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A review was conducted in partnership with the OECD. The review concentrated on four areas:

• balance in skills;
• lifelong learning;
• innovation;
• governance.

The report identified four priorities:

Priority 1: Securing a balance in skills through a responsive and diversified supply of skills.

Priority 2: Fostering greater participation in lifelong learning in and outside the workplace.

Priority 3: Leveraging skills to drive innovation and strengthen firm performance.

Priority 4: Strengthening skills...

The position paper of this policy is underpinned by a Universal Design (UD) approach and aligns with the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.

The Framework to implement the policy outlines the enhancement of the overall learner experience within FET by:

1. develop & standardise supports and apply good practices;
2. integrate supports via Universal Design (UD);
3. technology to address support needs;
4. more consistent & reflective financial supports;
5. cross-FET Programme Independent Learner...

The strategy was developed by SOLAS, in partnership with consultants KPMG and in consultation with Ireland's sixteen (16) Education and Training Boards (ETBs), public bodies, government departments and key industry stakeholders. The strategy examines crucial sectors including construction, agriculture, transport, energy, hospitality, and finance, identifies critical skills gaps, and presents strategic and sector specific recommendations. The strategy also outlines ways in which FET can equip...

Developing the framework was a collective and collaborative process by the whole of the FET sector, focussing on the needs of learners, who were also a key stakeholder and consulted during the process of drafting the framework.

A writing group was set up that included many different stakeholders in the FET Sector. This group was an important space to discuss ideas and challenges and was imperative for shaping the final content.

There was a 12-month development process, comprising four...

The above report was carried out under the direction of the National VET Team. VET Team is a national panel of key experts from across the Further Education and Training sector that advises Léargas on VET practice, policy, recognition and accreditation of skills. The purpose of the VET Team is to promote and support the implementation of EU VET tools in projects funded by Erasmus+.

The report explored the concept of transversal skills to establish consensus in terms of definition and identify...

The 2023 Innovation and Collaboration Fund was EUR 1 million, with the maximum grant of EUR 50 000.

Organisations that work in the public, not-for-profit, community and voluntary sector were eligible to apply. A minimum of two organisations working together in partnership were required to make an application, with one organisation as the lead applicant, and the other organisation(s) as the partner(s).

The target groups for the ALL Innovation and Collaboration Fund included:

• older adults (55+),
...

The Strategic vision for the development of dual VET (DVET) in Bulgaria-2030 (hereinafter Strategic vision for the development of DVET) was drafted by an expert team, with the financial support of the Fund for the preparation of support measures under the Swiss-Bulgarian cooperation programme. It outlines the general framework for the development of dual VET until 2030, and corresponds to the main strategic documents for the development of education, training and learning in the country,...

In 2015, the government started consultations with social partners, the Public Employment Service (PES) and other government agencies to create fast tracks for newly arrived migrants and to reduce the time from arrival to entry in occupations that face skills shortages. An agreement involving employer and employee organisations assigned the PES responsibility for creating fast track paths for labour market integration. Employment services at local and regional level managed the programme for...

The amendment to the Act on employment services established the Sector Councils Alliance (SCA) as the interest association of legal entities. Membership is stipulated by law containing labour and education ministry representatives, representative associations of employers and representative associations of trade unions. Admission of other members is possible based on the statute of the SCA agreed with the government.

According to law, the SCA 'establishes sectoral councils covering relevant...

The main activities of the project comply with the three aforementioned objectives and six measures. The Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation (MIRRI) serves as the National Coordination Unit while the project operator is the State Institute of Vocational Education in partnership with the Swiss Federal University of Vocational Education. Switzerland has committed up to CHF 5 750 000 covering a maximum of 85% of the total eligible project expenditures over 55...

Internationalisation of VET involves supporting international mobility for educational staff and learners, as well as transnational cooperation among VET providers, particularly through the Erasmus+ programme. Through mobility and transnational cooperation, learners will strengthen their language, digital, and other skills while gaining the opportunity to undertake work-based learning abroad, and teachers will enhance their teaching skills. This measure will also support transnational...

The Policy for the Digital Transformation of Education describes the actions necessary in the face of the digital revolution and sets the framework for state policy in the area of​ ​the digitalisation of education in the following time perspectives: short-term (until 2027), medium-term (until 2030) and long-term (until 2035 ).

It comprises two complementary perspectives: developing digital competences of students and teachers, using digital technologies to strengthen...

Since 2023, the modular VET system has supported the development of a more open and flexible VET. This initiative allows students to dedicate three to six weekly lessons to one or more vocational modules, depending on their duration and credit value, while also gaining first-hand experience with VET school facilities and training programmes.

An individual learning plan is developed in cooperation between the student, their general education school, and a VET institution. Upon completing a VET...

The initiative foresees the development and use of special diagnostic tools, along with the training of specialists to integrate them into daily practice. It also includes the provision of educational institutions with necessary equipment and tools and the establishment of specialised multisensory resting rooms.

The initiative's primary focus is to provide direct support to students in need, by equipping them with tools to assess their abilities and facilitating their adaptation to the...

The target groups of the Database include all the adults with links to the labour market (including students aged 18+ who are preparing to enter the labour market). The Labour Office has expanded its activities beyond unemployed persons to include those who are in employment and want to acquire the competencies needed to retain their current jobs. Additional target groups include persons on parental leave, self-employed persons and senior citizens with links to the labour market (working...

The strategy was developed with the support of EU funding (Erasmus+ 101051428-SNFA-ERASMUS-EDU-2021-AL-AGENDA-IBA).

During the design phase, the labour ministry consulted employers, professional training providers, social partners, regional employment agencies, and NGOs.

The cooperation pillar focuses on updating legislation and strengthening the role of partnerships in adult training, alongside capacity building for training providers.

The personalised learning pillar promotes flexible...

The government wanted to examine possible changes to the Integration Act in 2024 to enable more people to complete upper secondary education (EQF 4), especially vocational education and training (an alternative not a full EQF qualification but a certificate of competence for a vocation (EQF3)), within the framework of the introduction programme. This includes making greater use of the recognition of prior learning and considering a longer duration of the programme for a larger number of...

The purpose of the Skills reform committee is to make structured proposals so that skills reform contributes to the development of skills for the green transition, increased innovation and competitiveness and good public welfare services. The reform will help to reduce recruitment challenges and prevent dropouts from working life as a result of a lack of skills. The work of the committee must embrace all groups in working life, and the committee must come up with proposals for measures that...

The Swedish National Agency for Education will develop vocational courses at a basic level (EQF level 2). These courses will provide fundamental vocational skills, include practical elements, and are counted as partial qualifications which can lead to complete a qualification at lower secondary level, providing access to programmes at upper secondary level (EQF level 4). The courses should meet the skills needs of different industries and be able to lead to work after completing the training...

In 2023, regulations were introduced in the Education Act regarding initial mapping and validation within municipal adult education. The legislative proposals in the bill entail the following in brief:

1. a requirement is introduced for the local municipality to ensure that anyone wishing to have their skills mapped prior to education or assessment within adult education is offered an initial mapping;
2. a duty is established for the provider of adult education to ensure that a student in need of...

The cooperation with the OECD, with its methodology for skills strategies, is an action decided in the context of the proposals of the European Skills Agenda in relation to national skills strategies. More precisely, the European skills agenda recommends joint action by the Commission and EU Member States to develop national skills strategies based on the relevant OECD methodology.

Activities related to the development of the skills strategy are also reflected in the national documents within...

The Modernisation of vocational education and training (VET) (hereinafter Modernisation of VET) project is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the operational programme Education 2021 -27 with direct beneficiary the education ministry. This project is designed to contribute to make VET more agile, responsive to labour market needs and to enhance its attractiveness. The education ministry manages the project activities and ensures the institutionalisation of key developments....

To facilitate the introduction of individual learning accounts (ILAs) in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), developed two pilot models for ILAs.

According to the first model employers may create individual accounts for their employees. These accounts record the qualifications and skills gained through training. It encourages' enterprises to invest in their employees by contributing to these accounts.

The second model envisaged sectoral funds or one state fund to...

