Vocational Training: International Perspectives

The last decade has given rise to a strong public discourse in most highly industrialized economies about the importance of a skilled workforce as a key response to the competitive dynamic fostered by economic globalisation.

The challenge for different training regimes is twofold: attracting young people into the vocational training system while continuing to train workers already in employment. Yet, on the whole, most countries and their training systems have failed to reach those goals. How can we explain this contradiction? Why is vocational training seen to be an "old" institution? Why does vocational training not seem to be easily adapted to the realities of the 21st century?

This book seeks to respond to these important questions. It does so through an in-depth comparative analysis of the vocational training systems in ten different countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Gerhard Bosch is an economist and sociologist, Professor at the University Duisburg-Essen and Director of the Institute Work and Qualification (IAQ). He has published widely in the areas of comparative employment systems, low wages, industrial relations, and vocational education and training. Recent publications include Bosch, G., Weinkopf, C. (eds.), 2008: Low-wage work in Germany. (New York) and Bosch, G., Lehndorff, S. (eds.), 2005: Working in the service sector: a tale from different worlds. London: Routledge.

Jean Charest is an economist and professor at the École de relations industrielles of the University of Montreal, Canada. His research and publications are concerned with public policies on the labour force, industrial relations institutions, labour force training and unionism. He is also a researcher at CRIMT (Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la mondialisation et le travail / Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work), where he coordinates public policy research.