CEDEFOP’S MAGAZINE PROMOTING

LEARNING FOR WORK

ISSUE 10 / MAY 2017

MAIN STORY: CEDEFOP’S EUROPEAN VET OPINION SURVEY

INTERVIEW:EVARIST BARTOLO

FEATURES: TREATY OF ROME AND VOCATIONAL TRAININGVET IN THE 21ST CENTURY

MEMBER STATES: FRANCE

Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: communications@cedefop.europa.eu

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

/cedefopwww.cedefop.europa.eu

@cedefop

9119 EN – TI-AQ-17-002-EN-N

INTERVIEW

EDUCATION: INVESTmENT IN HUmAN CAPITAL 4Evarist Bartolo, minister for Education and Employment, malta

ARTICLE

TREATy OF ROmE: ΤΗΕ ROOTS OF TODAy’S 6EUROPEAN VET POLICyBy Mara Brugia, Cedefop Deputy Director

ARTICLE

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE 21ST CENTURy 8

ARTICLE

CREATING COLLABORATIVE TRAINING NETWORkS 10By Isabelle Michel, Education and training adviser: CoTraiN Project manager

ARTICLE

SkILLS AND EmPLOymENT FOR REFUGEES 11AND ASyLUm SEEkERS

#VETOPINIONSURVEY

EUROPEAN CITIzENS’ OPINIONS mATTER 12Antonio Ranieri, Cedefop Head of Department for Learning and Employability

MEMBER STATES

mORE POWER TO THE INDIVIDUAL: 15CAREER DEVELOPmENT IN FRANCEBy ReferNet France

INTERVIEW

SHEDDING LIGHT ON SkILL mISmATCH IN THE 16EUROPEAN LABOUR mARkETKonstantinos Pouliakas, Cedefop expert

#VALIDATIONEUROPE

VALIDATION OF NON-FORmAL AND INFORmAL 18LEARNING IN EUROPE: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES

ARTICLE

A GREEk PHILOSOPHy TO DEVELOPING THE RIGHT SkILLS 20

NEW CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONS 22

COMING UP 23

02 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

CONTENTS

The European Centre for theDevelopment of VocationalTraining (Cedefop) is theEuropean Union's referencecentre for vocational educationand training.

We provide information on andanalyses of vocational educationand training systems, policies,research and practice.

Cedefop was established in 1975 by Council Regulation(EEC) No 337/75.

I S S U E 1 0 / M A Y 2 0 1 7

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Publications Office of theEuropean Union, Luxembourg

ISSN: 2363-0183TI-AQ-17-002-EN-NNo of publication: 9119 ENFree of charge© Cedefop, 2017

All rights reserved.

Head of Department for Communication:Gerd-Oskar BauseweinEditor: Rosy VoudouriDesigned by adam@artdirector.grPrinted in the European Unionon elemental chlorine-free bleachedpaper (ECF)

Cedefop: Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), Greece

Postal address: PO Box 22427,551 02 Thessaloniki, Greece

Tel. +30 2310490111Fax +30 2310490020communications@cedefop.europa.euwww.cedefop.europa.eu

Subscribeto the electronicedition

MAY 2017 | 03

Umair Haque, media guru and innovation strategist, wrote that ‘thepurpose of pain is transformation; the price of transformation is pain!’When your goal is to change mindsets, progress can be a painfulexercise.

On the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, it is pertinent torecall that Article 128 triggered a transformation process to create acommon European vocational training policy. Cedefop has been acatalyst for change in vocational education and training (VET) forover four decades. Our core business is to prompt individuals tomake VET a first choice.

Transformation has its anchor in the past while aspiring to moveinto a better future. It can be painful when it involves change.Transformation cannot come from simply repeating the same actions;indeed, Albert Einstein believed it a sign of insanity to do the samethings over and over but expect different results.

Cedefop’s project on the changing nature and role of VET inEurope is prompting reflection on its future beyond conventionalpolitical discourse. It aspires to support different mindsets for VET. Itframes VET in a dimension compatible with the challenges of a 21stcentury labour market and modern modes of learning. knowledgeand skills need to be seen as a bridge to quality of life.

Backed by the results of our opinion survey, we know that VEThas a positive image in many member States. In others, more workneeds to be done. But we are on the right track to position VET astep higher in the esteem of employers, policy-makers, socialpartners and stakeholders who need to attract the right skills for jobs.

European initiatives, such as those on validation, apprenticeshipsand work-based learning, and skill mismatch, are among Cedefopwork themes; it shares findings and evidence with the Commission,member States and social partners. In doing this, Cedefop isspearheading action in countries that seek to transform VET into thepreferred learning experience of the future. ■

EDIToriAL

When your goalis to change

mindsets, progress can be a

painful exercise“preferred

learning experience

futureof the

VET:

JAmES CALLEJACEDEfop DirECTor

iNTErVIEW

04 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

A prolific writer with abackground in teaching andcommunication, Malta’sEducation Minister has‘moderate but deeply held’views, as the biography on hisown website states. EvaristBartolo is certainly firm in hisvision for education in themodern world, a useful assetwhile his country holds therotating EU Presidency in thefirst semester of 2017. Heexplains all to Skillset and match.

