Reforming vocational curricula : VET, globalisation and the new economy in a north-south perspective

Abstract

The task I hope to fulfill in this chapter is that of providing a useful theoretical and comparative context in which to consider vocational education and curricula, and the reforms that have marked the field. In order to reach that goal, I will attempt to synthesise and critically engage some of the major structuring ideas presently surrounding developments in the global socioeconomic scenario, and the debates regarding the impact these have, or could or should have on the field of post-16 vocational education and training. The focus will be specifically the curriculum, though of course that cannot be divorced from a consideration of structures and modalities of delivery of VET. In exploring these themes and issues, I will argue that, by adopting a North-South perspective, new insights can be generated regarding the linkages between vocational education and the economy in an age of globalisation.