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In June 2015, the government adopted an ordinance, according to which study within the so-called education contracts may be combined with work or work experience, enabling the learners to both apply for study aid and receive remuneration from work.

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...

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...

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...

The Law of 22 November 2018 supports the setting up of the so-called 'ancillary occupations'. Ancillary occupations are targeted at people with minor intellectual disabilities. As a consequence of the change, when introducing a new occupation or changing an existing one, the relevant minister is required to either propose the possibility of establishing an ancillary occupation or to provide justification for why this is not possible. Learners may take the exam in their occupation or in an...

From 2016 to 2020, the Central Management of the Prison Service (supervised by the Ministry of Justice) has been conducting a training project to prepare inmates' return to work after release from prison. The budget of this ESF co-funded project was approximately EUR 31 million (PLN 131 million).

Vocational training courses in different occupations along with labour-market-relevant soft skills training were organised. They were addressed to inmates who voluntarily apply to take part (except...

In 2017/18, the education ministry developed an ESF co-funded project to support 45 schools in becoming local centres for education and knowledge (lokalne osrodki wiedzy i edukacji - LOWE).

Beneficiary groups included adults with low levels of education, unemployed or economically inactive adults, adults aged 45+, and adults receiving certain forms of social assistance and family support.

The measures include diagnosis of participants' needs, vocational courses and other forms of adult...

Since 2016, expanded measures for NEETs have been provided to a large extent through the activities of labour offices at national and regional level, including ESF co-funded initiatives. This includes individualised comprehensive support through diagnosis and needs identification, vocational counselling and guidance, development of individual plans, job placement and various forms of support adjusted to the individual situation.

Labour offices are institutions providing vocational counselling...

From October 2018 to December 2021, the Foundation for the Development of the Education System and the Educational Research Institute are implementing the CHANCE: new opportunities for adults project - a new upskilling pathways project; the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development (currently the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy) is supervising this project, which is aligned with the Recommendation of the Council of the European Union of 19 December 2016 on upskilling...

In March 2017, the government presented a white paper: Desire to learn, early intervention and quality in schools, that foresees timely support for all learners (including VET) with difficulties in reading, maths or writing. According to the white paper early intervention will be strengthened and all learners with difficulties in reading, maths or writing will get intensive instruction in these subjects; also a lower quality threshold will be introduced for them. In 2017, a budget of about...

The Count on Skills (Tel mee met Taal) action plans for 2016-2019 and 2020-2024 both aimed to combat low literacy in the Netherlands. However, the 2020-2024 plan introduced several key enhancements, such as increased funding, broadened target groups, enhanced local collaboration and focus on quality and monitoring.

Part of the new approach is to reach out to illiterate people who have Dutch as their native language. The new joint action plan to tackle illiteracy also includes more emphasis on...

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...

Almost in parallel to the introduction of the Action plan for equal opportunities, new legislation to ensure the right of enrolment in VET for all (Wetsvoorstel aanmelddatum en toelatingsrecht MBO) was adopted in October 2016 and came into force in August 2017. The law paved the way for better guidance before and during transition. It brought forward the registration date (1 April) for all students moving from pre-vocational secondary education to upper secondary VET. This change was...

In 2016, the education ministry proposed ending the connection with bachelor programmes and giving Ad a stand-alone position. In February 2017, the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (Wet op het Hoger Onderwijs en Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, WHW) was amended accordingly.

Since 2018, Ad has become a stand-alone programme. Consequently, these programmes should respond better to labour market and adult learners' needs. A greater variety of Ad programmes will also better suit the needs...

In 2015, within the City deals programme, the labour ministry concluded agreements with the Netherlands' five main cities: Amsterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Leeuwarden, Zaanstad (including: their municipalities, schools, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), employers and intermediate organisations). Measures already developed include awareness-raising meetings in schools and training courses for internship coordinators, teachers and students. A toolbox with methods to tackle the problem has...

In response to a range of surveys showing that students do not always have equal opportunities, and the trend of growing inequality, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science submitted to parliament in October 2016 an action plan for equal opportunities in education. As of October 2017, schools, municipalities and other regional institutes could apply for a grant for the development of interventions, research and knowledge sharing to support equal opportunities. An additional budget of...

