CEDEFOP’S MAGAZINE PROMOTING
LEARNING FOR WORK
ISSUE 5 / SEPTEMBER 2015
FEATURE: CEDEFOP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
REPORT: SKILL MISMATCH
INTERVIEWS: MICHEL SERVOZ, SHYAMAL MAJUMDAR, JANE SHACKLETON, GIORGIO ALLULLI, STYLIANOS MAVROMOUSTAKOS
MEMBER STATES: THE NETHERLANDS
Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, E-mail: [email protected]
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
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@cedefop
9100 EN – TI-AQ-15-003-EN-N
ARTICLE
A PORTRAIT OF SkILL mISmATCH IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 4By Steve Bainbridge and Konstantinos Pouliakas
ARTICLE
TRENDS IN SkILL SUPPLy AND DEmAND OVER THE NExT DECADE 6By Steve Bainbridge and Vladimir Kvetan
INTERVIEW
VET’S NEW ROUTES 8Jens Bjørnåvold, Cedefop expert
INTERVIEW
WORLDSkILLS: CONVERGING WITH 9THE 21st CENTURy LABOUR mARkETJane Shackleton, Assessment advisor, WorldSkills
INTERVIEW
VOCATIONAL TRAINING ISSUES WITH GLOBAL OUTLOOk 10Shyamal Majumdar, Head of Unesco-Unevoc
CEDEFOP ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATING 40 yEARS OF CONTRIBUTION 12TO EUROPEAN VET
INTERVIEW
FOCUS ON EUROPE’S EmPLOymENT RECOVERy 14Michel Servoz, Director-General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
INTERVIEW
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES 16Diogo Fialho, Svitlana Nastas and Dimitris Iliadis
NEWS
EUROPEAN mINISTERS ENDORSE RIGA CONCLUSIONS ON VET 18By Lore Schmid
MEMBER STATES
SHAPING FUTURE VET – THE DUTCH WAy 19
INTERVIEW
HOW TO TRUST QUALIFICATIONS 20Stylianos Mavromoustakos, Vice-President of the EfVET and Giorgio Allulli, independent expert
NEW CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONS 22COMING 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.
ISSUE 5 / SEPTEMBER 2015
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Publications Office of theEuropean Union, Luxembourg
ISSN: 2363-0183Cat. No: TI-AQ-15-003-EN-CNo of publication: 9100 ENFree of charge© Cedefop, 2015
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Subscribeto the electronicedition
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 03
In June, Cedefop marked its 40th anniversary with a social activityat the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, as well as a conference on thefuture prospects of European vocational education and training(VET). making VET more visible is not just Cedefop's role.
It is an objective which, in Riga, Latvia, European ministers agreedto accomplish at national level through five key deliverables by2020. An article in this magazine (p. 18) illustrates the intention topromote work-based learning through more apprenticeships, ensurequality in VET provision, give more access to VET qualifications,embed key competences in VET programmes, and providecontinuous professional training to VET teachers, trainers andmentors. This is a tall order but success will lift VET provision tostandards that would attract more learners, increase social partnerparticipation, and build trust in VET systems and qualifications.
The focus on VET is neither capricious nor frivolous. Unemployedyouth, long-term unemployed, NEETs (people not in education,employment or training), unskilled workers, and early leavers fromVET are some of the groups that require special attention if Europeis to become a sustainable, inclusive and competitive labour marketeconomy.
The flexibility that VET provision offers is strong justification whyVET needs more investment in its structures, informationcampaigns and greater support from funding sources at Europeanand national levels. The article on skills mismatch (pp. 4-5) indicatesthat Europe may, after all, not be so short of skills if the job offer is aquality one and if businesses move towards building learningcultures in workplaces.
Immediate solutions also require vision, which is why Cedefopembarked on a new project on VET’s changing nature and roleabout which you may read further in this issue (p. 8). Cedefop’sstrength is in connecting today’s challenges with a more demandingfuture for learning and working. ■
VET
EDITORIAL
Cedefop’s strengthis in connecting today’s
challenges with a more demanding future for learning
and working
“making
more visibleJAmES CALLEJA
CEDEFOP DIRECTOR
The common portrait of skill mismatch in theEuropean Union (EU) is one of employers unable tofill vacancies despite high unemployment. ButCedefop’s European skills and jobs (ESJ) surveypaints a more complex picture. Skill mismatch, a termnot always clearly understood (see Box), is not only aproblem for those looking for a job; it affects most ofthe workforce.
Cedefop’s survey asked 49 000 adult employees(aged 24-65) across all 28 member States about howwell their qualifications and skills match those theyneed to perform their job tasks. People continuallydevelop their skills, while job complexity and skillintensity may change significantly. Unlike previousstudies examining a specific moment, the ESJ surveyis the first to look at skill mismatch over time. Thesurvey also distinguished between qualification leveland skills needed for the job. A job requiring aparticular qualification level, medium or high, may notbe skill-intensive.
SKILL MISMATCH AND FINDING A JOBLaunched in January 2014, the survey shows that theeconomic crisis has made skill mismatch worse. Dueto weak employment demand, more people are takingjobs below their qualification or skill level. Around 25%of highly qualified adult employees in the EU areoverqualified for their job. Those graduating after2008 are almost twice as likely to be overqualified fortheir first job as those who graduated between 1991and 2000.
