Session Information
02 SES 14 C, International Perspectives on VET IV: New Approaches
Paper Session
Contribution
Workplace learning is an essential part of initial training in England and Germany and in both countries the central model of learning is an apprenticeship system. What content is learned and how successful the learning process is, depends on the context in which learning takes place. These conditions are affected by factors at the macro-, meso- and micro- levels. For the aircraft industry, factors operating at the macro and meso-level are particularly pertinent as they include international technical and regulatory standardisation.
Despite standardisation across the industry, the impact on the learning process is not well discussed in international comparative VET research. In response, this small-scale comparative research project set out to examine the impact of international technical standardisation and regulation on the design, organisation and delivery of apprenticeships in the aircraft sector in England and Germany. It asked: To what extent is international technical and regulatory convergence in the aircraft industry leading to convergence of process and outcomes in apprenticeship training?
This study is original because it turns the lens of inquiry to workplace processes to reveal the level of convergence in training philosophies and practices in an internationally highly regulated sector. It shows how international technical standardisation and regulation is leading to pedagogical innovation. The findings have implications for VET and apprenticeship policy at the national and international level.
Method
The research design was informed by insights from economics, workplace and work-based learning, and comparative education. Academic experts in the fields of aerospace and aeronautical standardisation and regulation, VET, HRD, and business organisation were consulted and the generic occupation of ‘aircraft mechanic’ was selected as being the closest match for comparison. Interviews and non-participant observation in workplaces and training centres were carried out involving three companies in England and four in Germany.
Expected Outcomes
Findings show that there is considerable convergence across the pedagogical approaches to apprenticeships in England and Germany related to fostering of the capacity to take responsibility for the quality of one’s work, to work in and lead teams, and to respond to and work with customers. Increasing international regulation and technical standardisation underpin a shared language about learning through practice in technologically advanced workplaces.
References
Aarkrog, V. and Jørgensen, C.H. (2008) (Eds.), Divergence and Convergence in Education and Work, Peter Lang, Bern. Billett, S. (Ed.) (2010), Learning Through Practice. Models, Traditions, Orientations and Approaches, Springer, Heidelberg. Bremer, R. (2008), “VET in the European aircraft and space industry", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 32 No. 2/3, pp.187-200. Fuller, A and Unwin, L. (2013) (Eds.), Contemporary Apprenticeship: International Perspectives on an Evolving Model of Learning, Routledge, London. Guile, D. (2011), “Apprenticeship as a model of vocational ‘formation’ and ‘reformation’: the use of Foundation Degrees in the aircraft engineering industry”, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol.63 No3, pp. 451-464. Hampson, I. and Fraser, D. (2016), “Licencing and training reform in the Australian aircraft maintenance industry“, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol. 68 No.3, pp. 342-358. Jakobi, A.P. and Teltemann, J. (2011), “Convergence in education policy? A quantitative analysis of policy change and stability in OECD countries”, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, Vol.41 No.5, pp. 579-595. Pilz, M. (2009), “Initial Vocational Training from a Company Perspective. A Comparison of British and German In-House Training Cultures”, Vocations and Learning, Vol.2 No.1, pp. 57-74.
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