This is the latest edition of the L&W Newsletter, which will reach you via a mailing list of over 1400 experts in and beyond Europe. As always, it focuses on transnational research activities in the field of human resource development (HRD) and vocational education and training (VET), centred on major categories: conferences, networks, programmes, projects and publications. Many thanks to all who contributed information for this edition of the Newsletter!

Particularly worth noting in this edition are four calls for papers or proposals related to: the EAPRIL conference in Nicosia on Improving Learning, the Nordic Adult Education conference in Tampere and the International Critical Management Studies conference in Leicester (see Conferences), and the Special Issue on The Politics of Projects in Technology-Intensive Work (see Publications).

Should you prefer to read the current Newsletter edition online, you can find it under June 2014 on the website (www.news.wifo-gate.org). And please pass the Newletter on to your own colleagues and networks - thanks! The next edition of the Newsletter will appear in early August 2014. You are invited to submit short pieces of news (texts of 100 to 200 words, without attachments, but including links to web pages) - please by 31 July 2014 at the latest!

With best wishes
Sabine Manning
Research Forum WIFO
Editor of the L&W Newsletter

Conferences

EMCC Mentoring and Coaching Research Conference
EMCC's 4th Research Conference will be held at Cergy-Pontoise University, near Paris, France on 26-27 June 2014. Go to our conference website www.EMCCconference.org and find out about the research conference, including: the keynotes by Dr Max Rapp Ricciardi and Professor Peter Hawkins; the optional pre-conference MasterClass on 'Research and Best Practice in Coaching Supervision' with Professor Peter Hawkins; the session speakers and the research they will be presenting. However, as we understand that not everyone can afford to attend all or part of the Conference, we are offering you the option to attend one session at the conference for FREE. To book your free session, go to the bookings page and select from the list of sessions. When booking your free session, please make sure you choose the 'manual payment' option when going through checkout - this will ensure you are not charged for this free session.
(Info received from Irena Sobolewska <[email protected]>)

History of Vocational Education and Training Conference (Update)
International Research Conference on the History of Vocational Education and Training (VET): Cases, Concepts, and Challenges. The University of Zurich, Switzerland. September, 8th and 9th 2014
The Chair for Vocational Education and Training and Teacher Training at the University of Zurich, Prof. Philipp Gonon, in cooperation with the Chair for Theory and Research in Education at the University of Potsdam, Dr. Esther Berner, invite participants to their historical international research conference, which will address the following topics: #Cases which stress specific developments or problems of VET in a certain country or region; #Concepts which are discussing theoretical approaches towards this phenomenon; #Challenges which are contextualizing the historical perspective in a topical policy context.
The conference program is available here. For more information, please contact Jennifer Keller ([email protected]) or access the website http://www.ife.uzh.ch/weiterbildungundveranstaltungen/veranstaltungen/vethistory.html.
(Posted by Jennifer Keller)

Call for submissions EAPRIL 2014
EAPRIL (www.eapril.org) is holding its 9th annual conference in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 25-28th November. EAPRIL, the European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning (both in education and professional practice) is a non-profit organisation that bridges practice and research and aims to cross the boundaries between education and working life. It gathers about 500 delegates from across Europe with seven L&D related networks at its annual conference. EAPRIL is structured in two interconnected communities: EAPRIL Education & Learning (formal education) and EAPRIL Learning & Development (Post-formal/professional/organisational learning). Various innovative and interactive sessions allow an exchange and formulation of new ideas, creation of research and benchmark data with the goal to enhance educational and L&D practices. Keynote sessions of leading experts in the field of L&D, such as Stefaan van Hooydonck (Dean of Philips Lighting University) and dr. Stephen Billett (Griffith University), are included in the programme. EAPRIL also awards the Best Research & Practice Project. Deadline for submissions is 12th June 2014. We hope to welcome you in Nicosia for another fruitful EAPRIL conference. In case you have any questions, you can send an e-mail to [email protected]
(Posted by Joris Wagemakers <[email protected]>)

Call for abstracts: 6th Nordic adult education conference
6th Nordic conference on adult education and learning, to be held at University of Tampere, Finland, 25-28 March 2015.
We invite paper proposals on "Adult Education and the Planetary Condition". Currently, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers of adult education are witnessing the consequences of globalization, not only as increased interaction and mobility across different kinds of borders, but also as financial and economic, social and environmental crises at a global scale. The local challenges of adulthood are increasingly also planetary. The Nordic conference  invites researchers to discuss their topics and results in the tension-field of the local and global. Contributions relating adult education to social, economic, ecological and cultural issues are especially welcome, but the conference is open to all interested in encounters and dialogues within the Nordic adult education community. Please submit an abstract of max 400 words online no later than 15.11.2014. Contact persons: Anja Heikkinen ([email protected]) and Annika Turunen ([email protected]). Conference website http://www.uta.fi/edu/nordic/index.html
(Info received from Anja Heikkinen)