The worry is that the economic downturn willundermine the long-term potential of the EU’s skilledworkforce. The survey confirms that the ‘scarring’ effect
of unemployment (where someone out of work for awhile is more likely to become unemployed again) ispartly due to skill mismatch. Unemployed peoplereturning to work are also more likely to enter less skill-intensive jobs that may not develop their skills.
The ESJ survey gives new insights into work-based learning in Europe. People whose studiesinvolved such learning are more likely to go directlyfrom education to their first job and into more skill-intensive jobs. Around 40% of adult employees havecompleted education or training involving some work-based learning, but this varies considerably acrosscountries.
SKILL MISMATCH AT WORKThe ESJ survey shows that, to avoid skill mismatch,53% of adult employees in the EU need to learn new
04 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
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things continuously, and that the variety of their taskshas significantly increased since they started their job.
Around 26% of EU adult employees have significantskill deficits (their skills are much lower than those anaverage worker needs to be fully proficient in their job)leaving scope to improve skills and productivity. Buteven though these workers could ‘bloom’ and develop,not everyone has the chance: 27% are in ‘dead end’jobs, with higher skills than they need to do their joband only limited potential to develop.
GOOD JOBS FOR GOOD SKILLSThis points to another important finding. Good jobsare needed to develop good skills. Jobs withopportunities to acquire skills continuously are a signof a healthy labour market. Europe needs more jobsthat fully use and develop the skills of its workforce.
Skill demand is low and stagnant for manyEuropean workers. Cedefop’s survey found that 40%of adult employees need only basic literacy skills to dotheir job and 58% need only basic numeracy. Over athird of jobs in sectors such as hotels and restaurants,transport, and wholesale and retail trades havestagnant skill needs.
The ESJ survey also confirmed the close linkbetween job stability and people working in jobs withhigh skill needs. Job stability offers a better context forenabling workers to cope with complex workplacechanges that place higher demands on their skills.
How should we tackle skill mismatch? A Cedefopconference in December 2015 will discuss preciselythat. If you are interested in attending or followingproceeding, check out the Cedefop website. ■
Employers unable to find theright talent, despite offeringcompetitive wages, face skillshortages. Skill gaps arise where the skillsrequired are unavailable in theworkforce, for example, due totechnological advance. Over- or underqualification iswhere individuals take jobs thatdo not match their qualifications. People are over- or under -skilled where, whatever theirqualification level, their skills donot match their job.
WHAT IS SKILL MISMATCH?
25%
26%
27%
41%
>1 in5
IN THE of highly qualified adultemployees areoverqualified for their job
of adult employees havesignificant skill deficits,leaving considerable scopefor skill development
are in ‘dead end’ jobs with limited potential todevelop
of adult employees needonly basic literacy skills todo their job
adult employees have not developed their skills since startingtheir job
How will skill supply and demand develop over thenext decade and how might vocational education andtraining (VET) policy respond? Cedefop’s forecastsand analyses for the European Union (EU) and – forthe first time – each member State, provide insights tohelp develop European VET polices.
Examining prospects up to 2025 for job growth,sector developments, job opportunities, changes inqualification levels and demographic trends, Cedefop’sforecasts assume a modest economic recovery. Theytake account of global economic developments up toOctober 2014, the European Commission’s economicforecast and Eurostat’s population projections.
The forecasts highlight that European trends masksharp differences between countries that mayinfluence VET policy priorities.
Job growth rates, for example, are forecast to bevery different. By 2020, employment in the EU overall
(Figure 1) and several countries, including Italy, theNetherlands and Slovakia, is forecast to return to its2008 pre-crisis levels. However, in others such as theCzech Republic, Greece, Spain and Portugal,employment is expected still to be below pre-crisislevels by 2025. In some countries, including Germany,France, Austria, Sweden and the Uk, there are alreadymore jobs than before the crisis began in 2008.
Business and other services should driveemployment growth across the EU, but in Spain,Cyprus, Poland and Romania, for example, most jobgrowth is forecast for the distribution and transportsector.
Other differences between countries include typesof jobs on offer over the next decade. Cedefopforecasts that most job opportunities in the EU,around 24%, will be for high-level professional jobs inscience, engineering, healthcare, business and
06 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
inand
over theNEXTDECADE
TRENDS
ARTICLEby STEVE BAINBRIDGE and
VLADImIR KVETAN
Scan for the forecastsdatabase and forecastsfor each Member State
1. Past and forecast employment, EU (millions)
Source: Cedefop skills forecasts (2015).
235
230
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215
210
300
250
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150
100
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02000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Source: Cedefop skills forecasts (2015).
2. Labour force trends by qualification, 2005-25, EU (millions)
2013
low
medium
high
education, followed by 16% for service and salesworkers. As examples of national variations, Cedefoppredicts around a third of job opportunities inDenmark and Poland will be for professionals andaround a fifth for service and sales workers in maltaand Austria. In Romania, almost half of vacancies areexpected to be for skilled agriculture and fisheriesworkers.
most people will continue to work in jobs requiringmedium-level qualifications, but employers and jobsare expected to become more demanding. In the EUoverall and, for example, Belgium, Denmark, France,the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia,around half of all job opportunities up to 2025 areforecast to require high-level qualifications. Incountries such as Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, andHungary, around half of job opportunities areexpected to require medium-level qualifications.
Economic growth is important for job creation, butdemography also plays a major role. Around 90% ofjob opportunities between now and 2025 will arisebecause of the need to replace people who are eithermoving to another job or leaving the labour market, forexample to retire.
