Showing papers in "Journal of Education and Work in 2010"
TL;DR: Work and study commitments of full-time undergraduate students at the University of New South Wales were investigated in four surveys conducted in 1994, 1999, 2006 and 2009 as mentioned in this paper, and the findings are consistent with UK studies showing an increase in part-time work by full-'time students.
Abstract: Work and study commitments of full‐time undergraduate students at the University of New South Wales were investigated in four surveys conducted in 1994, 1999, 2006 and 2009. Respondents to the surveys reported the amount of time they spent during term time in paid employment, studying outside of formal class hours and in leisure activities (1999 and 2006 only). Fifty full‐time students in 2006 and 37 in 2009 who were identified through the survey as working in excess of 10 hours per week were interviewed about their work and study relationships. Findings are consistent with UK studies showing an increase in part‐time work by full‐time students. In addition, a steady decrease was found in hours of study outside normal class time and in time spent in leisure activities. Reasons for working offered by interviewees were predominantly financial although many reported that gaining work experience, even in areas not related to their studies, was an important consideration. While some of the students interviewed ...
141 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the focus is on how students experience their transition from their education to being employed as engineers in relation to the concept of employability, and four cohorts of students in a...
Abstract: The focus in this paper is on how students experience their transition from their education to being employed as engineers in relation to the concept of employability. Four cohorts of students in a ...
114 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight critical shortcomings in the approach to apprenticeship in England and argue that the proposed Apprenticeship Framework is unlikely to fulfil its stated aims of enhancing quality and quantity.
Abstract: This paper highlights critical shortcomings in the approach to apprenticeship in England and argues that the proposed Apprenticeship Framework is unlikely to fulfil its stated aims of enhancing quality and quantity. The key weaknesses identified are a clear definition of what constitutes an apprenticeship framework, an educational component, employee involvement and lack of recognition of alternative college-based routes. Drawing on a recent cross-national study, the authors compare the English situation with the vocational education and training systems of other leading European countries. These embody a distinctly different approach and framework, being based on social partnership and the education of young people into a broadly defined occupation. It is shown how the current proposals mark a potential step backwards and a departure from the principles of the 1944 Education Act by ignoring general and civic educational elements in young people's formation. Above all, for any framework to be successful, it needs to take into account the longer term interests of employees, given changes in the labour market, and to address the issue of employer disengagement. The conclusions drawn suggest ways forward.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss forms of boundary-work in school-based training for industrial work or, put another way, discourse and practices that cross, blur or reinforce boundaries between school and industry.
Abstract: This article discusses forms of ‘boundary‐work’ in school‐based training for industrial work or, put another way, discourse and practices that cross, blur or reinforce boundaries between school and industry. The discussion builds on two ethnographic studies, one conducted in the 1980s and one in 2006, to provide insights on continuity and change in an activity system with two partly conflicting raison d'etres: one linked to the educational mandate of the school and the other to industrial demands on the school. Two forms of boundary‐work are used by teachers and students to make sense of everyday activities and define school‐based vocational training. The ‘reaffirmation’ of boundaries and of schooling specificity involves taking the fostering and educational aspects of education seriously; the ‘reconstruction’ of workplace experiences provides instructional practices that link schooling to work. Various manifestations of these forms of boundary‐work are analysed, as are tensions and developments over time.
80 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that inter‐professional teamwork can be implemented by collegial support, transgressing professional roles and sustaining an inclusive atmosphere within the surgical operating team.
Abstract: Hospitals, and surgical operating theatres (OTs) in particular, are environments in which inter‐professional teamwork and learning are essential to secure patient safety and effective practice. However, it has been revealed in many studies that inter‐professional collaborative work in hospital organisations faces many challenges and constraints. In this study we examine surgical operations as participatory practices from the perspective of inter‐professional learning and cooperation. We ask what kinds of shared practices enable learning and collaboration within the surgical operating team. We used an ethnographic approach to data collection including observations and interviews of surgical residents and nursing staff. Observations were conducted in the OTs of one non‐academic hospital in Finland in 2007. The transcripts and episodes were analysed qualitatively. We suggest that inter‐professional teamwork can be implemented by collegial support, transgressing professional roles and sustaining an inclusive ...