What do you think are thebiggest challenges education inEurope faces and what are youdoing to address them duringMalta’s EU Presidency?We need to do all we can to makeeducation as relevant as possible,to help equip our people with theskills necessary for life and

employability. We need tocontaminate education with asmuch reality as possible. It shouldbe obvious that learning takesplace not only in buildings calledschools or educational institutions,but also beyond the confines ofthese buildings. We should openup the formal education experienceto real situations in society and atthe workplace: schooling andeducation closed within themselvesbecome sick, feeble, obsolete andirrelevant. The biggest challengefacing formal education at everylevel is to create a world, where weno longer believe that its role is todrill students to pass tests andexams so that they end up withcertifications and qualifications;what really matters is whether oureducational experience is built onempowering our students withknowledge, skills, competences,character and the ability tocontinue learning. member Statesand the European Commission

need a paradigm shift in how welook at education and developskills and talent. We pay lip serviceto the concept of education as aninvestment and not simply as acost but do we really believe this? Ithink not. We have developedtools to consider as strategicinvestment what we spend onphysical infrastructure, but then wefail to consider as strategicinvestment the human software tooperate this hardware: the moneywe need to spend on thedevelopment of skills and talents.How are we going to translate theNew skills agenda for Europe andthe Council decision on upskillingpathways if funds are available tobuild state-of-the-artinfrastructures with much lessimportance on investing in thepeople to run and operate theseinfrastructures?

How important is vocationaleducation in the current ever-

“

EVARIST BARTOLOMiNiSTEr for EDUCATioN AND EMpLoYMENT, MALTA

by roSY VoUDoUri

investmenthuman capitalin

Education:

We pay lip service to the conceptof education as an investmentand not simply as a cost but do we reallybelieve this? I think not.

MAY 2017 | 05

iNTErVIEW

changing labour marketlandscape?I dislike intensely classifyingeducation as academic orvocational. I prefer to talk aboutgood quality education ormediocre education. We needgood quality education thatdevelops the skills andcompetences of people where theynot only acquire knowledge abouta particular area but also knowhow to apply and what to do withthat knowledge. So let us haveeducation that is relevant fortoday’s and tomorrow’s economyand society, where people will beexpected to have new skills and tohave the resilience to learn them.Democracy and prosperity dependon our ability to provide lifelonglearning to our citizens. Whenskills become obsolete and jobsdie, whole communities go intodecline and thousands of peopleare pushed into social exclusion. Ifmainstream politicians and partiesare not able to engage with thesecitizens and address theirconcerns and needs, populists

move in, dangling their illusorysolutions made up of economicnostalgia and economic patriotism.

In a recent newspaper articleyou referred to Cedefop as asuccess story. What, in youropinion, is its biggest success?The work being done by Cedefopis precious, as it is evidence-basedand open to the diverse realities ofmember States. The emphasis onthe need to address the skillsdeficits and to forecast skillsmismatches should help formulaterealistic policies. For many yearswe have been stating thatspending more on education,attracting more students touniversities is intrinsically right. Weshould go beyond this anddemand not simply moreeducation but education of theright kind, relevant for life andemployment in the 21st century.Cedefop helps us policy-makers toground in this complex reality. 

In its supporting for MemberStates, Cedefop has been

assisting Malta in variousprojects, including a recentreview of its apprenticeshipsystem. Has that support beenfruitful and are there other areaswhere Cedefop can help?This review has been very usefuland Cedefop has been anexcellent critical friend. We needsuch collaboration, whereCedefop helps member States toface our challenges. This is usefulfor Cedefop as well to grounditself in the different realities of themember States, instead of beingaloof, prescribing abstractapproaches and policies. I lookforward to having Cedefopproducing more practical researchon the realities of the memberStates, the state of the skills andtalent pools in our countries, andthe mismatches that we have,helping us forecast the skills weneed for the coming years andhow to address them. Everycountry has to find its own way butwe can learn from each other withCedefop playing a coordinatingrole. ■

Student and trainer at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology

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‘Since the start of my mandate, I have made clear that Iwanted a more social Europe,’ President Junckerstressed in his 2016 state of the union address.Following a period that centred on addressingeconomic and employment challenges, currentEuropean Union (EU) policy aims to counteractgrowing social inequalities, the negative impacts ofglobalisation and technological change, and risingnationalistic trends.

An EU social rights pillar is being prepared to helpunderstand better member States’ employment andsocial performance. Its skills, education and lifelonglearning policy domain complements recent EUinitiatives to reduce unemployment and help citizensadapt to changing skill requirements. Vocationaleducation and training’s (VET’s) excellence andinclusive approach remain important building blocks inthis policy agenda.

TIMElESS goAlSOne of the objectives set out in the 1963 CouncilDecision on a common vocational training policy,reads: ‘To broaden vocational training on the basis of ageneral education, to an extent sufficient to encouragethe harmonious development of the personality and tomeet requirements arising from technical progress,new methods of production and social and economicdevelopments.’ This is echoed in calls in current EU

policy documents, showing how consistent this policyfocus has been over the years.

The legal basis of these stated objectives is theTreaty of Rome, which, in 1957, laid the foundationof today’s European Union. Among the aims of theTreaty was establishing a common market and freemovement of workers. It explicitly included VET,preparing the grounds for a common Europeanvocational training policy (Article 128). The Commissionwas assigned the task to promote close cooperationbetween member States in ‘basic and advanced

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#EU60

TREATY OF ROME:

the roots of today'sEuropean VET policy

by mARA BRUGIACEDEfop DEpUTY DirECTor

2017 MArKS:

the EU’s 60th anniversary: Treaty of Rome, signedby Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxemburgand the Netherlands on 25 March 1957, and thecommitment to a common VET policy since itsvery beginning;

30 years of Erasmus, now Erasmus+, originallylaunched as mobility programme for highereducation students, it now also builds on other EUprogrammes and offers various VET and adultlearning opportunities;

the year of adult learning.

vocational training’ (Article 118). A newly createdEuropean Social Fund provided financial support toretrain unemployed people, albeit to a limited extent.

A BRoAD TERMAlthough the term ‘vocational training’ was not defined,evidence suggests it was understood in a broader sensethan may be thought: formation professionnellecomprised initial training, skills updating and retraining,and addressed youth, adult workers and people in‘supervisory positions’.

