Modelling the knowledge flow among vocational training and its partners

Abstract

The study documents the model of the knowledge transfer process between the University, the Vocational Training Center and the industrial actors. The research seeks to answer to the following questions. Where is new knowledge generated? Where does knowledge originate from? Is there a central actor? If so, which organization? Hypotheses tested by the research: H1: Knowledge starts from the higher education institution. H2: Most “new knowledge” is generated in universities and large multinational companies. H3: The university is a central actor in the knowledge flow, transmitting both hard and soft skills, as well as subject (‘know-what’), organizational (‘know-why’), use (‘know-how’), relational (‘know-who’), and creative (‘care-why’) knowledge. The aim of the research is to model the way of knowledge flow between the collaborating institutions. The novelty of this research is that it extends the analysis of the knowledge flow process not only to the actors of previous researches (higher education institutions, business organizations, and government) but also to secondary vocational education and training institutions. The methodology used in the research is the analysis of the documents of the actors investigated and the questionnaire survey among the participants. Knowledge transfer is the responsibility of the university and its partner training and business organizations. In vocational education and training, knowledge flows based on the knowledge economy, innovation and technological development are planned, managed and operational. The research has shown that knowledge is a specific good that it is indivisible in its production and consumption, that it is easy and cheap to transfer and learn.