The coherent plan for the education system consists of different reforms and initiatives across the entire education system thus targeting a wide array of groups. Although the plan is not an explicit national implementation plan (NIP) measure, many of its initiatives could be considered relevant touching upon various EU priorities. More precisely the intervention areas are the following:

1. Prepared for the future I - new flexible university paths.This reform aims to provide students with new...

The process of review started in 2019 with the agreement on the guiding principles and approach. An international expert panel was appointed, with an internal funding model review advisory group and data modelling working group established to support the panel's work.

The review panel had to review the existing approach to funding ETBs to deliver FET by SOLAS in terms of its effectiveness in delivering on national objectives, facilitating ETB flexibility and autonomy in responding to regional...

Creating a unified tertiary system is one of the strategic priorities of the National FET strategy 2020-24. Key stakeholders, DES, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), SOLAS (the national authority for FET), Higher Education Authority (HEA), Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) and the Irish Universities Association (IUA) agreed on an action plan to work towards a more strategic and consistent transitions approach to FET and...

The National FET Strategy defined that CotFs should have the following characteristics:

1. consolidation: CotFs are single integrated colleges;
2. dual outcome focus: the offer of courses designed to facilitate immediate entry to careers and employment and those that link directly to further study in HE, exploring opportunities for co-delivery with HE institutions;
3. access pathways: supporting a learning pathway from a network of FET providers offering Level 1 to 4 provision;
4. consistent learner...

Ireland's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-25 was launched in 2021 by the Ministers for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Minister of State for Skills and Further Education. The plan aims to expand the types of programmes available and increase the number of apprenticeships to 10 000 per year by 2025. The plan is to ensure equity of access by creating simplified routes to entry, and improved flexibility within the system so that underrepresented groups...

The external review is conducted by review teams. National and international external reviewers are selected for their expertise in one or more specific areas, providing perspectives from education and training, quality assurance, learner voice, community and industry. SOLAS and the Adult Learning Association (AONTAS) provide support to the review teams.

The external review examines the following aspects:

Governance and management of quality

The review evaluates the comprehensive oversight...

In addition to the activities of schools and the Public Employment Service, the Chamber of Labour (AK) and the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) are important providers of services and tools for the vocational orientation of young people.

The Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK) has included the continuous development of its guidance services in the national implementation plan (NIP) 2022.

This includes the following measures.

Expansion and partial shifting of educational and career orientation offers...

The following measures are foreseen:

1. diversifying professional and training choices for vulnerable groups;
2. supporting SEN learners in schools and in providing employment supported by guidance and counselling;
3. supporting students with a native language other than Estonian, including those from a migrant background, in learning Estonian and providing additional Estonian language tuition;
4. reforming support systems for SEN students, including aligning information systems to support flexible...

In 2022, the Centre for Education and Training (ZAWM) in Eupen submitted a new ESF-project application to develop and implement flexible, low-threshold and shorter training pathways, targeting also migrants (including refugees) and learners with disabilities.

Concrete objectives are the development and implementation of:

1. the individualisation of support and guidance for youths and young adults with (multiple) placement obstacles;
2. flexible, low-threshold and shorter training pathways based...

Internationalisation continues to gain importance, also in VET. Skills in globalisation can be developed in the (often multicultural) school context, but only if the education staff have already acquired these competencies themselves. It is even better if learners and teachers are immersed in an international learning work experience. For instance, the Erasmus+ traineeship for VET learners will positively affect the attractiveness of VET in Flanders, but mobility of educational staff should...

The main actions within the key point 'further developing lifelong learning in higher education' of the Higher education advancement fund are:

1. Agile offer of lifelong learning

There is a need for retraining, reorientation and reskilling. This includes developing micro-credentials and reshaping of programmes, in which social partners are involved. It is essential to strengthen cooperation with the private sector, e.g. in the context of dual learning. New, innovative pathways should also be...

There are different kinds of initiatives and events to promote and disseminate VET:

Professional Education and Training Campaigns (Campanha de Educação e Formação)

The campaign targets young people who are in the ninth grade (13-15 years old) when taking an informed and well-guided choice is of the utmost importance. Civil society, and particularly parents and guardians of young people in the third cycle of basic education are also target groups. It will promote vocational education as...

