EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 1.7.2020 SWD(2020) 123 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT […] Accompanying the Commission Proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience































{COM(2020) 275 final}



Contents 1. Introduction 2. Political context 2.1. VET policy in Europe 3. State of play of VET 3.1. Prevalence, benefits and outcomes of VET 3.2. Member States progress towards common (Riga) priorities 3.2.1. Priority 1 - Promote work-based learning in all its forms, with special attention to apprenticeships 3.2.2. Priority 2 - develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET and continuous information and feedback loops 3.2.3. Priority 3 - access to VET and qualifications for all 3.2.4. Priority 4 – strengthen key competences 3.2.5. Priority 5 - initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors 3.3. Overview of EU support 3.3.1. Legal acts 3.3.2. Fostering exchanges and mutual learning 3.3.3. Policy initiatives 3.3.4. EU funding and support programmes 4. Potential scenarios (policy options) for developing further Union policy on VET 4.1. Presentation of the potential scenarios

4.2. Assessment and conclusions of potential scenarios (policy options) 5. Key elements of the Proposal 5.1. Preparatory work for the proposal – consultations and evidence 5.2. Vision and actions for modernization of VET at national level 5.3. Integration of ECVET and EQAVET – future of the tools 5.4. EU support initiatives 5.4.1. Platforms of Centres of Vocational Excellence 5.4.2. Support services for VET 5.4.3. EQAVET Peer Reviews 5.4.4. European Vocational Core Profiles 5.4.5. Capacity building of providers of vocational education and training 5.4.6. SELFIE tool for VET schools and work-based learning 5.5. Monitoring and indicators for the VET policy framework 6. Conclusions

1.Introduction Skills are critical to ensure competitiveness, innovation capacity and social cohesion in Europe. Vocational education and training (VET) is the sector of education and training closest to labour market and is at the forefront of providing skills and qualifications, to successfully drive forward the digital and green transitions. It supports young people to make the transition to work, and adults to remain employable throughout their working lives and adaptable to changing tasks, work environments and career evolution. Given the overall economic and societal trends and the EU ambition to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050, the importance of continuing training for the workforce and the need for up-skilling and reskilling is growing. In 2018, 48.4 % of young Europeans were enrolled in upper-secondary education and training (at upper secondary level). Following a vocational education and training pathway opens up good employability perspectives on the labour market: 80% of VET graduates find their first long-term job within six month of finishing their studies. Meanwhile, all people of working age living in the EU need to engage into further vocational training to keep up with changes on the labour market, but less than half of them do so. Traditionally, VET programmes were seen to prepare individuals for jobs in medium-skilled occupations. Even if declining, such occupations continue to represent the largest share of jobs currently available in the labour market. However, the need for higher skills also paved the way for expansion of VET qualifications to higher levels. Based on Cedefop employment projections, job openings requiring medium-level qualification will continue to represent the largest share of all job-openings (46% of all job openings over the period of 2016-2030), closely followed in number by job-openings requiring high-level of qualification (43% of all job-openings). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted standard learning activities in education and training systems including for VET across Europe. Despite the fact that Member States have quickly moved towards digital learning solutions, the outbreak has put the resilience of the system to a test. The situation in VET was further aggravated by the fact that practical learning – in form of work-based learning and apprenticeships – has been suspended in most sectors.

