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The amendments to the Crafts Act from December 2019, which entered into force as of January 2020, introduced a shift in governance that transferred more responsibility to the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK), in particular, and the ministry responsible for economy (MINGO). Accordingly, MINGO and HOK now have a more prominent role in drafting curricula, while the ministry responsible for education keeps its role in adopting curricula, which are proposed by the Agency for Vocational...

The initiative is designed so that employers in eight VET programmes guarantee the students that, at least three months after they have finished the second basic course (GF2), they will be given an internship in a company, and that they must have maximally 15% of their practical training in a school-based training centre. Companies able to deliver this will receive funding. A special digital platform will be set up in order to enhance the visibility of these programmes.

In February 2020, the education minister, along with the Federation of Icelandic Industries and of the Association of Local Authorities, introduced a strategy and priorities on how to strengthen VET in Iceland. Among the priorities introduced there were new policy (proposals) developments such as:

1. transferring the responsibility for finding workplace contracts for apprentices from the learners themselves to the VET schools. When the digital logbook is in full use, schools will be responsible...

A strategic plan for technical and vocational education and training was approved in April 2015 (2015-20). It aims to reform the public VET system. The plan was set up by the Department of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training (STVET) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth (MoECSY). It sets the further development of the quality and competences of VET teachers as a priority. Practical workshops were planned on modern teaching methods aimed at updating VET...

The IiS scheme allows for the payment of grants to employers who train their employees in areas not required by legislation. Training can be both on-the-job or off-the-job, including on-line training. It can also be accredited and non-accredited company specific or generic training.

Eligible applicants include all employers having an economic activity irrespective of their legal form. These include partnerships, companies, family businesses, associations, individual self-employed or other...

Following the elections of autumn 2017, the government announced its priorities on 14 January 2018. For upper secondary VET, they included:

1. flexible pathways;
2. continuing the process of increasing the number of apprenticeships through improved financial arrangements and closer cooperation with the county municipalities and the world of work;
3. public agencies and underlying establishments to have apprentices;
4. implementing the renewal of vocational programmes;
5. introducing new work-based and...

The VET system development programme 2016-20 provides the strategic framework for VET development and reform. The programme was adopted by the Croatian Government in September 2016 and a related action plan was adopted two months later by the ministry responsible for education. It is planned according to the following principles:

1. quality assurance, which will increase the transparency of VET, strengthen confidence in the system and lifelong learning;
2. partnerships, which will ensure and...

This policy development started within the Erasmus+ project Benchmarking for quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning (BEQUAL.app). The project coordinator is the Kaunas Chamber of Industry and Crafts, Lithuania, with project partners from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia representing public institutions responsible for VET, SMEs, consulting organisations and education institutions. Croatian partners are the Agency for Vocational Education and...

The Path for youth project was originally planned for the period 2016-20. It specifically targets last grade students in higher education, tertiary professional schools and secondary schools. Since 2017 the target group has been expanded to students of two last grades. On top of in-company practical training, participants benefit from soft skills courses and guidance interviews with HR specialists. The soft skills courses offer specific training in communication skills, stress management,...

This project runs from 2016 till 2019 and is aimed at providing an opportunity to undergo an internship in an enterprise. The eligible target groups include jobseekers registered at the Labour Office, parents on (or after) a parental leave, persons over 50 years, and those with no qualification or having only a low level of vocational qualification (up to two years of vocational training). Since May 2017, graduates have been also included in the eligible target group. Interested eligible...

The Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) implemented a pilot project, Integration into the labour market, targeting the beneficiaries of international protection. It facilitated the integration of refugees into the labour market and into Slovenian society through workshops in which participants gained job-searching skills and information on the Slovenian labour market and employment legislation. Interpreters were involved in the project and participants were linked with employers. The...

The 2014-20 ESF-supported programmes, such as Non-formal education and training and the On-the-job training, that targeted the long-term unemployed and low-skilled aged 50+, were also adopted under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour. They sought to improve employability through training for competences in demand in the labour market.

A 2016-22 project, Comprehensive support to companies for active ageing of employees targeting the employed over 45 (with emphasis on those older than...

The National curriculum for VET (Nacionalni kurikulum za strukovno obrazovanje) was adopted in July 2018, as the common framework for the development of VET curricula (at CROQF/EQF levels 2-5) in Croatia. It sets out the purpose, values, aims and principles of VET in Croatia and describes teaching and learning processes, including work-based learning and learning cycles. It encompasses qualifications on CROQF/EQF levels 2-5 and defines the curricular framework for VET, which comprises...

