Crazy paving or stepping stones? Learning pathways within and between vocational education and training and higher education

Abstract

One of the significant issues in vocational education and training (VET) is student pathways and how students use them to achieve their personal goals. These pathways can be within or across sectors, as well as into and out of paid work. This study examines patterns of pathways between and within VET and higher education and compares the notion of straightforward pathways with what is actually happening. The researchers interviewed 49 students in South Australia who had participated in VET and/or higher education and who had been through more than one transition between VET and higher education. The study found that patterns of movements are quite complex within and across different fields of study and were overlaid with a range of barriers along the learning journey, including finance, juggling work, other commitments, transportation and institutional location, as well as a range of other personal and provider issues. The study reveals the richness and complexity of ways individual learners use and exploit available options and is not only of interest to those in policy, but also to staff involved in teaching and counselling students in both the higher education and VET sectors. It concludes that pathways, while not necessarily seamless or straightforward, do work for the students interviewed.