Latest news on European Research in Learning and Work [L&W] - August 2020

In this edition of the L&W Newsletter, you should note in particular the calls for proposals and updates relating to: the IVETA Europe e-conference, the online conference of the European Access Network, the ESREA network conference on 'An ecology of life and learning' in Wrocław, the conference on Employer Engagement in London and the Stockholm VET conference (see Conferences) and the virtual seminar on the Track-VET project (see Programmes and Projects). And not to overlook: Cedefop's call for tender on entrepreneurship competence in VET (see Programmes and Projects)!  

Special thanks to all who contributed information for this edition, and also to our partners CR&DALL [1], CVER [2], Education & Employers Research [3], ILO Employment Policy Department [4], PASCAL International Observatory [5], UFHRD [6], UNEVOC [7], VET&Culture [8] and VETNET [9] for providing input and sharing the L&W Newsletter via their mailing lists and web portals.

The L&W Newsletter [10] focuses on transnational research activities across Europe in the field of human resource development (HRD) and vocational education and training (VET), centred on major categories: conferences, networks and organisations, programmes, projects and publications. The next edition will appear in early October 2020. You are invited to submit short texts (100 to 200 words, including links to web pages, but without attachments) - please by 30 September 2020 at the latest!

The L&W Newsletter reaches you via a mailing list of experts in and beyond Europe. You can also view the latest edition in the relaunched WIFO Gateway [11] and download the L&W Newsletter in PDF [12]. Please pass the Newsletter on to your colleagues and networks.

Best wishes
Sabine Manning
Research Forum WIFO
Editor of the L&W Newsletter
Contact: [email protected] [13]

Please note: My new email address [email protected] [14] has replaced the former address <sabine.manning[at]wifo.b.shuttle.de>. My contact address [email protected] [13] continues to be valid.

Conferences

IVETA Europe e-conference: Call for proposals
Online conference of IVETA Europe (International Vocational Education and Training Association: Europe) on "TVET Online: A Sign of the Time?" 23 September 2020
The first IVETA Europe regional online conference is a topical discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications have changed the way education providers look at their delivery. Issues that we encourage speakers to address include: Online TVET accessibility; Pedagogies for successful online TVET teaching/ learning; Online TVET DACUM (developing a curriculum); TVET qualifications and formalisation of learning; Government policies and their impact on online TVET; Latest research on TVET vis-a-vis online delivery; Best practices and lessons learnt from case studies. Abstracts should be submitted by email to <[email protected]> [15] or online [16]. Deadline: August 14th, 2020. For more details please look up the conference page [17]. 
(Info received from UNESCO-UNEVOC TVeT Forum digest <[email protected]> [18])

EAN online conference
Invitation to participate in the online 29th Annual Conference of the European Access Network (EAN) 27-29 October 2020
We live in exceptional times. All over the world governments, higher education institutions and other organizations are figuring out how to organize our society in the post-pandemic period. What can we learn from COVID-19, what are the opportunities, and what are the pitfalls in deciding how to organize our future society. To be able to do this, a good analysis is necessary. With this conference, we want to look at the challenges and the opportunities presented by the pandemic. How will higher education institutions in general, and higher education in relation to widening access in particular, cope with the impact on access to higher education? What will widen the gap, and where are the opportunities to close the gap? The number of participants in each session is limited to 300. No fees will be charged. The address of the registration webpage will be given in a second circular which will be sent in the second half of August 2020. For more information please visit conference pages by EAN [19] and CR&DALL [20].
(Info received from CR&DALL Site Digest for 16/07/20/ <[email protected]> [21])