VET’s integration as social policy lever in the Treatywas driven by France and Italy. Italy was stronglyinterested in a common VET policy to help address itssubstantial structural unemployment. France’s proposalto involve social partners in the negotiations eventuallyled to the establishment of an economic and socialcommittee under the provision of the Treaty; thisinstitution later proposed setting up a European centrefor VET, i.e. Cedefop.

VET had already featured in the European Coal andSteel Community. Its 1952/53 activity report includedmeasures still topical today: anticipating skill supply anddemand to inform decision making; removing mobilityobstacles; better matching skill supply and demand; andinformation on VET benefits. While the proposal toharmonise training to ease mobility was later ruled out,the recognition directive and the European qualificationsframework make qualifications more comparable. Theprinciples endorsed in 1963 went further, also ensuringtransition from general education to VET, progression to‘higher level activities’ or career information and guidance.

EVER-CHANgINg lANDSCAPESixty years after the Treaty of Rome, Europe’schallenges resemble those of the past, as do some of

the proposed policy responses. However, in today’sglobalised and technology-driven economies, changehappens much faster. Push and pull factors arebecoming ever more complex. Having 28 instead of sixmember States allows for shared principles but not forone-size-fits-all solutions. Policy measures and toolshave developed further; so has VET that can lead tonearly all qualification levels. Following a long period within the Commission’seducation portfolio, VET is again part of its employmentand social policy branch. It is seen as powerful lever tohelp raise citizens’ skill levels and boost economicgrowth. To tap VET’s inclusive and excellence potentialrequires the cooperation of all actors and the right policymix: education and training, industry, economic,employment and social policies need to complementeach other.

On the occasion of the Treaty of Rome’s 60thanniversary, the Commission intends to check if today’sVET is fit for the 21st century and develop a vision forthe next decade. To do so, requires understanding thedifferent concepts that underpin member States’ VETsystems and how they have evolved over time. With itsanalysis of the changing nature and role of VET,Cedefop will contribute to these reflections (see pp. 8-9). ■

MAY 2017 | 07

The Council shall, acting on a proposal from theCommission and afterconsulting the Economic andSocial Committee, lay downgeneral principles forimplementing a commonvocational training policycapable of contributing to theharmonious development bothof the national economiesand of the common market.

Article 128, Treaty of Rome

#EU60

Council Decision of 2 April 1963laying down general principles for

implementing a commonvocational training policy

The Treaty of Rome, 25March 1957

Vocational educationand training

Rapid technologicaladvancements occurring aroundthe world are currentlytransforming the labour market,creating new learningenvironments in the process.Above all, increased focus ondigitalisation is modifyingtraditional employment, renderingcertain jobs obsolete and creatingnew ones.

Cedefop has brought togethera diverse array of researchers andpolicy-makers to collaborate in aproject aiming to offer valuableinsights into tackling upcoming

challenges in vocational educationand training (VET). The three-yearstudy on the changing nature androle of VET in Europe is expectedto conclude in 2018. Initial findingswere discussed at a Cedefopworkshop in Thessaloniki.

At the helm of the project isCedefop expert Jens Bjornavoldwho argues that ‘to providetargeted and timely advice atnational and European levels, onemust take a step back and allowfor a historic perspective of VET totake shape.’

VET VS HIgHER EDUCATIoNFrom an organisationalstandpoint, 3sUnternehmensberatung projectcoordinator Jörg markowitsch hasfound associating the diverseinput of an internationalconsortium of five majorinstitutions and more than 100researchers a demanding task. Henotes that the questions emergingfrom these complex synergiesconcern the conceptualisation ofVET: ‘Will VET survive as aconcept in the next 20 or 30years? Or will the line between

VET and higher education get soblurred that there will be no sensein distinguishing between them atall?’

The point is crucial, sincevocational-oriented education andtraining encompasses manydifferent inter-sectoral institutions.This explains why countries notonly use different national termswhen referring to VET but alsohave different understandings ofits content.

VET is constantly expandingand being integrated in higherlearning institutions, a shift whichhas many fearing it could alter itsfundamental characteristics. mrBjornavold maintains that thestudy’s preliminary findingsindicate the existence of avocational drift instead, broughtabout by many higher educationinstitutions adopting VET methodsand approaches to develop acloser link with the labour market.‘For example, they useapprenticeships and heighten theirfocus on practice-based training,’he says, adding that‘notwithstanding convergencetendencies, universities and

08 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

ARTiCLE

It’s always healthy to examineyour old habits and see if they still applyto the society you live in today

in the

century21st

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MAY 2017 | 09

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advanced vocational educationwill ultimately achieve the balanceneeded to coexist.’

Demography andsocioeconomic fluctuations inEurope are also reshaping theVET sector. Jon Erik Dølvik, fromNorway’s FAFO Institute forLabour and Social Research,remarks that ‘owing to labourmigration, one of the mostimportant trends today, the Euro -pean labour market is undergoingtransference of skills and trades.’As VET also concerns equalcitizenship, the sector faces theoccupational change of integratinga rising number of refugeesseeking asylum in Europe, intoVET systems (see p. 11).

THE POLITICAL CONTEXTThis year marks the 60thanniversary of the Treaty of Romewhich officially established theEuropean Economic Community.Vocational education and trainingwas featured prominently in thishistoric agreement (see pp. 6-7).Over the last decade, theEuropean Commission hasprogressively showcased VET in a

political context. The 2010 BrugesCommuniqué had Europeanministers agreeing with strategicsocial partners on the adoption ofa common approach to maximiseVET’s quality and status in theUnion. This understanding wasreinforced five years later with theendorsement of several keymedium-term deliverables, knownas the Riga conclusions.

‘Cedefop’s new study is timelyfrom a governance perspective,since at the European level we arestarting to think about the post-Bruges framework for EU-VETcooperation,’ affirms Joao Santos,Deputy Head of Unit at theDirectorate-General forEmployment, Social Affairs andInclusion. Mr Santos expects thatevaluation of the intelligenceprovided by Cedefop’s study willbe taken into account whendefining a new action plan post2020.