In September 2021, the IEFP signed a financing agreement for the application of EUR 230 million with the Estrutura de Missão Recuperar Portugal, the body responsible for negotiating, contracting and monitoring the implementation of the national recovery plan, as part of the implementation of the investment Modernisation of the supply and of the educational and vocational training facilities.

The financing contract runs until 31 December 2025. It aims to provide 22 000 training workshop...

WorldSkills and EuroSkills are aimed at all young people aged between 17 and 25 who have completed or are attending a qualification programme in vocational education and training. They aim to demonstrate the individual level of skills, rigour and mastery of techniques and tools for the exercise of each profession in the competition, through practical performance tests evaluated according to demanding criteria and in accordance with internationally established technical prescriptions by...

According to the Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA) study University, college or vocational training institution?, based on data retrieved from the 2013/14 school year to the 2018/19 school year, the number of students who chose to study in vocational education institutions together with second part of the basic education programme education has doubled. The number of students who chose to study only according to initial vocational education programmes (ISCED 2) has been...

The PLA programme, targeting migrants aged 16 or over, is organised according to training standards included in the national catalogue of qualifications, at levels A1 to B2 of the common European framework of reference for languages. PLA courses are organised in short training units and their duration varies according to previously achieved language competences. The short training units can be credited for school qualifications or dual certification, as part of the basic or upper secondary...

The local projects promoting qualifications - an adult education and training offer tailored to the needs of the different territories - focus on the motivation of citizens with a low level of education and literacy, which are generally more difficult to engage in training or schooling activities. The target group is adults with very low qualifications (less than ninth grade, including no schooling).

These projects, promoted by the Qualifica centres are based on partnership networks with...

Apprenticeship courses allow for academic and vocational certification, emphasising inclusion in the job market, boosted by a strong training component undertaken in a work context and pursuing higher-level studies. Although dual learning has a strong tradition in Portugal, increased requirements for workers' skills and the need to deal with accelerated scientific and technological development led to a new generation of apprenticeship programmes (Programas de Aprendizagem).

Apprenticeship...

Modular training courses (Formação Modular Certificada) are addressed to adults aged 18 and over, employed or unemployed, who do not have the appropriate qualifications to enter or progress in the labour market, especially, those who have yet to complete basic or upper secondary education.

This is a modality that allows flexible training paths, through the realisation and certification of competence units and/or short duration training units (UFCD), that can be capitalised to obtain one, or...

Adult Education and Training courses (EFA) are a flexible training pathway of variable duration, according to the certification level. They enable the development of social, scientific and professional skills needed for the exercise of a professional activity and simultaneously obtain a basic school level certificate (fourth, sixth or ninth grades) or an upper secondary level certification (12th grade).

EFA courses are addressed to adults, employed or unemployed, with low and very low...

This measure is part of INCODE.2030. The Portugal digital academy is a national initiative that aims to bring digital competences to all Portuguese people including migrants), investing in inclusion and digital literacy, in the education of new generations, in the qualification of the active population, in advanced and specialised training of senior staff and in research. It is a free course aggregator platform where all citizens can improve their digital competences regardless of age. The...

Under the job rotation scheme private and public companies are entitled to receive a job rotation allowance when an employee temporarily participates in continuing education/upskilling and an unemployed is hired as a substitute for the employee during the training period. The company pays the employees their usual salary for the entire training period, as well as any expenses related to the course. The temporary employee must receive a salary according to the labour agreement for the hours...

In 2017, a committee of experts was set up by the Danish parliament to address the declining number of applications to IVET and to rethink pathways that would facilitate the transition from compulsory schooling to IVET.

By 2018, the committee's recommendations were accepted by a majority in parliament, leading to the creation of the Executive Order of the Act on Preparatory Basic Education (FGU). This law provides the framework for education programmes targeted at young people under 25 who...

According to the requirements of the Employment Promotion Act, the national employment plans are prepared every year by a working group with the participation of experts from the responsible institutions, the social partners and the non-governmental sector. They are agreed by the social partners, members of the National Council for Employment Promotion and the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation and are adopted by a Decision of the Council of Ministers.