Conference on an ecology of life and learning: Call for propsals
Annual Conference of the Life History and Biography Network of ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) on "An ecology of life and learning: Discourses, dialogue and diversity in biographical research", to be held in Wrocław, Poland, 4th to 7th March 2021. Deadline for submission of abstracts: 30th October 2020 [conference page [22]]
The 2021 conference seeks to illuminate what amounts to an ecology of life, learning, and human flourishing. Biographical research is no isolated individual, solipsistic endeavour but is shaped by larger ecological interactions – in families, schools, universities, communities, societies, and landscapes – that can sustain or destroy hope. Telling life stories or listening to them celebrates the complexity, messiness, ecological challenge, but also rich potential of living learning lives. In order to make a proposal, and bring your contribution to the conference, you may wish to consider: #The emergent philosophical and theoretical themes that inform different perspectives on stories, and a panoply of methodological stances. #The interactions between research, practice, and policy, by presenting pieces of research that have been influenced by a need and/or are aimed at shaping policy and practice – or any mix of these. #The multiplicity of philosophical, political, theoretical and methodological stances in biographical research, alongside values, assumptions and practices. – We are particularly interested in the role of research as a response to adult lifelong learning opportunities and experiences, alongside the difference that our work can make.

(Contributed by Alan Bainbridge <[email protected]> [23])

Conference on employer engagement: Update
The 6th International Conference on Employer Engagement: Preparing Young People for the Future will take place on Thursday 1 July 2021 9:30 – Friday 2 July 2021 14:00 in London. The conference call for papers [24] is now live. All abstracts and proposals should be submitted by 20th January 2021. This conference is hosted by Education and Employers [3] in partnership with the Edge Foundation [25]. It will focus on employer engagement in education, vocational education and training, and the extent to which such interventions adequately prepare young people for the rapidly changing world of work. In particular, attention will focus on the need to develop and capture the skill requirements within the changing labour market and how such interventions can support young people as part of the response to Covid-19. The conference also seeks to reflect on reforms and policy shifts in relation to education and training and employer engagement internationally. Conference themes include: Employer engagement and preparation for work; Employer engagement and pedagogy; Employer engagement and the curriculum. Full details, the call for papers, and booking information are available here [26].
(Contributed by Martin Rogers <[email protected]> [27])
 
Update on Stockholm VET conference
The 8th Stockholm International Conference of Research on Vocational Education and Training planned for 5-6 October 2020 has been cancelled as a consequence of the ongoing pandemic. The next conference will be held during the first half of May 2022. Updates will follow via the conference website [28] and this Newsletter. Selected papers already accepted for this year's conference will be published in the next volume of the book series "Emergent issues in Research of Vocational Education & Training" issued by the research group VETYL of the Department of Education at Stockholm University. A webinar will be organized for the presentation of the book. For the announcement of the date please follow this Newsletter and the website of the Department of Education at Stockholm University [29].

(Contributed by Lázaro Moreno Herrera <[email protected]> [30])

NOTE: Forthcoming and recent events related to European research in work and learning are listed on the WIFO Conference page [www.conferences.wifo-gate.org [31]].

Networks and Organisations

EUWIN bulletin relaunched

The European Workplace Innovation Network (EUWIN) has relaunched its Bulletin, bringing fresh insights and news about workplace innovation to our large international community of practitioners and experts. This is part of a new 'takeoff' for EUWIN, now led by an international consortium of public and not-for-profit institutions. This issue of the Bulletin has something for people involved in positive change in their own companies, policymakers and other stakeholders concerned with economic growth and jobs, researchers, and a wide range of others. We discuss the importance of workplace innovation for boosting productivity, product and service innovation, and quality of working life – and how it helps companies both to survive the pandemic and to position themselves for the end of the crisis. The relaunched Bulletin can be found here [32]. There is more information about EUWIN on its new website at www.euwin.net [33], where participants can also register for future Bulletins and event notifications.
(Info received from Peter Totterdill <[email protected]> [34])

