Marja-Leena Stenstrom ̈ and Pai ̈ vi Tynjal ̈ a ̈ Changing Working Life as a Challenge to Education Recentmacro-leveltrends,suchaseconomicglobalisation,thedevelopmentofthe- formationsociety,changesinmethodsofproductionandtheorganisationofwork,and the growing signi?cance of knowledge as a factor of production, have created a new context for the relationship between education and working life. In this new context, the use of work experience as an educational and learning strategy has become one ofthemostimportantdevelopmentsbothinvocationaleducationandtraining(VET) and in higher education. Although the tradition of making work an integral part of education has varied at different levels of the educational system, the challenges that systems of education currently face are very similar in many respects. These include thechallengeofequivalenceasregardsthelevelofacademicstandards,thechallenge ofdevelopingpedagogicalpracticesfordifferentformsofwork-relatedlearning,and the impact that work-related learning has on the identity of the educational orga- sation, the teacher, and the learner. The diversity of the systems through which work experience is realised, the varying levels of training of workplace trainers, and the lack of industrial experience of vocational school teachers have aroused discussion abouthowtoguaranteeandassessthequalityofthelearningtakingplaceindifferent workplaces and of the work-based learning system as a whole. (See e. g. Boud & Solomon, 2001, p. 27; Grif?ths & Guile, 2004; Guile &Grif?ths, 2001. ) The key pedagogical question regarding collaboration between education and work is how to build a ?rm connection between theory and practice or abstract thinking and practical action – and between the development of general skills and speci?c vocational skills.

The first two decades of the 21st century have contributed a growing body of research, theorisation and empirical studies on learning and work. This Handbook takes the consideration of this topic into a new realm, moving beyond the singular linking of identity, learning and work to embrace a more holistic appreciation of learners and their life-long learning. Across 40 chapters, learners, learning and work are situated within educational, organisational, social, economic and political contexts. Taken together, these contributions paint a picture of evolving perspectives of how scholars from around the world view developments in both theory and practice, and map the shifts in learning and work over the past two decades. Part 1: Theoretical perspectives of learning and work Part 2: Intersections of learning and work in organisations and beyond Part 3: Learning throughout working lives and beyond Part 4: Issues and challenges to learning and work

From an international and comparative perspective, young people’s access to the labour market is a complex issue with certain contradictory aspects reflecting the level of development of labour law and industrial relations in their respective countries. In the most advanced economies, there has been a steady increase in the age at which young people exit the educational system and enter the labour market, giving rise to significant economic and social problems. The increase in levels of educational attainment is associated in some cases with an alarming rate of unemployment among those with academic qualifications, while employers encounter considerable difficulty in recruiting workers for unskilled and semi-skilled positions. The economies of developing countries, on the other hand, are characterized by different trends, reminiscent of the early stages of modern labour law, with the large-scale exploitation of young workers and children, many of whom join the flow of migrants towards the more highly developed regions of the world, with the consequent risk of impoverishing human capital in the country of origin. The ADAPT Labour Studies Book-Series has in connection been set up with a view to achieving a better understanding of these and other issues in the field of Labour and Employment relations in a global dimension, through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach.

This book takes a unique, practical, hands-on approach to the everyday activity of work integrated learning, addressing the topic through both direct instruction and case studies derived from actual experience.

This book analyzes the nature and requirements of workplace e-learning based on relevant theories such as adult learning, community of practice, organizational learning, and the systems thinking. By integrating considerations on organization, pedagogy and technology, a performance-oriented e-learning framework is then presented, where performance measurement is used to: 1) clarify and link organizational goals and individual learning needs, 2) direct learning towards work performance; and 3) support social communication and knowledge sharing and management in the workplace. E-learning and related emerging technologies have been increasingly used by organizations to enhance the skills and performance of knowledge workers. However, most of the efforts tend to focus on the technology, ignoring the organizational context and relevant pedagogies of workplace learning. Many e-learning projects in the workplace settings fail to connect learning with work performance and align organizational goals and individual needs in a systemic way. Moreover, there is insufficient effort on externalizing and transferring tacit knowledge embedded in practices and expertise, based on which to maintain and expand knowledge assets for sustainable development. The book presents a systemic theoretical framework, design principles, and implementation methods, together with a case study to demonstrate the use and effectiveness of the performance-oriented approach to workplace e-learning, in which organizational, social and individual perspectives are integrated in a systemic way. The performance-oriented approach to workplace e-learning enables self-regulated and socially constructed learning activities to be clearly motivated and driven towards the goal of performance improvement, and makes learning at the organizational, social and individual levels integrated in a systemic way. The effects of individual and social learning support and organizational learning environment on employees’ motivation to use performance-oriented e-learning are also investigated.

This book discusses the developments in policy and practice in the field of formal, non-formal and continuing vocational education and training in Spain since 1970. It describes how VET has been transformed and become one of the country’s main areas of pedagogical innovation, and also examines current developments, such as the role of non-formal vocational education and training, the accreditation of vocational qualifications acquired in the non-formal system, and the adoption of dual apprenticeships that bear little resemblance to central European dual systems. Written by respected researchers in these fields, the first section is informative and analytical, offering a description of the system and comments based on academic literature and research. The second section illustrates the research on relevant issues, portraying empirical data from different regions in Spain, as well as nationwide data. Explaining and interpreting data on the basis of the authors’ different theoretical frameworks, the book provides a comprehensive, updated and accurate overview of VET and relevant research in Spain, as well as their relation to European and global developments.

This is an important and timely collection in which recent research and interpretations are reported and debated. The papers provide a scholarly analysis of a range of significant issues, complexities and recurring themes.

Throughout the world, people understand the meaning of 'apprenticeship'. As a model of learning and skill formation, apprenticeship has adapted over the years to reflect changes in work, in technology, and in the types of knowledge that underpin occupational expertise. Apprenticeship serves the needs of government, as well as employers, individuals and society more generally. These needs have always co-existed in dynamic tension. This book explores the contemporary state of apprenticeship in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Ghana. The chapters present perspectives from leading researchers in the field, showing how apprenticeship is evolving and changing in every country (crossing boundaries of age, sector and levels of skill and knowledge) and examining the ability of apprenticeship to facilitate both vertical progression – particularly to higher education – and horizontal progression between jobs and sectors. As such, apprenticeship remains at the core of debates about vocational learning and the nature of expertise. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Vocational Education and Training.

This e-book discusses contemporary understandings of the nature of work and its enduring value as a central aspect of human life.