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Literature reviews and historical contexts are outlined to support the approaches and insights identified.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This paper presents a number of common characteristics and challenges identified across both THE and TVET. Drawing on the successful embrace of ambiguity and change in recent software engineering (SE) development paradigms, recommendations are made for how the agile SE themes can be applied in a larger sense to address the wider challenges facing both THE and TVET.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To the best of the authors\u2019 knowledge, this is the first time that engineering education has been examined and contrasted in the contexts of THE and TVET. The similarities and common challenges may represent a new focus for related work, and the presented insights, from agile methodologies in SE, represent a new perspective for viewing future HE and TVET sustainability.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/itse-10-2018-0088","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,21]],"date-time":"2019-03-21T10:46:53Z","timestamp":1553165213000},"page":"143-158","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Embracing ambiguity"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Dave","family":"Towey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"James","family":"Walker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ricky","family":"Ng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"unstructured":"Agile Alliance (2019), \u201cAgile 101: a short history of agile\u201d, available at: www.agilealliance.org\/agile101\/ (accessed 30 October 2018).","key":"key2020092222102140600_ref001"},{"key":"key2020092222102140600_ref002","first-page":"30","volume-title":"A Biographical Dictionary of American Civil Engineers","author":"ASCE","year":"1972"},{"volume-title":"Technology and the Academics: An Essay on Universities and the Scientific Revolution","year":"1959","key":"key2020092222102140600_ref003"},{"unstructured":"BBC News (2009), \u201cVocational exams on the increase\u201d, BBC News, June 23, 2009, avaliable at: http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/education\/8290470.stm (accessed 30 October 2018).","key":"key2020092222102140600_ref004"},{"unstructured":"Beck, K., Grenning, J., Martin, R. 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