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 January 2016, the State Employment Agency (NVA) started the ESF 2016-21 project Support for the long-term unemployed. The target group of the project is those who have been unemployed for 12 months or more, or who have addiction problems that impede finding a job.

Professional rehabilitation for people with disabilities is provided by the Social Integration State Agency. In February 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers approved new procedures by which a person receives State-funded professional...

The implementation plan adopted in June 2015 provides directions for improving the access to education and preventing early school leaving from general and vocational education, especially for young people subjected to social exclusion. Measures include scholarships in initial vocational education; a Youth guarantee scheme providing opportunity for young people to acquire a professional qualification in a short time (one to one-and-a-half year initial vocational education programmes);...

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...

Since 2014, following the adoption of the Youth guarantee, the public employment service (ADEM) and the National Youth Service (Service national de la jeunesse, SNJ) on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth have been implementing guidance-related projects, many of which were part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Erasmus+ programme.

1. The Act! Jeunes project, offered an alternative programme of vocational training using, among others, theatre approaches to help...

In 2018, the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth, in collaboration with Caritas, set up six integration courses of grade 5 level (classes de 5e intégration pour adultes) for adult newcomers, applicants and beneficiaries of international protection who did not complete primary education, did not have a recognised education level or did not have the language skills required to enter the Luxembourgish education or training system.

The two-semester track is offered as day or...

In February 2016, the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth announced changes in the guidance process. To ease 5th Grade (third year of lower secondary school) learners' choice between the many vocational programmes offered, a new guidance procedure was introduced in 2016/17. In the new approach, decisions about possible career paths are only made after extensive discussions between teachers, learners and parents throughout the cycle and the analysis of a series of documents. A...

In 2017/18, ADEM carried out the ESF part-financed COSP-HR project. The project was targeted at jobseekers with disability or outplacement assistance. The project is characterised by close collaboration between the ADEM, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Economy, the Ministry of Family, Integration, the Ministry of Health. It aimed at assessing the competences and health status of jobseekers with psychological and physical disabilities, providing them with guidance, increasing...

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...

The programme, which was approved by the government in April 2016, relates to the country's 2013-22 national education strategy. It aims to create a coherent adult education system and matching lifelong learning with the needs of society and the economy. Among the measures planned (and already implemented by 2018) was the creation of a network of adult education coordinators at municipality level. To support the network, the Qualifications and VET Development Centre (KPMPC) is putting in...

A 2017-20 action plan for lifelong learning was adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science in June 2017, and was later amended in December 2017. The plan replaced the former 2014-16 action plan for VET development and, in part, the 2014-16 action plan for non-formal adult education. It aimed to define objectives and measures for further development of systems for VET and lifelong learning, as well as the organisations responsible, and funds required and their sources (national budget...

In 2016, the education ministry adopted the multi annual National plan for digital education (PNSD). The plan has coordinated government, region and municipality digital resources, as well as managed all the projects focusing on digital education and innovation. The plan can be seen as a consequence of the Good school Law which emphasises the development of digital skills.

The plan aims to link education institutions with lifelong learning and life-wide learning in formal, informal and...

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...

Since 2018, the Directorate of Education has been leading a national campaign for literacy, where all schools at compulsory and upper secondary level are offered assistance. The main emphasis is on compulsory schools, managed by the municipalities, where many have already amended their policies. A movement to assist learners lacking competences is in progress. Many have to deal with dyslexia and get special assistance.

An action plan for the reception of immigrants was approved by the Parliament in 2016, stating that students/learners with a foreign background should have the same opportunities for education as those born in Iceland. Various steps have been taken by individual elementary and upper secondary schools to facilitate better integration, such as by cooperation with NGOs, but specific funding for the actions listed in this action plan has not yet been provided. The Directorate of Education also...

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 2016-20 Narrowing the digital gap national project (GINOP 6.1.2-15) aims to boost digital competences through free-of-charge training for the working-age population across the country, especially for low-skilled adults. The project's aim is to reduce digital illiteracy among adults, to develop their digital basic competences to increase their employability and to contribute to the competitiveness of the economy. The 35 hours of training is based on the training programmes under the...