The certificate of practice (Praksisbrev) is a new pathway introduced in 2016, having been piloted and evaluated since 2008. It is a two-year practical training programme carried out in a company. Subjects comprise core components (work-oriented Norwegian, maths and social science) along with local components geared towards local labour demand. Certificate of practice programmes are offered by counties: each county is obligated to offer at least one such programme. Certificates of practice...

In April 2016, a national committee for lifelong guidance delivered a report on increasing the quality and accessibility of career guidance in schools. The report suggested equal rights to career guidance for apprentices as for school pupils, and setting up an online platform for guidance in lower and upper secondary education. It also suggested opening career guidance centres for adults in all counties. In Norway, skills policy and career guidance are tightly connected. Skills Norway is...

On 22 November 2018, parties in the Danish Parliament concluded an agreement to increase the attractiveness of VET.

The main initiatives under the agreement were:

1. more professionalism in primary schools: students must also meet practical, creative and artisanal challenges in primary school;
2. a stronger foundation for choosing youth education: students must be challenged in their choice of youth education;
3. municipalities must have greater responsibility for young people's search for VET, which...

A new training agreement approach was set up in 2018. It foresees that practical training is included in all VET qualifications. Training at workplaces on practical work tasks can be apprenticeship training or training based on a training agreement. When applying for a training agreement, learners are not in an employment relationship (their status is that of a learner). Learners receive no salary and employers receive no training compensation. The details of the training agreement are...

The new act:

1. makes it mandatory for VET learners to take a State vocational examination or a journeyman's examination as a condition of school graduation; it also changes the form of exams, the process of preparing examination tasks and the requirements set for examiners;
2. introduces, in cooperation with employers, apprenticeship as a new form of vocational learning for learners in upper secondary VET and first stage sectoral programmes, who are not juvenile workers;
3. introduces new options...

The aims of the project Improving the quality and content of 21st century vocational training and adult education (GINOP - 6.2.4) include the review of the examination system, the development of a validation system and the preparation of a methodology for VET content development that is compatible with open and innovative learning settings as well as the demands of the economy. Uniform criteria were also developed to strengthen the external evaluation system in CVET. Criteria include...

Reference guides developing the common employment services portfolio were approved and published in 2018. These reference guides, developed jointly with the regions, comprise protocols for:

1. career guidance;
2. qualification and training for employment;
3. self-employment and entrepreneurship;
4. guidance and labour intermediation.

The qualification and training for employment protocol aims to promote training for up-skilling and reskilling and to facilitate transition to employment, in coordination...

A 2016 ESF co-funded project entitled Training for employment covers several initiatives (the work placement scheme, the work exposure scheme, the traineeship scheme, the training pay scheme, and the development of an occupational handbook) to facilitate access to employment through the development of skills and competences of the working-age population.

Through the work placement, work exposure and the traineeship schemes, employers, in partnership with Jobsplus, are provided with an...

In the school year 2015/16, the Prince's Trust XL programme - from a UK-based charity founded in 1976 by the Prince of Wales - was introduced in lower and upper secondary schools in Malta. It aims to re-engage 13- to 16-year-olds at risk of exclusion or underachievement through informal learning to foster self-confidence.

The programme covers:

1. personal and social development;
2. life skills;
3. active citizenship;
4. preparation for work.

The programme leads to an award, certificate or diploma in...

The National vocational and training policy mapped the VET sector in Malta and identified areas for future actions.

In 2015/16, VET subjects at Malta qualifications framework (MQF) level 3 (EQF level 3) were introduced in compulsory education in all lower secondary schools: the compulsory secondary education system in Malta comprises students from age 11 to age 16 (lower secondary) and two years of upper secondary education. The introduction of vocational subjects in secondary schools opens up opportunities for more learners to progress to further and higher education.

The areas covered are:

1. hospitality;
...

In-company trainer training may be offered by various parties, provided that it is recognised by the professional or employer organisations in charge (nationally referred to as sectoral assignees). In 2015, the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the key player in this field) adopted its own regulation. In 2016, the Employer Council for Dual VET approved guidelines on training for trainers working with young people within the dual VET scheme. Guidelines for the training of those working...

To familiarise VET teachers and trainers with dual VET, short credit-awarding courses were designed within the 2013-15 ESF project Development of secondary VET. The subsequent 2016-20 ESF project Dual education and increasing attractiveness and quality of VET also focuses on in-service training via three accredited programmes. The project aimed to train 600 members of pedagogical staff in curriculum issues, 200 directors of schools and other leading staff concerning the new role of schools...

