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This article explores the issue of social mobility in relation to the recent expansion of higher vocational education (HIVE) by non-university providers. The post-school vocational education sector has become the object of policies to widen access to higher education to ensure greater social mobility and provide second chance education to those who do not complete initial education in Anglophone countries. Drawing on typologies of vocational education and training systems, the article generates understanding of the expansion of HIVE within two Anglophone countries (Australia and England). The article considers the implications for widening opportunities to higher education for non-traditional students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in these two contexts. Descriptive analysis of current national data on participation reveals surprising differences between countries. The article concludes by discussing the extent to which the higher education offerings in vocational institutions can contribute to social mobility within these two countries.

.The issues addressed in the articles in this special issue indicate the many ways in which vocational forms of higher education (HiVE) are understood and interpreted. While most articles focus on Australia, the students and institutional providers differ considerably. What unifies the forms of provision considered here are claims that they provide alternative insights into opportunities and inequalities within higher education (HE) and society. They suggest that HiVE is distinctive from dominant forms of HE in universities, and may therefore contribute to addressing inequity. As this suggests, while HiVE is often positioned in relation to what it is not, a more positive reading highlights HiVE's capacity to address social and economic inequalities, particularly through providing access to skilled work. Claims to distinctiveness, however, which focus primarily on access to skilled work may lead to a reductive understanding both of HiVE and the aspirations of those who choose HiVE courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]