Agenda
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In 2019, DIKU – Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (ReferNet Norway) and Ministry for Education and Employment (ReferNet Malta) will welcome their colleagues and partners to partnership forums organised jointly with Cedefop. In these annual forums, ReferNet members discuss vocational education and training (VET) issues, improve their knowledge by sharing information on recent developments in national policies and systems, and develop a common approach to the deliverables included in their annual work plan.

This year’s partnership forums will take place on 7 and 8 May in Bergen and on 16 and 17 May in Valletta.

ReferNet is a network of institutions across Europe representing the 28 Member States, plus Iceland and Norway. The network provides Cedefop with information and analysis on national vocational education and training. National partners also disseminate information on European VET and Cedefop’s work to stakeholders in the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. ReferNet publications can be accessed through the ReferNet page on Cedefop’s website.

Take part in the discussions #ReferNet

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Globalisation, digitalisation and migration are changing the way we work and learn. Increasing skills mismatches and the challenge of integrating all learners into work and education call for everyone involved to act. Validation of prior learning (VPL) as a stimulus and ‘guide’ for sustainable personal, organisational and societal development is more relevant than ever. Validation is the process of making visible and giving value to individuals’ learning achievements, irrespective of their learning pathways.

The aim of the VPL Biennale is to strengthen the dialogue between policy-makers, practitioners, users of validation as well as other stakeholders in the process. The Biennale is a forum where different stakeholders can exchange knowledge, ideas and vision on how to make VPL work. The good practices and recommendations from the event will be used in the formulation and public adoption of the Berlin Declaration on VPL.

The third VPL Biennale focuses on taking stock of what has been achieved in terms of policy development and implementation in recent years and on how to move forward. Six VPL policy areas will be investigated:

  1. Organisational arrangements: how can bridges be built among stakeholders from the worlds of business, volunteering, and education for VPL results to have value?
  2. Financing: what forms of financing must in place to make VPL accessible to all learners?
  3. Procedures and instruments: what kinds of procedures and instruments provide valid results and can cater for a large number of candidates?
  4. Support structures: what support structures must be available to reach disadvantaged learners?
  5. Post-validation pathways: what follow-up actions are required for validation to facilitate further learning and career paths?
  6. Legal foundations: what issues need to be addressed by laws and regulations for VPL to be effective?

Apart from the conference, the Biennale will host a competition, the Global Validation Prize 2019. The competition has three categories: products, procedures and policies, and is open until 24 February 2019.

The Biennale has also launched a call for papers on ‘Current research and projects’, to be presented in an independent event at the Biennale (open until 1 March 2019). The Biennale invites presentations which highlight current academic research on the topic of VPL or showcase VPL projects in progress or recently completed.

Cedefop is contributing to the organisation of the Biennale hosted by the Bertelsmann Stiftung; its Organising Committee includes the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), the Nordic Network for Adult Learning (NVL), the European Centre Valuation Prior Learning (EC-VPL), the VIA University College, Globedu, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), the European Commission and Cedefop.

Find more information and register at: https://vplbiennale.org/

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In 2019, DIKU – Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (ReferNet Norway) and Ministry for Education and Employment (ReferNet Malta) will welcome their colleagues and partners to partnership forums organised jointly with Cedefop. In these annual forums, ReferNet members discuss vocational education and training (VET) issues, improve their knowledge by sharing information on recent developments in national policies and systems, and develop a common approach to the deliverables included in their annual work plan.

This year’s partnership forums will take place on 7 and 8 May in Bergen and on 16 and 17 May in Valletta.

ReferNet is a network of institutions across Europe representing the 28 Member States, plus Iceland and Norway. The network provides Cedefop with information and analysis on national vocational education and training. National partners also disseminate information on European VET and Cedefop’s work to stakeholders in the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. ReferNet publications can be accessed through the ReferNet page on Cedefop’s website.

Take part in the discussions #ReferNet

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Cedefop will host the 33rd ICT Advisory Committee Meeting of the EU Agencies (ICTAC), in Thessaloniki on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 of May 2019.

The mission of ICTAC is to promote inter-agency cooperation on issues of common interest in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, through knowledge and experience sharing and exchange of good practice.