The transition to a digital and climate-neutral economy will have a massive impact on sectors that traditionally rely on VET graduates, whether in the energy production sector, transport, construction, or manufacturing, to name just a few. At the same time, forecasts also show positive projections for job creation linked to decarbonisation process both in industry and services that employ traditionally VET graduates, including construction, waste management. However, current systems do not seem fit to address the skills challenge raised by the deep changes triggered by digitalisation and move to a climate-neutral economy. The numbers of young people choosing VET are decreasing and the take up and offer of upskilling and reskilling of the workforce is very low. Demographic trends show that employers can not rely solely on new generations to take up new job opportunities, but they need to increasingly tap into the talent of all people of working age by supporting their continuing vocational education and training. Investments in continuing vocational education and training are not alligned with the scale of the challenge to support the green and digital transitions through upskilling and reskilling. Access to quality vocational education and training is uneven and exposure to work based learning seen as a pre-requisite to enhance the labour market relevance of VET programmes is far from being the norm across the EU. The European Semester put a strong focus year after year on the need to support structural reforms in vocational education and training, and recently more attention is put to boost continuing vocational education and training. The economic recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak is an opportunity to accelerate reforms in VET and strengthen its resilience, notably by digitalising learning tools and agile adaptation to changing labour market needs. This includes paying attention to the need to ensure access to digital tools and technologies for every learner, teacher and trainer, as well as appropriate guidance measures. Digital tools such as simulators, virtual and augmented reality have the potential to increase the accessibility and efficiency of training, notably to small and medium-sized companies providing apprenticeship places. Inter-company training centres and Centres of Vocational Excellence can also play an important role here. The pandemic is expected to lead to the deepest recession in the EU’s history and young people entering the workforce at this time will find it harder to secure their first job . Earlier crises have shown that young people are indeed likely to be hit hardest. Further strengthening VET systems is therefore crucial for the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, as VET has proven an essential part of the efforts to support youth employment in the previous economic and financial crisis . Notably apprenticeships, work-based learning, but also short-term VET programmes targeting unemployed, proved to be a pathway to increased employability and easier access or return to the labour market. The present proposal contributes to a high quality of the offers, in particular, for apprenticeships and other vocational programmes, made under the Youth Guarantee by ensuring labour market relevance, digitalisation and environmental sustainability of VET. It will also call for reinforced support for apprenticeships reforms and European Alliance for Apprenticeships to renew and boost commitments for quality and affective apprenticeships opportunities. Modernisation of VET systems is also warranted as the world of work and skills is changing. On-going developments such as automation and digitalisation of production and services continue to reshape the labour markets. In addition, the broader twin transitions towards a more digital and greener economy will require VET to adapt to ensure that VET learners acquire the skills needed for the green and digital transitions while also reconfirming and strengthening the central role of VET in the lifelong learning continuum. The Common Union vocational training policy as defined in the Treaty of Rome, has been taken forward by the launch of the Copenhagen process in 2002 bringing together Member States, social partners, Commission and supported also by associations of providers of vocational education and training. The enhanced cooperation on vocational education and training has been driven by series of Ministerial meetings which have defined priorities in a form of Declarations and Communiqués, notably the 2010 Bruges Communiqué and the 2015 Riga Conclusions. The aims and priorities pursued under this process contributed to the objectives set out in the Strategic framework for education and training (ET2020), and the 2016 Skills Agenda gave a further strong boost to the Union VET policy. In addition, as part of the VET policy framework, two specific VET instruments have been developed and implemented since 2009 to support Member States in improving the quality of their VET systems (the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework in Vocational Education and Training - EQAVET) and in making VET more flexible (the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training - ECVET). Recent evaluation of these two instruments show areas where they have had a positive impact and areas where their impact has been more limited. They also indicate the need to enhance the articulation between these two instruments and the overarching VET policy agenda as well as the broader skills and qualifications instruments such as the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Europass. With the policy framework for European cooperation in education and training and specific priorities for VET ending in 2020, there is an opportunity to define a new and more ambitious Union policy on VET that responds to the challenges described above. The overall objective should be to modernise the EU’s VET policy to meet the large upskilling and reskilling needs driven by the common ambition to be fit for the challenges of the 21st century, in particular to become a climate neutral Europe and to support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience was announced in the Communication " A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions " of 14 January 2020 . It is an important part of the ongoing implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights strengthening principle 1 “education, training and lifelong learning”. The new VET policy agenda places VET at the core of the lifelong learning continuum, strongly interlinked to all other education and training sectors, while also being a driver for innovation, competitiveness, employment and social cohesion policies. Therefore, the proposal is firmly embedded in other upcoming Commission’s policy initiatives, notably the Commission Communication on the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience , on the Communication on Youth Employment Support - A Bridge to Jobs for the next generation , the Digital Education Action