This is the latest edition of the L&W Newsletter, which will reach you via a mailing list of over 1400 experts in and beyond Europe. As always, it focuses on transnational research activities in the field of human resource development (HRD) and vocational education and training (VET), centred on major categories: conferences, networks/ centres, programmes, projects and publications. Many thanks to all who contributed information for this edition of the Newsletter!
Particularly worth noting in this edition are an announcement of vacancies for 12 PhD and 2 postdoc positions (see Networks: EDUWORKS) and two calls for papers, one related to the 15th International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe (see Conferences) and the other to a Special Issue of Human Resource Development International (see Publications).
Should you prefer to read the current Newsletter edition online, you can find it under October 2013 [1] on the website (www.news.wifo-gate.org [2]). And please pass the Newletter on to your own networks - thanks! The next edition of the Newsletter will appear in early December 2013. You are invited to submit short pieces of news (texts of 100 to 200 words, without attachments, but including links to web resources) - please by 30 November 2013 at the latest!
With best wishes
Sabine Manning
Research Forum WIFO
Editor of the L&W Newsletter
Conferences
International Conference: Work-based Learning in Europe – renewing traditions
Conference at the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB), Bonn, Germany, 4th and 5th December 2013
The model of dual vocational education and training is currently attracting considerable attention. High rates of youth unemployment and fears of an impending shortage of skilled workers are driving public attention. Germany appears to be a successful model for the structuring of the transition from school to working life. The dual system links learning and work, schools and companies. But can it be developed into a model for the whole of Europe?
The international BIBB Conference in Bonn will address various "work-based learning" models. We want to discuss the associated consequences for the role and responsibility of the stakeholders involved (the state, companies, trade unions, learners) and to identify joint elements of various models of "work-based learning". For further information please visit: http://www.bibb.de/en/wlk64994.htm [3]
(Posted by Ute Hippach-Schneider <[email protected]> [4])
Preparations continue for UFHRD 2014
Preparations are well underway for the 15th International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe taking place at Edinburgh Napier University between 4th and 6th June 2014. The theme of the 2014 conference is "HRD Reflecting upon the Past, Shaping the Future". An exciting programme of activities is planned, including a series of Masterclasses for Masters and Doctoral students taking place prior to the main conference. These students will also have the opportunity to visit the Historic New Lanark site – an 18th century cotton mill village and UNESCO, founded by the visionary Robert Owen. We are delighted to confirm Prof. Wendy Ruona (University of Georgia) and Prof. Eugene Sadler-Smith (University of Surrey) as conference keynote speakers. Further keynote speakers will be announced shortly. Submissions to UFHRD 2014 are welcomed across 16 streams with separate categories for refereed papers, working papers, poster submissions and masters and doctoral submissions. The deadline for submission of abstracts is November 1st 2013 and further information can be found at www.ufhrd2014.com [5] We look forward to welcoming you to Edinburgh!
(Posted by David D.McGuire <[email protected]> [6])
NOTE: Forthcoming and recent events related to European research in work and learning are listed on the WIFO Conference page [www.conferences.wifo-gate.org [7]].
Networks
Announcing a new EU-Funded FP7 project: EDUWORKS, with vacancies for 12 PhD and 2 postdoc positions
A network of six universities (coordinator University of Amsterdam) and several companies have obtained a 3.6 million euro grant from the FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network programme. The project will generate a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying the matching between individual skills, educational outcomes and job requirements in the labour market, developing expertise on micro-, meso-, and macro-level matching processes. The research will be conducted jointly with the private and public organisations within the network and in an international and interdisciplinary research environment.
The consortium has vacant positions: 2 PhD positions in Human Resource Management-Organizational Behavior (University of Amsterdam); 1 PhD position in Learning Analytics (University of Amsterdam); 2 Postdoc positions in Sociology of Occupations (University of Amsterdam); 2 PhD positions in Lifelong Learning (Trinity College Dublin); 4 PhD positions in Labour Economics (Central European University/University of Salamanca); 3 PhD positions in Knowledge Management (Corvinno/Corvinus University of Budapest/ University of Siegen).
Successful applicants will receive a competitive salary. For specific details and the online application form see www.eduworks-network.eu [8] Application deadline: October 15th 2013 23:59 CET.
