Edition 70, August 2009

Learning from the European VET system

The National Centre for Vocational Research has released a report which examines the position of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe and discusses lessons for Australia.

Recent developments in educational policy have repositioned VET across the European Union. Europe has been modernising its education and training systems to make them more competitive and to help create additional and better jobs. This has involved reform across several areas, including competitiveness, social cohesion and the structure of qualifications frameworks.

According to the report, a striking feature inboth the European Union and Australia is the wide scope of issues that governments are addressing and the role they envisage for VET.

The key messages from the research were that:

  • Developing common standards for quality and for qualifications frameworks is an important issue.
  • Changes in the labour market are impacting on education. One tension lies in the challenge of balancing educational aims and labour market needs.
  • The number of learners moving between VET and higher education in either direction is still relatively small. One of the significant challenges for Australia is to ensure seamless pathways between the sectors and to build a system of educational choice.
  • Australia could pay more attention to the validation of learning through experience, where, in addition to the outcome, an emphasis is placed on the learner's ability to engage in the learning process. This would inform debate over the meaning of competence.
  • The qualifications, professional development and wellbeing of VET teachers are central issues for European policy-makers, but have not been addressed in any substantial way in Australia. In addition, the centrality of teachers and trainers to reform in Europe is in sharp contrast to the experience of VET teachers and trainers in Australia.

To view the research visit www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2141.html

This page was generated on 25 September, 2009

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