Plan, the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020), and the European Education Area, which cover all levels and types of education and training. At the same time it is an opportunity to consolidate the existing VET policy framework at European level by integrating policy agenda, EU VET instruments, governance structures and working methods in one single legal act. This will increase the visibility of VET policy at European level and serve as a single point of reference and a blueprint for VET modernisation. The proposal also responds to a call addressed to the European Commission from Member States and social partners in the Opinion of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training to prepare a proposal to streamline and consolidate the EU VET policy framework, governance and existing EU instruments in a form of an overarching Council Recommendation on VET. Scope of the proposal The Commission Proposal for a Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience aims at renewing the EU’s VET policy by: a)modernising the Union policy on VET supporting the transitions to a green and digital economy in times of demographic change as well as upward convergence of national VET systems. Given the crucial role VET and, in particular, apprenticeships play in improving employability, the proposed modernisation will equally support the fight against youth unemployment. It will also include the increased use of digital tools and continued digitalisation of VET systems, which will contribute to increasing their resilience. b)confirming the central role of VET in the lifelong learning continuum and its strong links to all education and training sectors, which calls for permeability and transparency, c)streamlining the European cooperation process in the field of VET by integrating and adapting the instruments for VET quality assurance (EQAVET) and flexibility and tailored provision (ECVET), d)simplifying VET governance at Union level (related to integrated ECVET and EQAVET Recommendations) and defining the working methods, types of support activities at Union level and a monitoring framework to assess progress towards the implementation of this Recommendation, in full coherence with the broader governance framework for education and training,

Concretely, for actions to be taken at national level, the new elements are the following: ·Underlining the crucial role VET systems play for the young people entering the labour market and adding that VET systems should play an equally important role for the adults in need of continous up- and reskilling; ·Granting VET providers a level of autonomy to allow them to react quickly to skills challenges, offer fast reskilling programmes and work in close partnerships with employers; ·Modularising VET programmes and expanding them to higher levels of qualifications and microcredentials; ·Linking VET to forward-looking economic strategies and innovation systems; ·Promoting Centres of Vocational Excellence (through Erasmus+) linked to smart specialisation strategies and offering innovative services that include business incubators, support to start ups and technology diffusion in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to make VET resilient and fit for increased digitalisation, digital readiness and to foster transition from sectors that are in decline to new growing sectors; ·Embedding environmental and social sustainability into VET curricula and organisational management; ·Ensuring better permeability between the systems of education and training; ·Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the digital readiness of VET institutions, by promoting new learning environments, tools and pedagogies in particular linked to digitalisation, catering for both VET specific and transversal curricula and content, and by including the digitalisation aspect in the EQAVET framework; ·Increasing attractiveness of VET for learners and companies, including micro, small and medium-sized, including through internationalisation and increased opportunities for mobility of learners and staff through the Erasmus+ programme and other funding opportunities; ·Addressing gender bias and gender stereotypical choices and supporting diversity and inclusiveness; ·Defining a set of indicators and objectives to enable both quantitative and qualitative monitoring of performance of vocational education and training systems. In addition to reconfirming the role of the tripartite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT), the proposal also puts forward the following new elements at EU: ·Providing support service that caters for the various dimensions of VET systems (e.g. apprenticeships, Centres of Vocational Excellence, continuing vocational education and training, quality assurance), bringing together the management of several separate support structures (EQAVET and ECVET secretariats, apprenticeship support services, expert working groups; ·Supporting the digital readiness of VET institutions through the reinforced deployment of the SELFIE tool and its gradual extension to cater for work based learning ; ·Promoting European VET as a global reference point in skills development and boosting mobility and recognition of vocational education and training qualifications/diplomas and the outcomes of learning periods abroad, including through development of the concept of the European Vocational Core Profiles as part of Europass platform and complemented, where possible, by vocational digital content; ·Introducing a peer review process on quality assurance in VET to support upward convergence in quality, transparency and mutual trust. 2.Political context Climate change, environmental degradation and tehcnological development will have a major impact on our societies and our way of life, which will lead to radical transpormations. These transformations present both opportunities and challenges for the EU’s economy, industry and citizens: jobs will disappear and new ones will be created, and the existing ones will undergo change requiring new skills and a high degree of adaptability from the individuals. At the same time, the European population is aging and is becoming more and more diverse. Employment increasingly concentrated in urban centres and rural depopulation create difficulties in optimal provision of services including education and training and infrastructures (e.g. broadband) in remote areas. Opportunities for continuing learning, beyond the initial education and training, are critical to cope with the changing nature of and fluctuating demand for work. Vocational education and training (VET) is the sector of education and training closest to labour market and is the most important sector in providing labour market relevant skills and qualifications to both young people to make the transition to work and to adults throughout their working life to remain employable and adaptable to changing tasks, work environments and career demands. With the overall economic and societal trends and challenges, the importance of continuing training for the workforce and the need for up-skilling and reskilling is growing.

The scale of the challenge is significant. The numbers of young people choosing VET is decreasing, while the EU is far from attaining its current very modest participation target of 15% of 25-64 year olds engaging in learning in the past four weeks. There is therefore a need to define a new and more ambitious policy agenda for the next decade to help the EU remain competitive and socially cohesive, to meet the goals of its industrial, green, innovation and digital strategies, and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission has proposed a bold and comprehensive plan to repair and prepare for the next generation. The plan presents a roadmap on how to kick-start the European economy, protect and create jobs, boost the green and digital transitions, and make it fairer, more resilient and more sustainable for future generations. It underlines that improving and adapting skills, knowledge and competences has become all the more important. The Next Generation EU will raise new financiing on the financial markets for 2021-2024 for the the newly proposed Recovery and Resilience Facility and REACT-EU . Both programme will include investments in skills, education and training to lay the basis for a green, digital and resilient recovery. The Commission has also adjusted its proposals for the future European Social Fund Plus to give even stronger support to for youth employment measures and education and skills. As part of the Recovery Strategy, the Commission has also proposed to provide substantial additional funding of EUR 30 billion for the Just Transition Fund, bringing the total to EUR 40 billion. This funding will be used to alleviate the socio-economic impacts of the transition towards climate neutrality in the regions most affected, for example, by supporting the re-skilling of workers. This links in with the European Green Deal, which is the EU’s new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. Investing in a more circular economy has the potential to create at least 700,000 new jobs by 2030 and help the EU to reduce its dependency on external suppliers and increase its resilience to global supply issues. The upcoming Renovation Wave will focus on creating jobs in construction, renovation and other labour-intensive industries. The transitions in these areas lead to an increased need in re- and upskilling. VET programmes can play a key role in delivering on these skills. The Commission also adopted a New Industrial Strategy for Europe to address the twin challenge of the green and the digital transitions. It calls for decisive action to make lifelong learning a reality for all and ensure that education and training keep pace with the twin transitions. It also calls on higher education and VET to provide more scientists, engineers and technicians for the labour market. Equally, the SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe highlights how an increasing number of SMEs is confronted with the challenge of finding the necessary skills and the fact that availability of skilled staff or experienced managers remains the most important problem for a quarter of SMEs in the European Union . VET is particularly relevant for SMEs to make sure that their workforce has the skills needed on the labour market. The opportunities and challenges of the ongoing digital transformation and Europe’s policy response have been outlined in the strategy Shaping Europe’s Digital Future, which highlights the need to invest in education and training and digital skills of all Europeans. The Commission Communication on ‘A Strong Social Europe for Just Transition’ sets out the road towards an Action Plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. It presents EU level initiatives that support the implementation of the Pillar and launches a broad discussion with all EU countries, and regions, and with all our partners. To place skills, employability and human capital centre stage, the Commission is coming with the reinforced Skills Agenda. The Communication also sets out that The Commission will also further develop the objectives of the European Education Area - to make it easier for learners to move across borders in Europe and will improve access to quality and inclusive education and training for all- and establish a new education and training cooperation framework with the Member States covering all education and training sectors. 2.1.VET policy in Europe According to the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union, Article 14, everyone has the right to education and to have access to vocational and continuing training. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 156, specify that the Commission shall encourage cooperation between Member States and facilitate the coordination of their action in all social policy fields including employment and basic and advanced vocational training, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training. Article 165 states clearly the responsibility of Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems, but also that the EU shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action. Article 166 of the TFEU calls on the Union to implement a vocational training policy which should support and supplement the action of the Member States, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training. The Union actions should facilitate adaptation to industrial changes and improve initial and continuing vocational training in order to facilitate vocational integration and reintegration into the labour market. Strong vocational policies are also essential in order to achieve the goal of promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change, set in Article 145 TFEU. The Copenhagen Declaration, adopted as a Council Resolution in 2002 launched the European strategy for enhanced cooperation in vocational education and training (VET) to improve cooperation, promote mobility and increase the transparency and recognition of competences and qualifications (‘Copenhagen process’) as voluntary process of an open method of coordination. The process has been steered by the tripartite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) established in 1963 and Director-Generals for VET. Furthermore, VET policy framework at EU level is