The changing nature and roleof VET in Europe is an inter-disciplinary project which feedsinto and builds on existingCedefop work, such as theEuropean VET opinion survey and

forecasting skill supply anddemand. Cedefop expert HanneChristensen sees the project as ‘aunique opportunity for interaction’and encourages more policy-makers and social partners to‘offer their input into this process,so that all pedagogical,epistemological andsocioeconomic outlooks are takeninto consideration.’

Cedefop Director JamesCalleja doesn’t shy away from thefact that ‘the road to diversificationis long,’ albeit decidedly‘rewarding’. When it comes toweighing in on the project’susefulness, the DanishTechnological Institute’s TineAndersen takes into account hercountry’s century-old expertiseregarding VET and observes that‘systems get into habits, the sameway humans do; so, it’s alwayshealthy to examine your old habitsand see if they still apply to thesociety you live in today.’ ■

The changing nature and roleof VET in Europe

10 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

Creating

training

Tackling skills gaps is one of themain objectives of currentvocational education and training(VET) policy. Even after dualtraining, apprentices who apply todifferent employers from theirapprenticeship can have skills thatmay not fit with the requirementsof the new context. Why is this?mainly because the ‘training’company activities and/or itslabour organisation do not coverall the activities or skills of theoccupational profiles, especiallywhere there are many SmEs.

There are several issues:• employers cannot find the skills

they need to develop theircompany;

• the young are not fully trainedand cannot offer the requiredskills even though theirvocational training is completed;

• training centre staff facedifficulties in finding companiesfit for dual training and have tocompensate;

• policy-makers find it difficultmaking lifelong learning a factand driving economicdevelopment.The problem often lies in the

‘classic’ dual training model: oneyouth, one company.

Some countries, such asAustria, Germany and Switzerland,have developed good alternativeand complementary models byimplementing collaborativetraining, where a companyprovides vocational trainingtogether with one or more firm(s).

The education centre Cepag(Belgium) took on the challenge tobring together German (inab) andAustrian (öibf) partners which will

coach Italian (Centoform) andBelgian partners (IFAPmE andCEFA) to build collaborativetraining pilots. All participate indeveloping the system in ourcountries and also collaborate toproduce a methodology guide anda didactic video. These tools willbe available by spring 2019.

Now in the diagnosis phase,CoTraiN is trying to formulate itsmodels and needs, in order tocarry out tests, in September2017, in four selected sectors:metal industry, catering trade,administration area and woodindustry.

This project has been possiblethanks to the Erasmus+programme and, mainly, toCedefop, which, in autumn 2015,organised a conference onengaging SmEs in apprenticeship.This provided the opportunity tobuild such an ambitiouspartnership. ■

ARTiCLE

Some countries, such as Austria, Germany andSwitzerland, have developed good alternative andcomplementary models through collaborative training

networkscollaborative

“

More information about theproject on www.cepag.be

(in French). Click on the CoTraiN logo.

by iSAbELLE MiChEL, Education and training adviser,

CoTraiN project manager

MAY 2017 | 11

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Since 2014, the European Union(EU) has witnessed a sharp rise inthe number of asylum applicationsby third country citizens. This ismainly due to the civil war in Syria,which has displaced over 7.5 millionpeople and pushed 5.9 million tobecome refugees, according toUNHCR estimates. Adding to thisflow, large numbers of Iraqi, Somaliand Afghan citizens have beenforcedly displaced and joined theranks of people seeking safetyalong the Eastern mediterraneanmigration route. Refugees are alsorisking dangerous boat crossings toarrive on the shores of Italy fromLibya and, increasingly, from Egypt.

Almost 52% of requestsprocessed received a positiveresponse, granting protection statuseither under the GenevaConvention or equivalent nationalhumanitarian protection.Humanitarian migrants have loweremployment levels than thirdcountry citizens who have migrated

for different reasons. For example,in Belgium, 47% of humanitarianmigrants are employed, comparedto an average of 53.9% for all thirdcountry immigrants. Similardifferences can be found in otherhost countries, such as Germany(57.6% against 67.7%) or Austria(60.2% against 64.9%).

In October 2016 a jointCedefop/OECD meeting onupskilling, reskilling and employingadult refugees gatheredrepresentatives of the Europeanvocational education and training(VET) community, the UNHCR andthe ILO. They discussed howlearning could help humanitarianmigrants quickly integrate into theEU labour market, while addressingidentified national labour needs.The meeting was followed by asurvey, jointly implemented byCedefop and the OECD, onreskilling and upskilling strategiesfor refugee and asylum seekerlabour market integration.

Evidence shows thathumanitarian migrants have astructural disadvantage accessingVET tools which could help themintegrate more effectively. Toaddress this issue, countries neednot only to adapt existing systemsand regulations: they have to createnew services.

Early, flexible and simplifiedsupport is needed, on tailoringcourses, language development,guidance, recognition andvalidation. Fast track procedurescan be put into place for quickerintegration of individuals with highintegration potential. Higherstakeholder engagement andintegrating regional networks ofemployers and third sectorassociations must also bestimulated. New supportprogrammes should be piloted,monitored and evaluated to assurequality and success. Fundingsources should be combined andexploited to ensure appropriateinitiative scope and stability.Harmonising and sharinginformation about humanitarianmigrants between countries is alsoessential to stimulate secondarymobility in the EU.

