Project as part of the ESRC’s Learning Society Programme

This study, funded by ESRC as part of its Learning Society Programme, aimed to understand the factors, internal and external to the firm that encouraged the introduction of new forms of CVT within companies. Continuing Vocational Training (CVT) has become the subject of growing policy and research interest in recent years as companies increasingly train their employees to cope with the kinds of flexibility and adaptability demanded in today’s competitive conditions.

The study first considered the importance of national Vocational Educational Training (VET) systems in shaping company policy in three European countries (UK, France and Spain). All three countries have national systems that variously offer incentives, support and resources to companies that invest in the continuing training of their employees. The study also considered the way broader factors such as labour markets, competitive pressures and regulatory regimes affected training and was influenced by strategies adopted by companies.