ICTAC operates under the auspices of the EU Agencies Network. ICTAC meetings are forums of intense exchange and rich interaction. They have gained enormous traction among the wider ICT community of the EU Institutions and bodies and are highly regarded.

 

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Cedefop, together with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), is organising on 20 and 21 May 2019 in Brussels, the Second Policy Learning Forum on upskilling pathways: a vision for the future.

Cedefop and EESC Policy Learning Fora (PLF) on upskilling pathways are a series of policy learning events on the topic aimed at providing a platform for countries to come together to learn from one another and explore common challenges in upskilling adults with low level of skills.

The PLF on Upskilling Pathways held on February 2018 demonstrated that while many countries are already equipped to provide skills identification, training provision tailored to individuals’ needs and/or validation and recognition of prior learning, much needs to be done in bringing together these policies and services in a coordinated manner and within a coherent strategy. Importantly, a coordinated and coherent strategy to the upskilling of adults also needs to be embedded in a system recognising the heterogeneity of the low skilled population, with its different needs and characteristics.

The 2019 PLF starts from here. It builds on the outcomes and common challenges identified in the 2018 PLF and aims at bringing together stakeholders to effectively support them in the implementation of Upskilling Pathways for adults.

Participants will have the opportunity to work together to:

  • reflect and discuss the needs and policy responses aimed at the different priority target groups of low skilled adults identified;
  • learn how countries with similar priorities organise their approach to upskilling specific groups of low skilled adults;
  • reflect on different visions of upskilling adults, across and within countries and discuss evolving approaches to upskilling;
  • refine and customise the analytical framework for upskilling adults provided by Cedefop, as to address national specific priorities and challenges.

Discussions are expected to lead to the following outcomes:

  • become familiar with modes of organising upskilling pathways for adults in countries with similar and different approaches to it;
  • increased awareness of the importance of a shared vision of upskilling adults and understanding of the different visions across and within countries;
  • learn about changes and developments in EU countries, Iceland and Norway;
  • increased knowledge on priority target groups in need of upskilling in the EU-28 MSs, Iceland and Norway and how to best address them;
  • customised and refined analytical framework for upskilling adults which can support countries in addressing national-specific priorities and challenges.
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Welcome to Cedefop Policy Forum: “What role for community lifelong learning centres? The potential of one-stop shops for preventing youth at risk from disconnecting”.

Cedefop, in cooperation with the Lifelong Learning Platform, organised this policy forum to explore the potential of community lifelong learning centres as one-stop shops for preventing young people at risk and early leavers from education and training from disconnecting. The event was hosted by the Romanian Presidency of the Council in its permanent representation to the EU in Brussels.

This policy form involved the participation of approximately 80 Brussels-based stakeholders from the permanent representations of Member States to the EU, the European Commission, the European Parliament, European agencies, European business and sector associations, trade union and employee organisations, as well as national policy-makers, practitioners and social partners involved in designing and implementing integrated services to tackle early leaving from education and training.

Event rationale and aims

From a lifelong perspective, tackling early leaving from education and training (ELET) is an ongoing process, which requires a multidisciplinary and whole community approach.

The EU currently focuses on young people aged 18 to 24 who did not complete upper secondary education. However, evidence shows that skills and competences acquired during the first years of life affect future education and employment prospects. At the same time, thanks to support available, adults who had previously ruled out education and training are increasingly rediscovering their learning potential. This is why tackling early leaving from education and training begins as early as in kindergarten (early childhood education), and includes compensation measures to support young adults in acquiring at least an upper secondary qualification.

Focus of the forum

The forum focused on the potential of multidisciplinary teams in community lifelong learning centres (CLLC) to play a key role in tackling ELET. The forum was an opportunity to discuss Member State experiences in using integrated service delivery (one-stop shops, case management and multi-skilled teams) in different settings. Participants considered the potential for establishing CLLCs in disadvantaged areas across Europe. These would offer access to a wider range of learning opportunities for people of all ages, maximising the support offered by multidisciplinary teams. Participants were invited to reflect on the post-2020 agenda in the field to ensure continued progress towards improving EU citizens’ qualifications and skills.

