Vocational Education and Training in
the European Union, and the
European Alliance for
Apprenticeships
presentation at the
2014 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON VET
Donostia - San Sebastián, on 29 May 2014
Joao SANTOS, Deputy Head of Unit
Directorate General for Education and Culture
Unit B2, Vocational training and adult education; Erasmus+
Content of
presentation
1.European VET policy framework
2.ERASMUS +, EU support to VET
3.European Alliance for Apprenticeships
2
European VET policy framework
3
European VET
policy framework
Legal basis
Lisbon treaty
Art. 165 & 166
CEDEFOP provides
evidence and
expertise
ETF supports the VET
reforms in 30 partner
countries
Copenhagen process
Framework for European
VET policy Coordination
•Social partners
•involved in the
•political process
EuropeAid supports
TVET and Skills, in EU
Development Cooperation
4
The
Copenhagen process
Political process
33 countries participating together with social partners and
Commission to agree on common goals and objectives; inspiring
national reforms – fitting within E&T 2020 and Europe 2020
Developing common tools
Common frameworks and tools; transparency and quality of
competences and qualifications, facilitating mobility
(e.g. Europass, EQF, ECVET, EQAVET)
Fostering mutual learning
Supports cooperation, peer learning, sharing ideas, experience and
results, evidence based policy making (e.g. OMC WG on VET)
Involving stakeholders
Enables their contribution to common goals
5
Bruges Communiqué
EU 2020 VET agenda
Vision – VET in 2020
Agreeing on common goals and objectives
Inspiring and mobilising for national reforms
11 Strategic objectives
Attractiveness, excellence, flexible access, internationalisation and
mobility, innovation creativity and entrepreneurship (use of ICT),
Inclusive I-VET and C-VET, and transversal objectives.
Short term deliverables (2011-2014)
22 Deliverables at national level supported by actions at EU level
Governance
Ownership, methods, official bodies, role of Cedefop and ETF,
international dimension, cooperation with VET provider organisations
6
VET Governance and
Partnerships
Coordination/Advisory bodies
• Directors General for VET
• Advisory Committee on Vocational Training
Agencies supporting VET policy
• Cedefop
• ETF
Social partners, EEA member countries, and candidate
countries closely involved in the political process
(Communiqués, monitoring, etc.)
7
Upcoming Bruges
Review (2015)
September 2014 - Cedefop in cooperation with ETF present the
VET monitoring report
(progress on the short term deliverables 2011-2014)
Early 2015 - Review and definition of VET priorities, as well as
a new set of STD for 2015-2017
Mid 2015 Communiqué (Riga) – update of Bruges
Communiqué linking VET priorities with EU2020 and ET2020
strategic frameworks
Review will be based on the progress between 2011-2014, as well as
recent policy initiatives:
e.g. Rethinking Education, EAfA, European Area for Skills and Qualifications, ECVET
and EQAVET evaluations and consistent with the European Semester (CSR)
8
Mapping study on VET
internationalisation
Background to the mapping study 'Building knowledge
on international cooperation in VET”:
The Lisbon Treaty Art 166.3
"The Union and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third
countries and the competent international organisations in the
sphere of vocational training".
Bruges communiqué:
“… As players on the global education market, national VET systems
need to be connected to the wider world in order to remain up-todate and competitive…
Develop a strategic approach to the internationalisation of I-VET and
C-VET and promoting international mobility…”
9
Mapping study on VET
internationalisation
Objective of study
(to be completed December 2014):
Provide an illustrative mapping of the state of play of existing policy
measures and practices implemented by EU/EFTA countries.
Preliminary findings:
Some member states have a clear international dimension to
their VET policies, which usually takes one of the following forms:
1. Policy dialogue at strategic level,
2. Bilateral cooperation between VET institutions leading to VET
delivery and capacity-building.
3. Outbound and inbound student mobility programmes,
4. Establishment of VET institutions abroad
10
Mapping study on VET
internationalisation
Interesting examples of actions at Member State level:
•
iMove programme in Germany - supporting German VET providers for
international competition in VET, mainly in Asian countries
•
US-Denmark partnership on VET - provides funding for student and
teacher mobility, partnerships for curriculum development, etc.
•
France’s initiative on Technical teachers without borders – aimed
at encouraging teacher and trainer mobility
•
Austria’s MODUL Service Platform - fosters projects on VET for the
tourism sector, with China and Iran; offers advice in setting educational
institutes, develops curricula, enhances quality for existing institutes and
draws plans of regional development;
•
German-Thai dual excellence programme - involving three
corporations: BMW, Bosch, B. Grimm). Offers students a two-year dual
VET programme. Assures quality standards, adjusts curricula for
mechatronics, trains the trainers etc.