International Critical Management Studies Conference
Call for stream proposals: 9th International Critical Management Studies Conference, University of Leicester, UK, July 2015
The theme of this conference "Is there an alternative? Management after critique" invites contributors to explore alternatives to the ubiquity of neoliberal market managerialism in all its many guises. At this stage we are inviting stream proposals that address this theme, and submissions should include an outline of the proposed sub-theme (500-750 words), as well as a short description of the team of convenors, including their academic background and experience. We expect most of the submissions to be linked with the overall conference theme, but other submissions are also welcome, as long as they are likely to appeal to the wider CMS community. We particularly welcome proposals from convenor teams that are international in their composition, with convenors coming from at least two countries. Deadline for submission of sub-theme proposals: 1 September 2014. For any questions, and to submit your proposals, please contact Martin Parker and Mel Simms on behalf of the local organizing committee on [email protected]. Full details of the call are available at: http://www.criticalmanagement.org/node/3144
(Info received via UFHRD mailing list)

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].  

Networks

EPALE - the online community for adult learning professionals in Europe
EPALE is the new multilingual community of adult learning professionals like you! It's here to help you work together to improve the quality and provision of adult learning in Europe, establish a strong pan-European Adult Learning sector and enable you, as adult education professionals and multipliers, to reach out to all adults. The site is particularly designed to be of interest to teachers, trainers, researchers, academics, policy makers and anyone else with a professional role in adult learning across Europe. If you are in any of these roles, we are asking you to play a part in shaping the platform. Everything within the site will be organised around five important adult learning Themes. You can find out about our suggestions for the key themes here. You can comment on these in the survey too. Full information and representation is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/epale/en#about-epale
(Info received via ESREA mailing list)

Update: The Directory of Professional Contacts (www.dpc.wifo-gate.org), including more than 200 professionals across 30 countries in the field of transnational European VET and HRD research, is being continuously updated. You can find brief information on colleagues with particular expertise as authors, project and network coordinators or programme chairs - all being involved in European collaboration. Data in this Directory is linked up with major research resources such as the Bookshelf, Overview of articles, Conference page, ECER VETNET Proceedings and Overview of HRD conference papers, Networks at a glance and Overview of projects.
(Contributed by Sabine Manning)

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]. Major online resources related to European research networks include the ECER VETNET Proceedings (www.ecer-vetnet.wifo-gate.org) offering a complete and up-to-date collection of conference papers submitted since 1998, and the Overview of selected HRD conference papers (www.ehrd-papers.wifo-gate.org).

Programmes

Directory of Masters programmes in Europe: Call for updates
The current edition of the Directory of Masters programmes in Europe, available as part of the WIFO Gateway (www.master.wifo-gate.org), is being updated. The Directory, set up ten years ago, now presents more than 100 Masters programmes related to the area of learning and work, in particular HRD and VET, in 23 European countries. It is interesting to note that most of the programmes entered over the years are still on offer (whether modified or unchanged), which suggests that they have become an established part of postgraduate studies in professional fields across Europe. The complete entries of the Directory are arranged by country. The thematic spectrum of programmes can be looked up in an index covering five areas: Education/ LLL; Vocational education; Human resource development; Business/ Human resource management; Organisation/ Work. Have a look at the Directory and check whether all the programmes you know in this field are included and are up-to-date. Your contributions would be welcome!
(Posted by: Sabine Manning)

PhD Program in Innovation and Land Use Management (Update)
The The Faculty of Economics (www.fe.ualg.pt) and the Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (www.cieo.pt) of the University of Algarve (www.ualg.pt), Portugal, are starting a 3rd edition of the Doctoral Program in Innovation and Land Use Management (ILUM). The PhD program's specific goals are to develop researchers able to promote scientific research in the areas of innovation and land use management based on multidisciplinary approaches related to spatial and organizational dynamics; to transmit the most recent knowledge and best practices in the area of strategic management, human resources and entrepreneurship; to stimulate innovation and the development of new processes and products with the help of planning processes and knowledge management; and to intensify the general understanding of economic activity and its ability to interact with the surrounding environment. The application deadline has been extended to 30th June 2014. For further information please visit: http://goo.gl/7qaHzL
(Posted by Julieta Rosa <[email protected]> on behalf of Teresa de Noronha)

International Programme in Strategic Corporate University Management
The G-ACUA International School of Corporate University Management Training offers a Professionally Accredited Online Programme in "Strategic Corporate University Business Management". The curriculum is based on the key strands of real-time corporate university innovation management. The dynamic curriculum profile presents a clear articulation of events, timelines, study schedules, marking systems, communication networks, learning objectives and learning skills processes. The five written work packages will cover the following core aspects: #career path review and appreciation; #review of organisational situation dynamics; #mapping a company intellectual capital statement; #strategic corporate university management project; #critical review of management learning. Details of the programme are available at: http://www.corporateuniversity.org.uk/acua/Programme-Intro.htm
(Info received via Richard Dealtry <[email protected]>

