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Inclusive Vocational Education and Training (VET) – Policy and Practice
Abstract
Vocational Education and Training (VET) prepares citizens to participate in the labour market, but requires continuous development to adapt to the impacts of global trends, to become more attractive and relevant, to support lifelong learning, to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and to become more inclusive. European legislation and structural funds improved VET for people with SEN and/or disabilities, for example in the case of the European qualifications framework (EQF) and the national qualifications frameworks (NQFs). NQFs often lead to the development of a national qualifications catalogue, specifying training standards for all, including people with SEN/disabilities, yet with the challenge to achieve the right balance between the flexibility and the standardisation requirements of programmes and procedures. A recent European Agency project investigated the key aspects of VET programmes for learners with SEN and/or disabilities in 26 European countries and identified success factors that contributed to auspicious VET and transition to employment for learners with SEN and/or disabilities. These factors will finalise this chapter showing, in an inclusive design perspective, that they benefit all learners.
... Public TVET providers were required to secure minimum quotas for some specific groups of students, namely, females (10%), students of poor households (10%), students from remote areas and ethnic minorities (8%), and students with disabilities (2%). People with disabilities are probably the most challenging to reach in ensuring inclusive and equitable access to TVET, as students with disabilities often leave school early without many career prospects (Pereira et al. 2016). Furthermore, the infrastructure and facilities at most Cambodian TVET providers were not designed with a universal access concept in mind to take account of the needs of people with disabilities. ...
The Royal Government of Cambodia acknowledges the vital role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in developing a high-quality workforce to better respond to labor market demand and contribute to the national development agenda. In the past decade, with support from and collaboration with development partners, the Government has put effort into expanding access to and improving the quality of TVET. To improve quality, the Ministry of Labour Vocational and Training (MLVT) has developed competency-based training and assessment packages and upskilled the capacity of trainers, working in partnership with industry. It has also upgraded the facilities of public TVET providers and urged them to acquire ISO 9001-2005 certification for their training programs. Even though TVET enrollment has recently increased, it constitutes only a small fraction of the total educational participation. It is also concentrated mainly on the provision of bachelor’s degree programs. Attracting students to TVET continues to be a challenging issue. Changes in the labor market result in a decline in the need for manual labor and more demand for high-level skills and knowledge. To ensure the sector’s relevance, MLVT has engaged and sought support from the private sector; however, the partnerships are still limited to certain aspects of the training process and have yet to be well coordinated. To fulfill its role in producing a high-skill workforce, the sector needs to enhance its relevance and quality and focus more on providing midlevel programs.
... The educational goals of VET in the Nordic countries are essentially the same, namely to prepare students for participation in the labour market, to support lifelong learning and to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship (Pereira et al., 2016). However, the structures of the Nordic education systems differ. ...
The purpose of this article is to describe and analyse the state of the art of research on special needs education (SNE) in the context of the Nordic countries’ vocational education and training (VET) systems during the period January 2010 to September 2018. Twenty studies remained after the search procedure and thematic analysis, 15 of which deal with the practice level and five with the organisation level. No studies were identified as belonging to the policy level. The following themes were found at the practice level: teachers’ work and role, teaching and learning, student transition and student dropout. Themes identified at the organisation level were changes to vocational policy documents and educational practices, and school organisation and its implementation. Finland dominates in terms of number of studies. Furthermore, the review shows that there were few studies in the area of SNE in VET. The results show that further studies are needed to acquire more knowledge about SNE in vocational education.
Введение. Авторами доказывается наличие у студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья общих и специфических компонентов системы отношений в социокультурном пространстве вуза, отражающих характер их межличностного взаимодействия. Новизна исследования заключается в выделении иерархической структуры ценностно-смысловых аспектов готовности студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья к толерантному межличностному взаимодействию в условиях инклюзивного образования.Методы. Анализ специфических особенностей ценностных ориентаций студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья в условиях инклюзивного образования осуществлялся в процессе самооценки респондентами эмоционально-ситуативного состояния с использованием методов анкетирования, набора методик для анализа ориентации студентов в системе социальных отношений и авторских опросников по изучению готовности к толерантному межличностному взаимодействию.Результаты. Данный раздел включает презентацию эксперимента по исследованию ценностно-смысловых аспектов готовности к толерантному межличностному взаимодействию в условиях инклюзивного образования студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья.Обсуждение результатов. Авторы рассматривают особенности представлений студентов о толерантном взаимодействии в социокультурной среде вуза, детерминанты их формирования, специфику возрастных и типичных для студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья компонентов системы отношений. Результаты исследования позволили авторам выделить уровни сформированности готовности к межличностному взаимодействию студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья и описать факторы, определяющие эту готовность.В заключении делается вывод о значимости данной информации для психолого-педагогического сопровождения студентов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья, содействия их социальному и профессионально-личностному развитию в условиях инклюзивной образовательной среды вуза.