Europe’s population is ageing and a substantial riseis forecast in those over 55 working or looking forwork. But some countries are ageing faster thanothers. Due to the ageing of the labour force, betweennow and 2025, despite economic growth, employmentis forecast to fall in Germany, Estonia, Latvia andLithuania because of labour supply constraints.
Europe’s labour force is becoming better-qualified(Figure 2). Cedefop forecasts that, by 2020, around46% of 30 to 34 year-olds in the EU will have high-level qualifications, exceeding its benchmark of 40%by 2020. All member States should reach, or be closeto, this benchmark. Some 18 member States havealso reached the EU’s benchmark of reducing to below10% young people leaving education and training withlow-level qualifications. But more improvements areneeded.
In Riga, in June, ministers, the EuropeanCommission and social partners agreed new ‘medium-term deliverables’ for 2015-20 to improve VET (seep.18). Recognising the differences in VET acrosscountries, it was agreed that countries may prioritisethe deliverables differently and have flexibility in howto implement them.
As the Riga conclusions emphasise, it is not justdifferences in systems that VET policies need to takeinto account. To be responsive, VET needs toaccommodate different developments in member Statelabour markets. Cedefop is helping them to do that. ■
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EMPLO
YMEN
T IN THE EUBy 2020, in the EU overall and
countries including Italy, theNetherlands and Slovakia, it is forecast to return to 2008pre-crisis levels
By 2025, in the Czech Republic,Greece, Spain and Portugal it is expected still to be belowpre-crisis levels
In Germany, France, Austria,Sweden and the UK, there arealready more jobs than beforethe crisis
INTERVIEW
08 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
In several European countries,fewer students now opt for initialvocational education and training(VET), preferring academicallyoriented education. Outsidetraditional VET, however – oftenat higher education levels –vocationally oriented educationand training is gaining ground.So, falling numbers in initial VETcould be deceptive.
A new three-year Cedefopproject on the changing natureand role of VET will explorethese trends. Cedefop expertJens Bjørnåvold, who is leadingthe project, explains: ‘We’vebeen working a lot on VET indifferent areas, but now weneed to take a step back andsee how it is changing; how it isrelated to other parts ofeducation and training, toprimary but also to higher
education, so we get acomprehensive perspective.’
One of the issues to beexplored is whether the definitionof VET should be updated:‘Traditionally we think of VET asapprenticeships, as uppersecondary levels of training ofskilled workers,’ argues mrBjørnåvold. ‘What you see isthat vocationally orientededucation and training takesplace at many levels and inmany different types ofinstitution. We need to look athow narrow or how broad thedefinitions are. This is not just atheoretical exercise; it’s alsovery practical. How you define italso influences the way you takeit forward at national level.’
The Cedefop expert thinks,however, that the combination oftheory and practice shouldremain at the core ofvocationally oriented educationand training: ‘I think demand foradvanced VET, for exampleprovided by universities orhigher education institutions, isincreasing. We are not used to
using the term VET, but thefocus is on the combination oftheory and practice and theclose link to the labour market.’
At a workshop which kick-started the project in June,experts discussed, among otherissues, declining trends intraditional VET: ‘Overall, we seesome stability in Europe, but wealso see countries where thereis clear decline, like Germanyand the Czech Republic.Elsewhere, such as in Finlandand Spain, we see an increase.The figures are not entirelyclear, particularly when we try tomonitor them over a longerperiod.’
Germany is often quoted asan example of VET being donethe right way, so why is there adecline there? ‘That’s difficult torespond to,’ says mr Bjørnåvold.‘It might be that other parts ofeducation and training, highereducation for example, haveexpanded. That is part of whatwe want to look at in this newstudy.’ ■
newroutes
We need to take a step back and see how vocational education and training is changing
“
VET’sJENS BJØRNÅVOLD
CEDEFOP EXPERT
INTERVIEW
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 09
WorldSkills, which encompassesmore than 45 skills in 72 countriesand regions, describes itself as‘the collective voice for skillsexcellence and development invocational, technological andservice-oriented careers aroundthe globe.’ Founded in 1950, it isbest known for its competition, thelatest edition of which took placein Sao Paulo, Brazil, in August.
Assessment advisor JaneShackleton was invited to theworkshop which kick-startedCedefop’s changing vocationaleducation and training (VET)project (see p. 8) to give VETinsights from a global perspective.
She told Skillset and match thather organisation has had acomprehensive facelift to ensure‘an entirely new approach to theportfolio of skills by convergingwith the 21st century labourmarket.’
ms Shackleton seesWorldSkills as a vehicle forrecognition of continuingprofessional development: ‘Wetalk about triple professionalism. Ifyou take somebody with avocational skill, first they are askill practitioner; then they will bea teacher, a trainer, so they havethat double profession. We want atriple profession where a personis a pedagogical leader for VET.We are saying, you have to spanboundaries and we want you tohave mastery in the sense ofpostgraduate mastery but in yourvocation and the way you take itforward.’