LinkedIn group on competence studies

A new LinkedIn group on Competence Studies has started. The group comprises world renown authors in competence studies as well as junior researchers and senior professionals. The group consists of over 70 members at the moment. This LinkedIn group aims to connect professionals who are working in the field of competence theory, research and practice. We are interested in competence practices in education, training, development and management. We are informed about the multitude of conceptualizations and operationalizations in competence practices, and find ourselves sharing views, experiences, challenges and solutions. We are critical but supportive. We have a passion for the foundations of competence philosophies and theories. Interested scholars, researchers and professionals in the field of competence studies are invited to join the group (for free). You can become a member by searching for the Competence Studies group within LinkedIn, and applying for membership. Alternatively, you can send an email to the leader of this group: [email protected] [35].
(Contributed by Martin Mulder)

NOTE: References to research networks in the field of European work and learning are available on the WIFO page Networks at a glance [www.networks.wifo-gate.org [36]]. Contact: Sabine Manning [13]

Programmes and Projects

Call for tender: Entrepreneurship competence in VET
Cedefop has launched the following call for tender: ‘Entrepreneurship competence in vocational education and training’. The research to be carried out according to this contract will help better understand how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in VET in Europe, the related challenges and opportunities and how these vary between countries. The findings of the study will support policy makers, social partners, VET providers and other stakeholders in promoting entrepreneurship competence. All related information can be accessed through the following link [37]. Deadline for submitting tenders: 21/09/2020.
(Info received from Skillsnet <[email protected]> [38])

Virtual seminar on Track-VET project
The Track-VET project (2017-2020),  involving six European partners, has been funded as part of the Erasmus+ strategic partnership. The main aim of this project is to provide evidence-based support to national governments and agencies, EU agencies and key stakeholders involved in designing policies on developing, assessing and validating key cross-cutting competences. The project's final on-line international seminar will be held 5 October 2020. For further information please visit the Cereq project page [39].
(Info received from Céreq News - Summer 2020  <[email protected]> [40])

Informing school students' decision-making about postschool pathways
In an era of high aspirations, vocational education is often seen as a non-preferred post-school pathway. Australian researchers recently completed a project focused on enhancing the status of vocational education and the occupations it serves, which had a strong focus on informing school students' decision-making about postschool pathways. The project led by Professor Stephen Billett, Professor Sarojni Choy and Dr Steven Hodge involve conducting interviews with school age children, teachers, parents and vocational education students and teachers, as well as a major survey. Amongst others, it identified that parents and school teachers may underestimate their influence on that decision-making, yet their advice is primarily based on their own experiences, rather than a more broadly informed and more impartial set of considerations. All classes of informants provided advice on how young people's decision-making about postschool pathways could progress and these indicated suggested actions to be undertaken by schools, parents, employers and government. Some of the key initiatives requested by students to inform them about postschool options are within the ambit of school activities (e.g. visits to vocational colleges, provision of work experiences, access to graduate stories et cetera). These young people also requested that they have access to individualised advice and counselling, which may be beyond the scope of what schools and teachers can provide at this time. A short and easy to follow Research Bulletin has been reduced from this project and is available here [41] [PDF [42]].
(Contributed by Stephen Billett <[email protected]> [43])

NOTE: Contributions are invited to update the Overview of European research projects [www.projects.wifo-gate.org [44]], provided as part of the WIFO Gateway. Contact: Sabine Manning [13]

Publications

Youth transitions
Youth transitions: creating pathways to success. Report by Dr Deirdre Hughes and Dr Graeme Smith. Education Development Trust 2020 [Details [45]]
Around the world, young people face considerable challenges. Even before the disruption of the Covid-19 crisis, policymakers were seeking to respond to rapid technological advances, climate change and – in some countries – an ageing population and workforce. While children and young people worldwide generally have high aspirations and ambitions for their futures, evidence shows that they often face problematic and protracted transitions into work. In this context, new pathways from school to employment are needed: from career-related learning in primary schools to meeting the needs of young adults up to the age of 25. In this paper, we review extensive evidence to provide guidance on how children and young people can be best prepared to succeed in their school-to-work transitions, both now and in the future.
(Info received from Research Digest July 2020. Education and Employers Research <[email protected]> [27])