(Posted by Kea Tijdens <[email protected]> [9])
ECER VETNET 2013 at Istanbul: Review and Proceedings
"The ECER 2013 conference in Istanbul was successfully completed. The VETNET strand within EERA had a strong programme again, with interesting sessions, meetings and symposia. A new board was chosen, partly with the same persons, but also with new colleagues. All board members have assumed tasks. This will make the board more robust and will contribute to the further development of the network." This initial assessment by Martin Mulder, together with pictures of the event, can be viewed on the relaunched network site of VETNET (http://vetnet.mixxt.org/ [10]). The programme of the VETNET Sessions within the ECER Conference 2013 with more than 80 research papers and 30 sessions is also available on this site (here [11]). The first edition of the Proceedings, including papers and presentations submitted so far as part of the VETNET programme, can be looked up at www.ecer-vetnet-2013.wifo-gate.org [12]. Further papers, and also references to papers published in journals, are still welcome to complete the Proceedings! Please send documents to [email protected] [13].
(Compiled by Sabine Manning)
Update: The Directory of Professional Contacts (www.dpc.wifo-gate.org [14]), issued by the Research Forum WIFO in July 2013, is being continuously updated. It already includes more than 200 professionals across 30 countries in the field of transnational European VET and HRD research. You can find brief information on colleagues with particular expertise as authors, project and network coordinators or programme chairs - all being involved in European collaboration. Data in this Directory is linked up with major research resources such as the Bookshelf [15], Overview of articles [16], Conference page [7], ECER VETNET Proceedings [17]and Overview of HRD conference papers [18], Networks at a glance [19]and Overview of projects [20]. Have a look at the Directory and check whether you yourself are included or match the criteria for inclusion - your feedback would be welcome!
(Contributed by Sabine Manning)
NOTE: References to research networks in the field of European work and learning are available on the WIFO page Networks at a glance [www.networks.wifo-gate.org [19]]. Major online resources related to European research networks include the ECER VETNET Proceedings (www.ecer-vetnet.wifo-gate.org [17]) offering a complete and up-to-date collection of conference papers submitted since 1998, and the Overview of selected HRD conference papers (www.ehrd-papers.wifo-gate.org [18]).
Programmes
NOTE: Contributions are welcome for the next edition of the Directory of Doctoral Dissertations (www.ddd.wifo-gate.org [21]), provided as part of the WIFO Gateway, which focuses on European research in the field of vocational education (VET) and human resource development (HRD). Please provide information on expected or newly completed doctoral dissertations investigating issues of HRD, VET or work-related adult education, according to the following pattern: 1*Theme of dissertation (original language AND English); 2*Year of (expected) completion or publication; 3*Author (name and email address); 4*Tutor (name and email address); 5*Institution of tutor (name and home page). Contributions should be posted by email to the editor ([email protected] [13]).
Projects
ConVET - Connectivity in Vocational Education and Training
ConVET is an European partnership project (2012-2014) aiming to develop a common understanding of school-work place connectivity, conceptualised as a current challenge for the entire VET system. Partnership includes various European organizations involved in the field of VET (universities, vocational teacher training centres, VET providers, organizations from the world of work) in different countries (Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Finland) which share the interest to exchange and discuss challenges and strategies to support school-workplace connectivity in the VET. The project is coordinated by the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET). The main activities comprise the comparative exploration of how connectivity is supported at the level of curricula design in each country as well as the exchange of exemplary connectivity-oriented practices in the VET. The final intent is setting the stage for developing innovative instructional approaches (learning and teaching settings) for connectivity improvement in VET. The partnership project is funded with support from the European Commission within the Leonardo da Vinci Program.
Contact persons: Prof. Dr. Carmela Aprea (SFIVET): [email protected] [22]; Dr. Viviana Sappa (SFIVET): [email protected] [23]. For any further information please visit the website: www.projectconvet.eu [24].
(Posted by Carmela Aprea)
Financial Literacy in European VET: EU partnership project FLin€VET
FLin€VET (Exploring Conceptions of Financial Literacy in the European VET Context) is a Leonardo da Vinci partnership project funded by the EU (2012-2014) and aims to advance the development of a sustained and shared framework of Financial Literacy in the context of European Vocational Education and Training (VET). To address this aim, the project brings together a group of partners with different missions and expertise in VET from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and the UK and is coordinated by the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET). FLin€VET is based on the conviction that financial knowledge, skills and attitudes of young adults form the basis for a responsible handling of financial matters and are a constituent part of desirable citizenship skills. The main objectives of the project are to analyse and compare if and how Financial Literacy is represented and realized in existing national VET programs of participating countries and to provide an arena for discussing the adequacy of existing Financial Literacy conceptions with respect to prevalent needs in European VET.
