scholarly journals Gig qualifications for the gig economy: micro-credentials and the ‘hungry mile’

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leesa Wheelahan ◽  
Gavin Moodie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Contingent Work ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Competency Based

AbstractThis paper argues that micro-credentials are gig credentials for the gig economy. Micro-credentials are short competency-based industry-aligned units of learning, while the gig economy comprises contingent work by individual ‘suppliers’. Both can be facilitated by (often the same) digital platforms, and both are underpinned by social relations of precariousness in the labour market and in society. They are mutually reinforcing and each has the potential to amplify the other. Rather than presenting new opportunities for social inclusion and access to education, they contribute to the privatisation of education by unbundling the curriculum and blurring the line between public and private provision in higher education. They accelerate the transfer of the costs of employment preparation, induction, and progression from governments and employers to individuals. Micro-credentials contribute to ‘disciplining’ higher education in two ways: first by building tighter links between higher education and workplace requirements (rather than whole occupations), and through ensuring universities are more ‘responsive’ to employer demands in a competitive market crowded with other types of providers. Instead of micro-credentials, progressive, democratic societies should seek to ensure that all members of society have access to a meaningful qualification that has value in the labour market and in society more broadly, and as a bridge to further education. This is a broader vision of education in which the purpose of education is to prepare individuals to live lives they have reason to value, and not just in the specifics required of particular jobs.

Digital Mediation, Soft Cabs, and Spatial Labour

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-76
Author(s):  
Donald N. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Home Care Providers ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Critics of digitally mediated labour platforms (often called the “sharing” or “gig economy”) have focused on the character and extent of the control exerted by these platforms over both workers and customers, and in particular on the precarizing impact on the workers on whose labor the services depend. Less attention has been paid to the specifically spatial character of the forms of work targeted by mobile digital platforms. The production and maintenance of urban social space has always been dependent, to a large degree, on work that involves the crossing of spatial boundaries - particularly between public and private spaces, but also crossing spaces segregated by class, race, and gender. Delivery workers, cabdrivers, day labourers, home care providers, and similar boundary-crossers all perform spatial work: the work of moving between and connecting spaces physically, experientially, and through representation. Spatial work contributes to the production and reproduction of social space; it is also productive of three specific, though interrelated, products: physical movement from one place to another; the experience of this movement; and the articulation of these places, experiences, and movements with visions of society and of the social. Significantly, it is precisely such spatial work, and its products, which mobile digital platforms seek most urgently to transform. Drawing on several recent studies of “ridesharing” (or soft cab) labour platforms, I interrogate the impact of digital mediation on the actual practices involved in spatial work. I argue that the roll-out of digital labour platforms needs to be understood in terms of a struggle over the production of social space.

scholarly journals Revitalising technical and vocational education and training in Africa: Issues outstanding

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. xi
Author(s):  
George Afeti
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Training ◽  
New Jobs

One of the stark realities of Africa today is the crisis of youth unemployment. Every year,about 10–12 million poorly skilled young people exiting the various levels of the educationsystem enter the labour market (AfDB & OECD, 2012), where they end up in insecure andsometimes hazardous employment with no prospect of further education or training. Evengraduates of higher education institutions are not spared the frustration of seeking and notimmediately finding a job. In countries such as Zambia and Ethiopia, young graduates maytake up to five years after training before finding a job in the formal sector (ILO, 2013). InGhana, it is estimated that the economy needs to create 300 000 new jobs per year to absorbthe growing number of unemployed (Honorati & Johansson de Silva, 2016). In Tanzania,approximately 800 000 people enter the labour market each year (ILO, 2012), in contrast tothe absorptive capacity of the public sector of only 40 000.

scholarly journals EscapED: A Framework for Creating Educational Escape Rooms and Interactive Games to For Higher/Further Education.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Jane Clarke ◽  
Daryl J. Peel ◽  
Sylvester Arnab ◽  
Luca Morini ◽  
Helen Keegan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Further Education ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Interactive Games ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Education Environment

Game-based learning (GBL) is often found to be technologically driven and more often than not, serious games for instance, are conceptualised and designed solely for digital platforms and state of the art technologies. To encourage a greater discussion on the potential benefits and challenges of a more holistic approach to developing GBL that promote human centered interactions and play for learning, the authors present the escapED programme. The escapED programme was conceived following the recent entertainment trend of escape rooms and is used for developing non-digital GBL approaches within education. escapED aids the design and creation of educational Escape Rooms and Interactive Gaming Experiences for staff and students in further/higher education settings. The paper first presents a pilot study that was used to assess the feasibility and acceptance of University teaching staff of embedding interactive GBL into a higher education environment. The authors then present the escapED theoretical framework that was used to create the prototype game for the pilot study as a tool to aid future design and development of on-site interactive experiences. The paper also presents an external developer report of using the escapED framework to develop a prototype game for teaching research methods to Southampton University students. Finally, the authors present a discussion on the use of the escapED framework so far and plans for future work and evaluation in order to provide engaging alternatives for learning and soft skills development amongst higher education staff andstudents.

