Maria Hrabinska ReferNet meeting, 16-17 October 2008 In the finishing straight: From Copenhagen to Bordeaux Main outcomes of the 2008 policy reporting exercise Maria Hrabinska ReferNet meeting, 16-17 October 2008 13/02/2018

Cedefop’s flyer In the finishing straight: From Copenhagen to Bordeaux Purpose: Biennial monitoring of progress – 2008 ministerial meeting in Bordeaux For senior policy makers, but also for individual citizens Simple, easy and quick to read A holistic and comprehensive information

Cedefop’s flyer on progress within the Copenhagen process What we wished to avoid: Shopping list Lack of a coherent concept Scientific jargon

ReferNet country reports, 2008 Main sources Reports from Directors-general for vocational education and training, 2008 ReferNet country reports, 2008 Cedefop’s studies and other networks expertise EU policy papers and reports Studies of the European Commission and other international and national organisations Statistical data and surveys (European Statistical System and other international organisations) In - house expertise

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” (Albert Einstein)

Cedefop’s flyer Three main sections Introduction Progress in development of European tools ►EQF, Europass, Validation, ECVET, Quality assurance National priorities and challenges ► Size of the initial VET sector (graduates in 2006 and forecast for 2030) ► Future skill needs ► CVT – participation and expenditure ► Equity – VET for all ► Mobility and foreign language learning ► Monitoring of progress, benchmarks 3. VET beyond 2010 – as the heart of the Copenhagen process

European tools: wider scope and impact ► EQF - national qualifications framework in the stage of development in majority of countries ► EQF - as reference point for countries outside the EU ► Europass implemented in 32 countries – most tangible tool for European citizens ► ECVET – readiness to work on this new tool: promising results are expected from pilot projects ► Validation of learning experience – progress varies ► Quality matters ► Teachers as a drive Idea a concept broadly accepted ECVET – most challenging tool

From European mobility as the focus to crucial reforms of E&T systems Idea a concept broadly accepted

National priorities highly corresponding to European priorities ►Improving access and equity in VET ► Focus on quality in VET ► Developing national qualifications systems ► Validation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes ► Better link between VET and labour market needs ► Developing teacher and trainer training ► Improving guidance and counseling ► Reforming governance and funding

Size of the VET sector - from about 80% to less than 15% Graduates from upper secondary pre-vocational and vocational streams, as percentage of the total number of graduates in upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 2006 Source: Eurostat, UOE, 2008

Four groups of countries ► Above 50% of VET graduates in the EU ► Four groups of countries: 1. Group with extremely high shares, however declining (CZ, SK, SI, FR, SE, in particular PL) 2. Group with relatively high share of VET graduates and still increasing (RO, NL, FI) 3. Group with low base and significantly developing (IR, ES, GR, PT) 4. Group with low base and no change or even decreasing (HU, LT, EE – decline, CY no change)

Decline in VET graduates projected, but … Projected number of VET graduates aged 15-24, by ISCED level, EU, 2005 - 2030 Source: Cedefop2008

But medium/vocational qualifications highly demanded also in the future

Response to demographic change ► Effort to attract more students, including non-traditional students (modular curricula, tailor made programmes, closer links to labour market, apprenticeship) ► Closure or merging of schools ► Improvement of quality – less number of students per teacher, better equipment, recruitment of more qualified teachers ► Lower budget for E&T /VET

Continuing vocational training Some countries are catching up, while participation is going down in previously high performing countries

Enterprises, in particular medium sized, spend less on CVT 2.3 1.5 2.4 2.5 1.6 1.1 1.4 1.9 0.5 1 2 3 Total Small -10 to 49 Medium - 50 to249 Large -more than 250 Expenditure as % of labour costs 1999 (CVTS2) 2005 (CVTS3) Source: CVTS, Eurostat. Note: 1999 = EU-25

Response ►National policies calling for a shared responsibility between State, employers/enterprises and individuals ►Policy instruments: tax incentives, vouchers, learning accounts, saving accounts, often combined, as well as sectoral training funds

Examples of good practice Equity still an issue Targeted VET and support for vulnerable groups- low skilled, early school leavers, migrants, ethnic minorities, older workers, disabled Examples of good practice ► From tailor – made training to inclusive education ► Some countries are also re/introducing apprenticeship or alternance training ► Combined policy measures: in particular guidance and counselling European tools are part of these policies

Some countries manage it better than others do Participation of older workers and low skilled in lifelong learning, 2007 Source: Eurostat, LFS 2007

Mobility: quantity, but also quality matters ► Language skills are essential - less than 30% of VET students learning two foreign languages ►Only 0.3% of VET students participating in the EU mobility programmes (Leonardo da Vinci) ►From a more or less sporadic experience of students to a more targeted and valuable learning in other Member State

Growing awareness for need of better evidence ► Modern flexible VET – a challenge for statistical infrastructures ► Trend towards register-based statistics at national level ► Initiative to develop indicators on VET outcomes ► 10 Member States - revision of current EU targets and benchmarks ► 11 Member States, Norway, Iceland and Turkey favour adding new benchmark for VET

VET beyond 2010 – continuity and consolidation ► Learning outcomes based curricula and teaching, better assessment of competences ► Implementing common European tools, principles and guidelines ► creating better links between the Copenhagen and Bologna processes ► making VET more attractive by improving its quality and finding the right balance between trust and control, and between excellence and equity ► VET teachers and trainers ► Reforming the content and methodology of VET ► Providing more training opportunities and support to people at risk to be excluded ► Increasing VET and job mobility by improving foreign language skills and recognition of competences acquired abroad; ► Improving governance at all levels, based on autonomy, accountability and learning partnerships ► Anticipating future skill needs and fostering responsiveness of VET to the needs of the knowledge-based economy and demographic change ► Monitoring progress, joint research and evaluations, benchmarks on VET

Cedefop’s Policy analysis team: Manfred Tessaring Maria Hrabinska Gyuri Ispanky Patrycja Lipinska Irene Psifidou Eleonora Schmid

From the flyer to the report Questions/topics for the discussion Selection of topics Balance between sources Quality of analysis Type of presentation Country level information versus EU level information

Thank you very much for your attention!