Contact persons: Prof. Dr. Carmela Aprea (SFIVET): [email protected] [25]; Seraina Leumann Sow (SFIVET): [email protected] [26]. For further information, please consult the project website: www.flinevet.eu [27].
(Posted by Carmela Aprea)
Towards a Framework for Good Practice for Work Based Learning Integrated Curriculum (WBLIC)
Universities and industry are increasingly expected to work together to develop innovative curriculum able to meet the demands of a smart, inclusive and sustainable Europe. The development of an integrated curriculum, which matches learner and employer (or labour market) needs with university provision, is seen to be a necessary element in improving student employability and providing employers with the higher level skills essential to business success. The Erasmus funded Work Based Learning as an Integrated Curriculum (WBLIC) project, a partnership between organisations from Austria, Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Poland and Spain has developed a series of case studies and developed a Framework for Good Practice. The Framework identifies best practice principles to guide developers and those bodies wishing to engage with accredited work based learning in Higher Education using an integrated curriculum. The partners are seeking to develop a community of practice and for more information or to register interest in the project please visit http://www.wblic.org.uk [28]
(Posted by David Devins <[email protected]> [29])
NOTE: Contributions are invited to update the Overview of European research projects [www.projects.wifo-gate.org [20]], provided as part of the WIFO Gateway. The overview focuses on transnational research projects, mainly supported by EU programmes, in the areas of human resource development, vocational education, work and learning. Please send the following information to the editor ([email protected] [13]): (A) exact title and acronym (short name) of the project; (B) name and email address of the coordinator or main contact; (C) address of the website (or info page/ flyer) of the project. Contact: Sabine Manning
Publications
Call for Papers - Human Resource Development International: Special Issue
CSR, Sustainability, Ethics and International HRD
This special issue seeks to advance the debate about the relationship between Human Resource Development (HRD), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability and ethics focusing particularly on the challenges and ambiguities presented in an international context. We hope that this special issue will build on the insights of the HRD literature but advance the debate through a variety of methodological and international perspectives. We encourage papers that: #focus on the contribution of HRD to ethical behaviours, CSR and sustainability at the levels of the individual, the team, the organisation and the community in different social contexts; #examine new areas and frames of reference related to CSR and sustainability that have not been well explored in the HRD literatures. You can access the full call for papers on the HRDI website http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/rhrdcfp.pdf [30] The deadline for the submission of full papers is Friday 29 November 2013. Please contact [email protected] [31] if you would like additional information or to discuss a potential proposal or idea for a paper.
(Posted by Valerie Anderson)
Research excellence within the HRD field of study and practice
A group of HRD scholars affiliated to the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) and the Academy of Human resource Development (AHRD) are the winners of the 2013 International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO) Research Excellence Award. This award winning project is titled Towards a Universal Taxonomy of Perceived Managerial and Leadership Effectiveness: A multiple cross-case/cross-nation study of effective and ineffective managerial behaviour. It is the work of lead researcher Prof Bob Hamlin (University of Wolverhampton, UK) together with colleagues Prof Taran Patel (Grenoble Ecole de Management, France), Dr. Carlos Ruiz (Georgia Gwinnett College, USA) and Dr. Sandi Whitford (Utility Company, Canada). This comparative research used for its source data empirical findings obtained from a cumulative series of 15 replication studies undertaken in Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, Romania and the UK. The emergent 'universalistic' taxonomy of perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness gives equal emphasis to both ineffective and effective managerial behaviour. The authors argue that the taxonomy has the potential to be used as ‘best evidence’ by HRD and MLD professional practitioners in a wide range of organizations and countries. The research paper can be downloaded from www.ufhrd.co.uk [32] or www.iftdo.net [33]
(Received from Bob Hamlin <[email protected]> [34])
The ESF as an instrument of HRD policy
Eduardo Tomé (2013). The European Social Fund: a very specific case instrument of HRD policy. European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 37 Iss: 4, pp.336 - 356 (Abstract [35]).