scholarly journals Inequality, Social Mobility and the New Economy: Introduction

2017 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. R1-R4
Author(s):  
Heather Rolfe
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
New Business ◽  
Traditional Work ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ethnicity And Gender

The world of work is changing in ways that were not anticipated at the start of the century. Technology, globalisation and the creation of new business models based on digital platforms are creating new types of jobs, contracting arrangements and transactions. As Diane Coyle describes in her paper on work in the digital economy, temporary and flexible contracts are proliferating, with an estimated 905,000 people on ‘zero hours’, 29 per cent higher than in 2014. While remote working has been common in sectors such as IT for some time, the workplace itself has transformed for many and is in some cases virtual rather than physical. These changes offer opportunities for some, including those who are excluded from traditional work modes, and challenges for others. Platform models such as the on-line marketplace Etsy may facilitate access to the formal labour market for the economically inactive or long-term unemployed but offer little social protection. Regardless of the outcome of current legal disputes over the employment status of ‘employees’ or ‘service providers’ in the ‘gig’ economy, because of difficulties in enforcement, these new forms of work carry a strong potential to exacerbate inequalities in the labour market which are apparent in disparities by social class, ethnicity and gender.

scholarly journals Homeschooling in Secler Region, Romania

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Kinga Magdolna Mandel
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Language Tests

AbstractIntroduction: In the presented article, we are looking for the solutions and challenges of homeschooling in terms of further education and labour market inclusion.Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to discuss the conceptual framework of a research-initiative on homeschooling. What are the consequences? Because of a lack of adequate state language usage, is there a forced migration in the pupils’ career paths? To what extent are homeschoolers included into traditional compulsory education, lifelong learning, the labor market, and the society?Methods: This is a paper with the conceptual framework of a research, where snowball sampling based qualitative interviews are planned.Results: From the research to be conducted, the authors expect a reliable picture of the causes, challenges and consequences of homeschooling on lifelong learning, the labour market and social inclusion.Discussion: It seems that homeschooling in the Seclerland is a de-schooling solution, because it is usually opted by parents dissatisfied with the quality of education. It helps them avoid Romanian language tests of skills and maturity examinations. We assume that those with outstanding competencies (e.g. in music or sports) or those with a certain handicap (e.g. health problems), as well as those temporarily living abroad are choosing it. It can be a sort of forced solution, a self-defense strategy that protects students from increasing school conflicts, and a reaction to the lack of satisfactory educational offers, commuting, or school segregation.Limitations: Limitations of research are due to the snowball sample method and time/money limits.Conclusions: We hope that, above all, the results will help parents to take a wise decision on whether to choose this option or not, but also schools and decision makers in education to assess their roles in the process and make changes if they want to and can do so.

Career training with mentoring programs in higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-234
Author(s):  
Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie ◽  
Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba ◽  
Michael Olayinka Binuomote ◽  
Christian Ehiobuche ◽  
Ntasiobi Chikezie Nwankwo Igu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Career Training

PurposeThis study explores how career training with mentoring (CTM) programs work in Nigerian higher education (HE) institutions to foster students' career development and employability of graduates. It also explores how Nigerian HE curriculum can be adequately used to facilitate CTM as well as possible constraints to effective implementation of CTM programs in Nigerian HE institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on interviews with well-qualified and experienced experts from six Nigerian public universities (each from the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria), and 20 industries also within the same 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria that were selected for this study using a purposeful sampling technique. The study interviewed 33 experts comprising 21 senior academics at Nigerian universities and 12 industry executives to reveal substantial information about CTM programs in Nigerian HE institutions.FindingsDrawing on the three key themes that emerged during the thematic analysis and linked to social cognitive career theory, it is clear that participants are convinced that CTM can enhance clarity about students' career ambitions, career interests, personal development plans and employability. Findings show that there are some career-related programs or activities that Nigerian HE students are presented with, but the programs have not been effective as to offer graduates quality career guidance and employability skills that employers demand. Acknowledging these, participants recommend establishing CTM centres in all Nigerian HE institutions to provide students with the opportunity to receive quality career advice, coaching and mentoring services while schooling.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study shed light on varying resources required to cope with the demands of labour market in terms of supply of competent workforce that can contribute to Nigeria's economic growth and development. The findings are highly relevant for Nigeria and other developing countries' policy and research initiatives that aim to promote social inclusion and equity and improve better working conditions for all. The findings also have implications for career development and employability of HE graduates in developing world context.Originality/valueUnderstanding the role that CTM programs can play in facilitating career development and graduate employability can arguably be of importance within the developing world context. This study, therefore, provides significant suggestions on how to build sustained HEIs and labour market partnership to foster career development and employability of HE graduates through establishing CTM centres in every Nigerian HE institutions.

