Developmental TVET rhetoric in-action: the White Paper for post-school education and training in South Africa

This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to by the Minister as the “definitive statement of the governments vision for the post school system” and as such represents a crucial strategy document intended to chart the TVET direction to 2030. Using key theoretical constructs from development theory, this paper provides an assessment of the TVET strategy contained is the paper and explores the extent to which it does respond to the agenda defined by the promise. It is argued that the challenges outlined are not yet able to provide the blueprint for a TVET transformative vision. It is concluded that while the development rhetoric contained in the paper is plausible, the creative tinkering of the system is unlikely to lead to the radical revisioning necessary for a truly transformative TVET system. The underlying assumptions regarding purpose, impact and outcome will need to be carefully reconsidered if the system is to be responsive to the promises of the democratic developmental ideal to which the government is committed. (DIPF/Orig.)

Training patterns of German companies in India, China, Japan and the USA: What really works?

The transfer of vocational education and training (VET) systems is currently the subject of lively international debate, but there has so far been very little documentation of the process or analysis of how such transfers are achieved in practical terms. This paper therefore considers the potential for transferring Germany’s ‘dual’ vocational training system to German subsidiaries abroad, specifically in China, India, Japan and the USA. Using the EPRG typology as a theoretical framework, the paper systematises the range of training strategies deployed by German subsidiaries. It analyses the findings of interviews with training officers and Directors of Human Resources in more than 40 German subsidiaries abroad. These interviews show clearly that local factors in the host country exert such a strong influence that it is not possible completely to transfer the German VET system to another country. What is more likely is that an accommodation is reached with local VET structures, local labour market conditions and other socio-cultural features. The findings suggest that policy borrowing in the area of VET is likely to be only partial and will be strongly influenced by the national characteristics of the host country. (DIPF/Orig.)

Berufsschulumfrage 2012. Einflussfaktoren auf die Berufswahl und Verbleibentscheidung von Auszubildenden im Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte

Berufswahlsentscheidung und die Frage nach dem Gehen oder Bleiben ist nicht nur für viele junge Menschen in ländlichen Regionen eine wichtige Frage, sondern auch für die im Übergang Schule-Beruf arbeitenden Menschen und Akteure der jeweiligen Kommune. Vor dem Hintergrund der Abwanderungstendenzen und der Optimierung der Übergänge Schule-Beruf hat die Stabsstelle Bildung des Landkreises Mecklenburgische Seenplatte repräsentativ 2800 Auszubildende des Landkreises befragt über die Einflussfaktoren für ihre Berufswahl und über ihre Entscheidung hier zu bleiben oder gehen befragt. Die z.T. überraschenden Ergebnisse werden in dieser Studie zusammen mit Handlungsempfehlungen dargestellt. (DIPF/Autor)

Economic competence and financial literacy of young adults. Status and challenges

This book will concentrate on economic competence and financial literacy of young adults in the US, Europe and South America. The subjects of the research are mainly individuals who have begun an apprenticeship or university education. Economic competence and financial literacy are of special interest for this group because they are usually in the unique position of being responsible for managing their own financial affairs autonomously, often for the first time. Furthermore, economic competence is key to social participation and active citizenship. (DIPF/Orig.)

Berufsausbildung und sozio-ökonomischer Wandel. Ursachen der "Krise des dualen Systems" der Berufsausbildung

Zu einem Zeitpunkt, zu dem zahlreiche Entwicklungs- und neuerdings auch Industrieländer das „duale System" der Berufsausbildung in Deutschland als eine Art Idealmodell der beruflichen Qualifizierung entdecken, wachsen die Zweifel, ob dieses Ausbildungssystem angesichts der anhaltenden Expansion von Gymnasium und Hochschule noch eine Zukunftsperspektive hat. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die zahlreichen Symptome der Krise des dualen Systems aufgezeigt, es wird versucht, die Ursachen dieser Krise unter sozialhistorischer Fragestellung zu deuten, und es werden die bislang aufgezeigten Vorschläge diskutiert, diese Krise zu überwinden. (DIPF/Orig.)

