As the world’s economy develops into a more dynamic, fast-moving, and unpredictable entity, it is crucial that the workers who create wealth have the ability to assess and respond to new and unforeseen challenges. In other words, the future will require a more competent workforce. What, though, does this mean in practice? In this, the fully revised second edition of Christine Velde’s book, a variety of researchers from around the world provide a truly international perspective on the issue. They help to redefine the term competence. Rather than responding to challenges using a pre-existing set of skills, they see competence as having the ability to assess new situations, and then adapt one’s response accordingly, particularly in collaboration with others. Providing the reader with insightful perspectives about competence in different situations and contexts, the book’s sections explore the concept of competence in industry and vocational education, in schools and colleges, in small businesses and companies, and in universities. The interpretation, experience and teaching of competence in the workplace is boiled down to five essential components that in themselves represent an argument for a more holistic conception of competence. Velde herself concludes the book by synthesizing and reflecting on the contents. This book provides the reader with insightful perspectives on competence, and the characteristics of learning environments in different workplace contexts. Drawing on phenomenographic insights allows it to present a more enlightened view of competence, at the same time as opening up an international dialogue about the meaning and interpretation of competence in the workplace. Useful not only to educators and researchers, this volume will also assist leaders and managers in a variety of contexts to develop more meaningful workplaces.

In the future a more competent workforce will be required as workers will have to acquire the competence to predict and deal with novel situations at work. This book aims to provide the reader with insightful perspectives about competence in different situations and contexts. It presents a more enlightened view of human competence by opening up an international dialogue about the meaning and interpretation of competence in the workplace, and the impact of learning environments on workplace policy and practice. Five major premises which provide a basis for how we interpret, experience, and teach competence in the workplace are put forward: notions of worker competence, and the persuasiveness of informal workplace training; developing competence as an individual, and the inherent relationship between the worker and work, and the lifeworld; learning which develops higher level competences based on a more holistic conception of competence; characteristics of learning environments as integral components of learning at work; learning environments construed as theoretical and methodological problems in terms of their impact on the acquisition of competence.

In today’s complex and ever-changing world it has become obvious that even highly developed knowledge and skills are no longer sufficient to meet new challenges, situations and problems facing individuals, organisations and nations. This raises an enormous and potentially confusing issue for educators and trainers: how is it possible to generate and assess abilities to deal with challenges and problems unknown – or not even in existence – at the time when the learning takes place? The book builds on the experiences and insights of its expert contributors, all of whom have worked with, studied and analysed competences and how they are developed. Their collected work presents Comprehensive explanation and analysis of the concept and nature of competence. Specific contexts of competence development, e.g. in the public sector or small business. Competence development as a national strategy for building an up-to-date education and training system. With chapters from around the world, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia, this book illustrates in an engaging and convincing manner the importance and innovative nature of the concept of competences, resulting in a varied, differentiated and empathetic guide to the topic. It will appeal to educators, both in academic and management circles, as well as students and administrators of education.

Older employees are often seen as an obstacle and not as an opportunity for companies, especially regarding the transfer of knowledge and experience. Effective development and utilization of older professional and managerial employees is an important issue as most organizations are not prepared to tailor their training methods to the needs and preferences of these employees due to negative stereotypes. Managing a rapidly aging workforce and sustaining economic dynamism calls for systematic research to prevent age discrimination due to an incomplete knowledge of older workers and politically challenging policy choices that require strong political commitments, robust management leadership, and social consensus. International Perspectives and Strategies for Managing an Aging Workforce examines the differences in stereotypes of older employees compared to younger employees in companies; analyzes the impact of the aging workforce on retention, productivity, and well-being; and investigates organizational systems, processes, and practices for managing older workers. Covering a range of topics such as retention and retirement, this reference work is ideal for researchers, academicians, practitioners, business owners, managers, human resource workers, instructors, and students.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in rejuvenating and sustaining the modern economy, generating substantial employment and serving as important innovation engines for the global economy. Global Perspectives on Small and Medium Enterprises and Strategic Information Systems: International Approaches aims to spread research conducted on SMEs internationally and place it at the disposal of academics, practitioners, consultants, the vendor community, and policymakers. The goal of this book is to highlight the challenges faced by SMEs and how they are coping with the adverse environment through skillful use of IT and technologies such as Web 2.0, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), e-commerce, open source software, Business Process Digitization (BPD), and other emerging technologies.