Cedefop will continue to developits research activities on this topicand to support the development ofmember State and EU capacity toresettle and relocate humanitarianmigrants. ■

for refugees and asylum seekers

matter

#VETopiNioNSUrVEY

The first Cedefop opinionsurvey on vocational educationand training (VET) in Europeprovides unique new data onhow European citizensperceive its attractiveness andeffectiveness. We see, forexample, that most Europeans(71%) know what VET is andtwo in three (68%) have apositive opinion of it; finding ajob is the number one reasonfor choosing a VET path.Antonio Ranieri headsCedefop’s Department forLearning and Employability,which was in charge of thesurvey. He speaks of theimportant role people’sopinions can play in designingfuture VET policies.

Why an opinion survey onVET?Opinions are no less importantthan facts or statistics inCedefop’s work, especially whenwe try to understand economic orsocial behaviour relevant to VET,or when we try to shapeEuropean policies in this area.And yet the opinions of citizens,of end-users of VET policies,currently receive little attention atthe European level.

Does this mean that EuropeanVET policies do not takecitizens’ opinions intoaccount?We honestly believe that VET hasimproved across EU countriesover the past decades, with EUpolicies to make VET provisionmore responsive to the labourmarket or to place VET in alifelong learning perspective.However, we are aware that

uncertainty and complexity willcontinue to shape our economicand social environment in theyears to come. This is bothbecause of internal education andtraining systems factors, andexternal matters largely out of ourcontrol: structural megatrends(demographic changes, so-calledglobalisation, technologicaladvances, digitalisation); andpolitical challenges such as thegreening of the economy or thecurrent refugee crisis. If the‘challenge of all challenges’ iscontinuous and acceleratedtransformation of the economy,VET policies and provision alsoneed to adapt, change, andcontinuously innovate. In thisscenario, ready-made answersdo not work. If we want to explorenew avenues and understandhow European initiatives cansupport national VET policies,listening to the voice of the

“opinions

In many cases the opinions we collected meet or even exceed our expectations

EuropEan citizEns’

12 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

ANTONIO RANIERICEDEfop hEAD of DEpArTMENT

for LEArNiNG AND EMpLoYAbiLiTY

#VETopiNioNSUrVEY

citizens is as important asanalysing facts and figures.

What is the scope of thesurvey?The survey addressed Europeancitizens aged over 15, resident inthe EU. All member States arecovered. The survey focuses oninitial VET (IVET), morespecifically on IVET at uppersecondary education and training,and addresses a wide range oftopics in four main areas: citizens’awareness and knowledge ofVET; attractiveness of and accessto VET; satisfaction andexperience of VET users;perceived outcomes andeffectiveness of VET.

So, what do Europeans think ofvocational education andtraining?In many cases the opinions wecollected meet or even exceedour expectations. most of thosesurveyed have a positive opinionof VET; more specifically, theyvalue VET at upper secondarylevel as a way to strengthen the

economy, help reduceunemployment, and tackle socialinclusion. Almost nine in 10 VETgraduates at upper secondarylevel are happy with the work-related skills they acquired duringtheir studies, and eight out of 10consider VET in general a goodchoice both for personal andprofessional development.

Finding a job is the number onereason for choosing a VETprogramme. However, there arealso cases where the citizens’voice is less clear and rathercontradictory. For instance, inspite of the positive opinions onmany of the aspects addressed inthe survey, most of therespondents still continue to

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AboUT ThE SURVEY

Cedefop’s first opinion survey on vocational educationand training (VET), produced in partnership with KantarPublic, explores European citizens’ perceptions of VET inthe EU-28 Member States.

ThE SUrVEY IN NUMBERS

120 COGNITIVE INTERVIEWS

in 6 EU COUNTRIES to test and improve the questionnaire

30 INTERVIEWS conducted in each EU Member State to pilot the survey

35 646 INTERVIEWS conducted in total –

with up to 2 200 INTERVIEWS in a single country

f

14 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

see VET as a second choice forsecond-rate students.

How can survey results help toshape VET policies?As an example, one of thefindings from the survey is thatone in two people who opted forgeneral education at uppersecondary level stated they hadlittle information about VEToptions. VET is also oftenperceived to offer few progressionopportunities to higher education,while we know that this is notreally the case in EU memberStates due to reforms in recentdecades. In many countries thereis still a need to address negativepublic discourse on VET whichtends to reinforce stereotypesand misconceptions. When welook at survey results acrosscountries, we see a strongcorrelation between the level ofinformation people receive andtheir participation in VETprogrammes. The potential oflifelong guidance is not fully used,which suggests that this is anarea for further policydevelopments in the immediatefuture. ■

WhAT Do EUROPEAN CITIZENSThiNK of

VoCATioNAL EDUCATioN AND TrAiNiNG?

ThE POSITIVE

7 in 10 EUROPEANS know what VET is

Finding a job is the No 1 REASON among Europeans for choosing VET

2 in3 EU CITIZENS (68%) have a positive opinion of VET

87% of VET STUDENTS are happy with the work-related skills

they developed

60% of VET STUDENTS found their first long-term job before orwithin a month of finishing their studies

40% of RESPONDENTS would recommend VET to young people,

while only 27% would recommend general education

ThE NOT-SO-POSITIVE

84% of EU CITIZENS agree that general education has a morepositive image than vocational education in their country

3 in4 EUROPEANS think that students with low grades are directedtowards vocational education in their countries

1 in 3 EU CITIZENS do not think that VET leads to well-paid or highly regarded jobs

40% of EU CITIZENS were not given information about VET whenmaking a decision about their upper secondary education

1 in 4 GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENTS were advised against takingVET when making a decision about their education

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France is pushing ahead with its vocational training strategy to makeindividuals the main protagonists of their career development.

January 2017 saw the entry into force of the personal activity account(CPA, Compte personnel d’activité) as a complement to existing trainingaccess measures (training plans, individual training leave, individualstages, etc.).

