The development of concepts and provisions of LLL in Member States: The

evolution of VET systems in Europe in the perspective of Maastricht and Copenhagen

Burkart Sellin

Cedefop

Senior Advisor

Priorities for Vocational Education and Training Copenhagen 2002 and Maastricht 2004

• European Qualification Framework & reference levels• Mobility, transparency/Europass, credit transfer for VET• Quality assurance, attractiveness of VET • Validation of non-formal and informal learning• Low skilled, early school leavers, disadvantaged • Lifelong learning and guidance• Identifying future skill needs on the labour market• Innovation in teaching and learning• Linking VET and higher education• Teachers and trainers• Improving statistics for evidence-based policy

(indicators, benchmarks)

1316

18

3032

39

4947

40

4547

30

3836

43

26

21

31

0

10

20

30

40

50

Australia EU 25 South Korea Canada Japan USA

Low skilled Upper/post secondary Tertiary* 25 to 64 year oldSource: OECD

Educational attainment of adults*:Comparison with EU competitors

in ausgewählten OECD-Ländern 2002/03 (in %)

Strategy: Reduce share of low skilled

Significant increase in the skill levels in Europe over the past decades

However, proportion of low skilled (ISCED 0-2) higher than in most competitor countries

In 2004, more than 30% of the working age population in the EU are low skilled(at least 74 million people). The share however has decreased considerably

78.3

32.0%

76.0

30.9%

73.7

29.9%

0

20

40

60

80

Million people % of working age population

Mio

2002 20042004 20032003 2002

Low skilled people (*) in the European Union 2002-2004

(*) Working age population (age: 25-64) with educational attainment below upper secondary educationSource: Eurostat, NewCronos database (LFS 2002-2004).

%

Increase investments in education and training

• Public & private expenditure on education and particularly training is not sufficient

• Investing in skills and literacy yields large benefits: economic growth, company performance, individual returns

8

11

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

BE UK CH IS FR EL KR IT DE AT SE FI DK PT PL NO HU CZ SK US AU JP NL IE TR

Public and private expenditure on upper and post-secondary

education and training institutions as % of GDP, 2001

Country mean: 1.3%

Source: OECD 2004

Non-material benefits ofeducation and training

Social benefits are directly and indirectly linked with education and training. Examples:• Reduced violent crime• Improved health and parenting• Social cohesion and citizenship• Trust in institutions and democracy• Race tolerance• Social, political and cultural participation

from human capital to social capital

Foster mobility and transparency

• Remove obstacles to geographical and professional mobility to achieve a true European labour market

• Qualification frameworks, credit systems, transparency and recognition of formal and non-formal skills are likely to promote mobility and transparency

• These measures are not fully implemented and in a planning stage in most countries: their full implementation is urgently needed

• Selective immigration, also to compensate for demographic decline and skill shortages

12

EQF: Purposes and main functions

Voluntary meta-framework to allow linkage and translation of national and sector levels frameworks

Contribution to: the recognition and transparency of qualifications supporting full implementation of the new Europass, credit

allocation and transfer systems facilitate mobility of learners and workers Setting benchmarks and targets for policy making

A draft recommendation on the EQF will be presented to the European Parliament and Council in September 2006.

European Benchmarks for education and training 2010

In 2003, the Education Council agreed on 5 benchmarks to improve education and training systems until 2010:

1. Improve reading literacy proficiency level (PISA)2. Reduce dropout dates for young people3. Raise share of young people with at least upper

secondary education4. Increase number of graduates in Maths, science and

technology and improve gender balance5. Raise participation of the working age population in

lifelong learning

Benchmark for the EU 2010 on low skilled:The proportion of 22 years old with at least upper secondary

education and training should not be less than 85%

0

20

40

60

80

100

NO

HR

SK SI

CZ

PL

SE IE AT LT FI

EL

HU

FR LV EE

CY

BE

EU

25

UK

BG

DK

RO NL IT DE

LU ES IS PO

MT

TR

20052003

Germany: 2003 and 2004 - Source: Eurostat

BENCHMARK FOR 2010:85% ON EU AVERAGE

Population aged 20 - 24 with at least upper secondary education and training (ISCED 3-6), 2003, 2005 (%)

Benchmark for the EU 2010 on dropouts:The rate of early school leavers should be reduced to 10%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SI

NO

HR PL

SK

CZ

DK

SE FI

AT LT LV DE

HU

FR IE LU BE EL

NL

EE

UK

EU

25 CY

BG

RO IT IS ES

PT

MT

TR

20052003

Germany: 2004 and 2004 - Source: Eurostat

Early school leavers in Europe 2003 and 2005 (%)

BENCHMARK FOR 2010:10% ON EU AVERAGE

Benchmark for the EU 2010 on lifelong learning:The participation of working age population in LLL

should be raised to 12.5%

10.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

SE UK DK IS FI NO SI NL AT ES EU25

BE LU IE LV FR LT IT DE CZ EE MT CY SK PL PT HU HR TR EL RO BG

20052002

Germany: 2004 - Source: Eurostat

Participation of the European population aged 25-64 in lifelong learning 2002 and 2005 (%)

BENCHMARK FOR 2010: 12.5% ON EU AVERAGE

Conclusions

• The policy framework exists, but needs implementing

• Emphasis on action at decentralised levels involving social partners and other stakeholders

• Synergy to be ensured between education/training policies and economic/employment policies

• Innovation strategy needed: public-private partnerships and innovation agreements to foster investments in human capital

• Regular monitoring and assessment of progress

15

Innovation strategy

Europe needs an innovation strategy to foster investment in, and the quality of, human resources. Some ingredients could be: More and more effective use of resources A future-oriented design of VET: closer links and parity of esteem with higher education New approaches to learning in schools and at work Development of key KSC’s Learning partnerships at local and regional levels. Governments and EU should identify key issues, research, public-private partnerships and more binding agreements with social partners and other stakeholders.

Cedefop’s support

• Expertises, études, investigations • Travaux d’analyse et de recherche • Electronic platforms, reseaux,

communautés virtuelles et d’échanges• Participation et support active en “peer

learning” et “clusters” de priorités établit par la Commission

• Fora, ateliérs, conférences, periodiques• Information, documentation, dissemination