Vocation, Technology & Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineering experiential design project case study

Xiujuan Jane Zhang, Changyang Thomas Jiang, Jingxi Sun, Michael Cheadle — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This case study explores the experiential learning course of Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects (ME 351/352) within the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Central to the engineering curriculum, this two-semester capstone sequence integrates human-centered design principles and hands-on learning to bridge academic knowledge with real-world applications. Students carry out client-driven projects, developing technical, communication, and project management skills through iterative design, prototyping, and testing. With active collaboration from faculty, industry sponsors, and peers, the course prepares students for the workforce by addressing the "skills gap" between academic training and industrial demands. Key features include a structured yet flexible course design, stakeholders' analysis, dedicated design spaces, and weekly feedback mechanisms, fostering technical innovation, professional growth, and industry engagement. This study highlights the experiential learning course's value in enhancing student employability while providing industry partners with recruitment opportunities and innovative solutions, it also points out certain challenges and corresponding action plan for continuous course improvement.

Reflections on career development of WorldSkills Competition winners in the context of skills-based society: An analysis of awardees from four provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta

Yaocheng Luo, Mengmeng Liang — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

In the context of the construction of a skills-based society, this study statistically analyzes the career conditions of winners from the 41st-46th WorldSkills Competitions across four provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The main career characteristics identified include relatively stable employment, preference for teaching positions as their first choice of profession, focus on skill training in their work content, and increasing flexibility in employment opportunities over recent years. The construction of a skills-based society has set new requirements for WorldSkills winners: to refine their own skills, enhance skill standards, improve the skills environment, and expand international influence. In their career development, winners face major challenges in terms of three aspects: professional skills, career vision, and career paths. In response to these requirements and challenges, this paper proposes specific reform suggestions, including improving policy content, establishing learning and training platforms, optimizing the internal and external practical environment, and designing a comprehensive career development path for these winners.

Technical skills talent development in a vocational undergraduate program: Case study of a modern communication engineering program

Yongxue Wang, Weiqiang Wu, Sunan Wang — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The development of the digital economy represents a strategic decision aimed at addressing the demands of the current scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. Vocational undergraduate programs in modern communication engineering play a crucial role in developing high-level technical talent within the information and communication sector to bolster the advancement of the digital economy. This necessitates the delineation of talent development objectives, the methodical formulation of talent training schemes, investigations into synergistic models of industry-education integration, and the establishment of the professional attributes characteristic of vocational undergraduate education. Using the Modern Communication Engineering program at Shenzhen Polytechnic University as a case study, we describe a talent cultivation model and practical experiences within the field of modern communication engineering. This model encompasses the technology-driven, project-based and competency-based integration of practice and experience within a comprehensive curriculum and professional certification system and offers insights into the furtherance of high-quality vocational undergraduate education in modern communication engineering.

The evolution of vocational education colleges and institutes in Canada: An analysis of trends and challenges

Glen A. Jones — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Canada has placed a strong emphasis on the provision of vocational and technical education, and this paper provides an overview and critical analysis of the development, trends and challenges associated with the public colleges and institutes sector, as well as private career colleges. Under Canada's federal arrangements, postsecondary education is the responsibility of the provinces, and each province and territory has created a somewhat unique system. This paper provides a review of the development of vocational and technical education colleges, both public colleges established by governments and private career colleges established by private industry, drawing on the existing research literature. Common trends are discussed, such as a transition in credentials offered by colleges, including degrees in some provinces, a focus on student pathways and mobility within postsecondary systems, increasing international student enrolment as a source of revenue generation, expanding roles in applied research, and the emergence in some provinces of self-governing Indigenous institutes serving the needs of Indigenous communities. A core conclusion emerging from this analysis is that the traditional boundaries that have separated the public university and college sectors have been blurring in response to shifting labour market and student demands.

Value of technical and vocational higher education in the labor market: Comparative perspectives from Middle Eastern countries

Baris Uslu — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The Middle East is a geopolitically diverse region that includes large economies, such as Saudi Arabia and Türkiye; densely populated countries, such as Iran and Egypt; and smaller nations with a high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Despite the differences in sociocultural, economic, and environmental contexts between these countries, individuals across the region must participate in the labor force and contribute to production to benefit from national wealth. Specialized technical skills offer a significant advantage in securing employment, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in higher education has become a viable pathway for various technical roles. On this point, through its varying national (e.g., population, GDP, GDP per capita, human development level, TVET starting age, TVET enrollment in higher education, gross enrollment in higher education) and TVET-related factors (quality of TVET, labor participation by TVET graduates, salary for TVET graduates, unemployment rate for TVET graduates), the Middle East presents an interesting case for examining the value of TVET in higher education to the labor market. Accordingly, this study aimed to compare the advantages (or disadvantages) of TVET graduation for people to access the labor market in Middle Eastern countries. The research was designed as a comparative quantitative study, following a descriptive survey model. The comparative analysis included data from Egypt, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates to compare TVET in higher education and employment relations. National data for the selected countries were collected from various sources. The focus was on statistical comparisons using cross-tables and classification and regression tree analysis. The analysis showed that TVET is a good way to secure work in the case countries (with relatively lower unemployment for TVET graduates). Nonetheless, according to a comparison of national data, GDP emerged as the most significant factor, highlighting the demand for more professionals in larger-scale production within the related countries. The results also reveal that the TVET starting age and gross enrollment in higher education are among the influential factors for students choosing TVET programs in higher education (ISCED level 5), while TVET-related factors do not generate a distinction in terms of the number of students who prefer TVET programs at the higher education level. Potential policy developments and practices are also discussed concerning educational priorities in Middle Eastern countries to increase the attractiveness of the TVET system as well as its value to the labor market.

Science or industry: Improving the quality of the Russian higher education system

Anna Panova, Victoria Slepykh — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The shape of the modern Russian science and higher education system is largely determined by the peculiarities of its structure during the Soviet period: its division into research and higher education sectors. However, throughout the 21st century, the higher education system has undergone significant reforms. An important focus of these reforms has been the development of the research mission of higher education institutions (HEIs). At the same time, the government launched reforms that focused on the development of regional markets, where universities were an important driver of this development, and on the interaction of universities with local employers. There have also been reforms aimed at changing the system to determine the number of state-funded places and places for targeted enrolment and how they are distributed between universities. All these reforms have changed the functioning of universities. In this study, we describe the current landscape of the Russian higher education system, and how different types of universities are involved in research, attracting more talented students and engaging with other sectors of the economy.

Study of vocational training programs themed on "women's empowerment" in Japan

Yizhen Qin, Futao Huang — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This study examines vocational training programs in Japan centered on "women's empowerment" and their role in facilitating women's re-entry into the workforce after career breaks. In Japan, many women leave the workforce for caregiving responsibilities, contributing to the "M-shaped curve" in labor force participation. Although recurrent education and reskilling opportunities are increasing, challenges remain, including limited program flexibility, financial constraints, and misalignment with labor market needs. The study analyzes these challenges through text mining and interviews, highlighting the need for modular and flexible learning options, targeted financial support, and better alignment of training programs with high-demand industries. The findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive support systems, such as mentorship and childcare services, to improve program accessibility. Addressing these barriers can enable women to successfully re-enter the job market, matching their qualifications with employment opportunities. The study concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of vocational training programs to support women's long-term career development in Japan.

Screening signals or capability enhancement: The educational effect on the starting salary of engineering master's graduates

Hui Guo, Lusen Liu, Chunxiao Wang — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The employment of college graduates has become a pressing social concern. Based on classical human capital theory and screening theory, this study analyzes the effects of human capital and educational background on the starting salary of engineering master's graduates. Educational background and hard engineering skills were found to have a distinct salary effect on engineering master's students; however, the salary effect of educational background was not based on the promotion of human capital development and exhibited clear characteristics of institution and specialty screening. Moreover, significant disparities exist between factors affecting starting salaries in engineering versus nonengineering roles. To enhance the attractiveness and quality of engineering master's programs, it is crucial to promote a diversified higher education system and develop market-driven talent cultivation models.

Sino-German cooperation in vocational teacher training: A macro-micro-macro analysis of good intentions and unintended outcomes in China

Wenyu Cao, Johannes Karl Schmees, Jun Li, Janika Grunau — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

In this paper, we use the exemplary case of Sino-German cooperation to develop teacher training for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in order to demonstrate both incongruent understandings of TVET systems in intercontinental cooperation and missing links between macrolevel objectives and micro level actions. To illustrate these problems, we use Coleman's boat model. Using this model, we conceptualize the objectives of an intercontinental cooperation project for TVET teacher training at the macrolevel and contrast these objectives with four different student types (enterprise-oriented students, TVET researcher-oriented students, TVET teacher-avoiding students, and TVET teacher-oriented students) who used their opportunities within this project to enhance their own educational endeavors. These endeavors were not necessarily in line with the objectives and eventually caused the termination of the undergraduate TVET teacher training program. As a result, only students of the fourth type decided to become TVET teachers, but mostly at the tertiary level in higher TVET colleges. Reasons for choosing a different career path include the attractiveness of other professional fields. For the TVET teacher training, we therefore recommend curricular modifications and raising students' awareness of the importance of TVET and its teachers in society.