Developing core skills – lessons from Germany and Sweden

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractExamines the experiences of Germany and Sweden in their attempts to develop core skills and key competencies among trainees and young employees. Particular attention is devoted to vocational training as a promising school-to-work transition process, which stimulates and supports the development of core skills. Some case study material (Germany) and relevant policy responses (Sweden) have also been used to go beyond mere theoretical considerations and to provide some practical help and guidance when it comes to defining, implementing, assessing and administering the concepts of core skills and key competencies. In particular, the paper highlights the importance of employer enthusiasm in the development and delivery of core skills. Electronic accessThe research register for this journal is available at

Varieties of Capitalism and Investments in Human Capital

“…Such reforms have “deliberately weakened” the basis of vocational education in its entirety, and the relations between training institutions and firms. In Sweden, while vocational training was traditionally separate from general academic/theoretical training, in recent years, there has been a move toward a more integrated system (Gibbons‐Wood and Lange 2000:28). The base of skills covered in the Swedish case is considerably more general than the industry‐specific skills associated with Germany (Korpi and Mertens 2004:94).…”

“…The base of skills covered in the Swedish case is considerably more general than the industry‐specific skills associated with Germany (Korpi and Mertens 2004:94). Critics have charged that, as a result, the Swedish system has failed to equip workers with the core skills required by firms; “employers feel let down by the state education system” (Gibbons‐Wood and Lange 2000:28).…”

Mastering Foreign Language Competence of Ecology and Environment Managers for Mining Industry of Kuzbass

“…They are considered as competences of a broad scale, not specific to any professional area, and are characterized as universally applied [11][12][13][14].…”

The Role of Small Business Strategic Alliances in the Adoption of E-Commerce in Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

“…As the study is examining the role of small business strategic alliances in E-commerce adoption, a viable government initiated Chamber of Commerce must exist and be well patronised by the small business community. In line with the findings of Klofsten (2000), Barry et al (2003), Kjellberg et al (1998), Gibbons-Wood & Lange (2000) and Filho et al (2000), the location should have the full range of educational facilities (including a university). In order to attempt comparisons of the two locations, locations must have the same financial classification.…”

“…The Australian Bureau of statistics (2001) classifies regional areas into inner and outer regions, Determination is based on a formula that primarily relies on population size and proximity to services (in terms of physical distance). A similar classification exists for Sweden, however a number of studies (Klofsten 2000, Barry et al 2003, Kjellberg et al 1998, Gibbons-Wood & Lange 2000and Filho et al 2000 suggest that proximity to services should include a full range of educational facilities. As such, a number of criteria were developed.…”