Die politische Ökonomie der Berufsbildung in Großbritannien und in Deutschland

Der Beitrag wägt die Vor- und Nachteile des dualen Berufsbildungswesens in Deutschland gegen die sehr viel weniger geregelte Ausbildung in Großbritannien ab. Es werden die Interessen dargelegt, die Arbeitgeber daran hindern bzw. ermutigen; eine betriebsspezifische oder aber eine allgemein anwendbare Aus- oder Fortbildung anzubieten. Verglichen werden Muster einer Interventionspolitik und wirtschaftlicher Regulierung mit denen eines Prinzips des freien Marktes, beides in parlamentarischen Systemen. Der Vergleich der britischen und der deutschen Entwicklung zeigt die unterschiedlichen Voraussetzungen beider Gesellschaften, die auch einer Übertragung des dualen Berufsbildungssystems entgegenstehen. (DIPF/Orig.)

Allgemeinbildung und Berufsbildung. Zwei konkurrierende Konzepte der Systembildung in der deutschen Bildungsgeschichte und ihre aktuelle Krise

Berufliche und allgemeine Bildung sind keine curricularen, sondern systemische Gegensätze. Die deutsche Bildungsgeschichte hat sich über zwei soziologisch völlig unterschiedliche, daher auch weder integrier- noch aufeinander reduzierbare Zentren der Systemfindung abgespielt. Reformambitionen, die das nicht zur Kenntnis nehmen, scheitern an den historisch entstandenen Formen, durch die sie selbst möglich geworden sind. (DIPF/Orig.)

Europeanization in VET policy as a process of reshaping the educational space

The EU represents a transforming educational space, where national and supranational boundaries in educational governance are becoming blurred. The EU has become an important actor in educational governance and an important arena for policy learning and transfer. This paper explores how the process of reshaping the educational space manifests itself in the process of the Europeanization of VET policy in the case of Estonia. In Estonia, this process was followed by the growth of executive VET institutions and has developed from rather uncritical initial policy transfer to more active learning from the EU, although conformism can still be seen in cases of the introduction of standardizing policy tools. (DIPF/Orig.)

Regulatory governance of ‘training markets’, ‘market failure’, and ‘quasi’ markets: historical dimensions of the post-initial training market in the Netherlands

This article examines regulatory governance of the post-initial training market in The Netherlands. From an historical perspective on policy formation processes, it examines market formation in terms of social, economic, and cultural factors in the development of provision and demand for post-initial training; the roles of stakeholders in the longterm construction of regulatory governance of the market; regulation of and public providers; policy responses to market failure; and tripartite division of responsibilities between the state, social partners, commercial and publicly-funded providers. Historical description and analysis examine policy narratives of key stakeholders with reference to: a) influence of societal stakeholders on regulatory decision-making; b) state regulation of the post-initial training market; c) public intervention regulating the market to prevent market failure; d) market deregulation, competition, employability and individual responsibility; and, e) regulatory governance to prevent ‘allocative failure’ by the market in non-delivery of post-initial training to specific target groups, particularly the low-qualified. Dominant policy narratives have resulted in limited state regulation of the supply-side, a tripartite system of regulatory governance by the state, social partners and commercial providers as regulatory actors. Current policy discourses address interventions on the demand-side to redistribute structures of opportunity throughout the life courses of individuals. Further empirical research from a comparative historical perspective is required to deepen contemporary understandings of regulatory governance of markets and the commodification of adult learning in knowledge societies and information economies. (DIPF/Orig.)

Christian Efing (Hrsg.): Ausbildungsvorbereitung im Deutschunterricht der Sekundarstufe I. Die sprachlich-kommunikativen Facetten von „Ausbildungsfähigkeit“. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang 2013 (371 S.) [Rezension]

Rezension von: Christian Efing (Hrsg.): Ausbildungsvorbereitung im Deutschunterricht der Sekundarstufe I. Die sprachlich-kommunikativen Facetten von „Ausbildungsfähigkeit“. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang 2013 (371 S.; ISBN 978-3-631-63387-8)