"Bad Students Go to Vocational Schools" :Education, Social Reproduction, and Migrant Youth in Urban China

Abstract:

China second-generation rural-to-urban migrant youth, who grew up in their parent's adopted cities, are still denied urban residential status and suffer from the institutional closure of higher education opportunities. This article explores in ethnographic detail the experiences and subjectivity of migrant youth in Shanghai who since 2008 have been channeled to secondary vocational schools. It highlight the direct involvement of the local state in reproducing a social hierarchy in which migrant youth provide cheap labor for manufacturing and low-skilled services industries. It reveals how contention over the limited choice of majors and career trajectories persists between state intention, market demand and individual aspirations. The time and space provided by vocational schooling enable migrant students to gain urban habitues and form networks across boundaries. Vocational schools have thus become a unique site for studying education and class reproduction in a late-socialist context. 

Exploring Career Options: The Counselors Role

Under the direction of insightful principals, high schools are making a commitment to improve their students' future employability prospects by better preparing them for the workplace. Part of that commitment is a willingness to work with a variety of partners to enable young people to acquire the academic and general workplace readiness skills they will need to survive in an increasingly competitive economy. Those partners include parents, employers, community agencies, and postsecondary schools and colleges. Preparing young people for the workplace is too big a task to be left solely to the schools, but schools can coordinate the activities of other stakeholders.

The Role of Career and Technical Education in Dropout Prevention

There are many reasons why students dropout of school, and therefore, it requires more than a single solution to prevent it of occurring. According to the National Dropout Prevention Center, Career and technical education should be included as part of the overall solution. While those on the frontlines of CTE see evidence each day of how what they are teaching is keeping students interested and inspired to stay in school, it is heartening to hear the National Dropout Prevention Center conform it. The center recognizes the importance of programs such as tech prep and career academies, as well as initiatives that are integral to career and technical education such as school-to-career programs, apprenticeships, internships, school-based enterprises, cooperative education, job shadowing and mentoring.

The Rebirth of A Career and Technical Education Programs

With educators, administrators and industry representatives working together, it's possible to not only keep a career and technical education program alive, but to facilitate a rebirth that makes it better than ever. That's what happened in one Milwaukee school.

The Legacy of Parsons: Career Counselors and Vocational Psychologists as Agents of Social Change

The commitment to social change demonstrated by the founder of vocational psychology, Frank Parsons, continuous in several areas of vocational psychology today, including individual career counseling, guidance work in the schools, career interventions with special populations, and vocational research. This article highlights ways in which career counselors and vocational psychologists have focused and can continue to focus their practice and research to improve the condition of society and to provide interventions that enhance the ability of all individuals to love and to work in a meaningful way.

Social Education Versus Vocational Education: Can They Coexist?

The relationship between business interest and social studies education has always been somewhat contentious. Although the two groups share some common goals, there are fundamental differences that create significant tentions. Those tentions have reverberated throughout society and show no sign of abating.

The movement for vocational education conceals within itself two mighty and opposing forces, one which would utilize the public school primarily to turn out more efficient laborers in the present economic regime, with certain incidental advantages to themselves, the other which would utilize all the resources of public education to equip individuals to control their own future economic careers, and thus help on such a reorganization of industry as will change it from a feudalistic to a democratic order.
Dewey, 1917:34-35

Responsible Management, Incentive Systems, and Productivity

Abstract:

A disconnect remains between theories about responsible management and application in real-life organizations. Part of reason is due to the complexity and holistic nature of the field, and the fact that many of the benefits of aligning business objectives with changing societal conditions are of an intangible nature. Human resource management is an increasingly important part of the field with benefits including talent retention, higher levels of motivation, and improvements in organizational cohesion. This paper sets out an experiment run at a large Spanish university to try analyze the impact on worker productivity of a responsible management stance by an employer. Based on the Corporate Social Performance model, the paper examines the issue from the point of view of responsibility, responsiveness, and outcomes, and considers the cost/benefit effect of incorporating a social responsibility variable into the wage structure to measure the impact on productivity.

International Competencies for Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioners: An IAEVG Trans-National Study

Contents:

• Chapter 1: Setting the scene: Competencies for training counselor practitioners.
• Chapter 2: Development of the competency assessment instrument
• Chapter 3: Pilot study of the International Counselor Qualification Standard (ICQS) questionnaire
• Chapter 4: Validation of the competency framework for educational and vocational guidance practitioners: A study of prior training and competency relevance
• Chapter 5: International competencies for educational and vocational guidance practitioners: Implication for professional practice 

Vocational Teacher Education: At a Crossroads

Several of the nation's leading vocational "teacher educators" are preparing to release a book on what college and university programs that prepare vocational-technical teachers must do to survive in the new millennium. The two articles that follow have been excerpted and adapted from the book, which will be available this spring from Western Illinois Publication Clearinghouse. 

Sustainability's Next Frontier - MITSloan Management Review 2013

Contents:

1. Introduction (About the research)
2. identifying the most significant sustainability issues (The industry lens / A cloudy horizon / The cue from reinsurance and banking / What is material sustainability?)
3. A disconnect between thought and action
4. Closing the gap (Walker versus talker / Walker by industry / Portrait of a walker: Domtar / What are talker and walker?)
5. Obstacles and catalysts (Organizational capabilities / Business model innovation / Scanning for opportunities / The leaders and the led / The profit motive)
6. The limits of acting alone (Power in numbers / Partnering with competitors)
7. Conclusion: Tackling the next frontier

Managing Vocational Education in China

The governments of both of The People's Republic of China and of the UK have increasingly stressed the importance of vocational education and training (VET) as a means of contributing to the achievement of the economic and social aims. Although the economic position and the history of two nations may be profoundly different, government statements on VET suggest similarities in the aspirations for this sector of education. 

Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education 2009

Cover:

Contents:

1. Technology input versus input and output: Does it result in learning differences among elementary school students?
2. Teaching for fidelity in the use of technology in the math classroom.
3. Responding to depleted budgets through forging new partnership: Educational technology connections to medicine.
4. Integrating tablet technology into an elementary mathematics methods course.
5. Class map for community in online education course. 
6. Reclaiming lost opportunities: The role of the teacher in online asynchronous collaboration in mathematics teacher education.
7. Deploying read/write web approaches for pedagogic change amongst faculty in higher education.
8. Captivating young learners and preparing 21st century social studies teachers: increasing engagement with digital video.
9. I think, iPod (cast), I learn: Using digital media and podcasting in teacher education.

Adolescent Work, Vocational Development, and Education

This article examines the consequences of adolescents' employment experiences for vocational development and educational pursuits within varying historical and social contexts. attention is directed to the changing social and cultural context for adolescent paid work, the balance of school and work, the influence of work experience on adolescent vocational development and educational/career achievement, and theoretical approaches that guide contemporary vocational development and career maturity studies. In light of current theories, research directions are suggested to enhance understanding of the influences of adolescent employment and work experiences on future educational pursuits and vocational pathways. School-based strategies and programs to promote adolescents' initiative, engagement, and vocational development also are considered.

Achieving Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria Through Technical and Vocational Education and Training: The Missing Link

Abstract:
In Nigeria, over the years, emphasis has been on general education, with vocational education at the receiving end. This has resulted in large number of educated people remaining unemployed. This phenomenon has now been recognized by the policy makers and hence there is a greater thrust on vocationalisation of education. Another shortcoming is the perception of TVET as a career path for the less academically endowed being fuelled by the low academic requirement into TVET programme, rather than an effective strategy to train skilled manpower for economic development. This paper discusses the current environment in which TVET in the country operates and the effort government has taken to revitalize it as well as the lessons that can be learnt from countries that have achieved sustainable economic development through TVET. The paper argues that for TVET to be a key to sustainable economic development in the country, there is need for changes in public perception and image of TVET, rejuvenate the nation’s moribound technical training colleges, instructors in training schools to leverage on industry partners to gather industry based experience and strict monitoring of industrial trainees. The paper concludes that technical and vocational education is a necessary but not sufficient condition for sustainable economic development. What are required includes government policies that can stimulate the economy and adequate infrastructural facilities.

Enhance Academic Study in Vocational Education in China

Abstract:
The increase in international trade and the information technology boom led us to begin to face the previously unthinkable of academic shortage towards vocational education. The main objective of this paper is to present the problem and find ways to solve it. The main finding included lack of investment from society and high degree involvement of government, the curricula is without of academic flexibility, students are sorted into different school types largely on the basis of their entering exam score, shortage of high-quality teachers and instructors. Thus this paper puts four ways to tackle the problem: decrease the involvement of government; setting hybrid curricula and providing technical research project; providing attractive option that the possibility to study further in university for vocational school graduates; emphasizing general and academic knowledge over industry and vocational skills by aligning academic institutions and firms.

Current Trends in Technical and Vocational Education Research: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract:
The rapid development of world economy led to the development of physical and human capital. This development is supported through the provision of skilled human resources impetus towards the enhancement of social economic status of a country. This encourages academics conducting more research in the field of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) to help improve the development and the formation of skilled workers. Current trends in research conducted around the world to the field of TVE can be used for smart partnerships between academics and policy shapers of TVE in the country. To achieve the goal, this article will discuss the current trends of research conducted through literature review. The survey, carried out will involve the use of meta-analysis using a variety of relevant peer-reviewed professional journals. The findings show that current trends in the study of selected journal focused on three main areas of apprenticeship, measurement and evaluation and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the TVE.

Game Plan for a Future-Ready Workforce (An interview with Ed Gordon)

The author of Future Jobs discusses the book’s mission to upgrade education systems and to connect skilled workers with new job prospects.

"No one said that earning a living in the twenty-first century is going to require less education. It’s going to require more"

Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs in Metropolitan America (Book Editor's Review)

• Defining Success
• Role of Providers in Preparing Students for Work
• Implications for Policy and Practice
• Editor's Commentary

The Causes of Reduction of The Role in Youth Management According to The Islamic Way among Muslim Leaders in the Three Southern Border Provinces

Abstract:

This study aimed to investigate causes that reduced the role in youth management according to the Islamic way among Muslim leaders in the three southern border provinces. The data were collected through holding a knowledge management stage for 36 representatives of youth leaders and 36 representatives of Muslim leaders, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 9 youth leaders, and 9 Muslim leaders.The data were analyzed using comparative logic of concepts, theories, research reports, and context based on grounded theory method.

Career-Ready Students: A Goal of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

Abstract:

This article opens with a rationale for and a definition of student career readiness. Next is a presentation of the qualities and attributes of career-ready students. Then discussion follows about what students need to become career ready. Following this is a presentation of how comprehensive school counseling programs help student become career ready, including discussion of the delivery system for school counseling programs that provide the activities and services that contribute to student career readiness. The article closes with the critical point that helping all students become career ready require a whole school-community approach.