VOcational Education and training AND ADULT Learning - Cedefop

Vocational Education and training AND ADULT Learning
Extracts from the Draft 2008 joint progress report of the Council and the
Commission on the implementation of the "Education & Training 2010 Work
Programme"
and
2007 national reports on the implementation of the "Education & Training
2010 Work Programme"
CONTENT 1 EU Cross-country analysis: 9
1.1 Increasing quality and attractiveness 10
1.2 Quality assurance 11
1.3 Relevance of curricula and qualifications to labour market needs
13
1.4 Pathways to further and higher education 14
1.5 Learning outcomes based approaches 15
1.6 Learning and training needs of teachers and trainers 16
1.7 Learning partnerships 17
1.8 Social partner involvement in training 18
1.9 Widening access and improving equity of participation, treatment and
outcomes 19
1.10 Opportunities for disadvantaged groups 21
1.11 Gender issues 22
1.12 Increasing participation in lifelong learning 24
1.13 Governance and leadership 24
1.14 Private investment 26
1.15 Summary 28
Extracts from 2007 national reports: 32
2 AT - Austria 32
3 BE - Belgium FR 37
4 BE - Belgium NL 41
5 BG - Bulgaria 45
6 CY - Cyprus 49
7 CZ - Czech Republic 52
8 DE - Germany 55
9 DK - Denmark 59
10 EE - Estonia 61
11 EL - Greece 66
12 ES - Spain: 73
13 FI - Finland 77
14 FR - France 81
15 HR - Croatia 88
16 HU - Hungary 89
17 IE - Ireland 95
18 IS - Iceland 98
19 IT - Italy 101
20 LI - Liechtenstein 107
21 LT - Lithuania 111
22 LU - Luxemburg 116
23 LV - Latvia 121
24 MT - Malta 126
25 NL - The Netherlands 133
26 NO - Norway 135
27 PL - Poland 140
28 PT - Portugal 145
29 RO - Romania 148
30 SE - Sweden 152
31 SI - Slovenia 157
32 SK - Slovakia 160
33 TR - Turkey 166
34 UK - United Kingdom 169 1 EU Cross-country analysis: Vocational Education and Training AND ADULT Learning
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Annex to the: COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
"Delivering lifelong learning for knowledge, creativity and innovation" Draft 2008 joint progress report of the Council and the Commission on the
implementation of the "Education & Training 2010 Work Programme"
This chapter analyses the countries' progress on the implementation
of the E&T 2010 within the fields of VET and adult learning[1].
Adult learning is understood as: all forms of formal as well as non-
formal and informal learning undertaken by adults after having left
initial education and training, be it vocational or non-vocational
learning[2].
The Copenhagen Declaration from November 2002 introduced four
priorities for enhanced European cooperation in VET across Europe:
strengthening the European dimension in VET; improving transparency,
information and guidance systems; recognising competences and
qualifications; and, promoting quality assurance[3].
In the Maastricht Communiqué of December 2004[4], the priorities
were further specified, and agreed. At the follow-up meeting in
Helsinki in December 2006[5], the process was evaluated and its
strategies and priorities were reviewed. The follow-up of the
Copenhagen process indicated that the enhanced cooperation in VET
has proved successful and produced encouraging results. Progress was
reported in key areas such as national qualification frameworks
(NQF), developments of standards, redefining qualifications in terms
of learning outcomes, validation of non-formal and informal
learning, integrating learning with working, access and equity and
guidance and counselling. As regards areas to improve, concern was
expressed that - whilst the focus of ongoing work has been on issues
concerning quality, transparency and mutual recognition - less
attention has been paid to the image and attractiveness of the
vocational route. The need for mutual learning across the EU and a
more evidence-based training policy, including better use of
statistical indicators and benchmarks was also expressed.
s emphasised in the Helsinki Communiqué, VET constitutes a major
part of Lifelong Learning and is confronted by the twin challenge of
engaging both young people and adults in working life. The
Communiqué stressed that young people in VET should acquire skills
and competences relevant to labour market requirements and drop-out
rates should be reduced. In addition, the adult labour force's
skills, competence and mobility should be promoted by improving
training opportunities and better recognition of prior learning
gained through training and work experience.
This chapter analyses national policies and measures concerning
initial VET, VET delivered by HE institutions, CVET (continuing VET)
and other types of adult learning. As emphasised in the
Communication on Adult Learning "It is never too late to learn", the
importance of adult learning is increasingly being acknowledged by
the participating countries as a crucial part of 'lifelong
learning'. Adult participation, however, varies widely across the EU
is still unsatisfactory in many participating countries (see also
section 2.3.4.). In most countries, education and training systems
are still largely focused on initial education and training.
The national reports only differentiate between initiatives
concerning VET as opposed to adult learning to a limited extent.
Some national reports have on some issues separate sections
describing initiatives concerning adult education/adult learning,
while other countries merge the issue with aspects, -or omit it. 1 1.1 Increasing quality and attractiveness VET
The Helsinki Communiqué emphasised the need for more focus on
attractiveness. The focus has been on issues concerning quality,
transparency and mutual recognition, while less attention has been
paid to the image and attractiveness of vocational pathways.
The national reports indicate that in many countries priority is
being given to improving the image and attractiveness of vocational
pathways for employers and individuals in order to increase
participation in VET and adult learning. The measures to enhance
the attractiveness of VET and adult learning cited in the national
reports include:
. Flexible progression routes between systems. (Further details on
pathways from VET to HE are given in section 6.4). . More flexible approaches. Many countries are developing more
flexible, modular and accumulative structures to facilitate the
entry to initial VET as well as the return to the educational
system. In Italy the Ministry of Education and Ministry of
Labour have cooperated with the regions in order to facilitate
the transfer of students between the systems of educations and
vocational training, both horizontally, between one area of
education and another, and vertically, from one level to another
in all areas of education. . Improved guidance on the VET options for adults . Validation of non-formal and informal learning (for further
details see section 3.2). . Improving quality. This is achieved through strengthening
quality assurance procedures for education providers and
apprenticeship training (e.g. IE, LU) or by encouraging quality
through award competitions (EE) or performance-based funding
(FI). (Further details are given in section 6.2) Many countries use a combination of these measures. The development
of more flexible and modular VET systems and the generally
increasing managerial autonomy of VET institutions make it a key
future challenge to ensure that initiatives at system level to
enhance VET attractiveness have synergy with initiatives taken at
provider level. Some countries emphasise VET institutions' room for
manoeuvre to develop their own attractive profile that adapts to the
profile of employers and students at local level (AT, DE), which is
part of the general trend of decentralisation.
Adult learning
Some national reports (BE nl, BG, CY, CZ, EE, ES, FR, HU, IS, LT,
LU, RO, UK) emphasise measures which aim to promote lifelong leaning
and to motivate adults to acquire, update and complete further
education. Some of the measures are:
. Improved guidance on the VET options for adults (AT, ES, LT). In
Spain guidance and information about access, exams, programmes
and different offers is considered a priority due to the fact
that adults with a certain training level are in general more
demanding and discerning in relation to their further needs.
Public administrations will be in charge of disseminating and
stimulating innovative approaches concerning adult education in
order to promote and improve activities in this field. In
Austria projects to expand educational information and guidance
and for increasing the level of professionalism and networking
of educational counselling were conducted. . Validation/accreditation of