The new CPA groups together three individual accounts allowing foraccruing rights:• the personal training account (CPF, Compte personnel de formation);• the personal account for the prevention of arduous working conditions(C3P, Compte personnel de prévention de la pénibilité);

• the citizen’s commitment account (CEC, Compte d’engagementcitoyen) for volunteer activities.This portfolio of individual accounts is an innovative scheme for

employment and training. The accounts it brings together remainindependent, but rights accumulated in each of them can now be addedto each other through the whole career and converted into hours oftraining.

Both CPA and CPF are presented as ‘universal rights’, as they areopen to every individual regardless of status – employee, civil servant, jobseeker, self-employed (from 2018) – from the outset of working life untildeath. Individuals can also now decide to start a training course at anymoment, using the rights accumulated in all three accounts whatever theirstatus.

An important feature of the CPA is its online services, through whichcitizens become aware of their training rights and can shape their ownlearning project. The new tool has been promoted widely by thegovernment in the press and through TV. Its impact will be assessedannually.

Training is a potential response to arduous conditions in the workplacein that it encourages mobility between occupations. It is also a means forholders to build up their skills by doing volunteer work. Through itsuniversal dimension, the CPA becomes one of the main tools for buildinga ‘learning citizen’s life’. ■

More power tothe individual:

careerdevelopment in

MEMBER STATES

by REFERNET FRANCEwww.centre-inffo.fr

photo: © Shutterstock_M

uratart

CPA online services

MAY 2017 | 15

FRANCE

16 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

iNTErVIEW

Cedefop’s skill mismatchresearch and European skillsand jobs (ESJ) survey show thatEuropean Union (EU) countrieswith more responsive educationand training systems are likely toexperience fewer skill shortagesand mismatches. Vocationaleducation and training (VET)plays a key role when adultworkers find themselves out ofwork or in search of alternativecareer options, but educationand training systems alonecannot solve the skill mismatchproblem. The way labourmarket institutions work and theoverall economic context matter.The role of employers is alsocrucial, as better managed firmstend to have lower skillshortages. Cedefop expertKonstantinos Pouliakasgives an insight into the agency’swork on skill mismatch.

Many have suggested thatEurope suffers from skillmismatch. But is it a majorproblem?  All economies have some form of‘natural’ skill mismatch:companies’ skill needs changedynamically, existing employees’skills become obsolete, and manyyoung workers accumulate work-related skills during their transitionto the labour market. Countrieshave varying degrees of skillmismatch, depending on howresponsive their education andtraining systems are and theflexibility and quality of their labourmarket institutions. What we alsosee from Cedefop’s ESJ survey isthat skill mismatch is oftenpersistent, especially whenpeople’s skills are not effectivelyused at work. About eight in 10people who started their job asoverskilled workers haveremained so over time. This isimportant because people whose

skills are underutilised tend tohave lower wages and less jobsatisfaction, relative to their well-matched peers. And while feweremployees in jobs suffer fromsustained skill gaps over time,there is a strong negativerelationship between skill gapsand individual productivity.

Why is it difficult for companiesto find employees with the rightskills?Around 39% of EU companiessaid in a 2013 European companysurvey that they cannot findcandidates with the right skills. ButCedefop’s analysis shows that, formany firms, such difficulties do notnecessarily arise because of skillsdeficits among job candidates.Hiring difficulties are often relatedto the offer of unattractive jobs orbecause some firms deployinefficient recruitment andretention strategies. For example,we know from the Uk employer

“

kONSTANTINOS POULIAKASCEDEfop ExpErT

mismatchskill

To achieve sustainable skillsmatching in jobs, both workers and firms must ‘break sweat’

Shedding light on

in the Europeanlabour market

MAY 2017 | 17

iNTErVIEW

skills survey, the biggest of itskind, that about a fifth of allvacancies arise due to the inabilityof firms to find appropriatelyskilled applicants. The right policyremedy may then lie in supportingemployers to improve theirproduct marketing and humanresource strategies, and aidaccess to financing, rather thanrelying exclusively on VETprovision. However, when‘genuine’ skill shortages arise andstart to inhibit an economy’shealthy return to growth, VETbecomes crucial.

What can policy-makers do toimprove skills matching?We need to ensure that goodresearch will continue to help usmeasure and trace the issue overtime. The OECD PIAAC, WorldBank STEP and Cedefop ESJsurveys have only recentlyallowed us to make significantprogress in understanding thecontext of skill mismatch. Weshould also continue to exchangebest practice between EU memberStates. Cedefop recently collectedexamples of such skills matching

policies: the inventory hashighlighted that the key to skillsmatching lies in better linkingefforts to develop European toolsfor skills transparency andvalidation with labour marketintelligence, using a range ofpolicy innovations (such ascompetence-based matchingplatforms). We must also rely on apartnership approach, in which theeducation and training systembestows strong key competences,but firms match this with strongcommitment to the continuing skillformation process.

What is the main lesson fromCedefop’s European skills andjobs survey?The survey has taught us manythings about the way in whichskills are continually developedand used in the European labourmarket. Perhaps more interestingis the revelation that, to achievesustainable skills matching in jobs,both workers and firms must‘break sweat’! Workers need toinvest continuously in their skillsdevelopment. But it is equallyimportant that they do so in

workplaces where their work tasksevolve accordingly. Unlesspeople’s everyday jobs entail a lotof informal learning, space forproblem-solving, autonomy andexecution of non-routine tasks, theskills of individuals will inevitablystagnate and companies will sufferin the long run. ■

phot

o: ©

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Cedefop’s European skills and jobssurvey is the first survey on skillmismatch, carried out in 2014 in allEU-28 Member States. Some 49 000adult employees were asked ques-tions about their skill development,skill needs in theirjobs and the evolutionof skill mismatch overtheir career.