Céreq: School-to-work transition
This is the first issue of the Céreq International Mission's publication "In and Around [46]" (in English), which aims to publicise each year the work of our researchers on a specific theme and to present ongoing international projects. The theme chosen for this first issue - the School-to-Work Transition - underpins a large part of Céreq's scientific activities. The introductory article presents different transition models showing the various ways education and work can be organized and linked to each other, as well as the different time-scales of the transition process. The three main articles, based on the Génération survey conducted by Céreq, focus on school to work trajectories. European and international comparisons as well as cooperation take pride of place in Céreq's activities. A comparative analysis of 7 European national qualification frameworks reveals different patterns of sector qualifications awarded outside the traditional educational context. Finally, this issue displays two documentary platforms as part of a partnership of experts that has been developed at the EU level and led to concrete outcomes: the first one on training and integration into the labour market of low-skilled adults, and the second one on educational resources related to the ecological transition for vocational training establishments.
(Info received from Matteo Sgarzi <[email protected]> [40])

Cedefop: Apprenticeships for adults
Apprenticeships for adults. Helping secure good jobs for people and skills for businesses and labour markets. Briefing note. Cedefop June 2020 [Info/Download [47]]
As European countries are gradually resuming business, following the most stringent measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, many are warning that some effects of the crisis will be sustained. In some countries, concerns have been raised about the slump in numbers of apprenticeship places, partly due to provisional or permanent company closures. Apprenticeships for adults are one of the policy solutions to the need for supporting adults willing to train, while broadening the skills base of the working population across Europe. According to Cedefop estimates, there are around 128 million adults with potential for upskilling or reskilling in the European Union. EU Member States have decided to open apprenticeships to adults by removing age limits and by making them more flexible.
(Info received from CR&DALL Site Digest for 16/07/20/ <[email protected]> [21])

Industry and VET
Focus on industry and VET: International research. VOCEDplus - NCVER's international tertiary education research database. April 2020 [Resource [48]]
Industry involvement in the development and delivery of vocational education and training (VET) is seen as crucial to ensure students have the relevant skills that employers need. The global skills dilemma: how can supply keep up with demand? The Hays Global Skills Index 2019/20 is an annual assessment of the trends that impact labour markets and how easy or hard it is for organisations to find the skilled employees they need. The 2019/20 index found, as in previous years, issues such as 'talent mismatch' - the gap between the skills held by job seekers and the skills sought by employers - worsening in many labour markets: the Index's talent mismatch indicator has increased in almost half of the countries included in the report. Industry's involvement in the VET sector ensures students are developing appropriate skill-sets for existing job vacancies. This issue of Focus presents current research discussing industry involvement in VET in the UK, Europe and New Zealand.
(Info received from Research Digest July 2020. Education and Employers Research <[email protected]> [27])

VET to combat climate change
Linda Clarke, Melahat Sahin-Dikmen and Christopher Winch (2020). Overcoming diverse approaches to vocational education and training to combat climate change - the case of low energy construction in Europe. Oxford Review of Education 12 June 2020 [Full text [49]]
Vocational education and training (VET) can play a transformative role in reducing CO2 emissions and improving the energy efficiency of buildings across Europe. Nearly zero energy building (NZEB) requires an energy literate workforce, with broader and deeper theoretical knowledge, higher technical and precision skills, interdisciplinary understanding, and a wide range of transversal competences. Through an investigation into VET for low energy construction (LEC) in ten European countries, the article identifies a range of different strategies advanced under constraints imposed by the VET systems and construction labour markets. At one extreme, representing the 'high road', LEC elements are mainstreamed into broad-based occupational profiles, curricula and qualifications, whilst at the other, the 'low' road, short, specific and one-off LEC courses simply aim to plug existing 'skills' gaps. It is argued that the 'high road' approach, in encompassing a broad concept of agency, successfully addresses NZEB requirements whereas the 'low road' represents an instrumentalist approach to labour that jeopardises the achievement of higher energy efficiency standards. The article concludes by presenting a transparency tool set within the European Qualifications Framework, against which different VET for LEC programmes can be assessed.
(Received from Linda Clarke <[email protected]> [50])

