Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to formulate extended enterprise-oriented structure and process map for technical skill building for firms belonging to emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors identify technical skill building (lies at the intersection of product, process and people) as a key enabler for furthering organizational competitiveness. The authors employ define measure explore develop implement- and supplier, input, process, output, and customer (SIPOC-) based framework for arriving at a technical skill building framework., Findings: By utilizing the SIPOC-based framework, the authors identify the supplier(s), input(s), process(s), output(s) and customer(s) in the value chain of technical skill building as far as the extended enterprise is concerned. Originality/value: The paper uses pragmatic and user-friendly conceptualization for technical skill building framework.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences rely heavily on the development of relationships between the university, industry and often community organizations. As participation in WIL is increasing, the issue of sustainability becomes paramount, requiring processes and practices for effective collaborations and partnerships. This paper reports on an action research project to develop a framework to represent the critical success factors for sustainable WIL relationships. Drawing on reflections from WIL practitioners on what they considered were the critical success factors and a review of literature, a framework was developed, prioritizing three key themes: communication, commitment and compatibility. Within these themes, nine key factors were identified and then evaluated by academic and industry stakeholders in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Trust, expectations, reciprocity, coordination, vision, learning, resources, reputation, and recognition were confirmed as important factors for sustainable WIL relationships. The framework provides good practice guidelines for all WIL stakeholders.

This article examines how the social skills of migrants are moulded in workplaces and employment-related situations. It surveys literature on social skills, workplaces, social remittances and relational learning. It devotes attention to destination workplaces as spaces where people who left their comfort zones experience disjuncture between origin and destination. This can bring insights, noticing differences and making comparisons. On return to their workplaces in their origin countries, migrants are able to reflect upon and eventually remit these experiences, packaged as social remittances. Three categories of social skill were distilled from biographical interviews with returnees to Poland: (1) the capability for cross-cultural communication; (2) the capability for dealing with emotional labour; (3) the capability for taking initiative and acting independently. The study analysed situations of disjuncture as a result of migration which led to learning, non-learning and alienation. By bringing migration to the forefront, we consider social skills as social remittances.

Purpose: This paper aims to outline a proof of concept for a framework to support students in reflecting on and in articulating their disciplinary, contextual and professional learning in the workplace. The purpose of the framework was to help students to recognize and articulate their transferable employability skills in preparation for the workplace or further studies upon graduation. Design/methodology/approach: Researchers developed a Learning Evaluation and Reflection Narrative (LEARN) activity to facilitate real-world articulation of workplace learning. A group of work placement students completed pre- and post-work surveys, prompting reflection on their learning goals and behaviors. The Transferable Learning Orientation Survey comprised five constructs: goal orientation, learning belief, self-efficacy, transfer (deep learning) and organization. Subsequently, they completed a written reflection and a mock interview scenario, where they verbally articulated their abilities and the applicability of their skills. Results of thematic analysis are presented., Findings: Survey results demonstrated changes in students' orientation toward learning. Additionally, students were able to deliver sophisticated responses through engagement in the LEARN framework, articulating recognition and self-awareness of their personal and professional learning, as well as relevance of their learning within and beyond their workplace setting. Research limitations/implications: The sample is small, and the authors therefore recommend further work to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of the LEARN framework in larger cohorts and in alternate work environments. Social implications: The responses suggest the LEARN framework are worthy of further investigation as a tool for students to articulate lifelong learning skills and behaviors, as it offers an opportunity for students to engage in reflective, deep learning. Originality/value: This research builds on existing studies on the evaluation of lifelong learning, adapting a framework and testing its implementation in the workplace setting.

