TTnet welcomes the Acceding & Candidate Countries Ronald G. Sultana TTnet

Key points  The process of integrating new members  Countries joining TTnet in 2004  Elements in the country frameworks  VET in ACCs: a synthesis  VET teachers/trainers in ACCs: a profile  Objectives for TTnet in the ACCs  Target groups and activities  Collaboration with established TTnet

Process of integrating new members  ETF survey on VET teachers and trainers of trainers  Aalborg meeting (21–22 Nov 02) Danish presidency  CEDEFOP Restricted Working Group  Surveys among accession countries  Frameworks

Surveying the ACCs standards firm links in-service VET strategy curriculum Career paths Classroom mgt Theory / practice Special needs Training in industry Profession- alisation Qualifications framework pedagogy use of ICTs APEL

Key statistics Population (millions) GDP per capita ( €) [As a % of EU-15] Unemploy- ment rate (% of labour force aged 15+) Youth unemploy- ment rate (% of labour force aged 15-24) Percentage of Upper Sec. students (ISCED 3) in VET Particip ation rates of adults aged in ET Estonia [40%] 9.1%24.5%31.8%5.2% Hungary [53%] 5.6%10.5%11.5%3.3% Lithuania [39%] 13.1%30.9%38.3%3.3% Malta [56%] 7.4%11.2%26.3%4.4% Slovakia [48%] 18.6%38.9%77.6%9.0% Slovenia [70%] 6.0%15.7%72.3%5.1%

Elements in the country frameworks  Background - VET system - Teachers and trainers - Key challenges  Community objectives for VET and country response  Objectives for TTnet-ACCs - Activities and calendar  Collaboration with TTnet-EU

VET in ACCs: a synthesis AA field marked by reform - Post-1989 market liberalisation - Globalization forces - Accession process SSeveral important initiatives - Legislative developments and measures - Social partnership model - LLL and CVT increasingly on agenda - Decentralisation and school autonomy - Linking education and enterprise - New VETcurricula – new assessment / cert - Introduction of competency-based models - Increased pedagogical training - A new qualification framework + APL - Learning from good practice in EU

VET teachers and trainers: a profile  Ageing, feminised, unstable, poorly paid profession  Many teachers / trainers are not formally trained  Pedagogical material and resources often outdated  Teacher to student ratio falling: academic drift  Distinction between VET theory & practice teachers  Most universities do not offer VET teacher training  Training often too theoretical  Traditional teaching models  Use of ICTs is limited  Insufficient I&CTE & training of VET teachers & trainers  Theory and practice de-linked  Limited opportunities for traineeships in industry  Poor cross-sectoral collaboration  Corps is not professionalised  National standards not yet formalised  Limited firm-based training - issue of SMEs  Lack of LM intelligence  Adult educators often part-time

Key objectives for TTnet-ACCs Dialogue Network Monitoring/ Evaluation Research Innovation Initial & In- service TT

Key objectives for TTnet-ACCs  Communication & networking - A national forum (seminars, workshops…) - Link with industry - Improving image  Innovation - Curricular/pedagogical - Competency-based - APL systems  VET initial & continued training - Theory/practice link - Mentoring  Monitoring and Evaluation - Quality assurance - Teacher training  Research - Trainers in firms - EU good practice

Target groups for TTnet-ACCs VVET administrators VVET TT researchers VVET teacher educators VVET teachers and mentors LLM trainers in public & private training centres HHRD departments PPolicy makers SSocial partners

Activities envisaged by TTnet-ACCs  Seminars, workshops, publications (national, transversal)  Mediating linkages  Web-site, data base, register  Local and EU-wide networking  Research and evaluation  Establishing competencies & standards  Identifying training needs  Designing training courses  Delivering training  Developing tools (e.g. to measure VET teacher competencies)

Some pending questions  What kind of resource input can be made by national TTnets?  How can one generate funding through national TTnets?  What are some of the best achievements of TTnets across Europe?  What kind of bilateral / multilateral partnerships can be developed to add value to national efforts?

Collaboration with other TTnets  Bilateral links  Multilateral links  Development of e- learning as a tool  FMS TTnet collaboration  Innovative pedagogic practices  Validation of non- formal learning  Quality assurance frameworks  E.g. Malta – Ireland  E.g. Lithuania – PROFF  E.g. TTnet e-Learning initiative (Isfol etc.)  E.g. On basis of region, theme, language, scale  E.g. with TTnet-UK  E.g. with TTnet-France  E.g. with TTnet-Finland

TTnet - European added value Estonia Slovenia Malta Hungary Slovakia Lithuania

TTnet - European added value Estonia Slovenia Malta Hungary Slovakia Lithuania Thank you…