Skill shortages and gaps in European enterprises: striking a balance between VET and the

labour market

Tackling unemployment while addressing skill mismatch:

lessons from policy and practice in EU countries

VALiDATioN of NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING:

European countries are making progress towards theobjective set by the European Union Council of havingvalidation of non-formal and informal learningarrangements in place by 2018. According toCedefop’s 2016 update of the European inventory,which provides an overview of validation practices andwas published in march 2017, all 33 countries understudy offer the opportunity to individuals to have theirknowledge, skills and competences validated or aredeveloping arrangements to do so.

The importance of skilled and knowledgeablecitizens to Europe extends beyond formal education tolearning acquired in non-formal or informal ways.People must be able to demonstrate what they havelearned, irrespective of where, to be able to use thislearning for further education and training or toadvance their career.

It was in 2012 that the Council set the 2018 targetfor member States. To assist them in theimplementation of the recommendation, Cedefop, incollaboration with the European Commission and inconsultation with the member States, updated theEuropean guidelines and has carried out regularupdates of the European inventory.

While the guidelines elaborate on a series ofprinciples from the recommendation, clarifying thedifferent options and the steps countries need to take,the inventory provides an illustration of how thosedifferent principles are being implemented nationally.

The countries covered by the inventory are the 28members of the European Union, the European FreeTrade Association members and Turkey. The latestupdate results are in line with the conclusions of the

conference organised by Cedefop in November 2016, inwhich participants emphasised the need to makevalidation a reality, moving from policy to practice.

member States are gradually placing validationhigher up on their policy agendas, but decisive action isstill required in several areas to meet the principlesoutlined in the 2012 Council recommendation. Analysissuggests that the main challenges relate toprofessional development of validation practitionersand prioritisation of disadvantaged groups; theseprinciples exhibit a comparatively low degree andreach of activity.

EURoPEAN INVENToRy oN VAlIDATIoNMAIN FINDINgS• Validation arrangements are in place in 32 of 33

European countries covered by the 2016 inventory(in Croatia, a validation system is still underdevelopment).

• Validation is mostly used for awarding parts of aqualification, mainly in conjunction with credits orgaining exemptions, as well as for accessingeducation programmes.

• Opportunities are reaching low-qualified and low-skilled jobseekers, but progress is needed in use ofvalidation by disadvantaged groups.

• Data on take-up remain limited. Where they areavailable, an upwards trend can be observed.

• The four stages, identification, documentation,assessment and certification, are interconnected asoutlined in the 2012 Council recommendation. Allstages are used in all sectors but in differentcombinations.

#VALIDATIONEUropE

Member States are gradually placing validation higher on their policy agendas, but decisive action is still required in several areas

18 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

“progress and

by ErNESTo ViLLALbA

challenges

#VALIDATIONEUropE

• Greater attention has been paid recently to ensuringnational coordinating institutions for validation are inplace.

• There is strong variation in the level and nature ofstakeholder involvement in validation across coun-tries. Variation in the role of different stake holdersreflects the specificities of the different sectors.

• Countries tend to have several sources of fundingfor validation. National public funding is the mostcommon.

• Information, advice and guidance are available inmost countries but are not always a requirement.

• The number of countries where there is a linkbetween validation and the national qualificationframework (NQF) has increased, although thestrength of links between validation and NQFsvaries across sectors.

• Three in four countries use exactly the samestandards for validation as those used in formaleducation, in at least one subsector of education.

• In many instances, it is possible to identify from acertificate if the qualification has been awardedthrough validation.

• There is increasing recognition that validationarrangements require specific forms of qualityassurance.

• Professionalisation of validation practitionersthrough specific professional qualifications and/orcompetence development remained a challenge in2016.

• There has been a significant increase in the numberof countries offering skills audits.

• Commonly used validation approaches areportfolios, a combination of methods, and tests andexaminations. more can be done in standardisingtools and the use of ICT. ■

MAY 2017 | 19

2012 Councilrecommendation

European guidelines forvalidating non-formal and

informal learning

European inventory onvalidation: 2016 update

VALiDATioN of NON-FORMAL AND INFORMALLEARNING is the process in which an authorisedinstitution corroborates against a set of relevant stan-dards the knowledge, skills and competences that anindividual has acquired outside the formal system. It isa process that makes all learning visible and valuable.

SOURCE:European inventory 2016.

National arrangementsencompassingall sectors in place

National arrangementsencompassingall sectors in development

Sectoral arrangementscovering one or moresectors in place

Sectoral arrangementscovering one or moresectors in development

skills

Surveys consistently show that around a third ofemployers cannot find the skills that they need. Thisis despite a youth unemployment rate in theEuropean Union (EU) of over 18% and rising levels ofeducational attainment that foresee 40% of 30 to 40year olds having a university level qualification by2020.

But discussions about what the ‘right’ skills areand how to acquire them are not new. Ancient Greecealso struggled with the best way to provide peoplewith the skills they needed. A debate about the valueof practical skills for the labour market, compared tomore abstract thinking, was raging in Athens in the4th century BC between supporters of Plato’sAcademy and those of Isocrates’ School.

One set of skills in favour in ancient Athenswere those of ‘philosophy’. This was consideredat that time as the ability to form reliableopinions and correct judgements basedon the facts of a situation, in order todeal with the problems it posed.

ISoCRATES VS PlAToIsocrates (not to be confused withSocrates, the Greek philosopher)founded his own school at which hetaught rhetoric, the art of persuasion. At theschool, students learned that philosophywas a practical – vocational – skill appliedthrough rhetoric. Having started his working

life as a speech writer for the law courts beforebecoming an educator, Isocrates saw education aspreparation for a useful life resolving practicalproblems, particularly of governance.

In contrast, Plato was always involved ineducation as a student and as a teacher at theacademy he founded. In Plato’s academy, studentsdid not learn to become lawyers or politicians butaddressed more abstract notions such as what justiceis and ideas about how life should be lived. Plato didnot believe that Isocrates taught philosophy at all:philosophy was not a practical skill but the higherrealm of ideas that had to be explored to form the

right opinions and judgements. Isocrates wasunimpressed. For him learning was more

effective if it involved a practical activityand had a practical value.