Priority target groups of the...

The National strategy for regional development 2030 (NSRD) was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 17 September 2019. One of the objectives of the strategy is the development of human and social capital in the following subareas: vocational and higher education, continuing education, labour market and social capital. The strategy outlines several initiatives in these areas:

1. establishing mechanisms to encourage universities to cooperate with entrepreneurs;
2. increasing entrepreneurs'...

Investment in education, training and lifelong skills development brings benefits both to individuals and to society as a whole. Education is the engine for job creation, economic growth, improved social conditions and prosperity.

The strategy focuses on the modernisation of the adult education system by creating opportunities for the use of digital technologies, as well as by increasing the digital skills and competences of the workforce for full participation in digital education and the...

The following five measures are set by the Lifelong learning and counselling strategy for 2021-30:

1. embedding the term 'basic skills' in the Lifelong Learning Act;
2. piloting tools for mapping, assessing and testing basic skill levels of low-skilled adults;
3. improving the digital skills of citizens in line with Reform 6 of Component 17 'Digital Slovakia' of the National recovery and resilience plan;
4. piloting a financing scheme for supporting non-formal learning for low-skilled adults in...

The amendment to the Vocational Training Act in 2020 (Section 7a BBiG), makes it possible to organise part-time vocational training individually in terms of time. In addition to single parents or individuals caring for family members, the option of part-time training is further opened up to additional groups. People with disabilities or refugees, for example, who want to or have to pursue gainful employment next to their training, can now also benefit from the option of part-time vocational...

The White paper (Meld. St. 32 (2020-21), approved on June 2021, presents a comprehensive policy to include more people in working life and society.

The government has identified six areas where there is a need to continue to develop and strengthen efforts to prevent social exclusion and include more people in working life and society: they include better coordination between education, work and health, and better adaptation for users with extensive and complex challenges.

The government...

The VET agreement is to be a common ground of a tripartite understanding, between the government and the social partners, in the following areas of intervention:

1. regulation and governance of the vocational training system (framework and regulation, regulation model and financing sources and quality improvement);
2. further development of the system's instruments and responsiveness (improve the flexibility of the SNQ, strengthen responses to sectoral needs and dynamics and improve incentives for...

The approach underlying the National anti-poverty strategy goes far beyond the definition of poverty as the deprivation of monetary resources, avoiding approaches focused solely on the analysis from a monetary point of view and seeking to make poverty reduction dependent only on economic growth. It is based on a broader vision of poverty, assuming poverty as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, which constitutes a violation of human and citizen rights and requires integrated action...

With the ESF Plus education municipalities programme, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports districts and independent cities in the further development of their education landscape. One thematic focus of the programme is the establishment of digital-analogue networked education landscapes for lifelong learning. Local education authorities also choose specific thematic priorities, for example, in the area of cultural education, democracy building/political education,...

Diplom+ is a customised training programme bridging the transition between school and employment or higher education targeting recent graduates at EQF 4 (both general and vocational programmes), neither in employment or higher education. Diplom+ is a cycle of individually certifying training modules on transversal skills in high demand on the labour market, skills applicable in higher education and everyday life skills. Participants are accompanied on demand by individual coaching sessions....

The programme to develop quality and equality in VET is mainly implemented through comprehensive development projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education. The projects are mainly wide-ranging network projects with one coordinator. This secures the efficient direction of the projects and the transition of the results as part of national development and VET provider everyday routine.

The targets presented in the roadmap and the measures needed to achieve it are based on the state of play in education and research as well as on key factors for changing the education and research environment. Finland's demographic trend is the most significant factor affecting the education system. The birth rate is dropping, age groups are smaller, and people live in growth centres in increasing numbers. The report (roadmap) outlines the guidelines for the future of the Finnish education...

The Swedish Government has increased the funding to the Agency for Higher Vocational Education, to ensure that employers have access to qualified professional skills to create growth. The Agency for Higher Vocational Education has been able to approve more than a 56% increase in the number of study places between 2014 and 2019. The most rapid expansion has taken place in the last two years with an increase of 36% from 2017 to 2019.

