Particularly worth noting in this edition are calls for papers relating to the EAPRIL conference in Hämeenlinna, the EDI conference stream 'Inclusive working environment' in London (see Conferences), the CVER conference in London (see Networks and Organisations), the HRD 'Scholar-Practitioner' Writing Award of the International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy & Research, the special issue on 'Skills of adults' of the Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies and the thematic issue on 'Apprenticeship in Germany' (see Publications). Also to note: the positions offered for an international project at the Zurich University of Teacher Education (see Networks and Organisations).

Many thanks to all who contributed information for this edition and who sent helpful feedback. The L&W Newsletter reaches you via a mailing list of about 1500 experts in and beyond Europe. 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, programmes, projects and publications. The next edition will appear in early June 2017. You are invited to submit short pieces of news (texts of 100 to 200 words, without attachments, but including links to web pages) - please by 31 May 2017 at the latest!

Should you prefer to read the current edition online, you can find it on the L&W website (www.news.wifo-gate.org) under April 2017. Please pass the Newsletter on to your colleagues and networks. Special thanks to our partners CR&DALL, PASCAL International Observatory, UFHRD, UNEVOC, VET&Culture and VETNET for sharing the L&W Newsletter via their mailing lists and web portals!

With best wishes
Sabine Manning
Research Forum WIFO
Editor of the L&W Newsletter

Conferences

EAN 2017 - save the date!
The 27th conference of the European Access Network (EAN) will take place at the University of Giessen, Germany, 20-22 September 2017
A detailed conference description is currently being set up with the contribution of European members and will be available shortly. Some of the topics to be explored include: Access to HE for refugees; First-generation students; Educational gap between Eastern and Western Europe. Registrations are due to start in early April. The call for proposals opens in April. Guidelines for presenters will be available shortly. Please check the EAN conference website: http://www.ean-edu.org/annual-conference-2017.html
(Info received via Pascal Observatory and CR&DALL Site Digest)

EAPRIL 2017 - call for proposals
The next EAPRIL conference "Inspired by the visions of future education and learning" will take place in one of the world's leading educational countries, Finland - Hämeenlinna, November 28 to December 1, 2017. EAPRIL is the European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning, both in education and professional practice, and brings together research and practice as well as educational and professional learning. Keynote speakers are Prof. Minna Huotilainen - "Insights of brain research in education - music practice and embodiment to enhance learning", Prof. Joseph Kessels - "Sustainable Learning in a Knowledge Productive Workplace" and Prof. Ruben Vanderlinde - "Practitioner research: A hidden secret for professional development". The EAPRIL conference is renowned for its highly interactive and innovative presentation formats. Furthermore, school visits are scheduled to allow participants to learn more about the Finnish educational system. Finally, our annual Corporate Learning Day will take place on November 30, with trending L&D themes discussed in transformational labs. We would like to invite all practitioners and practitioner-researchers in the field to submit their proposals by 10th of May. Also applications for our Best Research & Practice Project Award are welcomed. More information - http://www.eapril.org
(Posted by Inneke Berghmans <[email protected]>)

Call for papers on inclusive working environment
Part of: 10th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) International Conference 28-30 June 2017, Brunel Business School, Brunel University London, UK
The proposed stream 5 "Developing an inclusive working environment through effective training" aims to examine and evaluate three key areas: (1) to explore how dominant discourses within literature exert an institutional power on the rhetoric and practice of diversity training, related to the multifaceted social constructs of diversity; (2) to evaluate whether diversity training could be seen as a possible solution to address discrimination and social differences across borders; (3) to identify and assess different training practices that allow individuals to critically evaluate, debate and assess the impact of their own beliefs, values and prejudices. Possible themes include but are not restricted to: perceptions of diversity training; training evaluation and measurement methods; effects of training on learning and innovation in organisations; training practices and discrimination; political, social and economic identity, workplace fairness; organisational engagement; organisational moral obligations; diversity mindset and training (see details of Stream 5). Important dates: Please submit your manuscript via the conferences website: http://www.edi-conference.org/ Submissions to the conference can be in the form of long abstracts (5 pages minimum: length to be specified by stream and workshop chairs) and full papers by the deadline of April 28th 2017. Stream Convenors: Dr Valerie Caven <[email protected]> and Dr Stefanos Nachmias <[email protected]>.
(Info received via UFHRD mailing list)

