Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?

<p>Is England's current system of vocational qualifications (VQs) fit for purpose? The conclusion that the Wolf Review of Vocational Education (2011) came to is that, at least in parts, it is not. The Review's recommendations for reform were accepted in full by the Department for Edu...

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Main Author: Keep, E
Format: Report
Language:English
Published: ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) 2012
Subjects:
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author Keep, E
author_facet Keep, E
author_sort Keep, E
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description <p>Is England's current system of vocational qualifications (VQs) fit for purpose? The conclusion that the Wolf Review of Vocational Education (2011) came to is that, at least in parts, it is not. The Review's recommendations for reform were accepted in full by the Department for Education (DfE), but little subsequent attention has been given to the long-term implications of this decision.</p><p>This Issues paper will argue that policy makers now face two large-scale and strongly inter-related problems. First, the system of VQs has design flaws and weakenesses that mean that learners in England receive a shallower and narrower package of learning than their counterparts in many other parts of the developed world. Second, the labour market has significant structural problems that make it extremely hard for many VQs to generate any significant wage premia or support job progression. The interplay between these two factors, where one helps sustain the other and vice versa, creates what policy analysts sometimes refer to as a 'wicked problem' or a form of systems failure.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:864a33c1-0dc6-49c2-bbff-40f75a7c38442022-03-26T22:02:57ZReforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?Reporthttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_93fcuuid:864a33c1-0dc6-49c2-bbff-40f75a7c3844EducationVocational and professional learningEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE)2012Keep, E<p>Is England's current system of vocational qualifications (VQs) fit for purpose? The conclusion that the Wolf Review of Vocational Education (2011) came to is that, at least in parts, it is not. The Review's recommendations for reform were accepted in full by the Department for Education (DfE), but little subsequent attention has been given to the long-term implications of this decision.</p><p>This Issues paper will argue that policy makers now face two large-scale and strongly inter-related problems. First, the system of VQs has design flaws and weakenesses that mean that learners in England receive a shallower and narrower package of learning than their counterparts in many other parts of the developed world. Second, the labour market has significant structural problems that make it extremely hard for many VQs to generate any significant wage premia or support job progression. The interplay between these two factors, where one helps sustain the other and vice versa, creates what policy analysts sometimes refer to as a 'wicked problem' or a form of systems failure.</p>
spellingShingle Education
Vocational and professional learning
Keep, E
Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title_full Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title_fullStr Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title_full_unstemmed Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title_short Reforming vocational qualifications. Some problems ahead?
title_sort reforming vocational qualifications some problems ahead
topic Education
Vocational and professional learning
work_keys_str_mv AT keepe reformingvocationalqualificationssomeproblemsahead