Abstract
In 2015 policy changes in Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) sector (closely equivalent to vocational education and training (VET)) were introduced. These changes are creating spaces in the CET sector for different kinds of programmes and learning experiences, some remaining within a nationally recognised system and others specific to enterprise needs. This chapter provides two tales from the field illustrating the possibilities for the integration of learning experiences as part of work and for work. The first story, set in a retail setting, was enabled by the introduction of SkillsFuture and the Singapore Skills Framework. We do not comment on the specific policy changes except to explain their contribution to what is now a very different space for curriculum designers, training providers and employers than prior to 2015. Rather, our focus is on the integration of learning in and through different spaces and the intent, design and understanding of learning through and for work, evident not only in the retail setting but also in a course for leadership development for officer cadet firefighters. The authors use these stories to illustrate the possibilities afforded through and in different spaces of learning. With the policy shift, different purposes of learning, from a paper chase to developing ‘mastery’, a lifelong learning culture and empowering individuals to take charge of their careers (as stated in the SkillsFuture policy) requires different practices and understandings from CET practitioners.
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Notes
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For example, Henri Lefebvre (1974) focuses on the reproduction of space in the quotidian, highlighting the dominance of a hegemonic class, and the experiences of alienation and non-reflexivity in everyday life which are articulated in the urban landscape or urban space.
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Bound, H., Chia, A., Chee, L.W. (2018). Spaces and Spaces ‘In Between’ – Relations Through Pedagogical Tools and Learning. In: Choy, S., Wärvik, GB., Lindberg, V. (eds) Integration of Vocational Education and Training Experiences. Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 29. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8857-5_13
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