to the social context, which prevails in Greece. The evidence supports the French conclusion that, under certain conditions, non-traditional education and training can benefit young women in their school-to-work transition. On the other hand, unlike the French findings, data on some segregated training programmes show that female labour market performance is surprisingly favourable, especially for pre-vocational training courses, which have a stronger general education component in the curriculum than vocational education courses. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The article puts forward a case for broadening the curriculum within Higher Education to incorporate and encourage group work-based learning (GWBL) experiences for students. Two case studies are described within two universities in terms of organising, monitoring and assessing group-based work. It is argued that being a part of a 'consultancy team' and responding to 'real clients' enables students not only to enhance their skills base but also provides them with opportunities for personal and social development both within and outside the world of work. The debate centres upon the concept that work-based learning (WBL) should be more than just 'economistic' in the way that emphasis is placed primarily on 'training for employment'. This central tenet of government policy is considered to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for providing for group work-based learning experiences for students. The concept of 'social capital' is explained in terms of how group participation can bring about moral, cognitive and social benefits to its members and to the wider community. © 2003, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

There is much interest from researchers and from third way governments in the concept of social capital. Debate exists over whether or not government interventions create or destroy social capital. This article explores the relationship between the vocational education and training (VET) policies of the New Zealand Labour Government and social capital. Although no empirical evidence is presented, by drawing on official evaluations of the Labour Government' s key VET programmes and other documents, this paper argues that the Labour Government appears to have created social capital. However, it appears to be narrow in scope, it resides in the networks of professional providers and employers and it is highly regulated. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

There is broad consensus on the range of benefits accruing to the undergraduate from work placement, but to date there has been little published on its impact on academic achievement. This article describes changes that were introduced into the architecture of a placement programme for business undergraduates. A statistical investigation examines the academic performance of students under the different architectures. Prior to the reconfiguration of the placement, there was no significant difference in academic performance between students who had undertaken placement and their non-placement peers. Undergraduates who took placement under the new architecture performed significantly better than their non-placement peers. Under both architectures there were indications of self-selection. The results are discussed in the context of learning transfer, and policy implications are considered. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Vocational education and training (VET) systems throughout the world have undergone unprecedented change over the last 15 years. The policies of new vocationalism together with the emergence of new economic times have transformed VET. As a result many traditional VET policies and practices have undergone major changes in terms of their organisation and purpose. These changes are often spoken of as one response to the changing nature of work brought on by the impact of new technologies and globalisation on national economies. More VET research has also occurred as a response to the changes in VET. However, given the unprecedented nature of VET change it is perhaps timely to consider whether VET research itself has responded sufficiently to the challenges presented by these changes. This article examines this issue using concepts drawn from organisational theory to investigate recent VET research undertaken in Australia. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Using data from the NIACE 2002 Adult Learners Survey and the ESRC Learning Society Programme, this article considers the prevalence and socio-economic determinants of work-based learning. The focus area is industrial South Wales, where the growth and sudden demise of the coal and steel industries provides a useful case study of the purported link between skill and economic success. The article is not able to present much clear evidence in favour of the economic strand of the learning society. Successive policies have not actually been conducive to real increases in training opportunities. Work-based training is not rising, is not being funded by employers in the main, and is predictable to a large extent from long-term social and family characteristics of each individual. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The Investors in People Standard was introduced in 1991 in order to provide a national benchmark of training and development activity. This article, using data from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey (Department for Trade and Industry, 1999), conducts five tests with regard to the incidence and impact of the Standard. The first test evaluates the types of workplace that have secured accreditation. The second and third tests compare the nature of training practice in accredited and non-accredited workplaces, based on data from the WERS 98 main management survey and also the survey of employees. The fourth test evaluates the proportion of workplaces that have secured accreditation, yet are failing to engage in good practice. The final test evaluates the characteristics of workplaces that fall into this latter category. The results demonstrate considerable variation between different types of workplace with regard to the likelihood of accreditation having been secured. They also demonstrate that, on average, training practice is better in accredited workplaces than in non-accredited workplaces, but a large minority of accredited workplaces are failing to engage in good practice. Among workplaces that have accreditation, smaller workplaces stand out in particular as failing to engage in good training practice. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2003.