The so-called 'shortened studies' (ISCED 353) were put in place in 2015/16 in line with the Act on VET (61/2015). They target young people and adults who want to broaden or deepen their qualification or acquire another one to improve their employability. Based on the mainstream three-year programme, they focus on occupation-related areas and last either one or two years, depending on learners' previous field of study. Two-year studies lead to a certificate of apprenticeship; participants of...

An umbrella body, the Employer Council for dual VET, was set up in 2016 aiming to strengthen cooperation between respective sectoral assignees involved in dual VET. The Council is partially financed from the State budget. The most important responsibility of the Council is to coordinate processes related to the accreditation of training companies based on their compliance with the requirements set by the State concerning space, training equipment and materials. Involving employers allows...

On 27 June 2018, the government approved the National programme for the development of education (NPDE). The NPDE was adopted, with 106 measures to be fulfilled until 2027. Some measures related to regional schooling and higher education are relevant also to VET. Measures directly aiming to align VET to labour market are as follows:

1. increasing the quality of dual VET through the funding of professional and employer organisations involved; they will receive approximately EUR 1 million annually...

In September 2017, the education ministry published the Learning Slovakia strategy paper, following a public discussion on a draft version from March 2017. The VET-related chapter of this strategy paper for the first time in the official documents clearly defines and distinguishes between the diverse forms of work-based learning: dual VET, as set in the 2015 Act on VET; work-based learning within VET school-enterprise agreements but without individual learning contracts; short-term...

The 2016-20 ESF project Dual education and increasing attractiveness and quality of VET provides support through its web portals. Eight contact points (officially called Dual points) have also been set up within this project. Their role is to support the implementation of the dual system and make the matching of supply and demand easier. The employer council maintains its own portal. The 2013-15 ESF project Development of secondary VET-related portal focused on matching supply and demand,...

To encourage enterprise involvement in dual VET, the VET Act (61/2015) had introduced corporate tax reliefs for training companies:

1. tax exemption reducing training costs by 21%;
2. tax bonuses of EUR 1 600 for 200 hours of practical training and EUR 3 200 for 400 hours of practical training within a tax period;
3. remuneration for learners' productive work is exempted from levies.

These incentives did not apply to any other form of work-based learning (e.g. diverse school-company contracts on short...

In December 2016, a call was launched to invite proposals for the modernisation of the equipment and premises of school-based practical training (VET schools' workshops and specialised facilities, e.g. libraries). Additional components could relate to equipment for dormitories in support of inclusive education, reconstruction of school premises, or improving the energy performance of buildings. The call was launched within the framework of the ERDF part-funded Integrated regional operational...

The Act on VET was amended in March 2015 (61/2015). Its main objectives were to introduce a dual VET scheme and tax incentives for enterprises to provide training. The reform entered into force in September 2015 and made available upper secondary VET delivery in three forms:

1. school-based programmes with practical training (mainly) in school workshops;
2. mixed scheme, with school-based learning along with in-company training within the framework of school-company agreements (contracts) based on...

A programme improving the professional competences of teachers (2016-22) was launched in 2016, as part of an initiative of the Ministry of Education, jointly funded by ESF. It aims to improve teaching/learning quality by giving teachers and trainers in companies the opportunity to update and complement their knowledge, skills and competences through a form of job rotation: teachers of vocational modules and organisers of work-based learning spend two to four months in a company. During this...

The 2016-20 ESF-funded project VET promotion, coordinated by the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI), promoted VET as an attractive education option and supported the young and talented in moving forward in their career. The project promoted vocational and technical education through the active participation of young people between the ages of 18 and 25, teachers, employers and other social partners.

The promotion is done mainly through the national and European skills...

A 5-year project Reform of upper-secondary vocational education, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), started in November 2016.

The project includes the following activities:

1. test and identify the tools and methods to create a sustainable system to match the needs of the labour market;
2. develop flexible and individualised teaching methods and learning pathways;
3. support companies to engage in work-based learning;
4. test and evaluate the apprenticeship system;
5. define learning outcomes for...

The new Act on Apprenticeship, adopted and published in 2017, is the result of joint work and consultation with all main VET stakeholders: the ministries of education, labour and economy, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI), schools and social partners (chambers and trade unions). It defines apprenticeship as a means to accomplish three-year upper secondary VET programmes, equal to school-based programmes. The act strengthens the role of chambers in monitoring the scheme,...