Precarious jobs: Where are they, and how do they affect well-being?

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Lewchuk
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Labour Markets ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Employment Security ◽  
Precarious Jobs

By the end of the 20th century, there was general agreement that most labour markets were in transition and that employment was becoming less secure. However, official labour market data have not shown a dramatic increase in temporary or casual employment. This article takes a new look at the changing characteristics of employment and offers a new method to measure employment security: the Employment Precarity Index. We use the Employment Precarity Index to assess how insecure employment associated with a ‘gig’ economy might affect well-being and social relations, including health outcomes, household well-being and community involvement.

scholarly journals Inclusive Language MOOCs

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 437-449
Author(s):  
Timothy Read ◽  
Beatriz Sedano ◽  
Elena Barcena
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Inclusive Language ◽  
Displaced People ◽  
The Way

This article discusses the application of MOOCs for refugees and migrants in order to help these groups of people develop the language competences and transverse skills which they require to improve their level of social inclusion and possibilities in the labour market, and/or access higher education in the country in which they find themselves or plan to go. Specifically, this research focuses on the way in which Language MOOCs (or LMOOCs [Martín-Monje, Barcena, 2014]) deploy on mobile devices [Read, Barcena 2015] can effectively and advantageously be used by displaced people. The study reported here outlines the design of two LMOOCs of Spanish for immediate needs, based on a previous needs analysis, developed by the ATLAS research group in collaboration with NGOs and refugee support associations in Spain.

scholarly journals Are young people aged 16-19 using or expecting to use the gig economy for their careers?

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
Esther Galfalvi ◽  
Tristram Hooley ◽  
Siobhan Neary
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Career Option ◽  
Education College ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Retail Activity ◽  
The Relationship

Amid growing precarity and zero hour contracts, the 'gig economy' represents a new way of working mediated by web technology. Workers can sign up to a work platform – a website or smartphone program that manages the work automatically – and take on work at the tap of a button. Some platforms manage labour, such as driving for Uber or delivering food for Deliveroo, while others manage retail activity, such as Ebay or Etsy.<br/> Recent research has shown that a significant number of people are using platform work to earn money, with over half being young people aged 16-34. While there are some data regarding satisfaction levels and attractors, there is little research examining specific age segments of workers, or the relationship between platform work and career.<br/> Using data from focus group interviews with school and Further Education college students, this paper will discuss findings from research investigating how young people in England aged 16-19 perceive the gig economy and whether they feel that it will be relevant to their careers, with a view to discussing whether it may be necessary to include in careers education programmes or guidance.<br/> The interview data indicate that these participants were occasionally using platforms to make money, and a few were earning regularly, usually on retail platforms. While some interviewees appreciated the autonomy and flexibility promised by gig economy work, the uncertainty, perceived low status, and lack of career progression prevented them from taking it seriously as a career option. Instead, they preferred traditional forms of work that provide more stability and organisational support - an increasingly rare commodity in a labour market that is changing rapidly in the opposite direction. We conclude that while there may be little value in giving detailed individual guidance on the gig economy, it could be valuable to use it as a way of teaching young people about the labour market and different types of employment

scholarly journals Felicidade! Passei no vestibular, mas a faculdade é particular: Paradoxos da educação superior brasileira

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Annor Da Silva Junior ◽  
Priscilla De Oliveria Martins-Silva ◽  
Katia Cyrlene de Araújo Vasconcelos ◽  
Vitor Correa da Silva ◽  
Mariana Ramos de Melo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Central Point ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Social Actors

Inspired by Martinho da Vila’s classic samba, this theoretical essay discusses paradoxes of Brazilian higher education. For this, we traced the evolution of higher education from the colonial period to the present. Based on this evolution, we identified the following paradoxes: the boundary between public and private; the role and characteristics of Higher Education Institutions (HEI), in terms of the tax regime, disclosure and accountability to society; and finally, the role of higher education and its influence on the processes of social inclusion and/or social exclusion for two of the main involved social actors: students and teachers. The central point of the higher education paradoxes seems to be the concept of education as a public good and social right and experienced practice of education as a commodity. The analysis of the paradoxes of Brazilian higher education refers to the understanding that education does not effectively fulfill its role in social inclusion of students and teachers, and, to the contrary, acts as a mechanism of social exclusion. Thus, it is relevant to rethink higher education as a way to solve these paradoxes and facilitate the formation of “petty bourgeois” instead of “poor fellow”.

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