ECRM Workshops
Prior to: 16th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies (ECRM 2017), 21^st June 2017 at Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
The themes of the four pre-conference workshops include: Facilitating academic research with Digital Scholarship & Social Media; Mind the Gap: Developing the roles, expectations and boundaries in the doctoral, supervisor-supervisee relationship; The End Game: Writing up your research dissertation or thesis and getting a paper published; Mixing it Up: Identifying the elements of a research methods course and identifying a good mix of those elements. The attendance fee is £30 for those attending ECRM and £60 for those not attending the conference. For more information about a workshop and to book a place please contact [email protected] Full details of the workshops can be found here: http://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/ecrm/ecrm-workshops/
(Info received from Sue Nugus <[email protected]> via UFHRD mailing list)

ILO International Conference on Jobs and Skills Mismatch - Update
11-12 May 2017 – International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland
Registrations are open for the ILO International Conference on Jobs and Skills Mismatch. Keynote speakers have been confirmed as Prof. Peter Cappelli from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Prof. Seamus McGuinness from the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. Among conference participants and other speakers are experts from the ILO, UNESCO, OECD, CEDEFOP, ETF, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the World Economic Forum. The conference will provide a global perspective on the topic by presenting insights from the Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa regions. Researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and other stakeholders active in skills development systems and labour market economics are welcome to register. To register please contact [email protected] or visit the conference webpage at http://www.ilo.org/skills/events/WCMS_538198/lang--en/index.htm
(Posted by Angelica Munoz <[email protected]>)

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].  

Networks and Organisations

Positions offered for an international project
The Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH) is currently launching a project that looks at the contribution of vocational skills development to inclusive industrial growth and transformation in 6 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Laos, South Africa and Vietnam). The project is jointly funded by the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (http://www.r4d.ch/), which receives funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). In this context, the Zurich University of Teacher Education is offering two positions: Position as PhD candidate (from September 1, 2017) and Position as project coordinator / manager (from July 1, 2017). Both advertisements will be available on the following website at the latest by April 13: https://phzh.ch/de/ueber-uns/JobsOffene_Stellen/  Both positions will require a solid background in the social sciences (e.g. sociology, education, economics, political science at master's level), high motivation to engage in an international team, and sound organisational skills. For the PhD position, excellent skills in research methods (both quantitative and qualitative) as well as readiness to travel frequently are also expected.
(Posted by Markus Maurer <[email protected]>)

CVER CONFERENCE 2017
The Centre for Vocational Education Research (CVER) at the London School of Economics (LSE) will hold its second annual conference on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 September 2017. Keynote speakers include: Professor Bridget Long (Harvard University) and Professor Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich). We would like to invite papers on any aspect of the economics of vocational education and training. Please submit a full paper or an extended abstract by 31 May 2017 to [email protected]. The conference will be held in London and attendance will be free, but no funds are available for accommodation/travel. The conference will be relatively small and we expect to be over-subscribed. Full papers are preferred over extended abstracts. Decisions will be made soon after the deadline.
(Info received from Centre for Vocational Education Research <[email protected]>)

UFHRD Conference - submission deadline extended!
18th International Conference on Human Resource Development, Research and Practice across Europe in Lisbon (Portugal) 7-9 June 2017
The UFHRD Conferences addresses a pivotal question on the future of HRD: "Indigenous Research and Identity in HRD in a Globalized World". Details of the streams may be found on the Conference webpage (http://ufhrd2017.com/) under the header Stream Content. Please note that the deadline for submission of full papers (6000 to 8000 words) has been extended to 21st April. For any contact use [email protected]. Eduardo Tomé, Maria José Sousa and Sandra Costa on behalf of the Organizing Committee.
(Info received from JIM STEWART <[email protected]>)

Your guide: Who's who in transnational European VET and HRD research
The Directory of Professional Contacts (www.dpc.wifo-gate.org), maintained by the Research Forum WIFO, serves as a Who's who, offering up-to-date information on more than 200 contacts across 30 countries in the field of transnational European VET and HRD research. Each person included in the DPC is both a producer of transnational research and an active transnational networker. The criteria for inclusion in the DPC, and and the references to individual professional work are explained in the introduction. They relate to evidence of transnational activities presented in WIFO resources of European collaboration such as the Bookshelf, Overview of articles, Conference page, ECER VETNET Proceedings and Overview of HRD conference papers, Networks at a glance and Overview of projects. The DPC is updated continuously as part of European collaboration in VET and HRD research.
(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]. Major online resources related to European research networks include the ECER VETNET Proceedings (www.ecer-vetnet.wifo-gate.org) 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).