A thematic country review (TCR) on apprenticeship was conducted in close cooperation with Cedefop in 2015-17. The aim was to carry out an in-depth analysis of the situation to support Slovenia on reintroducing apprenticeship. The review involved a broad range of VET stakeholders: directors of VET schools, students, recent graduates who are in employment, providers of in-company training, directors of intercompany training centres, company directors and in-company mentors. Several sectors...

The 2015-16 social pact was adopted by the Economic Social Committee (Ekonomsko socialni svet) where representatives of the government, trade unions and employers take part. This acknowledges the need for apprenticeships and considers their reintroduction, especially in sectors where skills shortages are observed.

In March 2017, the government approved new curricula to address the ICT strategy objectives. Programming skills are now embedded in primary and lower secondary education, especially through technology and mathematics. Amendments include qualification-tailored digital skills. For example, the Child and recreation programme stresses the responsible use of digital technology to support children. The new curricula were implemented, including all VET programmes, in 2017/18.

The Action plan for adult education (Kunskapslyftet, the knowledge boost) was introduced in 2015. It is aimed at supporting the Swedish government's goal of lowering unemployment rates. Relevant legislation/regulation and funding arrangements have been changed/adopted. The plan aims, at the same time, to address skilled labour shortages and enable people to (re)train.

At the end of 2015, a National commission (Välja yrke) made proposals to the government to strengthen the involvement of social partners in providing VET. The options discussed included developing regional support structures. As a result a State grant was put in place for the development of regional support structures for WBL placements for social partners and stakeholder organisations. The total sum awarded for 2018 and for 2019 was SEK 10 million (about EUR 950 000). The grants targeted...

To enhance the cooperation at regional level between upper secondary VET providers (adult education programmes included) and companies providing work places, the State grants for companies were broadened through an amendment of the the Education Act and the Ordinance of upper secondary education in November 2015. The funding scheme covers initial VET programmes which can be followed as school-based VET and apprenticeship based pathways. Further, since 2016 enterprises that participate in...

The State grants measure (used as an incentive for education providers to offer VET as an apprenticeship path) was expanded in 2018 to also offer learners in bridging programmes (programmes for learners not eligible for national upper secondary programmes) financial support to cover their extra living costs, so they received the same economic benefits and conditions as learners in national VET programmes. The measure is part of policy initiatives to promote work-based learning and...

Swedish National Agency for Education, has been playing a key role in the development of apprenticeship. It cooperates with a wide range of stakeholders (VET providers, municipalities, social partners and enterprises); it provides advice to VET institutions and employers, trains supervisors at workplaces, and stimulates cooperation at regional level between schools and businesses. Since 2015, it has organised workshops and provided guidance and support to companies and social partners....

The strategy for education and vocational training in Romania for 2016-20 was adopted in 2016 (government Decision No 317 on 27 April 2016). It proposes the development of both an open-access and attractive and competitive system, offering quality education and training services in order to respond quickly and relevantly to the needs of people and the economy through efficient management of available resources. All individuals should benefit from the opportunity to acquire high-level...

An amendment to the Education Law endorsed in November 2016 (Ordinance No 81/2016) introduced a dual form of initial VET for qualifications at EQF/ROQF (Romanian national qualifications framework) levels 3, 4 and 5.

Implementation of dual IVET programmes started in 2017/18 for qualifications at EQF level 3. Over 2 500 learners from the first generation of students with access to dual VET programmes enrolled in dual IVET. Setting up a methodology for organising and conducting entrance...

IEFP launched the Network of excellence partners for apprenticeship in 2016. Members of the network receive a certification, issued by IEFP, testifying that they deliver high-standard apprenticeships. The network aims to distinguish and disseminate good practices carried out by enterprises and other employers that promote the quality of work-based parts of apprenticeship programmes and the integration of young people into the labour market. The network includes 10 business groups, among them...

Within the scope of this policy development, several initiatives have been set up by the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (ANQEP) and the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).

Until 2017, ANQEP was organising regional debates and reflection groups, involving employers, schools and vocational training centres, to promote workplace training. Topics discussed involved the evaluation of practical training in the workplace and assessment of...

In 2015, the Promotion of arts and crafts sector programme (Programa de Artes e Ofícios) was created to provide sectoral training, support entrepreneurship and job creation in the sector. The programme supports workplace training (for 12 months) and entrepreneurship (micro-businesses and self-employment) in the sector. This programme is promoted, developed and carried out in the mainland by the Institute for employment and vocational training (IEFP), which issued specific regulations and the...

