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Erscheinungsjahr
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2021
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Zusammenfassung
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Vocational education and training (VET) is a highly complex phenomenon world-wide, being multidimensional and having diverse structures. Additionally, very different actors define the functions of a national (or even regional) VET system. The paper contributes to a better understanding of approaches and strategies of one selected actor: VET providers on international markets. We wonder which conditions and characteristics can be determined regarding the markets of VET-related services, with a special regard to Anglo-Saxon countries in comparison to Germany. A qualitative approach is useful here as there seem to be structural causes but only little research in this field exists. We interviewed nine VET providers and analysed literature about VET systems of the countries of interest. In Anglo-Saxon countries, more and more fullfee-paying learners and organisations are available and the VET providers’ self-perception regarding their businesses can be de-scribed as trade and commerce. This goes along with the observation that the education system does not play a role – as long as you think in terms of skills. This is the case in liberal market-driven VET approaches, but in Germany, it is not. Here, rather, a holistic and integrated development of knowledge and transferable skills for work and life make up vocational education. Offering niche products, in the sense of the product focus rather than differentiation, seems to be a working strategy. Furthermore, we state that markets for VET-related services are successfully developing where state provision is rather weak, e.g., when the state provides a rather limited supply (the privatisation of the education system), or when the VET-related service is not covered by public educational offers (e.g. in highly specialised IT). English, as the native language of the USA, the UK and Australia, is a decisive competitive advantage.
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Seiten
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281
– 285