To achieve its target of reducing early school leaving to less than 10%, Hungary has introduced two projects since 2016: Reducing the number of students leaving VET without a qualification - GINOP 6.2.2 VEKOP/15 and Overall development of VET structures - GINOP 6.2.3 - 17. Vocational training programmes are free of charge for SEN learners. They are also allowed to remain in full-time education regardless of their age. The 2019 reform opened up new opportunities for workers of any age to get...

The 2015 reform of the 2011 Act on VET enabled graduates of three-year VET programmes to automatically continue their studies in the same school for two additional years and to take the upper secondary school leaving examination (matura), which is the entry requirement for higher education. It also introduced the possibility of obtaining two State-recognised VET qualifications free of charge in vocational schools and higher vocational schools, instead of only one as previously. As a result,...

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...

The project Modernisation of the continuing professional development (CPD) system for VET teachers started in June 2017and lasted until 2021. In 2018, an analysis of international best practices and the current teacher training and professional development system in Croatia was carried out, based on market research of general, professional and sector-specific training needs of VET teachers. Guidelines for professional development of VET teachers were drafted, along with recommendations for...

In October 2017, implementing the 2016 strategic framework, the education ministry introduced the initiative A new beginning at EPAL, which included basic skills-enhancing measures, socio-psychological support and integration actions. The initiative was piloted in 2017/18 in nine schools. Many of the programme's actions were launched by individual schools and teachers before they were adopted and enhanced by the education ministry. Promotional events were organised in 2018/19.

A new beginning...

For non-formal VET and in particular CVET, Law 4547/2018, supplementing Law 4186/2013, set new qualitative features for the operation of lifelong learning centres (KDVM), organised around four axes:

1. upgrading the procedure for the licensing of KDVM;
2. accreditation of all training programmes (both CVET and general adult education) by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP);
3. certification of graduates by EOPPEP;
4. determination of...

A December 2015 circular created more opportunities for school staff to work with the business world, including courses for head teachers and CPD modules on entrepreneurship; it also contributed to the CPD of VET school teachers. One of the measures included in the circular introduced compulsory traineeship in companies for teachers.

The June 2015 quality assurance decree was rolled out for the first time in January 2017. It requires training bodies to be able to demonstrate that staff in...

Teacher training was one of the major challenges to be addressed in the Social Agenda (2018-19) developed by the Ministry of Education and Youth. The reform of human resources policy in education promotes support to teams and staff, as well as the empowerment and fulfilment of teaching staff valuing commitment and merit, and reinforcing quality for student success.

A national process of consultation, launched in October 2020, resulted in a set of measures introduced by the Minister of...

A scheme called Students as apprentice teachers (étudiants apprentis-professeurs) was introduced in the 2015/16 school year, replacing a similar scheme called Future jobs for teachers. The scheme is designed for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at the start of their university studies and aiming to become teachers. In this respect they integrate a 3-year pre-professionalisation pathway from the second year of the Bachelor degree. During this training programme, participants...

In 2015, social partners created a professional certificate which recognises basic knowledge and skills needed for the workplace (Certificat de connaissances et de compétences professionnelles). To enhance training for illiterate individuals seeking to earn this certificate, nationally referred to as Cléa, the national agency for literacy (Agence nationale de lutte contre l'illettrisme, ANLCI) created a correspondence chart. This chart effectively links the competences from the ANLCI...

In 2015, the social partners through the national cross-sector jobs and training committee (Comité interprofessionnel pour l'emploi et la formation, COPANEF) created the CléA certificate (Certificat de connaissances et de compétences professionnelles, CléA) for adults willing to certify their key competences for employability and for access to further learning.

The Skills Investment plan (Plan d'investissement dna les compétences, PIC) is a government initiative aimed at improving job related skills and employability of 1 million job seekers and 1 million young people. Launched in 2018, this 5-year plan focuses on providing training programmes to help people gain qualifications that match the needs of the job market. Its goal is to reduce unemployment and promote social inclusion by investing in the development of skills that are in demand,...

A circular from the Ministry of Education issued in March 2016 allows students who made a wrong choice of VET programme to change their mind and move to another programme, whether in VET or general or technological education.

Any student who, at the end of compulsory schooling, has not attained a level of training recognised by a national diploma or a professional qualification registered and classified at or above level 3 of the national register of professional qualifications (RNCP) must be able to pursue studies to acquire a qualification. The State provides the means necessary, as part of its responsibilities, for the resulting continued schooling. Any young person leaving the education system without a...