The national report on education periodically presents a major empirical review which covers the entire German education system. Published every two years, each report provides indicator-based information about the general conditions, features, results and output of education processes. It covers all levels of education from early childhood education and school education to vocational training, higher education and adult education and combines a comprehensive review with a specific thematic focus. The current volume for 2014 focuses on analysing the situation of people with special educational needs within the German education system.
In this study the perception of psychological needs and motivation in a student-centred and a teacher-centred learning environment are compared, using Self Determination Theory as a framework. The self-report Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was completed by 230 students (mean age 16.1 years) in pre-vocational secondary education. School records on absenteeism and achievement were also analysed. As predicted, multi-level analyses showed that students in the student-centred learning environment reported higher levels of perceived autonomy, competence, relatedness and motivation, measured by pleasure and effort. Furthermore, boys were less absent. Achievement shows no differences. These results suggest that a student-centred form of learning can be more beneficial for students' motivation if granted autonomy is embedded in a supportive environment.
Objective:
Social skills play an important role in employment. This study provides a qualitative analysis of salient work related social skills and interventions for addressing social skills in public vocational rehabilitation (VR).
Research design:
A modified consensual qualitative research (CQR) approach was taken to understand the elements and influence of work related social skills in public VR. Thirty-five counselors, supervisors, and administrators participated in semistructured interviews to provide their perspectives of work related social skills and the interventions they use for addressing these skills.
Results:
Multiple aspects of work-related social skills were described as being important for VR consumer success. The most common work related social skills across all participants were nonverbal communication and the ability to connect with others. Primary social interventions included informal social skills training (SST), systems collaboration, and creating an appropriate job match.
Conclusions:
Public rehabilitation agency staff, constantly faced with addressing work related social skills, possess many insights about salient skills and interventions that can benefit future research and practice. Agencies currently address social skills deficits by providing interventions to both person and environment. The research provides directions for future research related to identification of social skills and interventions to address related deficits.
The aim of this contribution is to shed light on the following questions: to what extent are labour market policy measures accessible for women and men with ID (intellectual disabilities)? What is the reality of transition to employment for this target group? What is the success rate of women and men with ID accessing labour market policy measures and the employment market per se? A presentation of selected empirical results (N = 625) of a nationwide survey conducted with the organisations that implement labour market policy measures in Austria illustrates the accessibility and success rate of these measures for women and men with ID. The results of the analysis reveal that a significant percentage of the people with ID who completed a labour market policy measure were able to obtain employment on the regular labour market, with work assistance in particular appearing to be a promising measure for obtaining employment. However, the relatively high success rate of vocational integration on the labour market does not belie the fact that a considerable number of people with ID are still not able to access vocational education and training measures; this is particularly true for those with ID who attended special schools and in general is true for women more than for men. Not being able to access vocational education and training measures leads to discrimination of the target group in regard to education and employment. The results suggest that inclusive schooling facilitates the accessibility and success rate of vocational education and training measures for men and women with ID.
Objective: To assess the impact of disability nondiscrimination legislation on employer practices in the United States and the United Kingdom. Study Design: U.S. and U.K. human resource professionals were surveyed about their experience with implementation of the legislation. Results: Both U.S. and U.K. employers are responding to their respective legislation by making accommodations-adjustments needed by applicants and employees with disabilities. Conclusions: Rehabilitation psychologists and other health care professionals working with people with disabilities must understand employee rights and employer responsibilities under this legislation, know where employers may have difficulty in responding to an accommodation request, and be familiar with the existing workplace resources and processes that can support an effective response to such requests.
The aim of this systematic review was to study factors which promote or hinder young disabled people entering the labor market.
We systematically searched PubMed (by means of MESH and text words), EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL for studies regarding (1) disabled patients diagnosed before the age of 18 years and (2) factors of work participation.
Out of 1,268 retrieved studies and 28 extended studies from references and four from experts, ten articles were included. Promoting factors are male gender, high educational level, age at survey, low depression scores, high dispositional optimism and high psychosocial functioning. Female and low educational level gives high odds of unemployment just like low IQ, inpatient treatment during follow up, epilepsy, motor impairment, wheelchair dependency, functional limitations, co-morbidity, physical disability and chronic health conditions combined with mental retardation. High dose cranial radiotherapy, type of cancer, and age of diagnosis also interfered with employment.
Of the promoting factors, education appeared to be important, and several physical obstructions were found to be hindering factors. The last mentioned factors can be influenced in contrast to for instance age and gender. However, to optimize work participation of this group of young disabled it is important to know the promoting or hindering influence for employment.