WorldSkills can contribute tothe discussion about VET’schanging role: ‘I think it will
become a laboratory orobservatory for technical VET inall its forms. We already bringcompetitors from universitiesbecause not all skills are taughtoutside universities. But we arealso a melting pot for vocationalteachers, industry and business.’
ms Shackleton believes thereare partnership opportunities withCedefop: ‘WorldSkills works withthe research community acrossthe continents and Cedefop is oneof those important researchcommunities. I’m hoping, asWorldSkills does not have theresource to do the same work,that Cedefop researchprogrammes will have a place forWorldSkills perhaps in being atest pit, in being an experimentalsite. We would love to makeourselves available for that kind ofwork and we’ve got a number ofresearch questions we would likeanswered. We will then be ableboth to help with the testing andbe one of the first appliers.’ ■
I’m hoping that Cedefop research programmes will have a place for WorldSkills perhaps in being a test pit
labour market
JANE SHACKLETON ASSESSMENT ADVISOR, WORLDSKILLS
by ROSY VOUDOURI
21st CENTURY: converging with the
“
outlook
Cedefop and Unesco workedtogether in the past on
qualifications frameworks,work-based learning and
green skills. In May, officialsfrom the two organisations,
including ShyamalMajumdar, met in Paris todiscuss renewed cooperation.
Discussions revealed greatpotential in sharing a
common vision onattractiveness and excellence,and in streamlining work on
issues such as learningoutcomes, entrepreneurship
and key competences.
mr majumdar, who heads Unesco’sinternational centre for technicaland vocational education andtraining (TVET), Unevoc, has joinedthe debate on the sector’s future(see p.8) from a global perspective.
Speaking to Skillset and matchduring a visit to Cedefop in June,mr majumdar compared systems indifferent geographic regions andgave his views on the impact oftechnology on skills and onrecognition of excellence.
What similar and differentchallenges do Europe and therest of the world face invocational education andtraining?They face mostly similarchallenges. It isn’t always aboutresources. Emerging countries maynot have the resources Europe has,but Europe still has problems withimage and attractiveness of TVET,parity of esteem, and skillsshortages. Some countries in Asia,South America or Africa regionsfacing dual economies havedifficulty selling TVET to intendedtarget groups given low socialimage, quality issues and gaps ininformation between universityeducation and TVET. The valuing ofTVET by users of TVET
qualifications, as well as low-paidjobs associated with it, aggravateslow uptake. These commonalitiessuggest universality of TVET issuesthat need to be addressed on aglobal scale. In a comparison ofcommon challenges, Europeseems to have progressed farbetter than its counterparts on theglobal stage. TVET development inhigher levels of qualifications, forexample, has been one of thoseinterventions changing the face ofTVET in the region. Theinvolvement of the private sectorand social partners is higher inEurope than elsewhere. This hasbecome a positive driving force inmany countries, making possibleseamless implementation of dualtraining models. Developingcountries, in contrast, facechallenges on this front. TVETprogress has been principallydriven by issues of access,inclusion and addressing quality informal and non-formal TVET.
How can the problem oftechnology development beaddressed, in the sense ofimpact on people’s skills?Technology development meansthat people’s skills soon becomeobsolete, so education has to
10 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
INTERVIEWby ROSY VOUDOURI
V O C A T I O N A L
WITH
SHyAmAL MAJUMDARHEAD OF UNESCO-UNEVOC
training issuesglobal
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change to make sure that peopleare prepared. For example, if an ITprogrammer has learnt to use C++and then Java comes around, theirtraining methodologies should haveprepared them to learn fast how touse the new language and adapt toother future technologicaldevelopments. Learning-to-learnskills and both domain-dependentand domain-independentgeneric/transversal skills areimportant for lifelong learning.There is also a need to emphasisethat STEAm (science, technology,engineering, arts and mathematics)will increasingly offer essentialsupport to learning-to-learn skillsand job retention in a fast-changingtechnological environment.
You’ve said we should celebrateskills stars the way we celebrateLionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldoand other global football stars.We have been used to celebratingthe skills of soccer stars and artistsbut why not celebrate also the skillsof TVET practitioners? There aremany competitions, such asWorldSkills, that promote TVETinternationally. The UN hasdesignated 15 July as World youthSkills Day to promote and highlightthe importance of sound policies,knowledge management, advocacyand multi-stakeholder partnershipsfor youth skills development in thepost 2015 development agenda.This is a far departure from thedays when skills were regarded asconfined to workshops and
laboratories. It has become a globalagenda and youth are centre stage.Similarly, Unesco-Unevoc initiatedthe ‘skills in action’ award to rewardexcellence and young people’sabilities to shape their futureequipped with vocational skills. I’mnot saying that competitions are theonly option, but they can helpimprove TVET’s image andattractiveness by developing aculture of appreciating skills.
What kind of opportunities forcooperation do you see betweenCedefop and your organisation?There are ample opportunities for
cooperation. With Cedefop beingprimarily a research organisationwith a strategic outreach in Europe,and Unesco-Unevoc primarily acentre that coordinates and worksat international level to foster TVETtransformations, I would like to seejoint activities such as researcherand practitioner dialogues shapedto connect our constituencies(developed and developingcountries), cross-share issues andapproaches, and, together, produceevidence-based developments thatrepresent cross-regionalperspectives. ■
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In a comparison of common challenges, Europe seems to have progressed far better thanits counterparts on the global stage
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CEDEFOP ANNIVERSARY
EUROPEAN VET
Cedefop celebrated 40 years’ contribution tovocational education and training (VET) in Europeand 20 years in Greece with the opening of anexhibition on its history and a conference in June.
