Working Life Education as a university subject, a case study. Experiences, constrains and challenges.

Author(s):

Lázaro Moreno HerreraMarianne Oberg Tuleus

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 10 B, Vocational competence development in different learner groups (including learners with disabilities)

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-30

14:45-16:15

Room:

HG, HS 24

Chair:

Lorenz Lassnigg

Contribution

The current changes in society and working life demands pose considerable challenges to curricular response to all educational levels including higher education. Theoretically this paper takes as starting point the ongoing process of globalization of the work forces, the emergence of the knowledge base society and the transition in the occupational sector from manufacturing to service oriented economies. It further considers that in this context multi-skilling, technological literacy and social and intercultural competence are key aspects. With focus on a national case the papers derives rises questions valid for analysis and discussions in other contexts. In the specific case of Sweden, in addition to the ‘traditional’ vocational training giving specific qualifications, there has been for about two decades a growing demand for courses in higher education providing an overall understanding of working life from an educational perspective. Such courses are expected to produce learning outcomes differing from what other areas such organizational theory, management, etc might give. The paper examines experiences from a program so called “Working life education” offered at a Swedish university with focus on outcomes, constrains and the challenges for new phases of development in relation to the earlier mentioned working life demands.

Method

The study reported in this paper uses text analysis as main method. Limited number of interviews with teachers and students was used to support the analysis.

Expected Outcomes

Finding and expected outcomes are the following: -comprehensive programs which articulate various aspects fulfilling the needs for a broader understanding of the various dimensions of working life are needed and highly demanded. -An clear identification of the various needs of training with focus both on local, national and European-international context is essential to creative atractive and meaningful programs -The paper in addition to presenting the experiences discusses further and questions the challenges. An expected outcome is to gain hopefully a better understand of the experiences and problems by submitting the result to dsicussion in context of European expertise (ECER)

References

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Author Information

Lázaro Moreno Herrera

Örebro University

Örebro

186

Marianne Oberg Tuleus

Orebro university

Education

Orebro

186

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