Conference Stockholm, May 12‐13, 2014 Vocational Education & Training - Emerging Issues? Christian Helms Jørgensen, professor mso The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries Comparative research in four Nordic Countries Research project ( ) funded by NordForsk on transitions from VET to the labour market and Higher Education in the Nordic countries. Finland: Jyväskylä University Norway: Bergen University, NIFU, FAFO Sweden: Linköping University Denmark:Roskilde Universitywww.Nord-VET.dkwww.Nord-VET.dk The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

What are key challenges for vocational education? How do the VET-systems handle the double challenge of 1.qualifying for skilled employment in an occupation and 2.giving access to higher education? Systems that are good at 1. are bad at 2. - and the other way around Handling/solving this dilemma relates to the contribution of education to social equality and justice. The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

Dilemma for VET at the same time to: Be inclusive for weak learners and Maintain high esteem among young people and Be attractive for business (training placements) and Promote citizenship, equality and social justice. The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

The Nordic Countries – a living experiment in VET Nordic countries share: universalist welfare states egalitarian policies in education consensual labour market models But have developed diverging models of VET Vocational programs in comprehensive non-selective higher secondary education (Sweden: Gymnasieskolan) Modernised apprenticeship (Dual system) based on workplace training in specific occupations (Denmark) Mixed models: Norway 2+2, Finland: two tracks The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

Diverging models of VET in the Nordic Countries Advantages of full time school based systems (SE, FI) Postpones division in tracks and streams Provides equal access – independent of training places Promotes citizenship and equity Provides general access to higher education Weaknesses of full time school based systems (SE, FI) Provides weak links with the labour market - and difficult transitions to employment Few opportunities for non-academic youth Higher youth unemployment The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

Diverging models of VET in the Nordic Countries Advantages of apprenticeship models (DK, NO) Provides alternative pathways for non-academic youth Have strong links with the labour market High employment rates - low youth unemployment Weaknesses of apprenticeship models (DK, NO) Early division in tracks reinforce social and gender segregation Completion depends on available training places Don’t give access to higher education Decreasing esteem – appear as ‘dead end’. The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries

Research questions: How did these dilemmas emerge: the institutional architectures and trajectories. What are the current conditions in each VET-system to handle these dilemmas? What are the results of recent reforms to cope with these dilemmas? What are the effect on social and gender inequality of the institutional architectures? What strengths and weaknesses of the systems can be found through case studies in selected occupations? What then can be learned from the Nordic countries to develop vocational education for tomorrow? The future of VET - learning from the Nordic countries Comments are welcome ….