A1 Journal article (refereed)
Kehittämishankkeet korkeakoulutuksen työelämärelevanssin edistäjänä (2020)

Brauer, S., Pajarre, E., Nikander, L., Häkkinen, R., & Kettunen, J. (2020). Kehittämishankkeet korkeakoulutuksen työelämärelevanssin edistäjänä. Ammattikasvatuksen aikakauskirja, 22(1), 8-25. https://journal.fi/akakk/article/view/91030

JYU authors or editors

Häkkinen, Reija
Kettunen, Jaana

Publication details

All authors or editors: Brauer, Sanna; Pajarre, Eila; Nikander, Leena; Häkkinen, Reija; Kettunen, Jaana

Journal or series: Ammattikasvatuksen aikakauskirja

ISSN: 1456-7989

eISSN: 2489-5822

Publication year: 2020

Volume: 22

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 8-25

Publisher: Opetus-, kasvatus- ja koulutusalojen säätiö, OKKA-säätiö

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Persistent website address: https://journal.fi/akakk/article/view/91030

Publication open access: Other way freely accessible online

Publication channel open access: Delayed open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/68364

Abstract

Incremental changes in contemporary society increasingly steer collaboration between higher education and working life, simultaneously fostering a culture of continuous learning. Improved working life skills support students in applying theoretical knowledge in practice and help in opening new avenues for future employment. At the societal level, developing connections between higher education and working life improves the availability of relevant workforce and speeds up students’ path to employment, which means more potential employees. In this study, we examine ongoing and finished development projects in Finland (n=12) related to the development of collaboration between higher education and working life, e.g. identifying models or changes in collaboration over the past 10 years. We gathered data from project participants during January–April 2019 through an email survey and through face-to-face or phone interviews. We supplemented the data with project plans, project-end reports and other information gathered from projects’ internet sites. We applied the development model of higher education and working life (specialist, integrative and networked model) in our theory-based content analysis of the data. We found that the greatest differences appear between the identifiable models at the beginning of the projects; however, a clear common goal was to develop higher education toward a networked culture both in universities and universities of applied sciences. As a result, we suggest that the development model of higher education and working life successfully describes the development of working-life relevance during the time period defined in this study. However, systematic developmental work is still required in order to transfer the project results into practice and make them a part of everyday life in higher education institutions.

Keywords: tertiary education; working life orientation; projects; project work; development (active)

Free keywords: work-integrated pedagogy; higher education; development projects; working-life relevance; working life skills

Fields of science: