1. 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, October 2008
13/02/2018

2. 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

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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

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

13. But medium/vocational qualifications highly demanded also in the future

14. 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

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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

25. Thank you very much for your attention!