A new Act on VET was adopted in June 2017 and entered into force in January 2018. The focus of the implementation of this latest reform is on the following elements:

1. a single Act on VET, i.e. VET for young people and adults within the same framework;
2. a single licence to provide education and to award qualifications;
3. flexible application and admission systems;
4. a clearer range of qualifications that better meets the needs of working life;
5. a single competence-based approach to completing...

As a part of the larger and continuous updating of VET qualifications, which is caused by the changes in working life, the Finnish National Agency for Education is preparing optional competence modules for sustainable development, financial literacy and economic understanding to be included in vocational upper secondary qualification requirements.

The strategic goals included in the Quality strategy are to be put into practice by using development measures. The development measures proposed for each VET actor have been set out for the next 3 years (2020-22). The actors are VET providers, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Agency for Education, working life committees and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. The monitoring and the review of the quality management strategy will take place at the end of the...

The FET strategy 2020-24 was developed in consultation with the FET sector and other key stakeholders. Consultation was wide-ranging and included bilateral meetings, regional workshops and a public call for submissions. Strategy development also involved developing an understanding of the policy context, the evolving environment and the nature of FET provision in Ireland, and then benchmarking this against other international approaches to further and vocational education and training.

A...

This report contributes to the development of the evidence-based FET, in policy and practice, by providing the voice of the stakeholders, learners from some of the most vulnerable groups in society, educators, and employers.

In summary, the main challenges for reducing barriers to FET are: the lack of information and clarity around individual courses; the role of SOLAS and FET in general; addressing the negative socio-cultural attitudes towards FET; improved awareness of, and barriers to,...

The purpose of the call is permanent inclusion of young people in the labour market through innovative projects that enhance their general and specific competences for greater employability as well as active citizenship. It encourages innovative forms of youth work in tackling youth unemployment. The target group are unemployed young people 15 to 29 years of age.

Projects implementing activities were supported in one of the following:

1. work with young people within organisations in the youth...

Tramig is a 2019-21 Erasmus+ project that contributes to successful inclusion of migrants by defining the practice, status and role of intercultural mediators and interpreters working in healthcare; creating a proposal for the occupational standards and vocational qualification of these two professions; creating teacher-training modules drawing on best practices of the consortium partners; training migrants for collaborative teaching in healthcare sector interpreter and intercultural mediator...

The Rules on Slovenian language courses for secondary school students regulate the organisation and implementation of an intensive Slovenian course and additional Slovenian lessons for students whose mother tongue is not Slovenian or who have not completed primary education in the Republic of Slovenia. The rules establish that schools are in charge of organising intensive Slovenian language courses of approximately 160 hours to be held by qualified teachers for teaching Slovenian.

The Rules...

There are many issues being progressed by the different stakeholders involved in the sub-group and the group has served as an excellent mechanism to discuss ideas, share data and good practice that can influence relevant actions, while also providing a platform for considering opportunities for further work and collaboration. Set out below are the key policy areas that are being progressed by individual members of the sub-group, or which are being discussed as a collaborative response, for...

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) joint initiative to provide initial vocational training for young adults Training will be something - late starters wanted (AusBILDUNG wird was - Spätstarter gesucht) started in 2013 and was initially scheduled for three years, before being further developed and continued as Future Starters (Zukunftsstarter) from August 2016 to 2020. The programme has been extended until 2025. Based on the...

The education strategy applies an integrated approach to the development of the education system to make better use of Estonia's high-quality education for the benefit of people, society and the economy.

It continues to support the contemporary approaches to teaching and learning, considers rapid technological developments, strives to ensure the next generation of teachers and the renewal of teachers' roles, and it focuses more on the skills policy, including a clearer division of the roles...

Legislation passed in 2020 introduced special conditions for upper secondary VET graduates to access higher education. They consider VET graduate scores in the final evaluation and aptitude tests, as well as specific tests carried out by each institution to assess if candidates have the necessary knowledge and competences to undertake a particular tertiary education programme. Participation in the exams is voluntary and each higher education institution determines the number of VET graduates...