This study replicated the one that was conducted 30 years ago to determine systematic gender differences in access and outcomes of vocational rehabilitation services (VRS).
Unlike the original study that was confined to Region V, this study examined case management data from 653,206 cases that were closed by State VRS in 2004 in all states. It used a t-test to analyse gender differences in access to VRS and intervention outcomes in education, employment, earnings and dependence on public support. The study also conducted multivariate analysis to determine the effects of gender on VRS intervention outcomes.
The study found differences similar to those found 30 years ago. Although women had better educational outcomes, they had lower employment and earnings and greater dependence on needs-based public support than did men. A disturbing finding is that the gender employment and earnings gaps were wider after VRS interventions than before. After controlling for other factors, the study found that gender is a significant predictor of earnings and employment outcomes.
These findings suggest that men with disabilities stand a better chance of escaping poverty than do women. There is a need for changes in VRS service provision that ensures equity in quality of services which might translate into more equitable employment and earnings outcomes.
Research has found students with high incidence disabilities to be at risk for academic difficulties and school dropout. Using data from the NLTS-2 database, relationships between social skills and grades were examined for students who were diagnosed with learning disabilities or emotional disturbance. Results revealed significant direct and indirect effects of social skills on grades. The specific roles of different types of social skills are examined in relation to grades as are the mediating roles of relationships with students and teachers as well as school enjoyment. Implications for research and practice are presented.
School choice may increase student engagement by enabling students to attend schools that more closely match their needs and preferences. But this effect on engagement may depend on the characteristics of the choices available. Therefore, we consider how the amount of educational choice of different types in a local educational marketplace affects student engagement using a large, national population of 8th grade students. We find that more choice of regular public schools in the elementary and middle school years is associated with a lower likelihood that students will be severely disengaged in eighth grade, and more choices of public schools of choice has a similar effect but only in urban areas. In contrast, more private sector choice does not have such a general beneficial effect.
This article provides an overview of the aspirations and expectations disabled teenagers form for their future education and employment and the factors which are associated with positive aspirations. After reviewing what is already known about the formation of aspirations in general, and among young disabled people in particular, Tania Burchardt presents preliminary analysis from original research using two large-scale representative surveys: the Youth Cohort Study (YCS) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). The results indicate that young disabled people have similar aspirations to their non-disabled counterparts, although tempered in some cases with a recognition that there are likely to be obstacles in the world of work. There is also some–tentative–evidence that young disabled people feel less well served by advice and support services. SEN coordinators in secondary schools and further education, and Connexions advisors, need to ensure that they encourage positive aspirations, especially among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, while offering practical support in overcoming disabling barriers.
While the constructs of protean and boundaryless careers have informed career theory for years, rigorous empirical examinations of these career models have lagged behind. This study seeks to redress this situation by constructing and developing four new scales to measure protean and boundaryless career attitudes. The scales related to protean career attitudes measure self-directed career management and values-driven predispositions. The scales related to boundaryless career attitudes measure boundaryless mindset and organizational mobility preference. The initial validation of these scales, consisting of three studies, demonstrates their reliability and validity.
A consumer led initiative which aimed to gather information from local employers and disabled people which might inform future action to improve work opportunities for disabled people.
(1) A survey of 500 companies with more than 20 employees randomly sampled from 4 locations across Suffolk was undertaken. The survey generated both numerical and verbal data. Response rate was low (25%) but achieved a reasonable spread of organizations in terms of size, type of industry and geographical location. (2) Semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine disabled people. Open-ended questions were used to elicit information about the nature of their disability, experiences of education and experiences of seeking and/or maintaining work.
43% of respondents had one or more disabled employees. Evidence of obstacles to employment included a lack of understanding about the capability of disabled people, lack of knowledge about financial and technical assistance and undifferentiated approaches to access and accommodation. Interview data supported the importance of paid employment to self esteem and quality of life and showed high levels of frustration in their search for work.
This study demonstrates the need for better interagency communication and a more effective information distribution strategy for employers, particularly in relation to the availability of systems of support and the capability of disabled employees.
It is important to ensure that regular processes of labour market integration are available for all citizens.
Thematic content analysis techniques, using semi-structured group interviews, were used to identify the principal elements contributing to the processes of integrating people with disabilities into the regular labour market. Thirty-two professionals from 17 agencies provided information regarding the role of the family, training, workplace monitoring, the work setting, and personal resources of the worker.
The results indicated that family, training (prior to and during the integration service), monitoring of the worker in the workplace, and work setting were relevant and contributing aspects of the process of work integration.
A real and effective commitment on the part of the government is required to regulate and provide resources to create supported employment services and to allow these services to plan their own interventions, keeping in mind the relevance of and relationship between aspects such as family, training, workplace monitoring, the work setting and personal resources of the worker.