67 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a typological framework for the transition from student to graduate entrepreneur is developed, which captures the key person-environment dimensions involved in this transitional journey, including the entrepreneurial maturity of the individual and the complexity of the business idea.
Abstract: This paper examines the process of transition from student to graduate entrepreneur. The aim is to develop a typological framework that captures the key person–environment dimensions involved in this transitional journey. This paper draws upon interview data from 15 graduates, all of whom had established their own business within five years of graduation. The paper engages with two dimensions that, we argue, usefully capture an important dynamic of the student‐to‐entrepreneurship transition: (1) the entrepreneurial maturity of the individual; and (2) the complexity of the business idea. The paper maps qualitative data from the graduates onto a framework based on these dimensions. This offers the basis for an enhanced understanding of the graduate entrepreneurship process. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for theory and practice and, importantly, further research.
67 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors treated student employment as a heterogeneous experience and compared the relative importance of various characteristics of student employment in predicting student academic performance and social life and found that doing part-time jobs actually enriches students' school life and increases their social support network as well.
Abstract: Student employment has been treated as a homogeneous category in studying the effects of doing part‐time jobs on student academic performance or social life. In the present study, using data collected from a well‐known public university in Macau, we treat student employment as a heterogeneous experience and compare the relative importance of various characteristics of student employment in predicting student academic performance and social life. We find that doing part‐time jobs exerts no effect on student academic performance when it is treated as a homogeneous category. When treated as a heterogeneous experience, we find that incentives to work have most effects on student academic performance, followed by whether the jobs provide opportunities for students to develop skills and whether the jobs are related to their fields of study. Inconsistent with most previous studies, we find that doing part‐time jobs actually enriches students' school life and increases their social support network as well. We do ...
56 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored graduates' views on the relationship between higher education and employment and highlighted similarities and differences between UK graduates' experiences and their European counterparts, focusing on the perceived value of higher education study in relation to initial employment and future life histories.
Abstract: This paper explores graduates' views on the relationship between higher education and employment. It draws on a major European study involving graduates five years after graduation and highlights similarities and differences between UK graduates' experiences and their European counterparts. Specifically, we address questions raised in the study about the subjects studied and their relevance to entry into the labour market; if the academic level obtained was appropriate, whether graduates, with hindsight of five years, would choose the same subjects or the same institution again; and whether they were satisfied with their current job. Such specific questions relate to broader perspectives such as the perceived value of higher education study in relation to initial employment and future life histories. These have to be seen in the context of cultural differences in higher education systems at the time of the research and, perhaps, increasing convergences in the light of the Bologna Agreement.
42 citations
TL;DR: The potential of the Diplomas to become a major route to higher education will be constrained by what we term a ''low uptake, low understanding, low recognition'' as discussed by the authors. But, as a consequence, the reputation of the Diploma will depend on its ability to provide a progression route to university.
Abstract: Ensuring effective progression from vocational qualifications to higher education has become an important issue internationally as a part of government strategies to raise skill levels and to provide more equitable access to tertiary level study. From September 2008, the Government in England has begun to introduce a new set of qualifications for 14–19‐year‐olds, called Diplomas, intended to prepare young people for both employment and higher education. In competition with the traditional General Certificate of Education Advanced Levels, the reputation of the Diploma will depend on its ability to provide a progression route to university. Drawing on evidence from a variety of sources, including five seminars involving further education teachers, higher education admissions tutors and representatives of national agencies, this article suggests that the potential of the Diplomas to become a major route to higher education will be constrained by what we term a ‘low uptake, low understanding, low recognition ...
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an analysis of how policy documents associated with senior schooling from across Australian states address the needs of students who are most at risk of not securing productive transitions.
Abstract: Not having clear pathways, or the social means and personal capacities to make a productive transition from schooling, can inhibit young people’s participation in social and economic life thereafter. This paper advances an analysis of how policy documents associated with senior schooling from across Australian states address the needs of students who are most at risk of not securing productive transitions. The review identifies that many of the goals emphasised the autonomy of students in taking control of their own transitions. However, such individualistic views downplay the importance of the mediating role that access to cultural, social and economic capital is likely to play in the negotiations involved in making a productive transition. Thus, the needs of ‘at‐risk’ students who may have limited access to the forms of capital offering the best support for these negotiations are not well acknowledged in the policies.
