There is a growing number of studies in the field of vocational education and training, but not many focus on the practical subjects that prepare students for transition to workplaces. This critical review of the literature on practical subjects in vocational colleges set out to contribute to debates on the relationship between theory and practice in vocational education through a particular focus on the knowledge forms that are evident in curricular and pedagogical practices in practical subjects. The critical review identified the conceptual, procedural, technical, and contextual forms of knowledge in practical tasks and activities. Based on these findings and drawing on the concept of semantic gravity in Legitimation Code Theory, we found stronger and weaker forms of semantic gravity in practical knowledge and propose that strengthening and weakening semantic gravity through the purposeful selection and sequencing of tasks and activities enables cumulative knowledge building towards competent practice.
Higher education is under pressure to enhance the employability of graduates by ensuring that they acquire competencies that make them employable in the labour market. This research project investigated the contribution of higher education towards the employability of graduates within a business diploma programme. A Delphi approach was employed with the Delphi panel consisting of three types of professionals – employers within the corporate sector, academics in the field of business studies, and graduates with workplace experience in the corporate sector. Both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from three rounds of surveys. The findings show that disciplinary knowledge of Information Administration, Business Administration, Communication and Personnel Management, and the simulation of workplace practices as well as work-integrated learning opportunities are significant to enhancing the employability of office administrators and office managers. These findings provided academics with the opportunity to make improvements to the curriculum to foster the employability of the graduates.
Around the globe, more emphasis is being placed on environmental sustainability and, as such, many organizations have started to embrace the idea of a paperless working environment, although it is still largely regarded as an idealistic dream. For this research study, the influence of a paperless working environment on the Master of the High Court (Master’s Office), in Cape Town, was investigated through the introduction of its Paperless Estate Administration System (PEAS) and its Paperless Estate Administration System for Trusts (PEAST). The main objective of this research study is to determine the influence of the PEAS and the PEAST on the holistic sustainability of the Master’s Office. A mixed methods approach was followed whereby both quantitative data and qualitative data were collected through means of disseminating questionnaires to employees based at the Master’s Office in Cape Town. Based on the findings made, the PEAS and the PEAST had a positive influence on the sustainability of the Master’s Office in Cape Town, as the time spent on and the expenditure incurred on administrative tasks decreased significantly. Notwithstanding the latter, it was found that the PEAS and the PEAST can still be further enhanced to optimize the sustainability of the Master’s Office in Cape Town.
Keywords: paperless, work environment, high court, administration, office and management technology, Paperless Estate Administration System (PEAS), Paperless Estate Administration System for Trusts (PEAST). JEL Classification: M10
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