Mechanical building services craft training in Great Britain, France and Germany: Towards a more efficient model for industry
type: CreativeWork
description: The mechanical building services craft training systems in Great Britain, France and Germany set out with the same fundamental aim: to produce skilled trades people in sufficient numbers for the mechanical building services industry in each country. The vocational education and training (VET) systems in each European state however, have developed from differing ideologies and philosophies, and therefore encompass three quite different methodological approaches. What the three systems have in common is that their clients (trainees and employers) and those involved in their delivery (teachers and trainers) perceive quite major shortcomings and inefficiencies inherent in all three. This thesis initiates research into the prospect of developing a more efficient VET model for use by the mechanical building services industries in the three states. This could in future enable the synthesis of a new, transparent, more cost effective and efficient delivery vehicle for craft training in the field, that could work equally well in all three countries. An important implication of this could be that the use of a similar such model may be possible right across the European Union and also in other industries. Initially the thesis conducts a thorough investigation of the philosophies upon which VET systems in the three countries are based, and compares current practices using a methodology devised by reference to comparative education authorities. When considering literature and primary and secondary information sources, the British VET methodology appears out of step with the other two states, based as it is on the relatively recently introduced competence-based philosophy. In most craft training programmes there is no compulsory general education content, and the assessment regime concentrates on observations of trainees' practical performance in the workplace. This contrasts with the more traditional assessment systems found in France and Germany where formal examinations in a wi…
abstract: The mechanical building services craft training systems in Great Britain, France and Germany set out with the same fundamental aim: to produce skilled trades people in sufficient numbers for the mechanical building services industry in each country. The vocational education and training (VET) systems in each European state however, have developed from differing ideologies and philosophies, and therefore encompass three quite different methodological approaches. What the three systems have in common is that their clients (trainees and employers) and those involved in their delivery (teachers and trainers) perceive quite major shortcomings and inefficiencies inherent in all three. This thesis initiates research into the prospect of developing a more efficient VET model for use by the mechanical building services industries in the three states. This could in future enable the synthesis of a new, transparent, more cost effective and efficient delivery vehicle for craft training in the field, that could work equally well in all three countries. An important implication of this could be that the use of a similar such model may be possible right across the European Union and also in other industries. Initially the thesis conducts a thorough investigation of the philosophies upon which VET systems in the three countries are based, and compares current practices using a methodology devised by reference to comparative education authorities. When considering literature and primary and secondary information sources, the British VET methodology appears out of step with the other two states, based as it is on the relatively recently introduced competence-based philosophy. In most craft training programmes there is no compulsory general education content, and the assessment regime concentrates on observations of trainees' practical performance in the workplace. This contrasts with the more traditional assessment systems found in France and Germany where formal examinations in a wi…
author: King, Derek Charles
language: en
keywords: K200 - Building
date published: 2006-06
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:36:03Z
provider: University of Central Lancashire
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Central Lancashire