The 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future provides for:

1. the creation of the agency France Compétences: continuing training in France is a shared responsibility between the State, the regions and the social partners. The new agency, France Compétences, brings together these three stakeholders. It will be in charge of regulating the quality and the price of training supply, and handling funding discrepancies across sectors;
2. reforming funding mechanisms to establish a...

Within the framework of the 2016 State-Regions partnership agreement, 500 new training courses are offered in VET upper secondary schools (lycées professionnels) since September 2017. Almost 70% of these courses lead to national diplomas, with more than 20% of them being offered in apprenticeships or combined school-based / apprenticeship pathways. On completing an initial VET programme, graduates my continue with a second training programme leading to additional qualification, either to...

The 2015 Success in apprenticeship initiative has put in place 142 projects in 20 regions, most involving the local youth employment and social integration centres (Missions locales) in partnership with apprentice training centres (Centre de formation d'apprentis, CFA). Programmes last 12 months and include guidance. The 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future sets up a mechanism to support those target group members who wish to enter an apprenticeship with a view to...

Within the framework of 2016 partnership agreement between the State and the regions to support employment and social inclusion, a strategy was set out to extend the range of qualifications that can be gained through apprenticeship. The aim is to support NEETS and low-qualified young people in access to training and acquire a qualification at EQF levels 3 and 4. At least 11 sectors have expressed interest in the approach, including the construction, temporary work, metalwork, plastics and...

In January 2016, the government launched a plan to create 500 000 training places for jobseekers (Plan 500 000 formations pour demandeurs d'emploi). It included the provision of VET to people in long-term unemployment and training tailored for those unemployed aiming to set up or take over a business. The final total of beneficiaries in 2016 was 945 000. Building on its success, the plan was extended in the first semester of 2017 with 200 000 additional training courses specifically targeted...

The transformation of the vocational high school, which began in 2018, aims to improve the link between apprenticeship and the academic path. It is a systemic transformation (covering content and pedagogy, organisation of pathways, evolution of the training offer) in order to make vocational education more effective and more attractive; it aims to involve VET further in preparing learners for promising future jobs, especially in digital technology and the energy transition. Measures include:

...

In July 2018, a report was published detailing the results of a pilot initiative launched in 2015 that explored new approaches for work-based learning through scheduled and guided on-the-job training. This pilot involved collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and stakeholders such as social partners, the National Employment, Training and Vocational Guidance Council (CNEFOP), the National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions (ANACT), and training funds (OPCAs). The...

The Pathways for the future (Parcours d'avenir) measure, announced in 2015, has been in place in all lower secondary education schools since September 2015. It is available to all learners from lower to the end of upper secondary years (from Sixième to Terminale). A particular focus is placed on apprenticeships.

A practical guide for the implementation of the Parcours d'avenir measure has been circulated to the heads of institutions. It emphasises the importance of raising awareness of...

Apprentice mobility was enshrined in the Labour Code (2017). New legal provisions have come into force, aimed at removing obstacles to long-term mobility in Europe for apprentices and trainees in alternance training schemes. Recent laws reforming the Labour Code (March 2018) and vocational education and training (September 2018) include measures that apply to all young people under the apprenticeship contract (contrat d'apprentissage) and the professional development contract (contrat de...

Social partners have been involved in the design of the reform, along with regional authorities, chambers of commerce, and experts. Stakeholder consultation lasted from November 2017 to January 2018. The September 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future includes provisions regarding apprenticeship and work-based learning.

1. The opening of new apprentice training centres no longer requires administrative approval (previously issued by the regions). Sectors and businesses...

In May 2016, the Finnish government launched an action plan for the better integration of immigrants in all types and levels of education, including vocational training. The plan, which is targeted at supporting immigrants, foresees an increase in the preparatory training for initial vocational qualifications (IVET) and competence-based qualifications (CVET). The general language proficiency requirement should no longer be an admission criterion for VET, but the education provider still...

The Action plan for youth employment (2019-21) includes initiatives in relation to vocational training aimed at enabling young people under 30 years of age to acquire competences or professional experience, upgrade their qualifications and increase their employability.