Friends and stakeholders, Commissionrepresentatives, Governing Board members andpresent and former staff were invited to theThessaloniki Concert Hall on 11 June. In hisspeech before opening the exhibition, EuropeanCommission Director-General for Employment,Social Affairs and Inclusion, michel Servoz, saidthat ‘employment recovery depends on skills,vocational education and training, andapprenticeships.’
Cedefop Director James Calleja noted that ‘whatCedefop does, improving and promoting learningfor work, has proved to be important over the past40 years and promises to be even more importantfor the next and for future generations.’ He addedthat continuing to improve VET is essential to putall of Europe on the road to a strong andsustainable economic recovery.
In a video message, European ParliamentPresident martin Schulz underlined that ‘the mainchallenge Cedefop now faces is that of elevatingvocational training back to the level of respect itenjoyed many decades ago, while at the same timeaddressing today’s realities, especially the need fora very adaptable workforce’. He added that Europewill be counting on Cedefop’s input.
Greek Alternate minister for AdministrativeReform, George katrougalos, argued that ‘in
developing VET, Cedefop is deeply rooted in socialvalues at a time and context where we all need todo much more to strengthen social Europe.’
Thessaloniki mayor yiannis Boutaris thankedCedefop for its work, stating that during his term,cooperation between the municipality and theagency has taken on a new dimension.
Representing Commissioner for Employment,Social Affairs, Skills and Labour mobility, marianneThyssen, the member of her Cabinet Julie Fionda
contributionC E L E B R AT I N G
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CEDEFOP ANNIVERSARY
referred to the Commissioner’s aim for VET to berecognised as ‘first choice and not a second option’by parents and young people.
Cedefop’s anniversary conference on 12 Junelooked at how VET has developed into its presentrole and discussed its future orientations up to2020. Opening the conference, mr Servoz stressedthat job creation is very much at the top of theEuropean agenda and clearly linked to VET andskills. ■
Scan here to access all Cedefop40th anniversary material
(videos, photo galleries, news)
ANNIVERSARYEXHIBITIONThe exhibition charts thepolitical and socialcircumstances which led toCedefop’s establishment in1975, and the events thathave shaped its work overthe past four decades –first in Berlin and then inThessaloniki. Throughimages, texts andartefacts, the exhibitionillustrates Cedefop’seventful history and themain themes of its work,including vocationaleducation and trainingresearch, policy analysisand support for mobility. Itwill be on display atCedefop’s premises untilthe end of 2015.
recover y
A guest of honour at the Junecelebrations of Cedefop’s 40thanniversary, the Director-General of DG Employment,Social Affairs and Inclusion,Michel Servoz, is, since theagency’s move to his DG lastyear, one of the Commissionsenior officials who work moreclosely with the Thessaloniki-based organisation. Speakingto Cedefop staff, stakeholdersand friends, he praised theagency’s work and announcedthat he will be asking for more.Mr Servoz’s visit to the Greekcity was the first since the moveand he talked to Skillset andmatch about the newrelationship and the prospectsfor vocational education andtraining (VET).
How is cooperation withCedefop in VET andemployment issuesprogressing?First, it gives me great pleasure tobe in Thessaloniki today withCedefop for the first time, and Ishould explain that this is adecision that President [Jean-Claude] Juncker took when hestarted with the new Commission.He wanted to put VET, skills andlabour mobility together with theCommissioner for Employment.The administrative organisationfollowed and this is why Cedefopis now partnered with DG
Employment. The partnership isprogressing very well. xavierPrats, the Director-General forEducation, is an old friend of mine,so we are working extremelyclosely and very well. Skills andVET are the key elements inresolving the unemployment crisis.
What role do you expectCedefop to play up to 2020?What are the agency’s strengthsin your opinion?For me, the agency’s strength isvery much its expertise, itsknowledge of countries, ofmember States and their VET
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INTERVIEWby ROSY VOUDOURI
FOCUS
employmentEurope’sON
Michel Servoz (left)cutting the ribbon of the Cedefop
anniversary exhibition
systems. This is an expertise thatthe Commission needs. We wantto develop a new strategy forskills, for VET, for apprenticeships,and we will partner with Cedefop.Cedefop will bring us the technicalexpertise and, at the same time,run important projects like theskills panorama.
Is Europe in a better positionnow to fight unemploymentthan it was when the latestfinancial crisis started?I would say that the economiccrisis is starting to disappear. Wesee the beginning of a recovery;unfortunately, it is an economicrecovery but not yet an
employment recovery, whichmeans that we have to continuefocusing our efforts becauseunemployment is still very high inmany member States. Even incountries where unemployment isvery high, there are skillsmismatches, which means thatthere are some sectors in whichthere is shortage of skills and ofskilled staff. So, the Commissionneeds to focus on this particularissue.
How can VET become not onlya policy priority but a firstchoice for parents and youngpeople in Europe?It’s clear that there is a question
about VET’s attractiveness.Parents do not think it’s the bestoption for their children andchildren themselves aren’tattracted first to VET. So, for me,the way to improve the situation isto make sure that there is better-quality VET, and also a clearbridge between general educationand VET.
