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Vocational education and training (VET) systems in highly industrialised western countries have been faced with a shift from the Fordist industrial paradigm to a new techno-economic information dominated paradigm: the learning economy. This chapter highlights challenges of the learning economy for VET systems. The author examines VET delivery in the Fordist paradigm, analyses the political and social context of VET in the learning economy, and contrasts and discusses two models of balance between VET and innovation in organisations: the social organisation of innovation and the technical organisation of innovation. The chapter presents six directions of change for VET institutions and organisations in response to the new requirements of the learning economy.

In this chapter it is suggested that understanding and appreciation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes must be improved for the benefit of the wider population and the labour market. The chapter investigates the dimensions involved in learning, and differentiates between formal, non-formal and informal learning. It is recommended that the formality of learning situations should be distinguished only in relation to formal and non-formal environmental conditions. The author describes assessment for learning outcomes in non-formal settings, and reviews and analyses assessment trends from German continuous information technology (IT) training, the Realkompetanse project and the Finnish Recreational Activity Study Book. The chapter concludes with some implications for flexibility, mobility, transferability and equity.

This chapter discusses the challenges associated with providing learning support for health care professionals in the UK's hospitals, particularly for newly qualified radiographers and physiotherapists in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. The author discusses six learning challenges faced by these new employees: (1) successful engagement with major (and changing) work activities; (2) successful interaction with others; (3) successful learning from experience; (4) alignment of professional and personal values; (5) commitment to continuing professional development; and (6) coping with the demands for flexibility, transferability and work intensification in the workplace. The author discusses the role of vocational education and training (VET) professionals, and acknowledges that the extent of required support from VET professionals is dependent upon the provision of other support factors. Experienced colleagues of newly qualified health professionals play an important role in supporting learning, although the extent of support is dependent upon the context of the learning situation. Professional development of health care professionals, which fosters their ability to support others in learning processes, will contribute to thorough learning support for newly qualified health care professionals in the future.

This chapter examines education and employability in Italy. The structure of Italy's education system has undergone major reforms in recent years, to upgrade vocational education and to increase flexibility between general and vocational education. The author examines different models of vocational education and training (VET), contrasting educational redundancy, which produces greater transferability, with suitability, which produces lower transferability but requires less initial investment. An integrated and unified qualifications system is presented and discussed as a contribution to flexibility in VET. Individual motivation towards education is also discussed. The author examines the forecasting of labour demands and investigates the Excelsior project, which uses surveys to forecast labour trends up to two years in advance. The project's continuing vocational training survey (CVTS) from 2000 highlights aspects of flexibility, mobility and transferability. The author discusses the consequences of the survey findings. Italy requires a systemic approach to VET, with a balance between specialisation and differentiation, fostering mobility in its approach to working life.

Flexibility has been a dominant theme in recent economic and educational developments. Flexibility within the vocational education and training (VET) sector is approached from a variety of perspectives. This publication analyses flexibility within VET systems and investigates VET design and economic factors, educational tools as resources for flexible national delivery systems, and the role of VET professionals as promoters of flexibility. Flexibility promises to contribute to overcoming the challenges arising from the rapid changes and developments of the knowledge economy. This publication includes the following chapters: Shaping conditions for a flexible VET / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis, Wim J. Nijhof and Anja Heikkinen; Vocational education and training in transition: from Fordism to a learning economy / Kurt Mayer; Learning organisations for VET / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis; Perspectives on institutional and organisational flexibility in VET / Leif Hommen; Institutional responses to a flexible unified system / Cathy Howieson, David Raffe and Teresa Tinklin; Demand and supply of qualifications: systems' change towards flexibility / Luisa Ribolzi; Developments in vocational education in Ireland / David Tuohy; From a unified to a flexible vocational system: the Hungarian transition case / Laszlo Zachar; Design and effects of a flexible VET system: a case study in Dutch agricultural education / Jos Geerligs and Wim J. Nijhof; Valuing learning outcomes acquired in non-formal settings / Gerald A. Straka; Resources for flexibility: critical comments / Fernando Marhuenda; Professionalism as a path for the reform of VET systems / Lorenz Lassnigg; Transforming VET policies and professionalism: a view from Finland / Anja Heikkinen; HRD as a professional career?: perspectives from Finland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom / Tuija Hytonen, Rob Poell and Geoff Chivers; Challenges of supporting learning of newly qualified professionals in health care / Alan Brown; The practice of a new VET profession / Phil Hodkinson.