Today, our understanding ofphilosophy is closer to

Plato’s ideas, whilevocational educationand training (VET)seems closer to the

principles of Isocrates. Butat the heart of the debate

between the two schools wasthe difference in the learningmethod rather than what wasimportant to learn. Plato placed

emphasis on analytical, critical

developing

right

20 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

ARTiCLE

A GrEEk philosophy

the

to

Ancient Greece also struggled with the best way to provide people with the skills they needed

by STEVE bAiNbriDGE

“

thinking and reasoning to make better decisions andimprove our lives. Isocrates focused on combiningnatural talent with training, practice and experience todevelop skills to be used for the common good.

CoMBINED APPRoACHESThere are modern parallels. Today there is a debateabout which learning route – general education orVET – is better. But in a world being transformed bydemography, globalisation and technology, thepractical skills taught at Isocrates’ school needincreasingly to be accompanied by the critical andcreative thinking developed at Plato’s academy. morethan two millennia ago Aristotle, a graduate of andteacher at Plato’s academy, butinfluenced by Isocrates, saw thevalue of combining the twoapproaches, arguing that Plato’sphilosophy is also useful in apractical sense. By encouragingpeople to question acceptedpractice, philosophy caninfluence or even change itthrough new perspectives andapproaches, opening up themind to new possibilities. Butthese new insights had to beapplied through the practice ofwisdom or intelligence.

Despite their differences, both schools

in ancient Athens were very successful. Today, thetraditional divide between general education and VETis breaking down. key skills, such as analyticalthinking, problem-solving and effective oral andwritten communication skills can be acquired both bystudying philosophy in an academic institution and atthe workplace dealing with everyday situations.

PRoVIDINg THE ToolSIn life and at work people need to combine practicaland theoretical skills with experience and the ability tothink. The key is providing them with the opportunitiesto acquire these skills through whichever route theychoose to learn. And employers, in their search for

the skills they need, should notlook just to traditional

learning routes butrecognise more readilytheir potential aseducators.

How things willdevelop remains to be

seen. Despite his insights,Aristotle did not get the job of

director of the academy onPlato’s death. Instead, hebecame the tutor of the futureAlexander the Great and later

founded his own school, theLyceum. The rest is history. ■

MAY 2017 | 21

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22 | SKILLSET AND MATCH

PUBLICATioNS

OTHER PUBLICATIONS:

■ Programming document 2017-20■ Future skill needs in Europe: critical labour force trends■ Briefing note – Shaping, valuing and informing vocational education

and training policy■ Briefing note – Qualifications frameworks in Europe■ Spotlight on VET Croatia■ Spotlight on VET Norway■ Spotlight on VET malta■ Spotlight on VET Estonia■ Spotlight on VET Spain■ Spotlight on VET Romania■ Spotlight on VET Cyprus

iN foCUS

ON THE WAY TO 2020: DATA FOR VOCATIONALEDUCATION AND TRAINING POLICIES

In its continuous effort to provide European policy-making with soundevidence regarding vocational education and training (VET), Cedefop hasselected 36 indicators to quantify key aspects of VET and lifelong learning.The report accounts for the challenges and opportunities arising from recentdevelopments in the international statistical infrastructure and includesupdated comparable data from the European statistical system. Theindicators were selected based on policy relevance for the Europe 2020objectives and, while they do not claim to assess national systems, theycould be used to reflect on countries’ situations and progress towardsstrategic objectives. The countries represented in the statistical overviewsinclude all European Union member States, along with the Former yugoslavRepublic of macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONSnewYou can browse and/or download all Cedefop publications at: www.cedefop.europa.eu/publicationsor by scanning this QR code

Download the publication you wish by clicking on the cover or title

EVENTS

MAY 2017 | 23

MAY

jUNE

jUNE

SEpTEMbEr

29-31

7-8

15-16

7-8

meeting of Directors-General for Vocational Training (DGVT)and conference on making VET a first choice: access to skillsfor jobs, social cohesion and equality, in the framework of themaltese EU Presidency

Torino process conference 2017 on changing skills for achanging world

Cedefop policy learning forum on vocational training for thelong-term unemployed: learning from inspiring practices

Cedefop policy learning forum on setting up and developingapprenticeships in Europe

OTHER EVENTS

VALETTA, MALTA

TUriN, iTALY

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

iN foCUS

3rD cEDEFop BrussEls

sEMinar: aDDrEssinG anD

prEVEntinG loW skills

26 JUNEbrUSSELS, bELGiUM

The seminar, organised in cooperation with the maltese EU Presidency, willserve as a platform for policy-makers, social partners and other vocationaleducation and training and labour market stakeholders to discuss factors whichimpact on workers’ average skill levels: early leaving from education andtraining, long-term unemployment, ageing, skill mismatch, socioeconomicbackground, migrant status and gender. Discussions will also focus on how toencourage the development of systems to address low skills, a key objective ofthe recommendation Upskilling pathways: new opportunities for adults.

comingupFor more information on what’s coming up go to the events page on the Cedefop website:www.cedefop.europa.eu/eventsor scan this QR code

26JUNE

CEDEFOP’S MAGAZINE PROMOTING

LEARNING FOR WORK

ISSUE 10 / MAY 2017

MAIN STORY: CEDEFOP’S EUROPEAN VET OPINION SURVEY

INTERVIEW:EVARIST BARTOLO

FEATURES: TREATY OF ROME AND VOCATIONAL TRAININGVET IN THE 21ST CENTURY

MEMBER STATES: FRANCE

Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: communications@cedefop.europa.eu

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

/cedefopwww.cedefop.europa.eu

@cedefop

9119 EN – TI-AQ-17-002-EN-N