ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 demonstrated how and why trade unions in the United Kingdom are not only concerned with the training and development of their activists, but how they become involved in national vocational education and training and in workplace learning. This chapter considers such involvement of trade unions from a comparative international perspective. The chapter draws upon secondary data1 and focuses on five countries: Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the United States of America. Such comparative analysis allows us to not only have a greater awareness of what is happening in one environment it also allows us to compare and contrast approaches in other nations in order to assess the possible strengths and weaknesses of these systems. International comparison is always important as it helps contextualise the policies and practices of one’s own country within the wider global economy.
