New VET theories for new times: the critical capabilities approach to vocational education and training and its potential for theorising a transformed and transformational VET

Is lifelong learning still useful? Disappointments and prospects for rediscovery

“…We might do well to pay fresh attention to ideas like lifewide learning (Jackson 2012) which is grounded in the earlier work of educators such as Lindeman and Dewey, and the capabilities approach (e.g. McGrath et al 2020;Powell and McGrath 2019), grounded in the earlier work of Sen and Nussbaum. In both cases, there are rich ontological views of the person, of human flourishing, of learning, and indeed the significance of social location.…”

Youth Transition, Agricultural Education and Employment in Uganda

“…Despite the efforts, African education systems are still a long way from matching labour market realities and other societal changes. It is widely claimed that the continent's education systems and institutions are still struggling to shed off elitist colonial legacy (Allais & Wedekind, 2020;Boukary & Walther, 2016;McGrath et al, 2020;Walker & Hofstetter, 2016). Mainstream education is considered schoolish, and universities are sharply criticised and often considered dysfunctional and weak in their function of building the continent's workforce (Kibwika, 2006;Zeelen, 2012).…”

“…However, any enthusiasm for a sustainable and systemic change would be farfetched owing to a number of challenges both inside and outside the sub-sector (Allais & Wedekind, 2020). Some scholars are making renewed critique of the defective VET policy reforms which are not reflective of the operating environment and influencing factors linked to the wider economic and sociohistorical context (Afeti, 2018;Allais, 2020;Lolwana, 2017;McGrath et al, 2020).…”

“…The evident use of the concept of agency in this thesis demonstrates the potential complementarity of the two approaches. The contemporary work of numerous transformative education authors and scholars who subscribe to the emancipatory location of individual freedom, choice and entitlements within the larger agenda of education for social, economic and ecological justice inspired the entire study (Hart, 2012;McGrath, Powell, Alla-Mensah, Hilal, & Suart, 2020;O'Sullivan, 2001;Walker & Unterhalter, 2007).…”

“…It extends to promoting active citizenship by facilitating learners to understand and reflect on injustices and inequality in education settings and work contexts. It is also about exercising the agency to deal with the pressure of employability logic or productivist paradigm which, as eloquently challenged by McGrath and others, often over-legitimise instrumentalistic curriculum approaches, thus subordinating the transformative and emancipatory value of education (McGrath & Powell, 2015;McGrath et al, 2020). Overall, educators need agency freedom to reclaim their professional autonomy and integrity amidst the escalating tensions arising from the interplay of socio, political and economic forces that constantly define their role and status.…”