You mentioned the skillspanorama website, whichCedefop has taken over. Whatdo you think of the project?We have this very strangesituation where you have veryhigh unemployment levels in somemember States but in the samemember States you also haveshortage of skills. So, you need tohave an instrument to create abetter match between employmentoffer and demand; this is what theskills panorama is about. Thisproject was started by theCommission, but we do not havethe capacity, the technicalexpertise that Cedefop has, whichis why we have asked Cedefop totake it over. We see this as aninstrument with a lot of potential,especially when combined withEURES [the European job mobilityportal]. ■
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INTERVIEW
“We want to develop a new strategy for skills, for VET, for apprenticeships, and we will partner with Cedefop
Diogo, an IT programmer fromLisbon, sent his video withoutexpecting to win. His experienceshows how useful good VET canbe to someone starting theirprofessional career: ‘I was in avocational professional coursefor IT programming and did aninternship in a company thatallowed me to design a systemthat manages land and buildingsin mozambique. I stayed in thecompany. I’m still working thereafter about two years and I amdeveloping several skills that I’dnever imagined I could. It’sincredible to think how we canapply all we learn fromvocational courses; it’s an
incredible experience.’Svitlana, also from Portugal,
found a job as hotel receptionistafter triumphing at EuroSkills:‘First, I went to Porto, where Iwon the national competition;after that I went to France, to theEuropean competition, and I wonthat too. It was a greatexperience, I really enjoyed it andit helped me a lot with finding ajob. Now I am working in a hotelwhich opened recently and it’sbeen great. I have beendeveloping a lot and learning newthings almost every day. Thereare some things that we can’tlearn in class, but we do learn inthe real world with a real job.’
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stories
INTERVIEW
successVOCATIONAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING
Some parents and youngpeople in Europe may not findvocational education andtraining (VET) appealing, butthose who do often havesuccess stories to tell. And theyare passionate about what theydo. Two young people fromPortugal and one from Greecewere invited to Cedefop’sanniversary celebrations aftersucceeding in VETcompetitions. SvitlanaNastas won the hotelreception gold medal in the2014 EuroSkills, in Lille,France. Diogo Fialho andDimitris Iliadis were winnerand runner-up respectively ofCedefop’s video competition,in which they told their VET story.
Dimitris, from Thessaloniki, isa pastry chef and is alsostudying at university to becomea librarian: ‘I was very happywhen I found out I was thecompetition runner-up because itgave me the opportunity to comeand see VET from the inside.There are so many people herethat are professional in their jobs,and I have heard very importantthings about VET, both in Greeceand across Europe. I think that
from now on I can try harder tomake myself and the wholesection of confectionery andculinary arts better.’
Svitlana admits she wasn’t sosure about VET at first butchanged her mind after giving ita go: ‘It’s been amazing and itactually helps young people geta job more easily, because yougain some kind of experience; it’snot a lot, but during the coursewe have several internshipswhere we can learn things andprepare ourselves for a real job.As much as I want to get ahigher degree, and hopefully Iwill, VET has been really greatand I think that it is doing an
excellent job with students.’Diogo would advise other
young people to follow the VETpath: ‘I think it gives us anotherperspective and allows us tohave professional skills thatgeneral education doesn’tdevelop. The internship is veryimportant, because it gives usanother view of the professionalworld, allows us, when we areamong people that are workingprofessionally, to develop skills
and learn things that we didn’tlearn in class, but are needed togive us better prospects for thefuture.’
With Greece being in a toughspot regarding employment,Dimitris also advocates theusefulness of vocationaleducation and training:‘Comparing it with the universitywhere I am studying, I have tosay that the VET path isdefinitely positive because ithelps you get the best workexperience. It makes you moreconfident in your job; it makesyou want to try harder. And youcan come in contact withbusiness people in the
professional world. That is veryimportant because at universitywe don’t have the opportunity todo that so easily.’
Svitlana echoes the opinionsof the other two: ‘As Diogo andDimitris said, it prepares you forthe real world; you get a chanceto work with professionals,something you can’t do ingeneral education, so yes Iwould definitely advise people tofollow the VET path.’ ■
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 17
INTERVIEW
Diogo Fialho and Svitlana Nastas (left) and Dimitris Iliadis (right)
VET prepares youfor the real world;you get a chance to work withprofessionals,something you can’t do in generaleducation
“
“
Another milestone hasbeen reached inEuropean cooperationon vocational educationand training (VET),known as theCopenhagen process.ministers from theEuropean Unionmember States,candidate countries,Iceland, Norway and Liechtensteinendorsed in June new deliverables for2015-20.
They renewed their commitment to‘raising the overall quality and statusof VET’ to meet the education and training2020 strategic objectives and support thewider European growth and jobs agenda.They also discussed VET’s challenges andthe future of the Copenhagen process.
The Riga conclusions, agreed byEuropean social partners and the EuropeanCommission, focus on five priority areas:◆ promoting all forms of work-based
learning, in particular apprenticeships;◆ further developing quality assurance in
VET and informing initial and continuingVET on labour market needs andoutcomes;
◆ improving access to VET andqualifications for all, through flexiblepathways and progression opportunities,better guidance and validation of non-formal and informal learning;
◆ strengthening key competences in initialand continuing VET;
◆ ensuring initial and continuingprofessional development of VETteachers, trainers and mentors.
Strong partnershipswith social partners andother stakeholders areseen as crucial toachieving these aims.Focusing on learningoutcomes and usingcommonly developedtransparency tools arefurther major principles,as are efficient funding
and promoting excellence and innovation.Advancing apprenticeships moved centre
stage at an event that was part of theministerial meeting. This focused on theachievements and future scope of theEuropean alliance for apprenticeships(EAfA), which aims to promote their supply,quality and positive image. young peopletestified to their value. ‘Creating a culture forapprenticeship starts before VET,’ saidCedefop Director James Calleja at the event.