In 2019, the Council of Ministers of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Education and Labour, Solidarity and Social Security decided that QDRCD should be developed. The QDRCD is based on the DigComp 2.1, which is aligned with the terminology and logic of the European qualifications framework (EQF). The QDRCD adapts the DigComp 2.1 descriptors and translates them into learning outcomes according to the complexity of tasks, autonomy and cognitive domain.

The QDRCD has four levels of...

Based on the white paper, the Ministry of Education and Research published a public consultation on 29 August 2019. The consultation documents suggested that career guidance should be a county municipality responsibility and that the duty to provide career guidance be regulated in the Education Act.

Stakeholders provided their input the ministry processed the responses.

An Employment Committee was established in 2018 to address these challenges. The work was divided into two phases. In phase one, the committee presented proposals for increased employment. In phase two, the social parties and professional experts were included in the work and discussions continued based on the report from phase one and new proposals presented.

In phase one, the committee provided an overall analysis of employment trends of different groups in Norway. In phase two, the expert...

Skills Norway announced grants totalling near EUR 3 million (NOK 35 million) for the development of flexible continuing education programmes in digital competence. These programmes are aimed at companies and employees who need more expertise as a result of digitalisation.

The grant scheme aims to contribute to:

1. development of flexible training programmes for companies in need of expertise to digitise their business;
2. better access to flexible and work-relevant continuing education programmes...

An amendment to the School Act came into force in September 2016, which legally guarantees targeted support for children with special needs. Schools (including VET schools) are now legally entitled to additional funding for the necessary measures for teaching children with special needs. This amendment covers all children with special educational needs, based on their health as well as on their cultural and social environment (i.e. also Roma children). The amendment also covers talented...

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...

In December 2017, the Slovenian Government passed the Decree on the methods and conditions for ensuring the rights of persons with international protection.

To help with the integration into the local environment, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, in cooperation with a person with international protection, prepares a personal integration plan. The plan is based on the needs, knowledge, skills and abilities of the person. It includes various activities related...

Slovenia also participated in Erasmus+ projects that refer to guidance:

1. the 2015-17 Erasmus+ project Guidance and orientation for adult learners (GOAL) to improve guidance and orientation for adult learners. The project focused on those aged 50+, immigrants, and low-qualified job seekers and employees producing recommendations for guidance practitioners and policy-makers. Project partners included the ministry for education, SIAE and CPI;
2. the 2015-17 Erasmus+ project LeadCareer in the scope...

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...

In 2015-17, NQF and EQF levels continued to be added gradually to qualifications and certificates. The NQF and the levelling of qualifications thus became a visible part of national education databases. The framework is operational and forms an integral part of the Danish education and training landscape. Two (interconnected) websites are available: the nqf. dk website, which targets the international public; and the ug. dk website, which provides the national public with comprehensive...

The VET system has been restructured and made simpler. 12 existing access channels have been merged into four (care, health and pedagogy; office, trade and business service; food, agriculture and experiences; technology, construction and transportation. All VET programmes are now structured according to these four areas, giving learners a simpler first choice of specialisation.

A new study regime was established in compulsory school in tenth grade (EUD 10) to help learners prepare to meet...

On 19 December 2018, the Ministry of Finance presented a new policy action targeted at giving young people more room in choosing their education pathway or in changing pathways. Aspects of the initiative include:

1. a new subsidy and taximeter system: the current grant and taximeter system in youth education does not in itself motivate schools to focus on quality and has become too opaque. The government will therefore initiate a review to implement changes and simplify the system;
2. better...

The legislation introduced in 2018 and amended in 2019, aims to promote inclusive education and enable schools to recognise and respond to learners' diversity, individual needs and capabilities. It established a flexible learning model, which addresses the unique needs of learners and targets the acquisition of common knowledge throughout their school paths, regardless of the specific education or training programme in which they are enrolled. This legislation offers learners opportunities...