39 citations
TL;DR: This paper used aggregate and national data on participation in non-formal learning from European Union countries, based on an ad hoc module included in the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU•LFS) 2003.
Abstract: We concentrate on the following research questions: (1) Do the structure of the educational system and its interaction with the labour market affect the training gap between low‐skilled blue collar workers and high‐skilled white collar workers? and (2) Do the ways that institutional systems shape opportunities for lifelong learning differ between EU‐8 and EU‐15 member countries? We used aggregate and national data on participation in non‐formal learning from European Union countries, based on an ad‐hoc module included in the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU‐LFS) 2003. Analysis indicated that, as suggested by theory, institutional factors are significant for EU‐15 member countries. The predictive power of these factors for EU‐8 member countries is rather low and varies significantly by countries.
TL;DR: There is substantial evidence that formal educational attainments increasingly exceed the educational job requirements of the employed labour force in many advanced market economies as discussed by the authors, a phenomenon that is referred to as the "student-to-employee mismatch".
Abstract: There is substantial evidence that formal educational attainments increasingly exceed the educational job requirements of the employed labour force in many advanced market economies – a phenomenon ...
TL;DR: The concept of the gap year is defined as a time between the end of school and the beginning of further studies in which young people engage in a variety of activities, including paid or voluntary work as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The ‘gap year’ is defined as a time between the end of school and the beginning of further studies in which young people engage in a variety of activities, including paid or voluntary work. ‘Gapping’ is a significant trend globally for young people deferring formal study after completing school, before commencing further or higher education. A sizeable industry has grown up around the gap‐year concept with many volunteer placement agencies, websites, guide books and ‘time‐off consultants’ available to help young people plan their gap year, often at significant cost. It is claimed that a gap‐year experience will help participants acquire ‘soft skills’ needed in the modern world of work, develop social values allowing them to better adapt to university life and ultimately become more attractive to employers. Reference to the literature and data from surveys of Australian school and university students addresses the gap‐year phenomenon and how can it be defined and theorised. The paper explores reasons why s...
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study approach is used to explore the potential range and breadth of activities carried out by such employees, and a range of alternative data-gathering techniques were used including event recording and work place observations.
Abstract: Research has shown that the majority of school students combine full‐time education with part‐time employment. To date educationalists have paid little attention to this, in part due to the negative views about the ‘quality’ of such work and its effect on educational attainment. In this research, a case study approach is used to explore the potential range and breadth of activities carried out by such employees. A range of alternative data‐gathering techniques were used including event recording and work place observations. The findings highlight between job and within job category differences and suggest that many jobs are demanding and can result in skill attainment. The results are discussed in the context of debates about the potential educational value of such employment experiences.
TL;DR: The authors argue that there is an important dialogical relationship between the individual and the practice environment, affected by personal histories, workplace cultures and education, and recommend qualitative approaches that draw on hermeneutic phenomenology and narrative inquiry.
Abstract: Researching how people are educated for practice has often been seen as problematic. We recommend qualitative approaches that draw on hermeneutic phenomenology and narrative inquiry. It is our intention to outline approaches that we believe can be used in an emerging research agenda. We begin by examining assumptions underlying much workplace research and recent trends, such as social constructionism. There has been a gradual recognition of the importance of the social aspects of practice with the rise in popularity of such ideas as communities of practice, and the recognition of the significance of the work of scholars such as Vygotsky. However, the individual's interaction with the practice environment and their interpretation of their own experience has been somewhat neglected. We argue that there is an important dialogical relationship between the individual and the practice environment, affected by personal histories, workplace cultures and education. We need more research that deeply engages with th...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the graduates' perceptions of the function and impact of professional education in relation to professional practice and found that the educational and professional competence bases overlap significantly, and the professional education programme is viewed as a direct vocational preparation.