The number of ‘future of work’ studies, which estimate the potential impact of automation on employment, has grown rapidly in the past few years. They have, however, received very little critical attention and warrant closer examination. One cause for concern is the shortcomings of their methodological approach, which relies on measuring the technical feasibility of automating particular occupations and tasks. Doing so, however, creates an illusory sense of certainty and discounts the role of non-technical determinates behind advances in, and the utilisation of, automated technologies. Second, the way in which they frame their policy recommendations –as balancing an unfortunate trade-off between economic growth and unemployment – obscures the benefits that fuller automation may bring. This paper argues that these particular characteristics of ‘future of work’ studies invites comparison with the works of Adam Smith, who explored these issues in a closely connected, yet largely forgotten, way. First, Smith emphasised the role of non-technical determinates in technological progress and in this way paints a fuller picture of how automated technologies may develop. Second, Smith provides a normative perspective that would encourage these studies to see the potential of automated technologies to actually reconcile the apparent trade-offs.

This paper considers the inclusion of TVET and skills in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and analyses the key changes likely to impact on TVET and skill systems from now until 2030. It argues that despite SDG implementation and monitoring challenges, the new emphasis on TVET, skills and lifelong learning will reinforce efforts of international, bilateral and multi-lateral organizations. It concludes that the SDG targets relevant to TVET and skills development reflect existing priorities and normative principles adopted by development actors and mirror the recent resurgence of interest in TVET and skills development more widely. In considering the various key drivers likely to influence the development of labour markets and TVET systems from now until 2030, the paper concludes that, while many of the emerging issues may have not been explicitly considered during formulation of the SDGs, they too will have a potentially positive effect on SDG implementation.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of labor mismatches on wages and on job satisfaction for the Spanish case, with a distinction been made between educational and skills-related measures of mismatch. Design/methodology/approach - The focus is placed on the usage that the individuals do of their skills in the workplace and different measures of skills use are considered to check the robustness of the results. Findings - Using data from PIAAC, the results suggest that whereas educational mismatch shows greater effects on wages, the effects of labor mismatch on job satisfaction are better explained by the relative use of individual skills in the workplace. Research limitations/implications - Both educational and skills mismatches are relevant for understanding the economic effects of labor mismatch. Nevertheless, it should be taken into account that educational mismatch is not an accurate proxy for skills mismatch, mainly when the non-monetary effects of labor mismatch are addressed. Practical implications There is room to increase workers' skills utilization in the workplace, which, in turn, would contribute to enhance individual job satisfaction and, consequently, workers productivity. Social implications - A process of upgrading in the Spanish labor market would allow to take full advantage of recent investments in education and skills formation done in the country in the last decades. Originality/value - This study contributes to the literature on labor mismatch by explicitly considering that educational and skills mismatch might reflect different phenomena and by analyzing the effects of both types of mismatches on different labor market outcomes.

Higher education can be both memorable and a vital pathway to the workforce. However, entering post-secondary life with the cognitive ability to handle the academic rigor is often not enough to succeed and persist in an environment that requires students to also possess soft-skills such as resilience, adaptability, perseverance, self-advocacy, and self-regulation (Adams, 2012; Cunha {&} Heckman, 2007; Egalite, Mills, {&} Greene, 2016). Therefore, this meta-synthesis sought to gain a better understanding of soft-skills deficits in adult learners by synthesizing current Canadian studies on the topic. It was found that interventions in higher education that resulted in soft-skills acquisition among learners were commonly geared toward graduate students and tied to social interactions among community agencies, faculty members, and peer groups. Thus, further research is discussed around examining the reciprocal effects of peer-mentoring on the soft-skills development of first-year undergraduate students, as well as the long-term impact this approach might have on student retention, achievement, and success beyond higher education., Published abstract.

To date, there has been little examination of those who complete training in male-dominated sectors and continue to work in these sectors within regional Australia. Therefore, in this preliminary qualitative study, we examine the attraction and retention issues of women entering male-dominated trades within regional [New South Wales NSW. This paper reports on findings from our initial industry consultation sessions of 35 participants within regional areas of NSW. Findings highlight retention issues such as workplace cultures, spotlighting, expecting women to fit into dysfunctional cultures and lack of career pathways. While these are preliminary findings and generalizations cannot be made for all regional areas, implications for practice and future research are discussed.