The Reincorpora-T plan 2019-2021, approved in April, aimed at the long-term unemployed, is one of the measures implemented to contribute to the development of a new, more inclusive production model and is committed to intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. It considers and recognises, through active employment policies, the labour potential of the active population that is related to situations of long-term unemployment or precarious employment.

There are multiple initiatives to raise the skills of young people and workers (employed or unemployed) in ICT and the digital economy. Different public bodies are involved, in some cases in partnership with industry.

Red.es, a public entity for the promotion of the information society, is currently in charge of the following schemes:

Digital professionals youth employment - this scheme is part of the digital agenda for Spain 2013-15, and is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF)...

In the education system, the process towards an integrated vocational guidance system was initiated in 2018. A working group was set within the General Council for Vocational Training, with the aim of laying down basic principles and legal provisions. In guidance under employment authorities, the Action plan for youth employment (2019-21) foresees the hiring of 3 000 professional counsellors by the regional PES to provide guidance services in connection to the common services portfolio. The...

The new government, in power since June 2018, reorganised the administration. The change of name in the education administration state, now the Education and Vocational Training ministry (previously Education, Culture and Sports), reflects the new strategy to promote VET. In October 2018, the Government presented the Strategic plan for vocational training under education authorities. In February 2019, the Council of Ministers published the Agenda for change (Agenda del Cambio). The agenda...

Employment authorities have reflected the policy priority given to dual VET and apprenticeships, including them as structural objectives in the 2017-20 Spanish employment activation strategy approved in December 2017. The strategy takes into account recommendations made to Spain both within the framework of the National reform programme and by the European Network of Public Employment Services (SPE-UE Network). The strategy covers dual and alternance training, regarded as key elements for...

Dual VET is being developed in cooperation with the Autonomous Communities. The ministry of education and vocational training (2018), in cooperation with the main stakeholders, is pursuing the regulatory work necessary to develop dual VET at national level, also monitoring and assessing the results of regional pilot experiences so as to meet the needs and characteristics of the Spanish business world.

The initial draft was presented to social partners in May 2018, but the new government...

The Employment programme includes a package of measures for workers at risk of unemployment. The main target groups are:

1. workers with no professional or vocational education;
2. those whose skills are outdated;
3. workers whose knowledge of Estonian is poor;
4. those who are older than 50 years of age;
5. workers who cannot continue their present work due to health issues.

The VET and training-related measures include:

1. a study allowance scheme to support participation in VET and higher education;
2. people at...

In the Youth programme, measures and activities to achieve the overall goal of providing young people with ample opportunities for self-development and self-realisation are stipulated. For example, the programme offers services to (re)integrate young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) into education, and to improve their employability. For this, youth workers locate NEETs (for example, through networking), motivate them, and provide them with individualised support.

Since...

The orientation year aims at easing the transition from compulsory education to VET and/or to the labour market. It is a preparatory study programme for young people who lack the skills or readiness to choose a profession.

Vocational orientation is targeted mainly at pupils with difficulties in deciding their field of studies, learners with SEN, learners who have dropped out from VET or upper secondary general education, NEETs, learners with a migrant background, or those lacking the basic...

In 2015, the study allowance for VET students was increased to prevent dropout for economic reasons. The terms and conditions for travel allowances were changed to remedy previous unequal access to this benefit. In 2016, accommodation allowances (up to EUR 50 per month) were introduced, in particular for VET learners in schools with no dormitory facilities, and for learners with special educational needs. As of December 2018, the target group benefiting from compensation for purchase of a...

The programme was adopted in 2015. It sets out a roadmap and offers a framework for increasing the qualification levels of the labour force, decreasing the structural labour shortage and enhancing the employability of graduates by responding better to changes in labour demand. A smoother transition from education to employment will be ensured and opportunities to participate in lifelong learning will be expanded.

The programme is implemented through a single measure (linking studies to the...

This continuing professional development (CPD) requirement for VET teachers is based on a competence needs analysis carried out by the ministry to accommodate the goals of the 2015 reform. Training focuses on: learning processes and learners' progression; related classroom management; planning and differentiated teaching; practice-related teaching and helping learners to link college-based and company-based learning; activating learners; use of ICT in teaching and learning. Training modules...

