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Purpose - This study seeks to address empirically the current state of generic competencies considered to be important for successful work performance among Malaysian graduate employees. This study also aims to explain the elements of generic competencies that are needed to complement the tertiary training of students in workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach - Using the survey method, questionnaires (validated by a pilot test and with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81) were administered to a purposive sample of graduate employees (n2). Findings - Responses were factor-analysed and correlated through the Pearson product-moment correlation procedure. Drawing from the significant correlations (p<0.01) of the factors extracted, this study highlights interpersonal skills, knowledge-acquiring skills and flexibility as being highly important in contributing toward success in work performance. Additionally, these graduate employees also expressed value-improving skills, practical orientation abilities and cognitive skills as being important for successful work performance. These generic competencies are important for enabling Malaysian graduate employees to transfer learning from the classroom to the workplace for success in work performance. Research limitations/implications - Given the financial constraints, this study is limited to Malaysian graduate employees. Therefore, the generalisability of the results is limited to other situations that are similar to the one discussed in this study. Originality/value - In the Malaysian context, tertiary training probably needs to consider the development of generic competencies in students so as to enable them to transfer tertiary learning to meet the changing demands of the workplace when they graduate. In this direction additional research is recommended in Malaysia so that graduates can be better trained to contribute successfully in the workplace.

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The Graduates for the 21st Century (G21C) enhancement theme has had two principal goals. First, it asked: what should be the attributes of a graduate from Scottish higher education in the 21st century, and how can the achievement of these attributes best be supported? Second, it has explored how the pursuit of these can be informed and enriched by the outcomes of the preceding enhancement themes. This report focuses on the achievements of the G21C theme as a whole. The report has two aims: (i) to synthesise what has been learnt from the work of the theme and (ii) to consider how its outcomes could be built upon and further pursued under the aegis of the new theme, Developing and Supporting the Curriculum.

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Founded in 1971, Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) is an intergovernmental framework allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST Action 11 investigates different aspects of flexibility, mobility and transferability of vocational competencies. Working Group 5 focuses on aspects of evaluation and assessment of these attributes in Member States of the European Union (EU). This paper is one of a series of national reports highlighting various procedures, strategies, approaches and projects with regard to evaluation and/or assessment in vocational education and training (VET). Qualified Vocational Education (QVE) is a new kind of post-secondary education introduced in Sweden. A significant proportion of training is spent in the workplace applying theoretical knowledge in a work setting. A pilot project involving QVE will be carried out over the next few years and a research group from Lulea University of Technology has been engaged to conduct an evaluation. This paper outlines the evaluation model which will be used.

The volume from which this paper is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 67.267. Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 67.268 to TD/TNC 67.279. Show less

Founded in 1971, Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) is an intergovernmental framework allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST Action 11 investigates different aspects of flexibility, mobility and transferability of vocational competencies. Working Group 5 focuses on aspects of evaluation and assessment of these attributes in Member States of the European Union (EU). This paper is one of a series examining specific evaluation/assessment problems within a national context but with general relevance to the European community. More flexible systems of adult and vocational education create new demands for the assessment of individual students. This paper discusses aspects of the relationship between the increasing need for flexibility of language courses in adult education and vocational education and the demand for comparability and standards of certification. The author outlines his work on assessment in a flexible system and discusses the paradox of certification and flexibility. An example is provided of an attempt to address this paradox by constructing a flexible system of language testing. A structural model of language learning used in Europe and a measurement model designed by Cito (Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement) for assessment are described.

The volume from which this paper is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 67.267. Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 67.268 to TD/TNC 67.279. Show less

Founded in 1971, Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) is an intergovernmental framework allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST Action 11 investigates different aspects of flexibility, mobility and transferability of vocational competencies. Working Group 5 focuses on aspects of evaluation and assessment of these attributes in Member States of the European Union (EU). This paper is one of a series examining specific evaluation/assessment problems within a national context but with general relevance to the European community. The paper describes the operation of P2F, a flexible and individualised training system designed to meet the training needs of small building companies in France. The authors document the progress of a trainee through the system and then explore various means of evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

The volume from which this paper is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 67.267. Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 67.268 to TD/TNC 67.279. Show less

Building upon previous research that focused on the relationships between job demands, job resources, and employee psychological well-being, this longitudinal research makes a unique contribution by relating job demands and job resources to teachers' professional development (TPD) at work and flexible competence, the latter being a key factor in teachers' career development. This study was carried out among 211 teachers working in primary and secondary education in the Netherlands. TPD at work appeared to be related to flexible competence and proved to be a mediator between job resources, on the one hand, and flexible competence, on the other hand. Job resources positively enhanced TPD at work and in turn were related to flexible competence. Moreover, a direct negative relationship between job demands and flexible competence was found.

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An important prerequisite for meeting professional demands upon completion of an apprenticeship is for apprentices to possess the ability to transfer the professional knowledge and skills they acquire in vocational education and training (VET) to various professional situations. This paper presents the empirical results on knowledge and skills transfer from an exploratory study in commercial VET. In a computer-based test environment, 470 commercial apprentices performed business transactions with the same content but with two different forms of presentation. The results indicated that the apprentices did not fully transfer their knowledge and skills within the same context. However, interest in finance and accounting, prior school knowledge and learning opportunities were able to explain their performances. The results suggest that further research on transfer processes that reflect different theoretical approaches is needed.

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This study is an examination of the extent to which new inservice trade and industrial (T&I) teachers, enrolled in an alternative certification program, engaged in formal learning through structured experiences and informal learning related to 25 core competencies at their school (work) site. the study also investigated the degree to which the new T&I teachers transferred each of the 25 core teaching skills on the job. the study found that while T&I teacher-in-training reported learning most competencies formally, they perceived that they use those competencies learned informally more often than those learned formally. new perspectives are offered regarding the importance of alternative certification programs acknowledging and integrating informal learning in teacher education programs.

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Critical reflection is understood as a valuable exercise for the creation of new meanings and behaviours. This article argues that if the focus of critical reflection is too concentrated on performance, its strength in the work environment is weakened, in other words, its potential for creating changes diminishes. This is based on an interpretive qualitative study that aims to understand the meaning that critical reflection assumes in the work environment and how it relates to managerial competence regarding professional conduct. Using narratives from the managers of a financial organisation, events involving disorienting workday dilemmas are presented, revealing moments of reflection. The actions set in motion by these reflections, and when these actions became competencies for negotiating conflicts between individual desires and the transformation of their context, are then discussed. Finally, a warning is offered about the risk of weakening the concept of critical reflection in the workplace, as it is sometimes treated merely from the performance point of view in the literature.

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Founded in 1971, Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) is an intergovernmental framework allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST Action 11 investigates different aspects of flexibility, mobility and transferability of vocational competencies. Working Group 5 focuses on aspects of evaluation and assessment of these attributes in Member States of the European Union (EU). This paper is one of a series examining specific evaluation/assessment problems within a national context but with general relevance to the European community. The paper begins with an analysis of changes taking place in the Italian training system. It then focuses on innovative methodologies in the evaluation of training programs and on integration processes between vocational and educational systems. This is followed by a case study of vocational training for the long-term unemployed. The evaluation method used to assess the impact of retraining schemes for this group of trainees is described. The evaluation aimed to assess the quality of the training supply.

The volume from which this paper is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 67.267. Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 67.268 to TD/TNC 67.279. Show less