Programmes

NOTE: Contributions are welcome for the next edition of the Directory of Doctoral Dissertations (www.ddd.wifo-gate.org), 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]).

Projects

ENLIVEN - LLL for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe
We would like to draw your attention to the Horizon 2020 funded project ENLIVEN, Encouraging Lifelong Learning for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe. ENLIVEN is a three years project that aims to inform policy makers on how to successfully implement adult education and training as a means to reduce inequalities and social disadvantages, and to improve the workforce. ENLIVEN explores adult education policies, its funding and opportunity structures and explores the system characteristics of adult education structures in Europe, drawing on comparative research data, including the Labour Force Survey, PIAAC and the Adult Education Survey. Specific attention is also paid to workplace learning, drawing on case studies. The development of an Intelligent Decision Support System is one of the core tasks aiming to help the team in generating policy impact. The project runs until 30 September 2019 and is coordinated by Professor John Holford, The University of Nottingham, UK. Updates are regularly posted on www.h2020enliven.org and you can follow us on Twitter @h2020enliven
(Posted by Ellen Boeren <[email protected]>)

New project: EffectVPL
The project "Effectiveness of VPL (Validation of Prior Non-formal and Informal Learning) Policies and Programmes for Labour Market Inclusion and Mobility – Individual and Employer Perspectives" addresses the effectiveness of validation in terms of how the recognition of prior learning benefits the individual, in particular their labour market inclusion, employability and participation in further learning. The Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership comprises a cooperation of eight institutions from adult/vocational education and recognition practice in Denmark, Germany, Poland and Turkey. The project partners will (1) assess the advancement of VPL policies and programmes in their countries over the project period, (2) conduct an empirical investigation with individuals based on biographical approaches and (3) explore the role of employers for supporting validation procedures. The results of the project will be channelled into the on-going VPL policy dialogue and be adopted to jointly develop a training module to support VPL practitioners. We invite related projects and interested individuals to contact us to foster the continuous exchange of experience. The project is coordinated by the University of Bremen, for more information see project page
(Posted by Franziska Laudenbach <[email protected]>)

VET4LEC - Inclusive VET for low energy construction
Inclusive Vocational Education and Training for Low Energy Construction (VET4LEC) is a European Commission project (2017-2018) coordinated by the European Construction Industry Federation and the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers. Project partners are from trade unions and employer associations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and possibly Germany. The University of Westminster team of external experts consists of Professor Linda Clarke, Dr Colin Gleeson and Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen, plus Professor Christopher Winch from Kings College London. The construction sector has particular responsibility for meeting the European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 'at least 40% by 2030'. The EU Build Up skills programme, addressing VET requirements for LEC, has highlighted insufficient coordination between occupations and inadequate VET as barriers to increasing energy efficiency in the built environment. It is the task of this project to identify the changes required to overcome barriers and the problems involved in enacting these at site level. The objectives include: Comparing exemplary LEC case study projects in each country; Evaluating interdisciplinarity and LEC knowledge, skill and competences (KSC) in VET; Providing criteria for a core energy literacy curriculum compatible with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). For further details, contact: [email protected]
(Posted by Linda Clarke <[email protected]>)

Reducing Inequalities through lifelong learning
Annual Conference of the LLL Platform (http://lllplatform.eu/) "Education in a Digital World <Reducing Inequalities through Lifelong Learning>" 31 May to 01 June 2017 - Tallinn, Estonia
Digitalisation is continually growing and will inevitably affect all sectors. Yet we still struggle to understand the extent of it, and few are fully prepared for it: there is a change in the nature of the race between man and the machine, and the machine is running faster. The challenge of education in a digital world compels us to open education as widely as possible to include everyone, through flexible pathways and innovative thinking in order to enable all to adapt to yet unknown developments. How can lifelong learning answer these challenges in order to ensure universal access to digital education? Check out the programme on the Conference page  and register now!
(Info received from Lifelong Learning Platform Newsletter - March 2017)

NOTE: Contributions are invited to update the Overview of European research projects [www.projects.wifo-gate.org], 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]):  (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

