Improving Lifelong Vocational Education Function of Junior Colleges
Researcher-in-charge: Tae Hwa Jung Abstract: In order to explore ways of improving the lifelong vocational education function of junior colleges, this study first analyzed operational trends of lifelong vocational education systems and programs, laws concerning lifelong vocational education, government policies, college regulations, etc. in the USA and Japan. Based on such analysis results, various pieces of research were conducted on the status and needs of lifelong vocational education of Korean junior colleges and on the industrial demands of lifelong vocational education in junior colleges. Subsequently, government support policies and junior college programs were proposed and the direction of improvement was suggested.
I. Background and Objectives of the Research
1. Background of the Research
□ Prior studies are limited in that they focused on the promotion of lifelong education in all types of institutes of tertiary education (Ryu Jang-su et al., 2008; Baek Seong-jun et al., 2011) or the enhancement of the function of continuing education in junior colleges (Park Tae-jun et al., 2001), and even those that did focus on junior colleges considered only some of the systems.
□ Hence, no study has been done so far on ways of improving the systems and programs of tertiary vocational education in junior colleges as opposed to four-year colleges, not only by considering the government policy environment but also by analyzing characteristics and requirements of the lifelong education society, and the need for such research is increasing significantly.
2. Objectives of the Research
□ Based on the necessity of the research stated above, this study aims to explore ways of improving various systems and programs required for performing the function of lifelong vocational education in the lifelong education society by junior colleges which have a distinct role as institutes of tertiary vocational education as compared to four- year colleges.
II. Main Findings
1. Theoretical Approach and International Trends
□ ‘Lifelong vocational education’ is defined as “all forms of formal and informal
education undertaken by whoever, whenever and wherever in the society for
‘employability’”. It is also emphasized that the globally-accepted fundamental principle (whoever, whenever, wherever) of lifelong education needs to be shared.
□ While it is significant that the concept and principle of lifelong vocational education are proposed for the first time by this study, continuous discussion is necessary for further systematization and formalization.
□ Moreover, there is a need to examine the inclusion of the terminology and principle of
‘lifelong vocational education’ in relevant laws and regulations based on a concurrence on its concept. At the same time, there is a need to adopt policies that would enhance the position of vocational education within lifelong education by considering trends, etc. of OECD nations.
□ An examination of international trends revealed that some of the systems and programs are run by four-year colleges and universities instead of junior colleges, as in Korea, implying that adoption of such programs by junior colleges in Korea would require some restructuring according to the context of Korean society.
2. Relevant Laws and Government Policies
□ According to the concept of ‘lifelong vocational education’ defined in this study, the relevant laws of Korea are simply listing lifelong education, vocational education and vocational training as separate concepts without any meaningful convergence or fusion.
□ Also, the term lifelong vocational education, which is widely used in the society, is yet to be established as a legal term.
□ Therefore, the government needs to enact and amend relevant laws and regulations.
□ An analysis of programs supported by various government ministries revealed that a wide range of support programs are currently in place, mainly in the form of vocational education for graduates of institutes of tertiary education and vocational training for incumbent workers and the unemployed.
□ However, it was found that significant portions of the programs run by different ministries are overlapping with each other, and the overall contribution of the government’s support programs in promoting participation and eliciting outcomes of lifelong vocational education is difficult to ascertain.
□ Also, support programs run by the Ministry of Education for students in institutes of
lifelong vocational education including junior colleges were virtually non-existent.
□ Given the situation, an effective framework of inter-agency cooperation must be established between key agencies concerning lifelong vocational education support policy, namely the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Small and Medium Business Administration.
3. Analysis of Junior Colleges and Industrial Requirements
□ Current status of lifelong vocational education of junior colleges as seen through an analysis of college regulations
□ Current status of lifelong vocational education systems and programs of junior colleges
□ Suggestions by junior colleges and enterprises for the government
□ Schools Necessity to adopt foreign lifelong vocational education systems and programs in Korea
III. Policy Suggestions
1. Direction of Improvement
□ The government needs to realize the importance of lifelong vocational education and make efforts to expand lifelong vocational education.
□ The government’s lifelong vocational education policy needs to reflect implications of demographic changes and the manpower situation of the labor market.
□ Also, the government’s lifelong vocational education policy needs to remain coherent with industrial policy of the government. There is also a need to identify the primary audience(s) of lifelong vocational education and actively support them.
□ The government needs to promote active operation of its current lifelong vocational education systems and programs, and undertake a comprehensive review of redevelopment and adoption of effective foreign lifelong vocational education systems and programs according to the Korean context.
2. Support Policy of Government
□ A ‘lifelong vocational education project model by life stages of Koreans’ should be
established for comprehensive definition of the timing, audience and content of lifelong vocational education at the national level and this model should be utilized actively in lifelong vocational education policies. Second, a process to find companies and operate school-industry cooperation programs needs to be established along with expansion of the department in charge of the cooperation and building cooperative systems with other departments to engineer school-industry cooperation systems and processes within schools.
□ The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) should be developed and implemented for recognizing ‘equivalence’ and securing social ‘transparency’ of outcomes of lifelong vocational education at the national level.
□ An inter-agency cooperation coordination committee should be set up for effective implementation of lifelong vocational education policies across the whole government.
□ The inclusion of matters concerning public announcement of lifelong vocational education for adults aged 25 and older in the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Disclosure of Information by Education-Related Institutions should be considered to induce outcomes of lifelong vocational education by junior colleges.
□ The amendment of the current Vocational Education and Training Promotion Act into a Lifelong Vocational Education and Training Promotion Act should be considered as a long-term task.
□ Priority of participation in lifelong vocational education programs should be given to those in socially vulnerable groups as defined by relevant laws and regulations.
□ Policies should be developed and implemented to promote participation of incumbent industry workers in lifelong vocational education in junior colleges.
□ The government should provide the information concerning national strategic industries and regional strategic industries to junior colleges, which would then train the manpower required by such strategic industries.
□ Employment rates of those completing vocational education courses in lifelong education centers of junior colleges should be considered as a category appraisal in connection with the government’s policy to achieve a 70% employment rate.
□ The government should implement a system to secure social transparency of learning outcomes of lifelong vocational education programs of general students and adult students in junior colleges.
□ The government should develop and distribute standard operating manuals of major systems and programs (various accreditation systems, per-credit enrollment, part-time enrollment, seasonal enrollment, blended learning, etc.) in order to enhance the function of lifelong vocational education in junior colleges.
□ The government should propagate excellent lifelong vocational education programs in junior colleges overseas in connection with the Official Development Aid (ODA)
program to support junior colleges secure international competitiveness.
3. Actions to be Taken by Junior Colleges
□ Junior colleges should identify target audiences of lifelong vocational education and develop and run relevant systems and programs according to the national ‘lifelong vocational education project model by life stages of Koreans’ proposed in this study.
□ Junior colleges should actively implement the major systems and programs (diversified accreditation, part-time enrollment, seasonal enrollment, e-learning system, joint education with enterprises, on-contract courses, intensive courses for undergraduate degrees, credit bank system, centers of lifelong education, etc.) proposed in this study in order to enhance their function of lifelong vocational education.
□ Each junior college should set up a standard tuition per credit so that adults of all backgrounds can participate in lifelong vocational education throughout their life stages.
□ Junior colleges should run systems and programs that cater for the needs of incumbent industry workers.
□ Junior colleges should foster adult-friendly teaching and learning environments for education programs whose main participants are incumbent workers and general adults.