How to get companies, particularly SmEs,on board was a central question. Cedefop’srole is to act as a catalyst, said mr Callejareferring to a conference planned forNovember: ‘We will focus on how we canfoster more government-businesspartnerships to promote apprenticeships.’
The alliance, launched in 2013, is part ofEurope’s strategy to ensure the skillsneeded for growth and jobs, and to addressyouth unemployment. most countries havecommitted to specific measures. Balticcountries are forming a regional alliance. InRiga, more than 40 companies and otherorganisations signed pledges to join EAfA;this will mean 140 000 moreapprenticeships and training opportunitiesfor young people. ■
EUROPEAN MIN ISTERS
RIGA CONCLUSIONSON VET
NEWS
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endorse
The Riga conclusions
The Copenhagenprocess
European alliancefor apprenticeships
Cedefop work on apprenticeships
by LORE SCHMID
DUTCHWAY THE
S H A P I N G F U T U R E V E T
On 1 January 2016 the Netherlands will take over the Presidency of theCouncil of the European Union. The Presidency takes place in a contextwhere many people involved in Dutch vocational education and training(VET) wonder about the implications revolutionary technological changeswill have for VET and its students. What will their prospects be ifprognoses of a polarised labour market become reality?
Harvard researcher Nancy Hoffman sees the Dutch VET system asamong the world’s best, as it is both comprehensive and highly flexible.With equivalent qualifications for dual and school-based pathways, DutchVET is resistant to economic ups and downs. If, during recessions,companies do not provide enough training places for apprentices, VETstudents can opt for the school-based pathway, which also provides forpractical experience in the form of internships.
Another feature of Dutch VET is its four-level division, enablingstudents to move up the education ladder. Currently 70% of all uppersecondary VET students follow courses at higher levels 3 and 4, with30% at levels 1 and 2.
many Dutch VET students see a high-level qualification as the bestguarantee for employment. But will this be enough? Will this prevent VETstudents from being caught in the middle? Which strategies are open toVET systems to prepare for a highly uncertain future?
These important issues will be addressed in the VET conferenceorganised by the Dutch Presidency. Thinking about future generations oflearners, delegates will explore how we can achieve excellence andinnovation. VET will need its partners to prepare for what lies ahead soalong with VET policy-makers and practitioners, social partners areinvited to attend. ■
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 19
With equivalentqualifications fordual and school-based pathways,
Dutch VET isresistant to
economic upsand downs
MEMBER STATES
by REFERNET THE NEDERLANDShttp://refernet.designcrew.nl/home.aspx
phot
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iSto
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isang
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INTERVIEW
HOW TO
qualificationsQUALIFICATIONSTRUST
A qualification has value andcan be used to supportemployment or furthereducation if the holder inspiresconfidence that they haveacquired the learning outcomesassociated with it. Thecertification process isparticularly important andquality assurance mechanismsthat support it are essential toensure a qualification can becredible and trusted by all.Stylianos Mavromoustakos,Vice-President of the Europeanforum of technical andvocational education andtraining (EfVET) and GiorgioAllulli, independent expert inEuropean education andtraining policies, were amongparticipants at a Cedefopworkshop on certification earlierin the year. They gave Skillsetand match their views on howquality and trust can beachieved.
GIORGIO ALLULLI
How can you ensurequalification quality?By an appropriate certificationprocess, based on what thelabour market wants, on soundstandards, and on employers’needs. It should be reliable, notbiased by opportunisticendeavours. Assessors, at leastthe majority, should be nominatedby a third party. It is also importantthat the certification process bevalid and able to recognise whatthe learner really knows. Theexamination process should covermost of the knowledge andcompetences learners shouldhave at the end of their trainingcourse. It should be fair and takeinto account all previous learningpathways. Examination based juston a test or a single essay couldbe affected by the learner’sattitude towards this kind of test,so it should be morecomprehensive. Finally, it shouldbe homogeneous throughout acountry.
What about different MemberStates?Each country has different labourmarket needs and has to set itscertification standards. But ifevery country follows these fivecriteria – validity, reliability,
fairness, homogeneity andrelevancy – then it can trustpeople getting qualificationselsewhere. I can trust, forexample, German apprenticesbecause I know that the Chamberof Commerce makes thesubmission and it’s an externalbody to the company that hastrained them. I know they followsound occupational standards,continually renewed with theparticipation of social partners. Iknow they are based on Germanlabour market needs. So, I cantrust them.
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trust
QUALIFICATIONSTRUSTWhat feedback do you get fromcompanies and learners aboutcertification process?Learners say the certificationprocess should be able tounderstand what they know.Employers point out that theyshould be permanently involved indefining learning outcomes. Insome countries, learningoutcomes are either definedindependently of employers andsocial partners in general or theirinvolvement is not permanent. Weneed permanent committees atsectoral level which set standards
and learning outcomes, andreview them constantly, becausenew needs arise all the time whileothers are no longer valid.
✒
STYLIANOSMAVROMOUSTAKOS
What are the challenges youface as VET providers in thecertification process?The challenges in the nationalsetting quite often are not takentoo much into consideration. Weforget to go down to the grassrootsand see how they feel. Do theyhave the resources? Do they havethe capacity? Do they have theknowledge, skills, competence toimplement what is being decidedat the political level? Sometimesyou don’t see the political will atnational level. And when it comesto the European setting, how dowe translate the national systemsand settings so they can talk toone another?