News from The International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy & Research
Volume 2, Number 1 published. This issue is available at www.ijhrdppr.com and contains some excellent articles on HRD scholarly practice. For example: # Rethinking the Practice of Workplace Learning and Development: Utilizing 'Knowledge, Connections and Conversation' in Organizations # Learning-Oriented Leadership: Managers as Facilitators of Human Resource Development in Daily Work # Learning to Think and Act with Systems: Improving OD with Soft Systems Methodology # Time to Bridge the Research Practice Divide.
New HRD 'Scholar-Practitioner' Writing Award. This award seeks to encourage those who have recently completed, or are nearing completion, an HRD research project linked to a postgraduate or professional programme (e.g. DBA, DEd, Masters / Diploma in HR/HRD) to write for publication. The award is offered by the International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy & Research. Key Points: Two awards will be offered in 2017/18. An award consists of a monetary sum, a place at the International Conference on HRD Research & Practice Across Europe and fast track publication in the Journal. Jointly authored submissions (i.e. with a supervisor) may be a particularly attractive and accessible way to proceed. The deadline for submissions is 31 December, 2017. See http://www.ijhrdppr.com/hrd-scholar-practitioner-writing-award/ for more details.
(Posted by Rick Holden <[email protected]>)

Skills of adults from the diversity perspective: Articles invited
Invitation to contribute articles for the special thematic issue of Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies: Skills of adults from the diversity perspective - reflections on the PIAAC research results
In this special thematic issue we wish to encourage authors to critically analyse the results of the PIAAC survey, and facilitate a discussion about the comparability of the achievements of adults in European and other OECD countries. We also wish to encourage a comparative analysis of the adults' achievements in acquiring literacy and mathematical skills and in their proficiency in problem solving in a technology-rich environment. A special emphasis is placed on the issues of enabling various groups of adults - with differing opportunities for education, training and learning - to participate in various social processes. All researchers and practitioners involved in the above topic are invited to contribute their articles for the special thematic issue. We are looking for scientific and professional articles (max. 45,000 characters incl. spaces). Abstracts deadline: 15. 6. 2017; Articles deadline: 15. 9. 2017. For more instructions for authors, please consult author guidelines (http://bit.ly/sp-author-guidelines), or contact the editors of the special thematic issue. Send your contributions to: [email protected] or [email protected] Journal website: www.sodobna-pedagogika.net/en/
(Info received from ESREA Newsletter March 2007)

Call for proposals: Apprenticeship in Germany
The peer reviewed journal Formation Emploi, Revue française de sciences sociales intends to publish a thematic issue on "Apprenticeship in Germany", which will appear in late 2018 or early 2019. One main objective of this thematic issue is to go beyond the superficial (re)presentations of the German dual Vocational and Training system (VET system). This call for contributions, focusing on apprenticeship and the German dual VET system, also pays attention to proposals on initial vocational training, to proposals interested in the relationship between training and employment in Germany and to proposals on international comparisons in these fields which include Germany. Short proposals for this issue (in English or French) should be sent in by the end of April 2017, outlining the intention of the contribution. This step is not selective, but is required by the editor to get a general overview for this thematic issue. The article should be sent to the editor and the guest editors before 14 of December 2017. It will be reviewed anonymously (double blind), each by three reviewers. For more information please see the Call for proposals: http://formationemploi.revues.org/4965 on the Website of CEREQ.
(Posted by Mona Granato <[email protected]>

VET in times of economic crisis
Matthias Pilz (Ed.). Vocational Education and Training in Times of Economic Crisis: Lessons from Around the World. Series "Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects", Vol. 24. Springer 2017
This book brings together a broad range of approaches and methodologies relevant to international comparative vocational education and training (VET). Revealing how youth in transition is affected by economic crises, it provides essential insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the various systems and prospects of VET in contexts ranging from North America to Europe (e.g. Spain, Germany or the UK) and to Asia (e.g. China, Thailand and India). Though each country examined in this volume is affected by the economic crisis in a different way, the effects are especially apparent for the younger generation. In many countries the youth unemployment rate is still very high and the job perspectives for young people are often limited at best. The contributions in this volume demonstrate that VET alone cannot solve these problems, but can be used to support a smooth transition from school to work. If the quality of VET is high and the status and job expectations are good, VET can help to fill the skills gap, especially at the intermediate skill level. Furthermore, VET can also offer a realistic alternative to the university track for young people in many countries. Find more information at http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783319478548
(Received from Matthias Vonken <[email protected]>)