11
ERASMUS +, EU support to VET
12
ERASMUS+
• Adoption of Erasmus+ on 19 November 2013
• First call for proposals on 12 December 2013
Organisations from non-programme countries can participate (not
apply) if participation clearly brings added-value to the proposal
(e.g. Ukraine firms highly-specialised in rocket technology)
13
Targets 2014-2020
Overall budget
€14.7 billion
Overall mobility opportunities
More than 4 million people
Higher education
Around 2 million students
Vocational education and training
students
Around 650,000 students
Staff mobility
Around 800,000 lecturers,
teachers, trainers, education staff
and youth workers
Volunteer and youth exchange
schemes
More than 500,000 young people
Master's degree loan guarantee
scheme
Around 200,000 students
Joint Master Degrees
More than 25,000 students
14
Targets 2014-2020
Strategic Partnerships
Around 25,000 linking together
125 000 schools, vocational education
and training institutions, higher and adult
education institutions, youth organisations
and enterprises
Knowledge Alliances
More than 150 set up by 1500 higher
education institutions and enterprises
Sector Skills Alliances
More than 150 set up by 2000 vocational
education and training providers and
enterprises
Schools
More than 200,000 teachers collaborating
on line involving more than 100,000
schools through e-twinning
15
ERASMUS+
Financial distribution
Breakdown of Education and Training
budget by sectors
16
European Alliance for Apprenticeships
17
European Alliance for
Apprenticeships
VET supporting
economic recovery
The crisis has brought increased attention to VET:
• Work based learning - Dual systems, and others
• Labour market relevance of skills – addressing skill
mismatches
• Youth Guarantee schemes – opportunity within 4 months
• Mobility - 6% benchmark
18
Participation rates
in VET
Students enrolled in vocational upper secondary education, 2010,
as a % of all students enrolled in upper secondary education (ISCED level 3)
19
Work-Based Learning
is still an exception
Proportion of VET students enrolled in combined work- and school-based
VET, as a % of all students in upper secondary VET (2010)
20
WBL and youth
unemployment
Share of students
in ISCED 3 level
programmes
including at least
25 % of workbased learning
Youth unemployment rate
Below 15 %
15-25 %
More than 30 %
participation
DK, DE, AT
CZ
Between 6 and 30
%
NL
FI, LU, FR, UK
SK, HU
BE, SI, SE
EL, PL, IE, PT,
ES, IT, EE
Less than 6 %
Above 25 %
21
Why
apprenticeships?
VET with strong work-based
learning leads to:
 Smooth transition from
education to work
 Less youth unemployment
 Better skill matching
 Higher competitiveness
22
European Alliance for
Apprenticeships
•Launch and Joint Declaration, 2 July 2013
First ever Joint Declaration by European level Social Partners, European
Commission and EU Presidency of the Council (Lithuania)
•Council Declaration, 15 October 2013
Ensuring recognition and/or integration of apprenticeship in formal system
(reference to validation of outcomes from non-formal and informal learning)
•21 Member States Pledges, early 2014
Commission invited all MS to submit 'pledges' on planned reforms and
initiatives to increase the quality, supply and attractiveness of apprenticeships
•Pledges and Ambassadors
Some 30 pledges from VET providers, chambers, businesses, social partners,
youth organisations and others + a network of business Ambassadors to
support SMEs
ERASMUS+ Call for proposal, ‘National Authorities for Apprenticeships’
- EACEA/13/14 published on 26 March 2014, deadline 26 June 2014
23
Aims of the EAfA
Aims to:
• Reform of national VET systems
(apprenticeship schemes)
• Increased number, quality and
attractiveness of apprenticeships
• Easier transition from education
to work
• Strong partnerships at all
governance levels
• Leverage of public and private
funding
• Improved image of
apprenticeships
24
ERASMUS+ Call for
proposals (1)
 National authorities responsible for apprenticeships
in partnership (applicant or partner)
 Objective: Support for the EAfA
 Project duration: 2 years
 Maximum grant: € 300.000
 75 % co-funding of total eligible costs
 Total budget: € 4 million
 Deadline for applications: 26 June 2014
25
ERASMUS+ Call for
proposals (2)
Partnerships with experts from other MS:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
In-depth partnerships for policy reform
Feasibility studies
Strategies for joint training centres for SMEs
National policy dialogue
Attractiveness campaigns
National business forums
Testing pilot apprenticeship schemes
Evaluating previous pilot apprenticeship schemes
with a view to up-scaling
• Integration non-formal apprenticeships in formal VET
26
More information at:
http://ec.europa.eu/education
Joao SANTOS, Deputy Head of Unit
Directorate General for Education and Culture
Unit B2, Vocational training and adult education; Erasmus+
E-mail: joao.santos@ec.Europa.eu