The impact of company size on dual VET quality in Spanish companies
ISSN: 0040-0912
Article publication date: 28 October 2024
Issue publication date: 3 December 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive description and analysis of quality levels with regard to dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) at companies participating in this programme in Spain, with a specific focus on company size.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a quantitative cross-sectional analysis, collecting quality indicator data from 829 participating companies through a structured questionnaire. Subsequently, both descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to address the specific objectives.
Findings
The study reveals that, on the whole, companies implement dual VET with a high level of quality, achieving compliance rates of above 70% in dimensions related to process, resources, staff and training. However, in this study the dimensions of evaluation and synergies showed lower compliance rates, with figures of 47.4 and 25.7%, respectively. Notably, medium-sized and large companies outperformed micro-SMEs and SMEs in training, evaluation and synergies, while SMEs surpassed large companies in resource management. The study provides recommendations for enhancing dual VET in companies.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitations of this study pertain to an absence of data concerning the distribution of the population by company sizes and a lack of information regarding the specific sectors to which these companies belong.
Originality/value
This study offers significant value, as it provides data on the quality of dual VET in companies considering size as a key factor. These findings are particularly noteworthy given that research on the quality of dual VET in companies remains limited within the scientific literature.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Catalan Department of Education and Council of Chambers of Commerce for their support.
Citation
Rodríguez-Pérez, S., Barrientos-Sánchez, D., Torres-Sánchez, M. and Pineda-Herrero, P. (2024), "The impact of company size on dual VET quality in Spanish companies", Education + Training, Vol. 66 No. 9, pp. 1183-1198. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2023-0539
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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