Abstract: This article draws on a longitudinal qualitative study of graduate transitions from higher education programmes to the world of work. In the study, 23 physicians and 20 master's level engineers in information technology, recently graduated from four different universities in Sweden, were interviewed. The aim of this article is to explore the graduates' perceptions of the function and impact of professional education in relation to professional practice. In the case of medicine, the educational and professional competence bases overlap significantly, and the professional education programme is viewed as a direct vocational preparation. However, the physicians argue that the transition to the workplace is associated with a need to reprioritise knowledge. The engineers consider the educational and professional competence bases to be only loosely coupled. Rather than focusing on the substance of the educational programme, the engineers consider the educational programme to constitute a broad foundation facilitating further learning and professional development in the workplace.
TL;DR: This article investigated the factors that affected young people's decisions not to progress to higher education (HE) after following a Level 3 vocational pathway in upper secondary education, based on a small-scale mixed-method research project, which was located in south east England and was funded by the British Academy.
Abstract: This paper is based on a small-scale mixed-method research project, which was located in south-east England and was funded by the British Academy. The project, investigated the factors that affected young people's decisions not to progress to higher education (HE) after following a Level 3 vocational pathway in upper secondary education. Set against the context of divergent and somewhat contradictory government policy initiatives, it draws on the concept of imagined futures as a way of considering students' 'decision-making' in their transition from further education to other locations. This paper explores how a group of young people completing their vocational courses in summer 2008 viewed - or imagined - their futures. Contrary to policy discourses, vocational pathways did not necessarily offer straightforward progression to HE. Respondents' 'imagined futures' did not lack agency, but HE was not an immediate part of them.
TL;DR: In this article, data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey were used to examine whether basic skills in terms of language skills and educational level are closely related, and both might affect employment.
Abstract: Basic skills and educational level are closely related, and both might affect employment. Data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey were used to examine whether basic skills in terms of l...
TL;DR: This article evaluated the contribution of employers in the development of the first fourteen 14•19 Diplomas in England and concluded that while employers have had a significant role in defining the content of Diplomas, they have been by no means leading or driving the overall process of qualification making.
Abstract: This paper presents some of the findings of an evaluation of the development of the first fourteen 14‐19 Diplomas in England. It focuses on the question whether the government’s aim to develop the new qualifications in an employer‐led way has been fulfilled. In order to answer this question, the paper evaluates the contributions of employers in the Diploma development process, the strategies used to engage employers and employers’ satisfaction with the outcome. The paper concludes that while employers have had a significant role in defining the content of Diplomas, they have been by no means leading or driving the overall process of qualification making. Due to the complex nature of the qualification system and the need for collaboration of a variety of actors, the role of employers may more accurately be described as key partners in the development process.
TL;DR: In this article, the effectiveness of non-formal schools for working children in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, in mainstreaming child labourers into the formal education system through incentivised, informal schooling was analyzed.
Abstract: This paper analyses the effectiveness of non‐formal schools for working children in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, in mainstreaming child labourers into the formal education system through incentivised, informal schooling. Using a family fixed effects model and sibling data as an equivalent population comparison group, I find that the non‐formal schools effectively provide an alternative to formal primary education and also show high success rates of mainstreaming and maintaining children into post‐primary education relative to the control group. I find that the children within the non‐formal schools are 40.47–50.07% more likely to still be studying relative to the sibling‐inclusive control group, and have 1.976 to 3.389 years less of a gap in educational attainment. I conclude that the child labour schools are serving a useful function in helping poor children attend school, regardless of their labour status. The policy implications explored suggest that aspects of the techniques used in the non‐formal school...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on a research study carried out over a two-year period aiming to obtain an insight into the progress of Foundation degree graduates in the South West of England following completion of their course.
