This book is among the first of its kind to comprehensively examine the implementation of soft skills in universities in the developing country, Vietnam. The context is unique as the implementation is taking place within the distinctive socio-economic, cultural and political characteristics of the country, amidst several simultaneously-executed educational reforms. Tran lays down the foundation for discussion by providing readers with a comprehensive review of how soft skills implementation has come into existence in higher education across the globe, before diving into the implementation of soft skills in Vietnamese universities. He goes on to highlight the interesting differences in the conceptualization of soft skills between Vietnamese universities and those in the West. The book depicts and compares how university leaders and managers tackle contextual factors, submit to constraints enforced by political forces, and how they use institutional advantages available for implementation. It goes further to examine how personal and contextual factors affect teachers’ and students’ engagement with the implementation, and highlights the role of work-integrated learning and extra-curricular activities in developing soft skills for students. Finally, the book investigates the contribution of external stakeholders, such as alumni, employers, skills experts, and local authorities, to the implementation and obstacles that prevent their participation. This book will be a valuable reference for the implementation of soft skills in higher education around the world.

The global skills gap and labor market disruptions pose a significant challenge for organizations worldwide. Higher education struggles to bridge the mismatch between skills taught in academia and those demanded by employers, hindering organizations in an era of heightened competition. Advancing Student Employability Through Higher Education offers a comprehensive solution to address this issue. Edited by Bryan Christiansen and Angela Even, this publication brings together innovative research and insights from employers and employees, serving as a valuable resource for academic scholars seeking the latest research on employer requirements in an era of increasing global hyper-competition. Covering topics like industry-academia collaboration, educational innovation, learning analytics, and educational artificial intelligence (AI), the book provides practical strategies and innovative approaches to bridge the gap between academic instruction and real-world organizational needs. It equips students with the skills and qualifications necessary to thrive in today's global economy through case studies, online learning effectiveness, and training evaluation. By leveraging the expertise of renowned scholars and industry practitioners, the book enhances understanding of the intricate dynamics of the workforce. It empowers scholars, graduate students, and higher education professionals to navigate the evolving needs of organizations, fostering success for individuals and organizational growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Academics 4.0 has become increasingly crucial in recent times due to the impact of Industry 4.0 on various fields. The emergence of disruptive technologies and the cyber-physical world has underscored the need for experts in these areas, which requires proper training of students from an early stage. Education 4.0 is essential in preparing faculties and students adequately for this purpose. This approach shifts the focus from teaching to learning and employs blended learning, MOOC courses, and flipped classrooms to achieve better understanding and application of knowledge. The practical aspect of the subject is discussed in the classroom, while the theoretical aspect is taught outside the class. The book, Architecture and Technological Advancements of Education 4.0, aims to explain the rationale, advantages, and features of Academics 4.0, explore assessment tools and techniques, and describe the national policy for bringing change in education. It also covers blended learning, MOOC courses, virtual labs, and mobile learning, with a focus on their benefits. The book will be useful for universities and educational entities that aim to follow Academics 4.0 in the education system, serve as a reference manual for research articles, and be helpful to faculties and academicians who wish to implement and assess online techniques. Additionally, it will be an excellent learning platform for providers and users of relevant domains, with a broad range of topics covering its impact on the education system, students, and workforce.

Located within the global changing contexts of higher education in the 21st century, this book examines the reform of the teaching and learning practices in Vietnamese universities under the Higher Education Reform Agenda and the influence of internationalization on the higher education sector. Specifically, it analyses the motives, current implementation, effectiveness, and challenges of these reforms, especially from student perspectives. Analyzing approximately 4300 survey responses and interviews with students, the book covers a range of key issues related to teaching and learning in higher education which have attracted attention in recent years, including: The learning environment Student support and first-year transition Student-centred teaching The use of credit-based curricula The use of information and communication technology At-home internationalization of higher education Assessment and feedback Work placements Informal learning via extra curricular activities Students’ perception of the values of university education.

Constructing Online Work-Based Learning Placements offers a step-by-step approach to understanding and applying the principles of design and delivery in online work-based learning (WBL) placements for students. A crucial component of employability strategies for higher education students, WBL placements are increasingly in need of adaptation to respond to today’s rapidly expanding online work environments. This evidence-based book explores the emergent properties and additional value that online WBL placements provide to student learning and employability prospects, focusing on effective pedagogy, design, planning and implementation. The book also presents the Peer Enhanced e-Placement (PEEP), a pioneering, positively evaluated and award-winning online WBL placement model that is underpinned by pedagogical research and theory. The PEEP has been adapted and adopted by numerous higher education teams organising online WBL placements, and the case example included in these pages will guide readers through their own implementation and collaborations.