supported by different expert and stakeholders bodies such as the Expert group of EU providers association of vocational education and training, European Alliance for Apprenticeships, groups related to the implementation of the ECVET and EQAVET Recommendations, the ET 2020 Working Group on VET and adult learning. The Europass Decision was adopted in 2004, seeking to support the transparency of skills and qualifications by providing instruments to individuals, namely a portfolio of 5 standardised Europass document templates which facilitated the communication and understanding of skills and qualifications in a consistent way. The European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) was established in 2008 through a European Parliament and Council Recommendation with the aim to improve the transparency, comparability and portability of people’s qualifications in Europe. The Recommendation created a common reference framework of eight European generic levels of learning where each level was defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence. With intensive cooperation with Member States and social partners, two specific VET instruments were developed and established in 2009 through Recommendations of the Council and the European Parliament. The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) set a reference framework to support Member States in improving the quality of their VET systems and to contribute to increased transparency of VET policy developments between Member States, thereby promoting mutual trust, mobility of workers and learners, and lifelong learning. The purpose of the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET ) was to make VET learning pathways more flexible, allowing learners to obtain qualifications by accumulating credit (assessed units of learning outcomes) earned in different locations, settings and timeframes. After the financial crisis and against the backdrop of high youth unemployment rates, the conclusions of the November 2010 Council underlined the important contribution VET systems can potentially make to the Europe 2020 strategy. The Bruges Communiqué in 2010 recognised the urgency to invest in high quality vocational training and promoted a set of actions to increase the quality of VET in the following decade. The Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning invited Member States to put in place arrangements for validating non-formal and informal learning linked to national qualifications frameworks and enable individuals to obtain full or partial qualifications on the basis of validated learning outcomes acquired outside formal education and training systems. The Riga Conclusions in 2015 identified five medium-term priority areas in which vocational training could be further improved until 2020. The focus was placed on promoting work-based learning, quality assurance, enhanced access to VET, the strengthening of key competences and the professional development of VET trainers. The 2016 New Skills Agenda for Europe reconfirmed the Riga priorities and identified 10 areas for action. As part of its priorities for action ‘Making VET a first choice’, the Skills Agenda proposed the possible revision of the EQAVET and the ECVET in order to increase the attractiveness of VET through quality provision and flexible organisation. Furthermore, it highlighted the need to support opportunities for learners to undertake a work-based learning experience as part of their studies, and a Recommendation on the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships (EFQEA) which was adopted by the Council in 2018. The proposal of the Skills Agenda to gain better information on the labour market outcomes or learning progression of higher education and VET graduates lead to the Council Recommendation on tracking graduates adopted in 2017. The Recommendation calls upon Member States to improve the availability and quality of data about VET and higher education graduate outcomes by 2020. The Skills Agenda also proposed the revision of the Europass framework. The new Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on Europass, adopted in 2018, establishes a platform that will offer an e-Portfolio tool for users (e.g. job-seekers, learners) to store information on their skills and qualifications, create CVs and applications. It serves as a web portal with information on qualifications and qualification systems, guidance, validation, recognition and other topics related to skills and qualifications to help Europass users. The new Europass service supports use of authentication services (e.g. digital signatures/certificates) to reflect the increasing use of digital technology to exchange information. The framework for digitally signed credentials supports authentication of a diverse range of credentials over time e.g. qualifications, course credentials, records of experience, certification of skills, recognition statements. It is important to note that the Europass service for digitally signed credentials does not replace quality assurance, accreditation or other national public or private systems but offers technical solutions that issuers, holders and recipients of digital credentials can use. The technical framework is built on open standards and is made available for use on a voluntary basis, free-of-charge to users. The Skills Agenda also initiated the revision of EQF. The revised European Qualifications Framework Recommendation, adopted in 2018, consolidates the purpose of the EQF, namely to improve the transparency, comparability and portability of people’s qualifications. In addition, it outlines in its Annex IV the quality assurance principles for qualifications that are part of national qualifications frameworks or systems referenced to the EQF. Annex V of the Recommendation outlines principles for credit systems that are related to NQFs referenced to the EQF. The priorities of the 2016 New Skills Agenda are highly relevant for the first principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights proclaimed in 2017 and they are also supporting the objectives of the European Education Area by 2025 launched in 2017, notably on ‘improving the inclusive, lifelong-learning based and innovation-driven nature of the education and training systems’.

The Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills is a new strategic approach to mobilise stakeholders to develop demand-led sectoral skills strategies in Europe. It provides a strong basis to launch larger efforts. To date it has been piloted in additive manufacturing; automotive; batteries; bio-economy; construction; defence technologies; energy value chain digitalisation and energy-intensive industries; space; maritime technologies; maritime shipping; microelectronics; steel; textile-clothing-footwear-leather; and tourism. The Council Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad invite Member States to put in place the steps necessary to achieve, by 2025, automatic recognition of higher education and upper secondary qualifications, as well as recognition of the outcomes of learning periods, without making learners go through a separate recognition procedure. The Recommendation stresses the need to further develop quality assurance instruments in vocational education and training in line with the European Framework for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training and its further developments with a view to foster transparency and build trust in each other's secondary education and training systems. What concerns facilitation of mobility and recognition of the outcomes of learning periods abroad, the Recommendation calls on extending the use of the EU tools developed in VET: such as those made available through the Europass online platform and the Memorandum of Understanding and Learning Agreement that are part of the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training. Another relevant European policy development in the field of education and training was the launch of the first full version of ESCO, the multilingual classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations in July 2017. In July 2018, the Commission adopted the Implementing Acts required by Article 19 of the EURES Regulation to guide and support Member States to map their national classifications to ESCO, or adopt ESCO directly into their systems. This adoption marked the start of the 3-year period for Member States to comply with the requirements of the Regulation. Mapping the national skills classification to ESCO will have the potential to use a standard terminology to describe the details of a job, the professional profile of a job seeker or the content of a learning outcome thus to achieve greater transparency of skills and qualifications. Funding for Member States is ensured by the European Social Fund which from 2014 to 2020 has been investing € 6.4 billion in youth employment and € 27 billion in education and training measures. Under the Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020) almost € 3 billion is assigned to VET for mobility, cooperation and reforms in the education sector. 3.State of play of VET 3.1.Prevalence, benefits and outcomes of VET Vocational education and training (VET) is a comprehensive term commonly used to refer to education, training and skills development in a wide range of occupational fields, production, services and livelihoods. Vocational education and training activities can take many forms – ranging, for example, from guided training received on-the-job, to non-formal training opportunities, to formal or preparatory programmes spanning education levels from lower-secondary education to tertiary education. Traditionally, VET programmes were seen to prepare individuals for jobs in medium-skilled occupations, which, even if declining, continue to represent the largest share of jobs currently available in the labour market. In 2018, in EU28 41% of all jobs were in occupations requiring a high-level qualification; 50% of all jobs were in occupations requiring a medium-level qualification and further 9% of jobs were in occupations requiring only a low-level qualification. Figure 1: The share of jobs by level of qualification needed, 2018 Source: Eurostat, EU LFS, 2018, online data code [ lfsa_egais ]. Reading note: share of jobs calculated based on the number of employed persons aged 15-74. According to ISCO 08 classification of occupations, jobs requiring high level (i.e. tertiary) of qualification are classified within the occupational groups of Managers (ISCO 1), Professionals (ISCO 2) and Technicians and associate professionals (ISCO 3). Jobs requiring medium level (i.e. upper-secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary) qualification are classified within the occupational groups of Clerical support workers (ISCO 4), Service and sales workers (ISCO 5), Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (ISCO 6), Craft and related trade workers (ISCO 7) and Plant and machine operators and assemblers (ISCO 8). Jobs requiring only a low level of skills include the occupational group of elementary occupations (ISCO 9). In terms of actual job opportunities, based on Cedefop employment projections, job openings requiring medium-level qualification will also continue to represent the largest share of all job-openings (46% of all job openings over the period of 2016-2030), closely followed in number by job-openings requiring high-level of qualification (43% of all job-openings). Figure 2: The share of total job openings by level of qualification needed, 2016-2030, EU28

