Which are the challenges the vocational training is facing in Europe?Since the Copenhagen declaration in 2002 on enhanced cooperation in Europe on Vocational education and training (VET) many member states have seen enormous progress in this sector and more learners have benefited from a higher quality of VET and increased access to learning skills for employment. However, by no means can we claim that VET is a natural option to many Europeans. On the contrary, evidence shows that VET is still a second option or a forced choice as a sector of education. Therefore the challenges of European VET are mainly three:
- To ensure that VET programmes strike a balance between personal development and sectoral skills and that qualifications from any VET provision allows the individual to a wide range of possible job opportunities;
- To finance VET provision in such a way that both infrastructures (equipment, laboratories, work simulated environments, libraries etc…) and programmes are adequately resourced to the highest levels;
- All European countries work towards achieving the Riga conclusions by 2020 namely that in VET provision quality assurance, access, work-based learning, teacher/trainers/mentors' professional development and the acquisition of key competences top every the VET national agenda.
Every country takes measures within the context of their VET provision. The Bruges Communique had twenty-two deliverables and from the monitoring of these outputs it clearly transpires that a lot of progress has been achieved in several member states but a lot more needs to be done to make VET attractive to learners and in particular to parents. The changes that are evident in most member states related to an increase in the quality assurance of programmes and have dedicated a great deal of effort in making Initial VET an attractive option. There is certainly a reform culture which is gripping several VET institutions and which is bringing the world of education and training closer to the world of employment. Here the role of social partners is fundamental and in my view, in a number of countries, they are playing a major role in making VET better in terms of quality, efficiency, attractiveness and relevance.
What can be done to avoid the early leaving from education and training (ELET) either in young students and adults? Which are the EU measures?
It could be argued that most, if not all, improvements to the VET systems are likely to have either direct or indirect impact on early leaving from VET (ELVET); VET systems that are of high quality, provide engaging, stimulating and attractive career choice, offer access to higher levels of learning and provide training that is relevant to the interest of young people and needs of employers alike, are likely to attract and retain large(r) numbers of young people. Such, measures for example include: new work-based learning models, modularisation and individualisation of VET pathways, permeability improvements, reduction of grade repetition in VET and addressing early tracking within the education system.
Cedefop identified three groups of measures in the context of a typical dropout namely: Preventive measures, Intervention measures and Compensation measures.
How can vocational education and training be more attractive to people already graduated?
Vocational education and training provides qualifications at practically all levels of a national qualifications framework. The flexibility in VET programmes is in itself an attraction to those who have already graduated and wish to follow a short course or a course over a longer period of time for their personal or professional development. VET programmes are already attracting learners who have a degree to undertake further studies in a sector in which they wish to specialise or adopt for their next career move or in relation to a job on the market. Also, many VET institutions offer education and training courses as day and evening courses and therefore there are ample opportunities for people to improve their skills and competences. Statistically speaking the higher the qualification that a person manages to obtain, the more likely he or she would seek further training.
What role do you think the guidance has in this process?
Career guidance provides support to learners before, during and after the training/learning process. It provides realistic perspectives on what is going to be the future on a specific career path, generating more conscious choices, which will result in more engaged and productive workers. Work with mentors supported by counsellors is very adequate for the training stage and strongly increases employability of young people. Guidance is always there: it's lifelong and it always has a supportive solution for every career issue.
What do you believe Spain should do to improve their promotion of learning and mobility?
Mobility in Spain is still growing as a culture. In order to promote it, individuals need to see the benefits of it. It is crucial to remove barriers for mobility, assuring coordination between the different learning providers. At European level, Spain needs to finalise the process of referencing to the European Qualification Framework. This will increase the transparency and possibilities for mobility. It is also important that processes for recognition of foreign qualifications are made simpler and put the individual at the centre of the educational process. It is necessary that the individual that has had a mobility experience does not have to go through a lot of paper work to get his/her experience recognised.
Which actions should schools be carrying out to improve the position of vocational training at the market?
Schools have a pivotal role to play in attracting learners to vocational education and training. The school's physical environment and the programmes offered, determine, whether or not young people will continue their education. In today's and tomorrow's labour market, lifelong learning is increasingly becoming part and parcel of everyone's career path and in my view, the first seeds of a culture of continuing learning must be sown as early as possible in schools. Furthermore, the cooperation between schools and local industry is also an important factor that can attract more learners to VET. Giving young learners a guided overview of what the labour market is all about in sectors that generate growth and quality of life is a vital step towards a an inclusive society.
From the school position, which aspects guarantee the quality of the vocational training provided?