Given the labor market challenges that countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are facing (notably high unemployment, prevalence of skills mismatches, low labor market mobility, and lack of formal employment networks), employment services could be a relevant policy instrument to assist unemployed individuals to find jobs. Despite high and increasing unemployment rates, employers in the region are facing difficulties to find workers whose competences and skills fit their employment needs. The study first surveys international best practices for the delivery of employment services and then reviews the provision of these services in a selected group of countries in the MENA region, with a focus on public provision through existing public employment agencies. Findings indicate public agencies in the region face many challenges for the effective delivery of employment programs, namely poor administrative capacity,system fragmentation, lack of governance and accountability, regulation bottlenecks, and flaws in program design. In order to help unemployed workers to obtain the competences required by available jobs, this study proposes a reform agenda based on the development of strong partnerships between public agencies, public providers, and employers for the design and implementation of flexible employment programs that respond to real employment needs. These partnershipss will need to be developed with strong governance mechanisms that make beneficiaries, private providers, and firms accountable for making sure that investments in employment programs lead to employment insertion. The book is directed to policy makers, practitioners, economists, and anyone interested in international best practices to promote a more effective delivery of employment services.

This book presents the most comprehensive discussion of emerging trends in higher education in the Asia Pacific, ranging from graduate attributes to integrated workplace learning, with an in-depth focus on work readiness, employability and career development. It draws on the relationship between graduate attributes and employability, as well as vocational training or internship programs. It offers theoretical and empirical analyses that institutions, decision-makers or academics can work on together to enhance job employability. This volume will also include issues such as development of emerging and employability skills, as well as directions for the changing nature in real-world settings. The book consists of contributions from experienced international authors, offering detailed insights for those who want a timely understanding of the latest trends in higher education.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has become a vibrant source of workforce development across the globe. It is no longer an offering only for a specialized sector of students. Instead, it has matured into a sound and meaningful program for high school and postsecondary students across interest areas, and abilities. CTE programs and students realize the great relevancy of the programs to workplace and higher education readiness and immediate earning power. This volume addresses the changing needs of foundation courses in CTE. As land grant universities began to offer courses to cover the historical, social and philosophical aspects of CTE, teaching institutions have followed suit. Therefore, readers will find not only a rich background in history and philosophy of the field, but also theory, best practice, and strategies specifically grounded in CTE. As scholars and practitioners argue whether human resource development (HRD) encompasses CTE or vice versa in the field, this text proves that HRD is an integral component and thrust of CTE. As a broad field of study, CTE has come a long way and its history parallels the efforts of humanity from the Stone Age to modern civilization. Building Workforce Competencies through CTE proves that CTE survived, and thrives. The more we realize how pervasive technology and information skills are needed in our society, the more we need CTE. CTE is a leader in innovative educational programs, pedagogical theory and practice; it prepares people, young and old, for the world of work. This book provides a practical and visionary basis for cultivating future opportunities and directions in CTE.

The Springer International Handbook of Educational Development in Asia Pacific breaks new ground with a comprehensive, fine-grained and diverse perspective on research and education development throughout the Asia Pacific region. In 13 sections and 127 chapters, the Handbook delves into a wide spectrum of contemporary topics including educational equity and quality, language education, learning and human development, workplace learning, teacher education and professionalization, higher education organisations, citizenship and moral education, and high performing education systems. The Handbook is grounded in specific Asia Pacific contexts and scholarly traditions, using unique country-specific narratives, for example, Vietnam and Melanesia, and socio-cultural investigations through lenses such as language identity or colonisation, while offering parallel academic discourse and analyses framed by broader policy commentary from around the world.

A multifaceted approach will be needed to fix the often-unsustainable challenges faced in the 21st-century academic arena. The trends in public and private institutions of education are more cutbacks, downsizing, mergers, sequestrations, lean process implementations, and the increase in hiring part-time workers over full-time workers. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it an array of schooling challenges around organizational change. Some challenges are structural, some are political, some are human resources related, and yet others are symbolic. To fix these problems, there is a need to address a core issue: increasing student engagement. This requires a wholesale rethinking of what schooling can be. Multifaceted Analysis of Sustainable Strategies and Tactics in Education brings increased awareness to students seeking education and faculty navigating the politics regarding the challenges they face, awareness of the disempowered voices found in the halls of these institutions, and light to the challenges facing administration in education. Covering topics such as parental involvement, work-based learning, and academic success, this premier reference source is an essential resource for educators and administrators of both K-12 and higher education, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, government officials, librarians, researchers, and academicians.