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Apprenticeships in work-based learning
Among its activities on apprenticeships, Cedefop provides systematic evidence on apprenticeship systems and schemes in all EU Member States, plus Iceland and Norway, through:
- Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes – it offers information about apprenticeships at the country level[1] for all EU member states (also at sub-national level for Belgium and the UK) and at the scheme level[2]. The database covers only apprenticeship schemes considered as such in the national official definitions, that have a stable/valid legal basis, are system-level or mainstream schemes and share the following features: lead to formal qualifications, foresee a formal contractual relationship between employer and apprentice and compensation for the latter. Information is being revised and updated by Cedefop and its community of apprenticeship experts (2019).
- Cedefop’s database on financing apprenticeships in the EU (forthcoming) – it will provide information on how apprenticeship schemes are financed in the EU Member States, at the level of financing arrangements (i.e. the whole system of financing apprenticeship scheme, such as sources of funding, actors involved, main financial flows, level of key costs) and at the level of financing instruments that are in place to incentivise employers and individuals (training funds based on levies, tax incentives for companies and individuals, and grants for companies and individuals
Information provided by Cedefop databases on apprenticeships can also be referenced to the criteria set by the Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EFQEA, 2018). The table below presents a first referencing exercise between Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes and the EFQEA criteria. Referencing of Cedefop’s database on financing apprenticeships in the EU to the EFQEA will follow soon. Questions or variables of Cedefop online databases that provide relevant information are listed below each EFQEA criterion[3].
To see country-specific information relevant to the EQFEA, you may visit the corresponding database (links provided in the first column), select the corresponding country or scheme fiche and look for the specific question(s) or variable(s) in which you are interested. In the following months the referencing exercise will be fine-tuned and retrieval of information available in Cedefop databases relevant for the EQFEA will be more direct and interactive.
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EFQEA criteria for learning and working conditions: relevant information available in Cedefop databases on apprenticeships |
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| 1. Written contract | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q27. Is any contractual arrangement between the learner and company, required as per regulation? |
| 2. Learning outcomes | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q16. Which is the type of qualification obtained through the apprenticeship scheme? |
| 3. Pedagogical support | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q35. Is the company hosting apprentices required by regulation to follow a training plan at the workplace? |
| 4. Workplace component | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q23. Is there a distinction between the training time and working time for the period spent at workplace, as per regulation? |
| 5. Pay and/or compensation | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q28. What is the nature of the contractual arrangement? |
| 6. Social protection | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q28. What is the nature of the contractual arrangement? |
| 7. Work, health and safety conditions | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q28. What is the nature of the contractual arrangement? |
| 8. Regulatory framework | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q1. Is there a stable legal basis for apprenticeships in your country? |
| 9. Involvement of social partners | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q38. What is the role of chambers, employers’ and employees’ representatives, sectoral councils (if existent), in shaping apprenticeship content, as per regulation? |
| 10. Support for companies | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q12. What are the sources of financing of the direct costs for the in-company training part of the apprenticeship scheme? |
| 11. Flexible pathways and mobility | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q17. Is the qualification included in the National Qualification Framework (NQF)? |
| 13. Transparency | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q9. Is there any organization at the national level with roles in co-ordinating the scheme? |
| 14. Quality assurance and graduate tracking | |
| Cedefop European database on apprenticeship schemes questions |
Q9. Is there any organization at the national level with roles in co-ordinating the scheme? |
[1] Country fiches describe apprenticeship systems in relation to their legal bases, official definitions, educational level of apprenticeships and how well they are established in the country (questions 1 to 5).
[2] Scheme fiches are organised around the following content categories (questions 6 to 39): target group, overview of the scheme, duration, alternation of work-based with school-based training, formal relationship with the employer, compensation and responsibility of employers.
[3] Supporting evidence is provided for all EQFEA 14 criteria but one, i.e. criterion ‘12. Career guidance and awareness raising’. This refers to apprenticeship implementation level, while Cedefop databases draw information from the countries’ legal bases and stable features of their apprenticeship systems and schemes.