NOTE: Contributions are welcome for the next edition of the Directory of Doctoral Dissertations (www.ddd.wifo-gate.org), provided as part of the WIFO Gateway, which focuses on European research in the field of vocational education (VET) and human resource development (HRD). Please provide information on expected or newly completed doctoral dissertations investigating issues of HRD, VET or work-related adult education, according to the following pattern: 1*Theme of dissertation (original language AND English); 2*Year of (expected) completion or publication; 3*Author (name and email address); 4*Tutor (name and email address); 5*Institution of tutor (name and home page). Contributions should be posted by email to the editor ([email protected]).

Projects

Nextwork European projects forum
Nextwork is an important event aimed at developing international relations with the various protagonists of EU grant-funded projects. It is a 4-day meeting (1st - 4th October 2014) intended to furnish methodology and skills to be  successful in the complex world of education and research, skills development and European project management. The CNR (the National Research Centre of Italy) and The Apulia Region Department, Valore Assoluto, will be running an event, taking place at Taranto, Italy. Participation terms, prices, service features, application forms, technical and administrative staff contacts and further information are available at: www.nextworkforum.it  Contact: [email protected] - See also Info page provided by the Pascal Observatory (http://pascalobservatory.org).
(Info received via PASCAL International Observatory Site Digest for 28/04/2014)

NOTE: Contributions are invited to update the Overview of European research projects [www.projects.wifo-gate.org], provided as part of the WIFO Gateway. The overview focuses on transnational research projects, mainly supported by EU programmes, in the areas of human resource development, vocational education, work and learning. Please send the following information to the editor ([email protected]):  (A) exact title and acronym (short name) of the project; (B) name and email address of the coordinator or main contact; (C) address of the website (or info page/ flyer) of the project. Contact: Sabine Manning

Publications

Just published: Designing, Delivering and Evaluating L&D
Jim Stewart and Peter Cureton (eds.) Designing, Delivering and Evaluating L&D: Essentials for Practice. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development: London 2014 [Details]
The book is an edited collection of chapters written by leading researchers and teachers of HRD in the UK. It is intended to support teaching and learning of the CIPD module with the same title as part of their postgraduate diploma in HRD or HRM. The book is also suitable for university postgraduate modules in HRD as part of CIPD approved or CIPD independent masters awards. Chapters cover the following topics: #Individual and Collective Learning (Clair Doloriert, Jim Stewart and Sally Sambrook); #The External and Internal Context (Amanda Lee, Sophie Mills and Dalbir Sidhu); #Establishing Learning Needs (Tricia Harrison and Randhir Auluck); #Designing Learning Interventions (Crystal Zhang and Niki Kyriakidou); #Delivering and Facilitating Learning (Michelle McLardy and Nigel O'Sullivan); #Evaluating Learning and Development (Marian O'Sullivan and Michael McFadden); #Acting Professionally and Ethically (Peter Cureton and Maureen Royce); #Themes and the Future of DDE (Jim Stewart and Peter Cureton).
(Posted by Jim Stewart<[email protected]>)

The Politics of Projects in Technology-Intensive Work
Special Issue Call for Papers. Guest edited by: Damian E Hodgson, Monica Lindgren, Johann Packendorff & Svetlana Cicmil.
We are particularly interested in papers adopting a critical lens to address the following themes - PROJECT WORK: The political consequences for individuals of the practices, language, tools and methodology of project management in technology-intensive work;  PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT FORM: Political implications of short term work, the dual career ladder and the professionalisation of project management; PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES: Critical analyses of the implementation of project management tools, including resistance to and transformation of such tools. Other possibilities are encouraged and we invite potential contributors to discuss their ideas with the guest editor, by contacting in the first instance Damian Hodgson ([email protected]). Articles should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words. All articles should be accompanied by a 150 word abstract. All submissions to the journal must be submitted online at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ntwe. Deadline for first submission: 28 Nov 2014 (Reviews returned: Feb 2015). Resubmission: May 2015 (Second reviews returned: Sep 2015). Publication: 2016.
(Info received via UFHRD mailing list)

