Trends in vocational education: the UK experience

This paper examines trends in vocational continuing education during the 1980's and the growth of attention focussed upon the area through government policy and national development programmes from a U.K perspective. Evidence on the extent to which increased activity in further and higher education has resulted from this attention is presented and discussed in terms of the rate of employee participation in vocational continuing education. Overall polices particularly the quest for expansion through indirect means such as persuasion and marketing rather than direct investment and subsidy have also produced research and development trends which are reported. Finally, international trends in vocational continuing education are outlined, drawing attention to certain more direct approaches to expansion and development.