Objectives

  • Explore and learn from selected good practices in Europe providing a more integrated solution to youth at risk through community-based LLL centres.
  • Identify key elements to be transferred or replicated from good practices across Europe.
  • Strengthen the case for establishing CLLCs across Europe.
  • Acknowledge achievements and reflect on the post-2020 agenda for tackling early leaving form education and training.
  • Explore the new edition of the Cedefop VET toolkit for tackling early leaving and its updated resources.
  • Get familiar with the Cedefop Reflection tool assisting policy makers in taking action towards a comprehensive approach to tackling early leaving from education and training.
  • Learn about the role of ambassadors to Cedefop’s VET toolkit for tackling early leaving and join the community of practice.

Methodology

The Policy Forum required active participation from all participants involved in dialogue and exchange of good practices and experiences in the plenary sessions.

The joint Cedefop/OECD symposium on apprenticeship (7 October 2019) brought together policy makers, practitioners and researchers from around the world to consider new research exploring the next steps for apprenticeship provision. UPDATE: The joint Cedefop/OECD publication The next steps for apprenticeships h...

The joint Cedefop/OECD symposium on apprenticeship (7 October 2019) brought together policy makers, practitioners and researchers from around the world to consider new research exploring the next steps for apprenticeship provision.

UPDATE: The joint Cedefop/OECD publication The next steps for apprenticeships has now become available.

Rationale

Apprenticeship provision has a long history of enabling the transitions for young people from education into sustained skilled employment. Dependent on deep employer engagement, apprenticeships have proven to be an effective means of ensuring that the formative education and training of learners is well aligned to actual labour market needs.

In recent years, governments across Europe and the OECD have invested considerable resource in improving apprenticeship provision, introducing and reforming apprenticeships to reach ever more learners, both young people and increasingly adults. The consistent aim has been to ensure that apprenticeships are attractive to learners, to employers and to society, providing apprentices with skills demanded by employers while contributing to societal and economic well-being (OECD 2018).  With countries developing apprenticeships within some very different policy approaches and national contexts (Cedefop, 2018), peer-learning opportunities are strong. 

It is timely to look at the future of apprenticeship from the perspective of a number of external mega trends - such as socio-demographic changes, new technologies and new forms of work organisation, trends in education and training - and consider how they have affected (or will affect) the design and delivery of apprenticeship and policy approaches towards its provision.

 

Agenda and presentations

The following papers were presented and discussed. See the agenda and presentations below:

  • New apprenticeship arrangements for a new world of work? - Erica Smith, Federation University Australia
  • The Future of Apprenticeships in Europe: Three Scenarios - Dr. Philipp Grollmann, Federal Institute of Vocational Education, BIBB, Germany and Dr. Jörg Markowitsch, 3s Unternehmensberatung, Vienna, Austria
  • Arranging relations between the vocational and academic system in a new way – socio-economic trends and their implications for the future of apprenticeships - Prof. Dr. Dieter Euler, University St.Gallen, Switzerland
  • The development and implementation of a graduate apprenticeship programme – Stewart McKinlay,  University of Strathclyde
  • Going for attractiveness and excellence. A cross-country review of excellence in apprenticeship in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland - Isabelle Le Mouillour, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Germany, Frédéric Berthoud, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, Switzerland and Franz Gramlinger, Austrian Reference Point for Quality Assurance in VET, Austria
  • The Effect of Changing Entrance Requirements for VET Education on Low-Income Students - Shaun M. Dougherty, Vanderbilt University, USA and Jesper Eriksen, Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Digitalisation of Apprenticeship in Germany – Regina Flake and David Meinhard, German Economic Institute
  • Innovative learning cultures in apprenticeships in the Swiss telecommunication industry - Antje Barabasch, Swiss Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET)
  • Tensions and innovations: the impact on learning of Apprenticeships in ‘non-traditional’ organisational settings - Eleanor Andressen, Pearson, UK
  • Collaborative training in the dual system: learning and working in a network of companies to meet training requirements more adequately - Isabelle Michel, Cepag, Belgium