Providing skills and expertise applicable to the workplace has always been a central component of universities' provision. However, repeated government initiatives to involve employers more actively in the skills system over the past 60 years have shown few lasting successes. In this paper, Professor David Phoenix reflects on past initiatives and…

The rapid urbanization and industrialization have intensified the multifaceted challenges faced by cities in addressing infrastructure and service delivery demands. These complexities necessitate a robust convergence of academic, research, and industry ecosystems to foster professional skills development across various levels of urban and regional…

This scoping review explores the perceived value of transdisciplinary work-integrated learning (TWIL) for contributing to social change and the enablers of impactful TWIL offerings. TWIL is a pedagogy-based approach which connects students from diverse disciplines with external partners to engage in authentic, work-focused activities as a formal…

Purpose: This study aims to identify and explore the critical components of Industry 4.0 (IR4.0) talent domains needed by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students through work-based learning (WBL) programs in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research design was employed, involving semi-structured…

England's mainstream upper secondary curriculum is driven by academic, exam-based GCSEs and A levels, with applied learning qualifications an alternative for 'less-academic' 16-18-year-olds. This paper elides two studies of the impact of the BTEC National Diploma on employment and career trajectories, one from the perspective of 16-22-year-olds,…

Purpose: Accessing higher education (HE) in the UK has been a primary pathway for school and college leavers for the past two decades. The present study, through a case study approach, aims to explore graduates' evaluations of the usefulness of university education by examining their evaluations of skill development, employability-focused learning…

Many students in vocational education and training (VET) programmes in Norway fail to see the connection with the school-based curriculum content they explore and learn and the tasks they perform during work placements. Consequently, the relevance of various vocational concepts remains invisible when conducting tasks at work, hence student…

This study explores the ecosystemic impacts of higher education (HE) on the economies of African countries, emphasizing the need for competence-based, and skills-demand-driven standards in collaboration with industry. HE is vital for equipping individuals with essential knowledge and skills for socio-economic transformation. However, in Africa,…

This article offers a critical examination of the co-authors' experience developing and delivering a work-integrated learning (WIL) preparation course for communication and media studies undergraduate students in a large, research-intensive Canadian university. As a WIL pre-requisite, this praxis-oriented course was designed to proactively support…

Drawing on Bourdieu's sociological framework, this study examines how prospective accountants engage with professional socialisation opportunities within the accounting higher education field. Prospective accountants globally experience anticipatory professional socialisation through which they develop employability skills and shape their…

Work Integrated Learning is essential for healthcare degrees where students learn to "become" healthcare professionals. As a complex form of learning the quality of student placement experiences are variable, impacting student wellbeing and development of professional competencies. Getting it right, students enter the workforce ready to…