From October 2016 to September 2018, the Erasmus+ project Apprenticeship helpdesk for small and medium-sized enterprises was established in Poland (and Cyprus) to build the capacity of key intermediary bodies to support SMEs offering training placements for apprentices/trainees. Among the main results of the project were:

1. the setting up of a national apprenticeship and traineeship support service for SMEs, offered by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development;
2. training was provided to the...

The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) implemented an ESF co-financed project to establish and support the functioning of Sector Skills Councils - SSCs (Sektorowe Rady ds. Kompetencji). The SSCs collect information from labour market stakeholders and recommend systemic solutions and changes in the area of education; stimulate cooperation between education providers and employers; and provide support in identifying and anticipating competence needs in a given sector.

The programme...

In August 2015, the Ministry of National Education amended the Regulation on practical vocational training. The amendments came into force in September 2015, bringing important changes, including:

1. vocational schools are required to ensure the provision of work-based learning in their vocational programmes; the amount of provision varies by education level (basic vocational, upper secondary, post-secondary);
2. assigning different forms of practical training to different types of schools;
3. the...

A 2015 amendment to the Education Act clarified and underlined the importance of continuous assessment as the basis for final assessment in apprenticeship programmes. The measure is expected to increase motivation and commitment of apprentices throughout the programme. To motivate young people to choose and complete vocational education and training, the Ministry of Education and Research, in cooperation with social partners, World Skills and the School Student Union of Norway (SSUN), rolled...

The economic incentives the State provides for companies that take on apprentices were strengthened during 2015-17. The basic funding for companies accepting apprenticeships increased to a total of NOK 14 000 per training contract. The total effect on the budget for this increase in funding was NOK 300 million.

A special emblem distinguishing training companies was set up in 2015. It is intended to signal to customers that the supplier is an approved training establishment. The Directorate of Education and Training (Udir) has also implemented an online national register for approved training enterprises. All enterprises with at least one apprentice are listed and it is possible to filter by subject, geographic area or by name.

The measure was introduced in 2016. Starting in 2017, companies that participate in public service contracts are required to use apprentices. Public authorities shall require the use of apprentices for contracts worth at least NOK 1.1 million (excluding VAT) that last longer than three months; counties and municipal authorities shall require the use of apprentices for contracts worth at least NOK 1.75 million (excluding VAT) that last longer than three months. The requirement applies to...

Following the social contract for VET 2011-2015 for more relevant and flexible VET, a new upper secondary dual model (Vekslingsmodellen) has been piloted since 2013 as an alternative pathway for learners experiencing difficulties completing the main (2+2 model) VET pathway. The scheme offers the possibility of concluding an apprenticeship contract after year 1 (instead of only after year 2) in the main 2+2 VET pathway.

An evaluation was carried out in 2015 with a focus on organisation,...

The social contract for VET was renewed in 2016 aiming at providing apprenticeship places to all qualified young people who applied, therefore tackling high dropout rates, increasing the number of apprenticeships and the number of adults acquiring a trade or journeyman's certificate. The social contract was renewed by the following parties: the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Government Affairs and a range of social partners (NHO, LO, Virke, Spekter, Unio,...

Within the Youth unemployment action plan (Aanpak jeugdwerkloosheid) 2015-16, work agreements (werkakkoorden) have been concluded (75 in 2015; ended in 2017) between employer organisations, trade unions, large employers, and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. In these agreements, employers express their intention to support young people in finding a job by offering them a place to learn. Employers are also invited to open up jobs to...

Quality agreements centre on a (partly) performance-based funding scheme introduced in 2015. They were concluded between public upper secondary VET schools (MBO schools) and the education ministry and monitored by account managers (ministry officials). Employer organisations, the student organisation JOB, and the Professional Association of Teachers (BVMBO) have a consultative and supportive role. Based on quality agreements, public VET providers have set goals and make plans to improve...

In July 2015, the 2009 apprenticeship protocol was updated. In August 2015 the responsibility for accreditation of the quality of work placements in companies was transferred from the 17 sector-based centres of expertise to SBB.

In addition, new public-private partnerships are pursuing stronger cooperation between VET schools and regional and local businesses in innovative sectors. These actions are stimulated and funded by the Regional Investment Fund (RIF).

From 2014 to 2017, the education...

