Vocational Education and Training in the United Kingdom.

Overview & Synopsis

This monograph examines vocational education and training (VET) in the United Kingdom. Section 1 outlines the UK's political and administrative structure, population and employment, and economy. The following are among the aspects of the UK's VET system discussed in section 2: evolution of the system; organization of education and training (the education departments, higher education, schools and further education, government responsibility for VET, industrial sectors, localization, research, Northern Ireland, and responsible authorities); vocational qualifications (targets, the National Vocational Qualifications/Scottish Vocational Qualifications framework, accreditation, lead bodies, and awarding bodies); education and initial VET (secondary education, the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, compacts, careers guidance, youth training, postschool education, training credits, and vocationally oriented higher education); and continuing VET (employment training, continuous professional development, enterprise training, open/flexible learning, in-company training, guidance for adults, and training for trainers). Section 3 explains regulatory and financial arrangements regarding VET, and section 4 analyzes the Europeanization of VET and trends in VET systems in the UK. Appended are a glossary and lists of acronyms/abbreviations, major organizations providing or regulating VET in the UK, and 11 publications. Thirty-six tables/figures are included. (MN)