Following the enormous influx of refugees in 2015-16, BIBB expanded its support offer to trainers on developing intercultural competences and training refugees. Since 2016, diverse activities promoting the intercultural competences of in-company trainers were provided on the web portals Foraus.de (BIBB), Ueberaus.de (BIBB) and stark-fuer-ausbildung.de (Strong for apprenticeships, by the DIHK chambers association).

The project Qualiboxx was replaced in 2016 by the online platform Überaus...

The web portal, Digital media in VET, has provided information since 2015 on the use of digital media in VET and selected project findings. The portal offers a project database and map, including 222 projects in the following seven categories: didactics/methodology, learning in the work process, creation of content, learning location cooperation, competence assessment and documentation, mobile learning, and web 2.0.

The portal also features a selection of products developed by the funded...

The 2015-18 Alliance for initial and further training was agreed between the Federal Government, Federal States, business and industry, the unions and the Federal Employment Agency at the end of 2014.

Within the alliance, sectors committed to providing 20 000 places annually for introductory training (transition programme), which has been implemented: 17 500 young people took up this type of training in 2015 and 21 000 in 2018. Evaluations showed that around 70% of young people moved into...

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) offers a telephone information and guidance service supporting individuals who are considering their further education and qualification options. The telephone guidance service started as a pilot project in 2015-16 to analyse demand for such a service and explore potential success factors in contextual situations in the different Federal States. It became a permanent service in 2017 with an annual funding of EUR 500 000. Since May 2018,...

To provide young people with the best possible one-stop support in the transition from school to work, local alliances known as JBA have been established in many places since 2011 (first in Hamburg but ten years later widespread in Germany with more than 350 agencies). This is where the various players responsible for vocational guidance and social support coordinate their efforts at the regional and local level. The alliances that have been established vary greatly. It takes time to work...

Since December 2016, a dedicated website informs and supports young people in their career choice free from gender clichés; it also serves all actors involved in career guidance processes (schools, parents, companies). Support tools include fact sheets, best practice examples, guidance, working materials, event announcements and news, further links and contacts.

Responsible stakeholders for this initiative on the Federal and Federal State levels are the Ministries of Family Affairs, Senior...

The legislative process for amending the Vocational Training Act started in November 2018. Several key changes to be introduced:

Introducing a minimum training wage for apprentices.

Apprentices starting their training in 2020 will receive a minimum wage of EUR 515 per month. This will increase by 18% in the second year of training and by 35% (based on the first year) in the third year. For apprenticeships starting in 2021, the minimum wage will be EUR 550 in the first year of training, for...

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs BMAS has drafted the Skills Immigration Act in December 2018, in the context of its Strategy to secure skilled labour. The Act features the following:

1. access for specialised staff from non-EU countries, along with recognised vocational training for all occupations, without restriction for bottleneck occupations;
2. measures for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications become more attractive and practical, including quicker, closer...

Since 2015, in line with the federal ESF integration guideline, the IvAF integration programme (Integration of asylum seekers and refugees) has contributed to the sustainable integration of asylum seekers, asylum applicants and refugees in training and employment through comprehensive counselling including qualification, placement and support provided during the first weeks of employment or training. The networks act as door-openers for the target group in companies and vocational schools,...

Partial qualifications (Teilqualifikationen, TQ) are educational offers, which allow learners to gain vocational qualifications through systematic, successive qualifications based on the dual training regulations. Once the total of the partial qualifications is completed, the learner can take an examination for external candidates. The work on procedures for certifications and the development of training modules is continuing. There are several current projects on TQ, including:

1. the employer...

In 2016, the legislation promoting further training (AWStG) was amended. It improved the financial conditions, under which the low-qualified, the long-term unemployed and older workers could access CVET, in particular through allowances during training and financial incentives for passing exams.

On 18 December 2018, the Qualification Opportunities Act (Qualifizierungschancengesetz) was adopted, and came into force on 1 January 2019. The act introduced the right of people in employment to...

Nationwide standard support measures anchored in the Social Code (e.g. SGB III) cover the transition from school to work, for example with various forms of vocational preparation and continuous support during training. The main measures are: vocational orientation, training entry and placement support, introductory training (internship placement), vocational preparatory measures, assistance during training and vocational training grant.

In 2016, measures within the Educational chains...

