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…

This study investigates the role of higher education strategies in enhancing the employability of international students in the postpandemic era, employing the USEM (understanding, skills, efficacy beliefs, metacognition) as a theoretical framework. By focusing on targeted interventions, this research explores how higher education institutions…

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to identify which soft skills are developed during work-based learning (WBL) programmes in higher education contexts. Additionally, the study sought to identify strategies used to promote soft skills development within work-based learning programmes. Design/methodology/approach: The…

This policy brief highlights the need to transform adult skills development by expanding beyond traditional continuing vocational education and training (CVET) to include workplaces and digital environments supported by frameworks that connect formal, non-formal and informal learning pathways. It stresses the importance of workplaces as lifelong…

Fifty years after its founding, Cedefop reflects on the evolution of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe and presents a renewed vision for the future. While the EU has built strong foundations in initial VET, major challenges persist in adult learning, skill mismatches, and the need to integrate VET more closely with broader…