Abstract: The Foundation degree was introduced in the UK in 2001 with a view to addressing two main government agendas: widening participation in higher education and improving higher level skills. Both of these agendas are in response to a set of policy drivers aiming to increase levels of employment. Despite its importance in relation to these national agendas as well as for students themselves, research into Foundation degree students has tended to focus upon their experience of studying and their profile rather than on destinations and employability. This paper reports on a research study carried out over a two‐year period aiming to obtain an insight into the progress of Foundation degree graduates in the South West of England following completion of their course. The findings show that a large number of Foundation degree graduates chose to continue their studies in order to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. A comparison of Foundation degree graduate destinations in the region was made with those nationally. Of those...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined to what extent subject choice and processes of family formation can explain the gender differences on labour market positions at the age of 26 (N = 2060).
Abstract: Despite their generally higher educational attainment, young women are characterised by lower labour market positions than men in Belgium. Using regression and decomposition analyses on data from the longitudinal SONAR survey on the transition from school to work, we examine to what extent subject choice and processes of family formation can explain the gender differences on labour market positions at the age of 26 (N = 2060). We find that both subject choice and family formation influence labour market outcomes and that these factors can partially explain the gender gap. Both factors, however, differ in their interaction with gender. While subject choice has a similar effect for both men and women, family formation has a negative impact on the labour market position of women only.
TL;DR: In this article, structural decoupling, which is an especially relevant problem for school-based vocational education and training (VET) systems, reveals itself in the assessment of practical training.
Abstract: This article aims to analyse how structural decoupling, which is an especially relevant problem for school‐based vocational education and training (VET) systems, reveals itself in the assessment of practical training. Niklas Luhmann’s social system theory has been applied to the analysis of assessment practices as a communication act between the VET and the employment systems. This analysis is based on empirical data gathered by semi‐structured interviews of different stakeholders in the assessment process from two fields of the VET system – the training of nurses and of information technologyIT specialists. The analysis explores several problems in assessment practices, including fictitious assessment practices, low quality of training and motivation of workplace trainers, and also the lack of correspondence between the school curriculum and the competence base needed in the real workplace. In this study, some of these challenges are explained by communication disruptions in Luhmann’s sense and the other...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the key challenges of keeping abreast of research; changes in the social/organisational/professional context of social care; how social care practitioners learn; and effectively integrating practice, research and education.
Abstract: This paper has been prompted by the challenges created by recent proposed reforms to social care services in the UK services which are being ‘modernised’, a term ubiquitous in policy documents but difficult to define with confidence. Government modernisation and e‐government programmes highlight with renewed urgency the need for social care practitioners on the front line to have up‐to‐date, reliable information. Yet the rise in the rate and volume of information published (over new and old channels) has, paradoxically, made it increasingly difficult for them to keep up with new developments. How can higher education institutions best contribute to the social care community through a period of profound ideological and structural change? In particular, the paper discusses the key challenges of keeping abreast of research; changes in the social/organisational/professional context of social care; how social care practitioners learn; and effectively integrating practice, research and education.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the characteristics, destinations and progression routes of early school leavers, specifically "exceptional entry winter leavers" in Scotland, and identify how schools and colleges work in partnership to support these young people.
Abstract: This article explores the characteristics, destinations and progression routes of early school leavers - specifically 'exceptional entry winter leavers' - in Scotland. Exceptional entry allows students to enter college in the term before their statutory school leaving date - such young people attend college while formally remaining the responsibility of their school. Such arrangements represent an innovative model of supporting transitions to further education among a specific, potentially vulnerable client group, while also offering lessons for the development of school-college collaboration in other areas. Based on an analysis of official data, new survey research with schools and colleges, and in-depth case studies, this article identifies how schools and colleges work in partnership to support these early school leavers. We find that schools and colleges have developed a range of innovative approaches to engaging with winter leavers, and that the majority complete their programmes or achieve other positive end-of-year outcomes. However, the most disadvantaged young people remain least likely to progress. The article concludes by identifying lessons for good practice in school-college partnership-working and considering implications for policies to prevent young people from finding themselves not in employment, education or training.
TL;DR: Lea's book on political correctness in higher education (HE) as mentioned in this paper is one of the most widely cited books on higher education. But it is not a good book for students.
Abstract: by John Lea, New York, Routledge, 2009, 279 pp., US$48.95 (paperback), ISBN 978‐0‐415‐96259‐9 I came to the conclusion that John Lea’s book on political correctness (PC) in higher education (HE) is...