The existence of the ESF corresponds to the political belief that HRD policies are needed to balance the European economy. Until now four main administrative phases existed, corresponding to four different administrative configurations: 1958-1971, 1972-83, 1984-1989, and after 1990. In sequence, the countries that have received more support from the EU have been Germany and Italy (1958-71), Italy and the UK (1972-1983 and 1984-1989), Spain, Italy and the UK (1990-3), Spain and Germany (1994-2006), Poland, Germany and Spain (2007-13). Some effort began to be made in 1990 and was intensified in the last decade to try to inspect the economic impact of the operations. However, the fact that the ESF funds are "awarded to Member States" indicates the existence of an "absorption perspective" which is perceivable along the EU documentation that is made about the ESF.
We would advise the ESF administration to follow the example of the American Department of Labor, and to treat all the regions as one single entity. The "unification" of the ESF would probably increase its efficiency. We hope further studies will be made on the "absorption paradox" with more detailed data and more refined methods in mathematical terms.
(Received from Eduardo Tomé <[email protected]> [36])
Permeability between VET and higher education
Georg Spöttl, (2013) "Permeability between VET and higher education – a way of human resource development", European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 37 Iss: 5, pp.454 - 471 [Abstract [37]]
Permeability between general and vocational education (TVET) is a widely discussed policy-making topic in those European countries which have established a TVET-system beside general education. The chance for participants in vocational programs to transfer from one learning environment into the other - including transitions between different educational sectors - is regarded as a resource of personal and professional development, of improving people's employability and quality of life. However, so far most of the TVET-programs do not entail permeability to learning pathways in higher education. This is especially true when TVET-programs do not include a university entrance qualification. This discussion has gained a new momentum with the adoption of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) by the European Parliament in 2008. In this context it has to be expected that issues concerning the vertical permeability from vocational education to higher education need to be addressed in a totally different way at the latest by the time when the orientation especially of vocational and/or undergraduate programmes towards employability will have been completed. This context of vertical permeability between vocational and higher education shall be discussed here.
(Received from Georg Spöttl <[email protected]> [38])
Handbook of Aging, Work & Society
The Sage Handbook of Aging, Work & Society, edited by John Field, Ronald J Burke and Cary L Cooper. Published by Sage in autumn 2013, 560 pages, ISBN: 9-781-44620-7826
Aging has emerged as a major and urgent concern for individuals, enterprises and governments. This edited collection offers a critical overview of the most significant themes and topics, with discussions of current research, theoretical controversies and emerging issues. The twenty-nine chapters, by authors from across the globe, are divided into sections covering: Key Issues and Challenges; The Aging Workforce; Managing an Aging Workforce; Living in an Aging Society; and Developing Public Policy. While three chapters focus on education and training, knowledge and skills are addressed throughout the book as factors shaping our responses to demographic aging. Further details: http://tinyurl.com/ns2jyye [39]
(Received from John Field <[email protected]> [40])
Forthcoming publication: HRM in Public Service Organisations
Beattie, R. S. and Waterhouse, J.: Human Resource Management in Public Service Organisations (Spring 2014, Routledge: London)
Trying to write about Human Resource Management (HRM) in public service organisations (PSOs), including NGOs, over the past 2 years has been akin to writing on shifting sands, such has been the pace and scale of change affecting such organisations globally. We have deliberately not produced an exhaustive, ‘how to do’ HRM textbook; rather through thematic analysis we have tried to identify and explore, through our interaction with PSOs, the key HR topics and questions that PSO HR specialists, senior and line managers need to address to lead and develop people effectively during challenging times. For example, in terms of HRD we have examined a range of key initiatives used by PSOs during austere times including: accredited work-based learning; cross-organisational coaching and mentoring; and e-learning. Further, we explore the role of learning in providing the foundations for the engagement of employees at work. Finally, throughout the book the reader is encouraged to engage interactively with the content through discussion questions and exercises, to help them develop HRM/D solutions contingent to their needs.
(Received from Rona Beattie <[email protected] [41]>)
NOTE: Updates on publications provided by the WIFO Gateway include the WIFO Bookshelf [www.books.wifo-gate.org [15]], a collection of references to publications focusing on cross-European issues of work and learning, and "From the Journals" - Overview of articles on cross-European issues in VET and HRD research [www.articles.wifo-gate.org [16]], selected from European and international Journals related to education research [www.journals.wifo-gate.org [42]].