Challenges of Intercultural Vocational Education and Training
Marianne Teräs, Johanna Lasonen, Maria Nuottokari. Challenges of Intercultural Vocational Education and Training: Developing a Strand Model in the Change Laboratory. Working paper. University of Jyväskylä, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, 2014 [https://ktl.jyu.fi/en/publications/f031]
What kinds of challenges do teachers and colleges of vocational education and training face in teaching students with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds? What kinds of perspectives and solutions did teachers in a College find when they gathered together and discussed intercultural teaching and learning? This report describes a development process, during which a new model for intercultural vocational education and training was produced. The model is called a strand model and it illustrates how in vocational education and training different strands, such as individual subjects, demands of working life and learning a new language, are intertwined into a strong fabric to support the growth and development of vocational and professional competence. The strand model emphasises the cultural practices of occupations rather than individual subjects, goals, or competences. The project was part of a larger research scheme called OPCE (Opening Pathways to Competence and Employment for Immigrants) funded by the Academy of Finland in 2009–2013. The publication is intended for teachers of immigrant students as well as for everybody interested in immigrant training. It provides new knowledge on intercultural vocational training and its challenges, also presenting a method for responding to these challenges.
(Posted by Marianne Teräs <[email protected]>)

Is career guidance for the individual or for the market?
Ingela Bergmo-Prvulovic. Is career guidance for the individual or for the market? Implications of EU policy for career guidance. International Journal of Lifelong Education. Volume 33, Issue 3, 2014 [Details]
This paper explores the essential understanding and underlying perspectives of career implicit in EU career guidance policy in the twenty-first century, as well as the possible implications of these for the future mission of guidance. Career theories, models and concepts that serve career guidance are shaped on the twentieth-century industrial division of labour and now face a crisis due to the influence of globalization on working life. The transition to a knowledge-based society also challenges the traditional view of career: vocational and educational paths are no longer linear, predictable or stable. The analyses of EU policy documents and ethical declarations discussed here indicate that meanings of career are under reconstruction and that these documents fail to clarify the underlying meanings or perspectives on career contained therein. The essential meaning of career, as communicated through characterizations and dominating underlying perspectives in EU policy, puts greater emphasis on career guidance as being conducted on behalf of society, rather than the individual. Ethical tensions within the career guidance profession appear to have increased, and the profession is also challenged in its professionalization by contradictions and broadened areas, activities and functions.
(Received from Ingela Bergmo-Prvulovic <[email protected]>)

Validation of non-formal and informal learning in Portugal and France
C. Cavaco, P. Lafont & M. Pariat. Policies of adult education in Portugal and France: the European Agenda of validation of non-formal and informal learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education. Volume 33, Issue 3, 2014 [Details]
This article analyses the influence of the European Union's educational policies on the implementation of devices for the recognition and the validation of informal and non-formal learning within public policies on education and training for adults in European Union Member States. Portugal and France are taken as examples. The European Union’s statements have influenced the development of devices for recognizing adult competences, regardless of the social, cultural and economic specificities of each country. However, sociocultural and sociopolitical characteristics influence the conditions under which recognition devices and the methods of their experimentation and generalization emerge, and are the vector of conflicts of interests between macro- and micro-sociological levels. There is at the same time a 'culture of convergence' impelled by the European Commission, and a process of adaptation in matters of cultural and territorialised practices, which aim to avoid marginalization. Data are drawn from official documents and interviews with people in charge of training institutions.
(Info about special Issue received via ESREA mailing list)

Organizational Learning and Learning Organization
Virtual special issue of Human Resource Development International [View issue]
Human Resource Development International, published in association with AHRD and UFHRD, is a leading peer-reviewed journal which explores all aspects of practice and research in individual, group and organisational learning and performance. To highlight the depth of content that the journal brings to these subject areas, we are producing a series of virtual special issues based on key themes in Human Resources. The third of our virtual special issues focuses on 'Organizational Learning and Learning Organization'. Free articles include #Human Resource Practices, Organizational Learning and Business Performance (Susana Perez Lopez, Jose Manuel Montes Peon, Camilo Jose Vazquez Ordas); #Psychological empowerment and organizational commitment: the moderating effect of organizational learning culture (Paula Crouse, Wendy Doyle & Jeffrey D. Young); #The learning organization and its dimensions as key factors in firms' performance (Deborah Davis, Barbara J. Daley).
(Info received via UFHRD mailing list)

NOTE: Updates on publications provided by the WIFO Gateway include the WIFO Bookshelf [www.books.wifo-gate.org], a collection of references to publications focusing on cross-European issues of work and learning, and "From the Journals" - Overview of articles on cross-European issues in VET and HRD research [www.articles.wifo-gate.org], selected from European and international Journals related to education research [www.journals.wifo-gate.org].

Impressum

Editor of the L&W Newsletter: Dr Sabine Manning, Research Forum WIFO ([email protected]);
Address: Neue Blumenstr. 1, D-10179 Berlin, Germany;
Editions of the L&W Newsletter: six times a year, every two months (at the beginning of February, April, June, August, October, December);
Deadline for contributions to the L&W Newsletter: end of January, March, May, July, September, November;
Circulation of the current L&W Newsletter: about 1400 experts in 40 countries (mostly Europe);
Details and Archive of the L&W Newsletter [www.news.wifo-gate.org].