Vocational education - making the invisible visible
Ute Hippach-Schneider, Verena Schneider, Boris Ménard & Sabine Tritscher-Archan (2017). The underestimated relevance and value of vocational education in tertiary education - making the invisible visible. Journal of Vocational Education & Training. Volume 69, Issue 1 [Details]
Increasing the number of tertiary graduates has been a priority on the political agenda of the EU for several years. However, the focus has mainly been on academic courses, with less emphasis on the role of vocational education and training. International educational statistics indeed show a clear increase in the number of persons completing tertiary education programmes in recent years. In overall terms, this development is referred to as 'academisation'. The present paper provides a critical analysis and uses examples from Germany, Austria and France to show that this interpretation is neglecting two crucial facts. One is that various academic programmes in fact are combining academic with vocational learning. The other is that there are vocational programmes in the tertiary education sector that are not adequately visible in international education statistics. This understanding is important in relation to future policy-making as well as individual decision-making.
(Abstract quoted from article page)

School-based model of VET in Finland and Sweden
M. Virolainen & D. Persson Thunqvist (2017). Varieties of universalism: post-1990s developments in the initial school-based model of VET in Finland and Sweden and implications for transitions to the world of work and higher education. Journal of Vocational Education & Training. Volume 69, Issue 1 [Details]
The Nordic countries are often referred to as a group even though their education systems and training models are very different. The aim of this study is to advance understanding of those differences and compare the developments and organisation of initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Finland and Sweden since the 1990s as examples of school-based models of IVET in statist regimes. The research questions address the following: how these two countries have institutionalised school-based IVET since the 1990s; the kinds of legislative reforms that have been decisive for the construction of school-based IVET; and how the models of school-based IVET in these two countries allow access to higher education and the world of work. The analysis shows the heterogeneity of the statist model of school-based IVET systems in two Nordic countries and underlines differences with respect to school-to-work transitions between IVET and different labour market sectors.
(Contributed by Maarit Virolainen <[email protected]>)

Dual apprenticeship structures in the United States
Michael Gessler (2017). Educational Transfer as Transformation: A Case Study about the Emergence and Implementation of Dual Apprenticeship Structures in a German Automotive Transplant in the United States. Vocations and Learning. Volume 10, Issue 1 [Details]
The apprenticeship system in Germany is carried out both by companies and vocational schools (the Dual System). The question of whether the German Dual System is transferable is currently being asked in VET research. The analysis of current transfer discourses alludes to a research desideratum: the actual approaches consider either the input or the output of an educational transfer, but the transfer process in relation to its input and output has not been investigated to date. We focus on this desideratum. In the present case study, the process emergence and implementation of dual apprenticeship structures are analysed in relation to its input and output in a German automotive transplant in the United States. Transplant organisations provide an ideal case to explore the transfer phenomenon because they have been transferred from a familiar context to a foreign context. The central findings of the case study are: firstly, that growing contradictions in the production system triggered the implementation process; secondly, that the original Dual System was transformed within the implementation process; and thirdly, that this transformation led to innovative solutions. These findings may not be valid for every transfer at any time, but they reflect the fact that educational transfer of dual apprenticeship structures can be more than just a more or less successful imitation or adaptation.
(Abstract quoted from article page)

New: Adult Learning, Knowledge and Innovation
The new Journal of Adult Learning, Knowledge and Innovation is an open access journal. It strives to be inclusive in scope by understanding and interpreting adult learning and knowledge construction at the intersection of theory and practice, including formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts. It publishes empirical and theoretical papers that promote a problem-oriented, and/or critical approach to research and scholarship, going beyond the description of practice. For more info, see http://www.akademiai.com/loi/jalki
(Info received from ESREA Newsletter March 2007)

NOTE: Updates on publications provided by the WIFO Gateway include the WIFO Bookshelf [www.books.wifo-gate.org], 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], selected from European and international Journals related to education research [www.journals.wifo-gate.org].

Impressum

Editor of the L&W Newsletter: Dr Sabine Manning, Research Forum WIFO ([email protected]);
Address: Neue Blumenstr. 1, D-10179 Berlin, Germany;
Editions of the L&W Newsletter: six times a year, every two months (at the beginning of February, April, June, August, October, December);
Deadline for contributions to the L&W Newsletter: end of January, March, May, July, September, November;
Circulation of the current L&W Newsletter: about 1500 experts in 40 countries (mostly Europe);
Details and Archive of the L&W Newsletter [www.news.wifo-gate.org].