Source: CEDEFOP Skills Forecasts 2016-2030. Extracted from Skills Panorama online article: https://skillspanorama.cedefop.europa.eu/en/analytical_highlights/skills-forecast-key-eu-trends-2030 Over the last decades, given the expansion of jobs in occupations requiring high-level of qualification, in many countries VET programmes that target to deliver higher-level skills, a number of which lead to tertiary qualifications, have also been introduced (European Commission, 2016). For example, around two-thirds of EU Member States, report having vocational/professional programmes at ISCED 5 – short cycle tertiary education level (Eurostat, 2017). Furthermore, a third of OECD countries also report programmes with professional orientation at bachelor’s and master’s levels, even if definitions on programme orientation at these levels are not yet agreed internationally (OECD, forthcoming). Figure 3: The level and orientation of educational attainment of young adults aged 30-34, 2018 Source: Eurostat EU LFS, 2018, online data source [ edat_lfs_9914 ]. Tertiary level includes vocational, professional and academic qualifications. The data is sorted by the proportion of individuals without a qualification leading to a direct entry to the labour market, i.e. those with either a low or medium-general qualification. Nevertheless, despite educational upgrading, still a large proportion of young adults do not attain a qualification which leads to a labour market entry (i.e. a vocational or a higher education qualification). In the EU27, out of all adults in the age group 30-34 (when the majority of young people have completed their initial education and training), 9.8% have achieved at most a medium-level qualification of a general orientation, and 16.7% a qualification below an upper-secondary level diploma (i.e. being low qualified). These figures suggest than more than a quarter of young adults in the EU do not attain a qualification with a direct labour market relevance. There are, nonetheless, significant differences among countries – for example, in Czechia or Croatia this share is up to 10%, whereas in Malta and Portugal, it is above 50%. Overall, the largest share of VET learners are concentrated in educational programmes at upper-secondary level. They make-up nearly half of all learners enrolled at that level. Over the last 5 years, given the demographic developments, the absolute number of VET learners enrolled at upper-secondary level declined by a little more than 5%, however in relative terms the share of VET learners has declined only by 0.5 p.ps. Figure 4: The share of learners enrolled in upper-secondary VET programmes Source: Eurostat, UOE data, reference years 2013 and 2017, online data code [ educ_uoe_enrs04 ]. Reading note: the data is sorted by the enrolment share in 2013 in descending order, Data on enrolment share in 2013 in the Netherlands is not available. Overall, the largest share of VET learners are likely concentrated in educational programmes at upper-secondary level, they make-up nearly half of all learners enrolled at that level. Over the last 5 years, given the demographic developments, the absolute number of VET learners enrolled at upper-secondary level in EU27 declined by a little more than 5%, however in relative terms the share of VET learners has declined only by 1.3 p.ps. over the same period (Eurostat, 2017). When looking over a longer period since 2005, for countries where data is available the enrolment in VET seems to have been rather stable, with only a few exceptions - in several countries enrolments have declined significantly (notably in Sweden) while in several others it has substantially increased (notably in Ireland, Portugal and Estonia). In terms of study field, the largest group of upper-secondary education graduates from VET programmes are specialised in technical fields (i.e. engineering, manufacturing and construction), but business, administration and law, as well as services, are also popular fields for VET graduates. Gender differences are substantial, with women being less likely to have a VET degree in most countries, and those who have a VET degree specialising in different fields than men. For example, in 2017 in the EU28 women represent only 13% of learners in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction, or 16% in the field of information and communication technologies. On the other hand, 82% of learners are women in the field of health and welfare (Eurostat, 2017). Gender imbalances in particular fields or types of programme, for example, can raise equity issues – in an apprenticeship system dominated by the construction sector, the benefits yielded by apprenticeships fall disproportionately on men. Policies typically aim to address this in two ways: widening the coverage of programmes (e.g. expanding apprenticeships into traditionally female occupations) and encouraging entry into non-traditional occupations (e.g. encouraging women to train as electricians).