This book is the second in a series of two volumes that reviews a broad range of strategies and practices undertaken as workplace development activities in a post-global financial crisis period when organisational volatility and survival were foremost in the minds of leaders. Drawing mainly from a wide range of major research projects conducted Australia and with some contributions from international authors, this second book is a compilation of contemporary themes and applications that were developed from individual research projects. During the global financial crisis, the Australian economy out-performed many other developed countries, but it was not immune from international pressures such as global competition, market fluctuations and an increasingly mobile workforce. These issues are reflected in many of the chapters and the combined work will inform readers about the major workforce development challenges facing public and private sector organisations. The book blends relevant literature with rich empirical evidence gathered from large and small organisations and includes application tools developed by researchers who are experts in their field. This book will be of scholarly interest to a broad audience of academics, industry leaders, human resource practitioners and students in adult education, business, psychology and social science disciplines. Moreover, the book will be of interest to education and training professionals, management consultants, and more generally, people who follow the evolution of work and its impact on contemporary society.​

Although universal schooling has been adopted as a goal by international organizations, national governments, and non-profit organizations, little sustained international attention has been devoted to the purposes or goals of universal education. This book offers diverse views from experts around the world on the purposes of universal education.

A firm’s productivity has mainly been based on human capital resources, with organizational value and performance dependent on the knowledge and skills of their managers and employees. Because human capital research captures the transformation and complexity of productive organizations in today’s globalized economy, it is crucial to grasp the scope and breadth of human capital-intensive firms (HCIF) and their impact in relation to value creation. Global Perspectives on Human Capital-Intensive Firms is an essential reference source that provides an advanced analysis of modern firms at an analytical and empirical level, as well as a transdisciplinary approach to how human capital will impact the economics and management of a firm. Featuring research on topics such as firm performance, knowledge creation, and organizational management, this book is ideally designed for accountants, researchers, professionals, business managers, human resource managers, graduate-level students, academicians, consultants, and practitioners seeking coverage on the evolution of HCIF in different sectors, their internal and external organizations, and their performance.

The purpose of education has been debated in recent years, especially surrounding its curriculum and structure. In order to fully understand this discussion, the relationship between education and the labor market must be explored. Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on recent progress in selected countries across the globe in educational programs designed to better prepare students for the workforce through the use of work-related learning. While highlighting topics such as degree apprenticeships, integrated learning strategy, and economic development, this book is ideally designed for education administrators, professors, business and education professionals, academicians, researchers, and graduate-level students seeking current research on the relationship between the education and labor market.

Fundamentals of Workplace Learning is a comprehensive guide to how people learn in the workplace, and the issues and challenges involved. Examining the essential aspects of workplace learning and unravelling the various influences which affect the success of work-based learners, Knud Illeris presents a holistic model to explain how diverse individuals can be encouraged and invited to learn at work. Approaching workplace learning from the perspective of learners as human beings, with complex social and psychological needs, as opposed to resources to be managed, this book examines in detail the key issues surrounding workplace learning, including: The workplace environment as a learning space Workplace learning as competence development A multitude of different kinds of workplace learning arrangements Job-transcending learning initiatives The interaction between formal and informal learning environments The challenges presented by specific groups: early school leavers, elderly workers and the new young generation. Presenting conclusions on workplace learning and possibilities for the future this book focuses on a way forward while detailing the fundamentals of successful workplace learning. It will appeal to everyone involved in understanding and improving learning in the workplace including educationalists, business students, managers, personnel and educational leaders.