Pilots integrating the school-based (BOL) and dual/apprenticeship track (BBL) are referred to as GLBB (Gecombineerde Leerweg BOL/BBL). They are taking place between May 2015 and July 2021 in upper secondary VET schools (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs at MBO levels 2 to 4). They are being run under the cooperation of the Council for upper secondary VET schools (MBO Raad) and the Cooperation organisation for VET and the labour market (SBB). Students start in the school-based track and switch to...

Industry placements for teaching staff are presently taking place in following different forms:

1. a recently launched MVEAR, a CPD programme for MCAST industry;
2. Erasmus+ mobility programmes are offered to MCAST teaching staff, enabling them to visit industries abroad;
3. teaching staff voluntarily asks to carry out industry placements, particularly in the summer recess, to keep themselves abreast of developments in the industrial sector relative to their areas of teaching;
4. the activities of the...

The in 2018 Work-based Learning and Apprenticeship Act stipulates that the VET provider is responsible for identifying and supervising the suitability of sponsors and trainers and ensuring that trainers must have sufficient technical experience, technical qualifications and personal competences. The act specifies technical qualifications as a certification recognised by the Malta qualifications framework (MQF) or by international qualification structures recognised by industry in a technical...

In 2016, a unit on employability skills and personal development training was piloted at MCAST's Institute of Community Services and Institute of Engineering and Transport at MQF/EQF level 2, with learners studying for a qualification in electrical and electronics engineering. This unit, comprising 30-hours of training complemented by work placements related to the field of study, covered several themes: communication skills, problem solving, personal management, organisational skills,...

Measures have also been taken to strengthen the involvement of social partners and companies:

1. companies that participate in apprenticeship are awarded a testimonial in recognition of their contribution to the apprenticeship scheme. This third-party endorsement can be used by the companies as a logo to promote themselves and to trigger conformity bias by other companies;
2. social partners, particularly employers, participate in the governing board of the two state VET providers (MCAST and ITS)....

Following consultation in 2016, a draft act was proposed by the education ministry on a framework for developing quality work placements, apprenticeships and internships. It was enacted as a law on 6 March 2018, providing regulations, governance and administration of accredited training programmes for work placements, apprenticeships and internships in VET. The governance of the apprenticeship system was changed as a result of the reform. Subsequently, the system has since been governed at...

Social partners (employer and employee organisations) have been actively involved in the design of the implementing regulations of apprenticeship through participation in the sectoral expert councils. The 2017 amendments of the VET law strengthen the role of the councils in their various roles: promote cooperation between companies and schools; evaluate and collect information about the companies involved in apprenticeship; consult companies on issues related to apprenticeship; evaluate the...

In 2014, the Erasmus+ project National authorities for apprenticeships: Implementing work-based learning in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (WBL-Balt)' was launched, led by the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science. The project partners were: the Ministry of Education and Science (Latvia), Employers' Confederation of Latvia, National Centre for Education (Latvia), Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia, Ministry of Education and Science (Lithuania), Qualifications and Vocational...

The employment reintegration contract, which alternates practical and theoretical training, was implemented in 2016. It allows:

1. employers to pass on their experience and to give a real employment perspective to older jobseekers, people with reduced working capacities or disabled persons;
2. jobseekers to illustrate their specific capacities while at the same time acquiring new competences.

The duration of the employment reintegration contract is 12 months. To benefit from an employment...

The Chamber of Commerce launched several initiatives to promote apprenticeship. In 2016, the Winwin promotion campaign was introduced, aiming to encourage companies to offer more training places for apprenticeship and uses apprentices and training companies as testimonials. In parallel, in 2016, the campaign TalentCheck was launched, and targeted potential apprenticeship candidates. It offered a self-evaluation tool to learners to help them prepare their future professional projects. It can...

Since 2015-16, the following technician programmes have been offered in the form of apprenticeships:

1. Technician in administration and business (three initial years at school and during the last year three days per week in a company);
2. Technician in market gardener (the first year at school, two days per week in a company during the second and third years, and three days per week in a company during the last year);
3. Technician in logistic services: the first year at school and during the last...

The revised VET Act of August 2016 introduced the concept of the final integrated project in initial VET in the CCP programmes (Certificat de capacité professionnelle, Certificate of professional competence). Integrated projects combine theoretical knowledge and on-the-job practical training. The revised act abolished the intermediate integrated project for some VET programmes, including those on full-time attendance, as it proved to be an organisational burden for technical secondary...

