Developing Connectivity Between Education And Work

Future-oriented education needs to invest in the connectivity between learning and working in order to realise its full potential. This book presents guiding principles on how to build these successful connections. By taking an educational perspective and enriching it with insights from human resource development, this book explores the why, how and what of designing for connectivity. This edited volume presents the current knowledge about educational practices and principles that help to realise connectivity between learning and working experiences. Introducing the central perspectives of workplace learning and learning environments at the boundary of school and work, this book presents key research that examines how educators and professionals from organisations and schools can come together with the purpose of realising connectivity in educational programmes. Empirical research showcasing both theoretical and practical insights from real life cases are at the heart of this book. Considering the barriers to achieving connectivity, this book also focuses on how it can be achieved, with ideas and guidance about communication, design principles and best practices. Using carefully chosen international examples, this book is ideal reading for policy makers, practitioners and researchers looking to learn more about connecting learning and working experiences.

Marja-Leena Stenstrom ̈ and Pai ̈ vi Tynjal ̈ a ̈ Changing Working Life as a Challenge to Education Recentmacro-leveltrends,suchaseconomicglobalisation,thedevelopmentofthe- formationsociety,changesinmethodsofproductionandtheorganisationofwork,and the growing signi?cance of knowledge as a factor of production, have created a new context for the relationship between education and working life. In this new context, the use of work experience as an educational and learning strategy has become one ofthemostimportantdevelopmentsbothinvocationaleducationandtraining(VET) and in higher education. Although the tradition of making work an integral part of education has varied at different levels of the educational system, the challenges that systems of education currently face are very similar in many respects. These include thechallengeofequivalenceasregardsthelevelofacademicstandards,thechallenge ofdevelopingpedagogicalpracticesfordifferentformsofwork-relatedlearning,and the impact that work-related learning has on the identity of the educational orga- sation, the teacher, and the learner. The diversity of the systems through which work experience is realised, the varying levels of training of workplace trainers, and the lack of industrial experience of vocational school teachers have aroused discussion abouthowtoguaranteeandassessthequalityofthelearningtakingplaceindifferent workplaces and of the work-based learning system as a whole. (See e. g. Boud & Solomon, 2001, p. 27; Grif?ths & Guile, 2004; Guile &Grif?ths, 2001. ) The key pedagogical question regarding collaboration between education and work is how to build a ?rm connection between theory and practice or abstract thinking and practical action – and between the development of general skills and speci?c vocational skills.

An increasing societal trend is the belief that the 21st century requires a rethink of the education system. Change is happening fast and our students are growing up in a world where jobs are not certain or guaranteed. "The purpose of education is to prepare students for a world we can't envisage, so when they are stuck, they choose to think, instead of remember". Alongside this, there is also a need for education systems to impart higher level skills aligned with the demands of growing economies, where many jobs are being automated and skill sets are changing fast. Are professionals, employers and educational institutions ready for the challenge of developing the new skills this future will demand? This book has evolved out of many years of implementing innovation in education, it has been written because we believe we have something to say which might inspire, support or encourage other educationalists to take action to align the education our schools deliver with the needs of the 21st century.

This book explores how the Indian education and training system prepares young people for the world of work and for the requirements of the employment market – because India is a leading industrialised nation with a very young population and a high demand for a skilled workforce. Indian experts write from a course-specific perspective, offering a comprehensive picture of educational policy, curriculum design and cultural characteristics. The virtual absence of a formalised system of vocational training in India underlines the importance of this research.

U.S. strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has formed the basis of innovations, technologies, and industries that have spurred the nation's economic growth throughout the last 150 years. Universities are essential to the creation and transfer of new knowledge that drives innovation. This knowledge moves out of the university and into broader society in several ways â€" through highly skilled graduates (i.e. human capital); academic publications; and the creation of new products, industries, and companies via the commercialization of scientific breakthroughs. Despite this, our understanding of how universities receive, interpret, and respond to industry signaling demands for STEM-trained workers is far from complete. Promising Practices for Strengthening the Regional STEM Workforce Development Ecosystem reviews the extent to which universities and employers in five metropolitan communities (Phoenix, Arizona; Cleveland, Ohio; Montgomery, Alabama; Los Angeles, California; and Fargo, North Dakota) collaborate successfully to align curricula, labs, and other undergraduate educational experiences with current and prospective regional STEM workforce needs. This report focuses on how to create the kind of university-industry collaboration that promotes higher quality college and university course offerings, lab activities, applied learning experiences, work-based learning programs, and other activities that enable students to acquire knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to be successful in the STEM workforce. The recommendations and findings presented will be most relevant to educators, policy makers, and industry leaders.

This book introduces science teachers and academics to new ways of conceptualising research into teacher learning. It provides invaluable insight into the role of science teachers as learners and thinkers of change processes.

In 2005, The United Nations launched its Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which recognises that education, including Higher Education is the key to the change in social attitudes that will be needed to protect the welfare of future generations. This involves helping learners to live as though the future matters and to achieve ecoliteracy. This includes the understanding that personal lifestyle decisions may have consequences, ranging from climate change, through loss of biodiversity, to pollution and resource depletion that may permit environmental degradation on a planetary scale. It also involves helping them to develop the skills needed to cope with such challenges. This international collection of research papers and position statements from special issues of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education and Applied Environmental Education and Communication, written by many of the leading practitioners in the field, aims to provide resources and practical guidance for all seeking to promote and engage in education for a sustainable future. Rabindranath Tagore encouraged each learner to make their actions demonstrate a harmonious union between education and environment. David Orr argued that the world needs people who live well in their places to make the world both habitable and humane and that the main challenge for education is to help learners make their minds fit for life on Earth. This book tries to chart a practical route towards these objectives. This book was previously published as special issues of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education and Applied Environmental Education and Communication

The interwoven futures of humanity and our planet are under threat. Urgent action, taken together, is needed to change course and reimagine our futures.