RESEARCH PROFILE

Alan joined IER in 1996 and from 2002 - 2009 was Associate Director of the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) with responsibility for workplace learning and professional learning.

Alan's current research interests, which have a strong international orientation, include career development; changing occupational identities across the life-course; career adaptability (ability to make successful transitions and perform effectively in a range of contexts); skill formation: including apprenticeship; workplace learning; continuing vocational training; (vocational) higher education and permeability between routes and modes of learning; learning processes (e.g. supporting the learning of others) and learning across domains (practical; cognitive and affective); opportunity structures (e.g. qualifications frameworks); structures to support learning (coaching; learning while working etc.); organisational performance; networks; supporting knowledge sharing and development and learning in professional communities of practice (including technologically enhanced collaborative learning and boundary crossing). He was involved in the development of the National Guidance Research Forum (NGRF), a knowledge-sharing site that has considerable material on research and practice in careers guidance and research on lifelong learning and work-related learning.

For key selected publications by Alan click here.

BACKGROUND

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Quality by Units, Funded by: European Commission, Project Start Date: 01/10/2012 Project End Date: 30/09/2014
• Learning for career and labour market transitions - individual biographies, with Professor Jenny M Bimrose - Institute for Employment Research, Dr Barbara A Merrill - Centre for Lifelong Learning, Funded by: CEDEFOP, Project Start Date: 02/01/2012 Project End Date: 28/06/2013 [details]
  
  

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Hippach-Schneider, U., Weigel, T., Brown, A. and Gonon, P. (2013) 'Are graduates preferred to those completing initial vocational education and training? Case studies on company recruitment strategies in Germany, England and Switzerland' Journal Of Vocational Education And Training 65 (1), 1 - 17
• Kaschig, A., Maier, R., Sandow, A., Brown, A., Ley, T., Magenheim, J., Mazarakis, A. & Seitlinger P. (2012) 'Technological and Organizational Arrangements Sparking Effects on Individual, Community and Organizational Learning' in 21st Century Learning for 21st Century Skills: 7th European Conference of Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2012, September 18-21, 2012. Proceedings, 180 - 193, Editors: A. Ravenscroft, S. Lindstaedt, C. Delgado Kloos & D. Hernández-Leo, Saarbrücken, Germany: Springer, Dordecht
• Brown, A. and Bimrose, J. (2012) 'Role of vocational training and learning at work in individual career development across the life-course: examples from across Europe' in Beruflichkeit zwischen institutionellem Wandel und biographischem Projekt , (Bildung und Arbeit series),(German Edition), [Professionalism between institutional change and biographical project], 167 - 188, Editors: A. Bolder, R. Dobischat, G. Kutscha, & G. Reutter, Wiesbaden: Germany: Springer
• Brown, A., Bimrose, J., Barnes, S-A., Hughes, D. (2012) 'The role of career adaptabilities for mid-career changers' Journal Of Vocational Behavior 80 (3), 754 - 761 [article]
• Brown, A. (2012) 'Learning, career development and progression from low skilled work in developed countries' in Career development: Global issues and challenges, 111 - 124, Editors: In M. Watson and M. McMahon, New York: USA: Nova Science Publishers

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Conferences