In October 2016, a national-level project was launched with the aim of creating a CPD system for vocational teachers and adult educators. The project has been coordinated by the Qualifications and VET Development Centre (KPMPC), under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. It was anticipated that about 700 vocational teachers (almost a third of those working at the time) would participate in training courses relating to key and pedagogical competences for topics...

A range of projects for continiuing vocational education and training (CVET) were planned within the 2014-20 ESF programming period under the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. In the Competences LT project, funding was planned for the training of 6 600 people employed in predefined sectors. The project aims to support beneficiaries in adapting to new jobs, technologies and work processes, and in acquiring or improving qualifications. Its budget was EUR 4 million in...

A new VET Law was adopted on 14 December 2017, with some of its articles coming into force on 1 February 2018 and others on 1 January 2019. The law emphasised the importance of workplace learning and apprenticeship, clarifying the regulation on apprenticeships. It also enhanced the role of sectoral professional committees, in particular with respect to the planning of apprenticeships and the coordination of qualifications systems at a sectoral level. In addition, the law redefined the rules...

A joint Order of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport and the Minister of Economy and Innovation on the Tasks, Functions, Committee, Formation and Financing Procedures of Sectoral Professional Committees was drafted in 2018. It was approved by the ministers in the middle of that year.

Sectoral professional committees (SPCs) are funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, while their activities are supervised and coordinated by the Qualifications and VET Development Centre...

Legislation in 2015 introduced provisions for the implementation of apprenticeships. It stipulated that apprenticeships can be organised by a VET institution together with employers, with practice and theory to be provided in alternating periods at the company and VET provider. The measures stated that a teacher should be appointed by the VET school to manage apprenticeship training in the workplace, while company staff appointed by the employer are put in charge of organising and...

In May 2016, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport carried out a review of EU investments in the VET system for the 2014-20 period. This analysed results from the previous programming period and new proposals, as well as labour market (regional) trends and forecasts. It also offered suggestions for improving the provision of practical training in IVET, either in sectoral practical training centres or other training institutions. The review proposed that selected sectoral training...

The Baltic Alliance for Apprenticeships (BAfA) was established on 22 June 2015 in a bid to increase the competitiveness of those in the region's labour force partaking in VET schemes, with a particular emphasis on work-based learning (WBL). The aim was to raise the status and attractiveness of Baltic VET schemes and encourage regional approaches to their implementation. The ministries of education in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia committed to cooperating in the promotion of apprenticeships...

The 2015 Jobs Act (legislative decree No 81/2015), on the apprenticeship system, and the inter-ministerial decree of 12 October 2015 refer to the role and tasks of trainers in companies and teaching staff.

A trainer in a company is required to (in cooperation with the school-based trainer) ensure training success for young people. The trainer is entrusted with supporting the apprentice's integration in the company, aiding the learner-employee during the in-company training course, and...

In April 2017, the council of ministers approved several legislative decrees aiming to complete the implementation process of the Law 107/2015 The Good school reform. One of the decrees defined new criteria for the recruitment of school teachers. Applicants must be university graduates and must pass exams that take place twice a year. The number of job openings will be estimated based on the needs of each school. Successful candidates attend a three-year training course (work-based learning)...

A National strategy for competences/skills has been launched based on the education and training (Good school) and labour (Jobs Act) reforms. Both reforms aim to improve the competences of young people and adults, including NEETs, and to provide new competences for the (long-term) unemployed and employees. The strategy also links skills with the labour market demand. As a result of the National strategy for competences/skills, cognitive (including basic skills), professional and particularly...

The 2015 reform ( Law No 107/2015- Buona Scuola) aimed to increase specific skills: foreign language (English) and communication skills, through the development of content and language integrated learning, literacy and the Italian language for foreign learners; mathematical-logical and scientific skills; digital skills, ICT, computational thinking; critical and conscious use of social networks and media; musical and artistic skills; entrepreneurial skills; citizenship skills; legal and...

On 13 July 2015, the Italian government adopted a reform of the national education system emphasising alternance between classroom work and periods of workplace training. The main objective is to boost school-to-work transition by increasing employment opportunities and guidance for students. The reform calls for improving the coordination of work-based training in the education system and greater cooperation between schools, local communities and companies.

The two policies work closely...

On 13 July 2015, the Italian government adopted a reform of the national education system called the Good school (La Buona Scuola), emphasising alternance between classroom work and periods of workplace training. The main objective is to boost school-to-work transition by increasing employment opportunities and guidance for learners. The reform has made it compulsory for all learners attending the last three years of upper secondary school to take part in a school-work exchange scheme for at...