In education authority VET, the education community can find and create structured teaching material ready to be downloaded and used by teachers and learners in Procomún, the Repository of open educational resources (OER) of the ministry, operated by the National Institute for Education Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF). Another initiative is the Educational Technology Observatory, which provides a virtual library with articles for teachers written by teachers about how to use...

eCollege provides online courses, including computer programming, data science, office productivity and web and graphic design. In 2015, eCollege awarded two major four-year contracts worth EUR 7.5 million to Cenit college and Enovation solutions. Cenit college is responsible for the management of e-tutoring and related support services, while Enovation solutions handles monitoring and reporting services. This eCollege partnership is to ensure that online education and training is...

The Law 92/2012 on the reform of the labour market defines for the first time in Italy the validation of non-formal and informal learning, as one of the key elements to ensure and implement lifelong learning in a comprehensive and systematic manner, establishing rules and regulatory requirements (standards) concerning the characteristics of the system and the stakeholders involved, ensuring transparency, usability and broad accessibility of validation/certification services (IVC).

In recent...

The national strategy to reduce early school leaving in Romania was adopted in June 2015. It is based on prevention, intervention and compensation in thematic/policy areas and addresses the following directions of action/pillars:

1. ensuring access to quality education for all children;
2. ensuring the completion of compulsory education by all children;
3. reintegration into the education system of people who left school early;
4. developing adequate institutional support.

The strategy targets children...

The education ministry has started an international project (with a budget of EUR 350 000) aimed at elaborating a National skills strategy for the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the OECD. A launch conference was held on 29 January 2019 and a final OECD report is expected by the end of March 2020.

In 2015, the government started consultations with social partners, the Public Employment Service (PES) and other government agencies to create fast tracks for newly arrived migrants and to reduce the time from arrival to entry in occupations that face skills shortages. An agreement involving employer and employee organisations assigned the PES responsibility for creating fast track paths for labour market integration. Employment services at local and regional level managed the programme for...

In October 2016, the government commissioned the National Agency for Education to recommend vocational packages for adults. These packages are clusters of courses agreed with industry as entry points into the labour market. They will not only consist of partial qualifications, but also include building blocks that may be transferred and accumulated towards a full qualification. In April 2017, the mission was amended to include bridging programmes aimed at young people, mostly recently...

The National Agency for Education was commissioned in December 2016 to investigate if competence tests at the end of the programme may strengthen upper secondary vocational education by increasing their labour market relevance and by increasing cooperation between the world of work and VET.

In December 2017, the mandate of the National Agency for Education was amended to include a pilot phase to determine whether competence tests may also ease validation of adults' and newly arrived migrants'...

The National Agency for Education launched, in March 2018, a skills mapping web-based tool for persons who have experience in professional work, or equivalent experience, from other countries. The tool assists individuals to become aware of their skills, which in turn can shorten their study time and contribute to improved integration through access to the labour market. It provides information of core content and knowledge requirements for courses in the upper secondary education system in...

The government set up an enquiry: A second chance and another chance - an updated municipal education in 2017 to propose changes needed in the legislation on prioritising groups admitted to municipal adult education. In August 2018, the enquiry presented its proposals to the government for making adult municipal education more responsive to changes in the labour market and to the needs of individuals. It aimed at opening up municipal adult education as a second chance education and as an...

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.

The 2015-20 lifelong learning strategy addressed the acquisition and validation of key competences that help early leavers from education to find jobs. The measures included revision of the validation methodology, quality assurance and training of staff in assessment centres of prior learning. The allocated financing allowed 45 000 adults to acquire key competences.

In order to facilitate access to upskilling for low-qualified adults, the labour ministry introduced EQF level 1 qualifications...

Since 2016, the Youth guarantee implementation plan has put emphasis on initiatives that combine employment with training of the workforce, which gives young people the opportunity to improve their skills obtained during initial education and to acquire new skills through participation in apprenticeships and traineeships. The new Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 continues all the measures of its predecessor.

The Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 focuses on...

In 2018, the regulatory framework for validation and recognition was revised with a view to introducing QA measures for validation and recognition. Specific criteria for certification of evaluator and external evaluator competences and additional requirements for assessment and certification, organised by the assessment centres, were introduced in legislation. By 2019, there were 37 fully functioning local assessment centres that could validate prior learning of candidates, mainly in...

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...

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...