Do you have any examplesfrom particular countries orparticular sectors?There are countries where thesystem is largely centralised, andothers where the system is moreliberal or decentralised. There arecountries with national, regionaland local levels, and then thelevels of qualifications vary
among member States. Forexample, in Greece to be abeautician you have to have abachelor degree, level 6, while inthe Netherlands you start withlevel 3 or 4. The weldingprofession is recognised bydifferent member States atdifferent levels. If you get awelding qualification in the Uk, itmay be level 5, and in Germany itis level 6 and 7. This has to besorted out at European level;there is a need to work closelywith industry to get realisticqualification systems standards.
What opportunities do VETproviders need to understandbetter the learning outcomesapproach?Implementation of learningoutcomes is really for the benefitof the learner; it aids learning, andcaters better for the needs ofspecial groups of learners. But itputs a lot of pressure on VETproviders. Funding becomes acrucial issue. For example,Finland has had an elaboratesystem based on learningoutcomes for many years and isleading the way in Europe. At thesame time, our members arecomplaining that they have beentold there will be a 20% cut infinance this year. So, how do youcontinue developing and providingthese opportunities for learnerswhile giving less funding? ■
INTERVIEW
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 21
Scan for Cedefop’slearning outcomes andqualifications project
22 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
PUBLICATIONS
OTHER PUBLICATIONS:
■ Green skills and innovation for inclusive growth (with OECD)
■ Briefing note: Europe’s uneven return to job growth
■ Global inventory of regional and national qualifications frameworks
■ Promoting learning for work
IN FOCUSNATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKDEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE ANNIVERSARY EDITIONThe report provides an overview of European national qualificationsframeworks (NQFs) and their qualifications, celebrating Cedefop’s long-termwork in the field and showing that the agency can make a difference toEuropean vocational education and training (VET) and, more important, toEuropean citizens. In the 1980s, Cedefop contributed significantly toEuropean cooperation in VET by developing a five-level (partly)competence-based structure. This approach directly shaped work at nationallevel, for example influencing the professional qualifications structures ofBulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania. Work on qualificationstransparency, starting in the 1990s, led directly to the initial outline of theEuropean qualifications framework (EQF) in 2003-04, which became acatalyst for NQF developments during the past decade.
SPOTLIGHT ON VET ANNIVERSARY EDITIONThis anniversary publication presents a concise picture of essential VETfeatures in Europe. Reporting on and analysing VET has been a Cedefopcore activity throughout its 40-year history. Cedefop is at the forefront ofmonitoring countries’ progress towards set VET priorities. It also supportscross-country policy learning and, increasingly, individual member Statesand social partners in their joint work on modernising VET. In cooperationwith its ReferNet partners, Cedefop publishes a Spotlight on VET for eachEU member State, Iceland and Norway. Spotlights present essential VETfeatures of all 30 countries using comparable system charts based on eachcountry’s VET programmes, rather than schools or institutions.
CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONSnewYou can browse and/or download all Cedefop publications at: www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resourcesor by scanning this QR code
EVENTS
IN FOCUS
JOINT CEDEFOP AND EUROFOUNDANNIVERSARY EVENT WORK ORGANISATION AND WORKPLACE LEARNING –CREATING A WIN-WIN ENVIRONMENT?
19 NOVEmBERBRUSSELS, BELGIUMCedefop will hold a joint event with the European Economic and Social Committee(EESC) and Cedefop sister agency Eurofound to present recent findings andinitiatives on work organisation and workplace learning, including results ofEurofound’s 3rd European company survey and Cedefop’s European skills and jobssurvey. The half-day event will bring together 200 policy-makers, academics,practitioners and representatives from national authorities, European institutions,enterprises and trade unions to explore and debate work organisation and skilldevelopment practices that benefit both employers and employees. It marks the 40-year anniversary of Cedefop and Eurofound, the two longest-established EUagencies, and recognises the EESC’s strong tripartite role in EU policy-making. Bothagencies are tripartite organisations with a governing structure of employers, tradeunions and governments. keynote speakers will include Nicholas Schmit, President ofthe Council of EU Employment ministers, and Pavel Trantina, forthcoming Presidentof EESC Group III.
comingupFor more information on what’s coming up go to the events page on the Cedefop website:www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events-and-projects/eventsor scan this QR code
SEPTEMBER 2015 | 23
SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
24-25
9-10
17-18
26-27
1-2
7-9
Policy learning forum on the writing and application oflearning outcomes
Expanding apprenticeship: Cedefop conference onapprenticeship and work-based learning
EU Presidency conference on youth guarantee
Cedefop conference: Vocational education and training andglobalisation – changing expectations and requirements
ReferNet plenary
Cedefop conference: maximising the potential of skills forjobs and growth
OTHER EVENTS
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
LUXEMBOURG
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
NOV
CEDEFOP’S MAGAZINE PROMOTING
LEARNING FOR WORK
ISSUE 5 / SEPTEMBER 2015
FEATURE: CEDEFOP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
REPORT: SKILL MISMATCH
INTERVIEWS: MICHEL SERVOZ, SHYAMAL MAJUMDAR, JANE SHACKLETON, GIORGIO ALLULLI, STYLIANOS MAVROMOUSTAKOS
MEMBER STATES: THE NETHERLANDS
Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, E-mail: [email protected]
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
/cedefopvisit our portal www.cedefop.europa.eu
@cedefop
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