Apprenticeship regulations were entirely reformed in 2015 (Legislative Decree No 81/2015). The State-regions conference is in charge of defining the minimum set of education and training standards valid for all regions countrywide. The Regions and autonomous provinces, together with social partners, are responsible for the training component definition and implementation. The National collective labour agreements or inter-sector agreements regulate apprenticeships in detail with the...

In 2019, the Directorate of Education hired a special project manager to develop and coordinate the digital logbook for VET learners, which would serve as an important quality management tool for apprenticeships and increase the attractiveness of VET. The education ministry had planned for a major industry organisation, SA-Business Iceland, to coordinate the work with the occupational councils but by early 2020 the Directorate of Education was also entrusted with that task. The new digital...

For 2015-17, the main emphasis in the education ministry was the elaboration of proposals that a specific working group delivered in 2015. The main ideas of the working group were:

1. the school should be responsible for the training of learners throughout their studies, including the workplace training;
2. the basic education at the commencement of VET needs to be broader and more subjects need to be offered for those who have not yet decided what they would like to study;
3. to develop further the...

The 2025 National skills strategy is targeted at ensuring relevance of education and training to the needs of learners, society and the economy. It is based on active involvement of employers and quality teaching and learning, with a perspective of lifelong learning and inclusion. The strategy points to the need for employers - especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - to provide work placement opportunities for learners.

The Action plan to expand apprenticeship and traineeship 2016-20 in Ireland focuses on the actions required to achieve some of the goals set out in the National skills strategy 2025, the current programme for government in which Ireland aims to significantly grow work-based learning using the apprenticeship and traineeship modes of learning and skills development, and the education action plan. The actions outlined in these plans are funded through a variety of sources, depending on the...

Incentives are given to companies that provide practical training. These include the reduction of contributions to the State based on the number of training placements they provide, as well as receiving extra funding for making investments, recruiting instructors and maintaining apprentice workshops.

As a general rule, enterprises that fulfil specific requirements and are registered by the chamber of commerce and industry, may conclude 12 apprenticeship contracts simultaneously (or, depending...

In September 2016, specific scholarships were introduced for apprenticeship programmes that provide qualifications in high demand on the labour market. Twenty qualifications are covered. In addition, since 2016 financial remuneration and other benefits provided to apprentices have also been available in adult education (monthly payments in evening and correspondence courses have been reduced to 60% and 20% of those provided in full-time education).

From the academic year 2020/21, the Szabóky...

The Ministry of Innovation and Technology, in charge of VET and adult training, established the VET Innovation Council (SZIT) in September 2018. Its aim is to provide a continuous forum between the government and the relevant stakeholders in the VET system. It consists of representatives of governmental bodies, training organisations, chambers, trade unions, advocacy organisations, big companies, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, student representatives and Roma.

Four thematic working groups...

Government Decree 120/2015 classified VET institutions into categories and allowed for the reorganisation of VET schools into 44 VET centres in the counties. A maximum of three centres can be set up in each county with a minimum number of 2 000 learners in each.

The centres serve as an intermediate level of administration between the schools and the National Office of VET and Adult Learning (NOVETAL), which exercises the governing body's powers and ensures the coordination and implementation...

In 2015, the VET concept for the economy was elaborated and carried out via several legislative amendments, aiming to strengthen apprenticeship. The Act on VET and the Act on General Education were amended to strengthen work-based learning, in particular through:

1. assisting students in concluding practical training contracts with employers;
2. reforming qualifications to meet labour market conditions;
3. setting up the chamber guarantee to assist learners who could not find a practical training...

At the beginning of 2017, the Croatian government started a joint project with Cedefop for a comprehensive analysis of the national apprenticeship system. The project includes interviews with apprentices and companies involved, as well as several exchange forums. The aim is to help national stakeholders to plan further development of the national apprenticeship scheme. In 2017, two rounds of interviews were held with 90 respondents from 11 education institutions and 24 companies in six...

In the period from 2016 to 2018, the ministry responsible for economy awarded grants to Croatian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that offered apprenticeships to VET students in craft and trade occupations. In 2016, 34 grants were awarded (total budget of EUR 283 966). The focus was on rare craft and trade occupations. In 2017, the scope was expanded to SMEs offering apprenticeships in all craft and trade occupations (a total budget of EUR 742 999 was awarded for 98 grants, joint...