Influencing technical training transfer
Svenja Richter, Simone Kauffeld (2020). Beyond supervisors' support: influencing (international) technical training transfer. European Journal of Training and Development, Volume 44 Issue 4/5 [Details [51]]
Organizations face challenges which have not been seen before due to changes in economics and globalization bringing up unseen circumstances. Fast and effective training in latest technologies and development methods for employees is an important task for human resource development (HRD) departments of companies striving to be innovative and competitive. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how to fully transfer the new technological knowledge into daily business. This paper aims to provide an understanding of influencing motivation and volition in the transfer of learning within the context of technical training in different countries by controlling the predictors of peer support, training content validity and supervisor support. As one of the first internationally shaped studies, we found that motivation and volition mediate the effects of peer support, content validity and supervisor support on training transfer after a technical training. We also showed that peer support has a greater influence on motivation than content validity followed by supervisor support, and that company culture seems to beat the impact of national culture. Our study provides a good basis for further research, which should above all continue to examine technical training in different cultures.
(Contributed by Svenja Richter <[email protected]> [52] and Simone Kauffeld <[email protected]> [53])

Inventory for in-company training
Svenja Böhn, Viola Katharina Deutscher (2020). Development and Validation of a Learning Quality Inventory for In-Company Training in VET (VET-LQI). Vocations and Learning. Original paper - published online [Details [54]]
In recent years, numerous research efforts have been made to identify and describe quality aspects in dual VET, especially with regard to in-company training conditions as perceived by apprentices. This has resulted in an outsized number of test instruments. The research presented here aims to assemble and organize all existing survey instruments in the VET context and to develop a comprehensive and validated questionnaire for dual VET that measures workplace characteristics (VET-LQI). For this purpose, 43 test instruments were identified and categorized using a qualitative meta-synthesis, and integrated into a general theoretical framework (Tynjälä 2013). The results of the meta-synthesis reveal diverse content areas as the current foci of VET quality research. As the applicability of any existing survey is limited, a synthesized item pool was created. 22 short scales (99 items) were extracted and tested in seven commercial training occupations in Germany. Both item and factor analyses yielded satisfactory results. The final instrument reflects the various foci of a longstanding and diverse research tradition, and will allow future researchers to analyze in-company training conditions more comprehensively, given limited opportunities and time resources for testing.
(Contributed by Svenja Böhn <[email protected]> [55])

Youth worker education in Europe
Marti Taru, Ewa Krzaklewska, Tanya Basarab (eds). Youth worker education in Europe: Policies, structures, practices (Youth Knowledge 26). Council of Europe 2020 [Details [56]]
Youth work is experiencing a policy momentum at European level. This book looks at how youth work practitioners learn their trade, what formal and non-formal education offers exist and how education is contextualised in the broader picture of youth work recognition. Starting with the premise that formal education entails a series of steps from which youth work practitioners would benefit, this book explores that picture through a mapping study and delves further into its findings through thematic contributions. The results of the research and debates with policy makers, researchers, practitioners, educators and other stakeholders identifies a field of growing opportunities across Europe. The situation of youth workers in different countries varies from advanced practice architectures for youth worker education to those in need of development. Youth worker education, however, is not only about the education and training offers, it is also about financial and organisational resources, legislation, support systems, competence frameworks, quality standards, ethical frameworks and guidance. This book aims to support youth work so that it becomes more visible and evolves into a recognised field of practice among other occupations and professions engaging with young people.
(Info received from Council of Europe Publishing <[email protected] [57]>)

NOTE: References to publications on European research in learning and work are provided by the WIFO pages on Books [www.books.wifo-gate.org [58]],  Journals [www.journals.wifo-gate.org [59]] and Articles [www.articles.wifo-gate.org [60]].