Post added by Anastasia Pouliou
One of the main events during of the European vocational skills week 2018 was the presentation of the main findings of Cedefop’s research on the changing nature and role in Europe. The aim of this project has been to improve our understanding of how VET is changing in the European Union countries (including Norway and Iceland). Over a three-year period (2016-18), the project analysed how vocationally oriented education and training has developed and changed in the past two decades (1995-2015) and, on this basis, pointed to the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector today and in the future.
Our conference in Vienna, ‘VET in Europe – taking stock and looking ahead’, gathered more than 400 participants from Europe and beyond! Learners, policy-makers, practitioners and social partners actively engaged in a discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing European VET at a time of rapidly changing demographics, technologies and labour markets.
Competing narratives
During the first day of the conference it was pointed out that two different VET-stories are told in Europe today. There is a negative narrative where VET is seen as becoming increasingly marginalised and where the number of candidates attending initial vocational education and training is bound to decline. There is, however, a positive narrative where the work and practise orientation of VET is seen as crucial for the modernisation of all education and training. Conference participants were invited to reflect on these seemingly contradictory narratives in a series of thematic workshops. I moderated one of the workshops entitled 'VET at higher levels; the tension between academic and vocational drift'. The main objective of that session was to reflect upon the increased focus on employability that is observed as well as the emphasis on the role of practice and work-based learning both inside and outside traditional universities.
VET scenarios 2035
During the second day of the conference three scenarios for VET in 2035 were presented – the pluralist, the distinctive and the special purpose/marginalised VET. I had the opportunity to present the ‘difficult’ scenario of special purpose and/or marginalised VET. Its key components are: skills training for labour market inclusion; VET is mainly for adults in need of reskilling or upskilling or at risk of social exclusion and unemployment; no pathway in particular but emphasis on labour market (re)entry; type of provision will be short training courses with some on-the-job training.
It is important to mention that these scenarios have not been designed to predict the future but rather to inspire and provoke a debate on the on how different strategies can influence VET structure, content and outcomes in the years to come! The scenario approach was very positively received by the participants in the conference and led to a lively debate during the event. (Please take a look at Cedefop’s recently published briefing note ‘What future for vocational education and training in Europe?’ which elaborates the three scenarios in some detail).
The feedback during the conference and the finalisation of the future scenarios will be published by Cedefop during spring 2019. I personally look forward to the final stage of this exciting project!
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