The Pact for VET (Der Berufsbildungspakt) includes the following measures, partly addressing work-based learning:

1. modernising the framework conditions of VET, particularly in view of digitalisation;
2. improving permeability and transparency through provision of vocational guidance, designating equivalent qualifications and improved progression opportunities;
3. modernising infrastructure in VET schools and training centres, particularly in view of digitalisation;
4. continuing professional...

Training projects jointly funded by the European Social Fund and contributing to key competences have been developed during the reporting period: the Prokop project (2016-19) supplements the training offer of the public employment service with continuing training in financial literacy, citizenship skills and soft skills for inactive people and people at risk of unemployment. For selected beneficiaries, training is supplemented by individual guidance; the Support for foreigners project...

Czechia has in place a Digital literacy strategy for 2015-20 aimed at supporting digital literacy of adults through continuing education and lifelong learning. The action plan for the strategy was adopted in 2016. The measures are specified by target group: employees, self-employed, unemployed, people at risk of digital and social exclusion and families. The first implementation step was taken in mid-2016 by launching the DigiStrategie 2020 project. The goal of the project is to provide...

The mission of this programme was to support young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) aged 15 to 29 and wanted to undertake entrepreneurship initiatives. The programme promoted the development of business culture among young people in Cyprus. Through this supporting mechanism, young people with limited knowledge and networks were given the opportunity to discover their business potential, develop viable businesses and create decent working conditions for...

Since 2017, the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (HRDA) is including the acquisition of basic digital skills for employees over the age of 35 in the single- and multi-company training programmes that it subsidises. Both schemes aim at providing continuing training to meet the training needs of employees as well as the unemployed who are registered with PES (i.e., in multi-company training programmes). The Cyprus Productivity Centre (CPC) of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and...

The education ministry is coordinating the implementation of the project 'Establishing a mechanism for the validation of non-formal and informal learning'. The project is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Republic of Cyprus. This project has supported a mapping study of the current situation in Cyprus on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Based on this mapping study, an overall National action plan for the creation of mechanisms for the validation of...

The 2015 Pre-school and School Education Act (PSEA) emphasises the important role of key competences for active citizenship and for successful integration into the labour market. It outlines an integrated approach to key competences in general education and vocational education and training (VET) curricula. The state education standards include vocational units, based on learning outcomes, for communication in a foreign language, ICT and entrepreneurship (integrated in 2017), as well as for...

The 2016 amendments of the VET Act regulate the structure of the State education standards for the acquisition of qualifications. The structuring of qualifications in terms of units of learning outcomes is the main principle of ECVET, providing flexible learning pathways. In 2017 and 2018, the number of the State education standards (SES) described as units of learning outcomes increased significantly. The SES were approved by orders of the education minister and were published in the...

Following the 2015-20 VET development strategy adopted in October 2014 (and the updated VET strategy in Bulgaria for the period 2019-21), the VET Act was amended, introducing the legislative basis for validation of prior learning in VET. Validation, using the State education standards (SES), can be carried out by VET providers for professions included in the national list of VET professions (LPVET), and could lead to qualifications at EQF levels 2 to 5. The procedures for partial validation...

Thanks to the financial resources of the European Social Fund (ESF) made available within the framework of the Youth employment initiative 2, pilot training courses have been set up with experienced partners:

1. MolenGeek: training as a mobile web developer - or coder / coder in everyday language - and in e-marketing;
2. BeCode Brussels: training as a mobile web developer, AI data developer / developer, Devsecops (cybersecurity training).

Launched in March 2017 in Brussels, these projects intend to...

Bruxelles Formation (BF), the French-speaking public service in charge of vocational training in the Brussels Region, has a training centre dedicated to language learning: BF langues.

BF langues provides training in French as a foreign language, Dutch and English for employment purposes at its training centre and at the vocational training centres run by Bruxelles Formation and its partners.

The teaching approach is skills-based, occupationally targeted and interactive and the methodology is...

The FPIE programme enables an employer to take on a qualified job seeker for a period of one to six months, to improve his or her skills according to the specific needs of the company. After the training period, the employer has the obligation to hire the trainee under an employment contract, at least equivalent to that of the duration of the in-company training. The training must be at least half-time. During the in-company training, the employer pays neither salary nor social security...