In my view there are three aspects that determine the quality of VET in schools: the first and most important the link with local industry and with determined work environments; the second the quality and preparation of teachers and trainers in stimulating physical learning environments and the third, the quality of the VET programmes and their relevance to labour market realities both in terms of available job openings as well as for attraction of new and foreign investment. Unlike other sectors of education, vocational education and training has the specific goal of preparing young and older persons to jobs that are available on the market and that require specific skills that can be learnt through a holistic approach which include both theory and practice. It is this combination of the two aspects of vocational education and training that guarantees the quality of what is being acquired by the learner. This is directly validated by the job that a person manages to acquire after a process of recruitment.
Is it necessary to improve the role of the companies in the design process of vocational education and training and would a more active role improve their market position?
In my view employers are more than stakeholders in VET; they are shareholders. As a result of developments in science and technology particularly information technology, the gap between education and the labour market is systematically closing down. Industries especially multinationals are increasingly transforming their human capacity through in-house education and training programmes. Employers have a pivotal role to play in the future of VET. The more involved they are in the educational planning, the better the transition from school to work places. Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Nordic countries are examples of good practice in bridging the world of education with that of employment. This is a win-win situation.
Which are the benefits of promoting creativity and innovation in vocational training?
Vocational education and training is a source of creativity and innovation. Cedefop's evidence (2015 –Stronger VET for better lives) shows that in most European countries modernizing VET by stimulating creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship has been less prominent in shaping national policies than the other Bruges strategic objectives; partnerships for creativity and innovation are developing but the process is slow; setting up networks and partnerships between providers and business to ensure effective, innovative and quality-assured technology in VET or introducing incentives to establish them is not yet common practice in many countries. The more we manage to embed innovation in VET the more we achieve a higher competitive edge through our workforce. Innovation can also be encouraged through partnerships and clusters of firms, related economic actors and institutions that are located near one another and have reached a sufficient scale to develop specialized expertise, resources, suppliers and skills. Involving enterprises and building networks between VET providers and enterprises is perhaps the most efficient way of promoting innovation and creativity. Also, unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit in young people and supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through a better link between VET provision and work-based learning is the next step in strengthening the relevancy of VET.
How can we adapt the Spanish system of Dual Vocational Training to the companies' requirements? Are there any differences among the rest of Europe?
A recent REFERNET report on ‘Apprenticeship-type schemes and structured work-based learning programmes' illustrate some of these aspects in Spain. Spain has the advantage of having a relatively well established ‘catalogo nacional de cualificaciones' developed by sectoral experts groups proposed by the General Council of Vocational Training (Consejo General de la Formación Profesional). The establishment of the CNCP provides a good starting point for employers and companies to get involved in the definition of training standards. However, because in Spain the curriculum for each programme is defined by each education or labour authority responsible, the input of companies is sometimes limited and varies depending on the type of VET provider. This is something that Spain needs to address, in bringing closer together private companies with educational establishments. In addition, and this answers your second part of the question, there is limited tradition of involvement of companies, especially SMEs, in formal training. In other countries, where the dual system has a long tradition, there is a coordinated system where roles and responsibilities of chamber of commerce, social partners, companies and public sector are clear and well distributed. In my view what needs to be done is to work towards a system where companies and educational providers come together and coordinate their activities. It is not only having consultative bodies, but making them work together in the creation of the specific requirements and curricula, as well as in other educational decisions.
How can it be done?
I think the modernization of the Public Employment Services and proper use of the Youth Guarantee Programme (YGP) will be important to achieve better connection between what companies need and what education institutions (public and private) provide. For example, using funds from the YGP, the creation of Reference offices in the Public Employment Services (PES) of the National Employment system, specializing in advice and support for new entrepreneurs, can be used to facilitate the links with the companies. I am also aware that in Spain there are plans to use the same taxonomy as the education providers to describe the youth guarantee placements.
With 40 years of history, CEDEFOP is the most important organization of Vocational Training. What remains to be done?
A lot remains to be done but European VET has come a long way too. In forty years European VET has seen a decrease in the enrolment of students and an increase in importance as an educational sector closer to responding effectively to the economic crisis, unemployment and mismatching of skills. This is a contradiction and a challenge at the same time Cedefop and the Commission as well as member states and social partners need to address in the years to come. In Riga on June 22nd Ministers in charge of vocational education and training have taken the first step towards accomplishing this challenge by agreeing to work harder on five key. This is a major achievement and a roadmap which will hopefully make a difference in the VET sector making it more attractive to parents, learners and employers.
How this will affect Cedefop's strategy?
This agenda is Cedefop's agenda but as an independent agency we also need to go further and take stock of the past and design a possible brighter future for VET beyond 2020. In fact a new project on the changing nature and role of VET will focus on this important aspect drawing on the experiences of member states and social partners and laying down the proposed foundations for a new generation of VET. Evidence shows that the labour market requires ‘cleaver hands' workers who remain learners and who can combine practical and theoretical learning throughout their careers. This is the future of VET – providing infrastructures, financial support and human capacity that build bridges between the world of education and the world of work.
