Wednesday 9 February 2022, 16:00-17:00

Room 213 St Andrew's Building, 11 Eldon Street, Glasgow G3 6NH

Comparative analysis of international organisations’ discourses on apprenticeship

In recent decades, growing attention has been directed, by international organisations and governments alike, towards the development and promotion of formalised apprenticeship systems across the globe. In this paper, Ellen Vanderhoven explores the emergence of what might be termed a ‘global apprenticeship agenda’, analysing the rationales and goals outlined in literature on apprenticeships from five international organisations and unpicking the theoretical assumptions underlying their promotion. Based on a systematic synthesis of grey literature from the EU, ILO, OECD, UNESCO-UNEVOC and World Bank, the paper dissects how international organisations have individually and collectively developed the argument for apprenticeships, unpacking the politics behind what is often presented as a ‘common sense’ policy solution and contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the “architecture of arguments” within global education policy discourses.

About the speaker

Ellen is in the 2nd year of an ESRC-funded PhD at the University of Glasgow School of Education. Her doctoral research centres on a longitudinal study of young people’s post-apprenticeship transitions in Coahuila, Mexico, with a particular focus on inequalities of class and gender. Ellen’s background was originally in teaching and youth work, before completing an MSc in Education, Public Policy and Equity at the University of Glasgow. Since then, she has worked in various research roles at Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow. To date, her work has centred on examining the implementation of vocational and community education projects through an equity lens.

First published: 24 January 2022

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