Figure 5: The share of young adults aged 30-34 with a medium-level VET qualification out of total cohort of 30-34 year olds, 2009 and 2018 Source: Eurostat EU LFS, 2018 and 2009, for 2018 data, the online data code is [ edat_lfs_9914 ], 2009 data was provided to DG EMPL by Eurostat as a special data extraction from EU LFS 2009 ad-hoc module on young people in the labour market. Reading note: data for 2009 is based on a LFS ad-hoc module on young people in the labour market. The definitions of VET in 2009 and 2018 might not be fully comparable, but both sources cover only VET at medium level (i.e. upper-secondary – ISCED 3, or post-secondary non-tertiary – ISCED 4 programmes). Data for 2009 were provided for DG EMPL by Eurostat as a special data extraction. Data on the share of VET graduates in 2009 in Malta is unreliable and for Croatia is not available. Similarly to the proportion of young adults who pursue a VET pathway at upper secondary level, which seems to have declined only slightly on average in the EU27, similarly the share of young adults whose highest level of educational attainment is a medium-level VET qualification has slightly declining from 34.8% in 2009 to 33.8% in 2018 (Eurostat, 2018). Figure 6: Exposure of recent graduates (aged 15-34) with a medium-level vocational education and training qualifications to work-based learning, 2016 Source: Eurostat, LFS ad-hoc module on young people in the labour market, 2016, special data extraction for DG EMPL . Reading note: Recent graduates are defined as individuals who have graduated 1-3 years before the survey. VET at medium level includes qualifications from upper-secondary (ISCED 3) or post-secondary non-tertiary (ISCED 4) education and training programmes. The data also include those still enrolled in education or training. Operational Eurostat definition of apprenticeship includes remunerated, curriculum-related work-experience during studies, of at least 6 months in duration. Data on share of recent graduates exposed to all work-based learning is not reliable for Malta and Croatia; data on share of recent graduates exposed to apprenticeships is not reliable for Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain; data on share of recent graduates exposed to other types of work-based learning apart from apprenticeships is not reliable for Cyprus. An important feature of many high-quality VET programmes is a systematic integration of work-based learning components (e.g. traineeships, apprenticeships, dual-system education programmes), bringing about a variety of benefits for learners and future employers (OECD, 2019; JRC, 2020). Notably, apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning considerably facilitate the transition of young adults into the labour market. In 2016, in the EU only 63.2% of young adults who were not exposed to work-based learning were employed, compared to 69.1% for those with mandatory traineeship experience and 83.7% for those with an apprenticeship experience. However, on average only 59. 3% of recent graduates (aged 15-34) from vocational education and training in EU27 reported to have been exposed to work-based learning in 2016, with 25.7 % being part of an apprenticeship-type programme and 33.6% having profited from other types of work-based learning. The outcomes of VET graduates, given restrictions in data, can most reliably be assessed for individuals graduating from VET programs at upper-secondary level and not continuing at higher levels of education, comparing with the labor outcomes of individuals graduating from general programs at the same level who also do not continue study at higher levels. These can be considered the two most similar groups of individuals for comparison, even if some important differences remain between the two, on the one hand due to tracking of individuals at earlier stages of education and on the other due to different propensity, depending on educational pathway, to continue studies at higher levels. In this regard, a major review done by the OECD recently analyzed in detail the outcomes of VET from this perspective (OECD, forthcoming). Figure 7: Employment rates of recent graduates aged 20-34 by educational attainment level, 2018 (%) Source: Eurostat (EU-LFS, 2018, online data code [ edat_lfse_24 ]). Reading note: data on the employment rate of low qualified includes all young adults aged 20-34 not enrolled in education or training no matter how long ago they completed their education. Medium-level educational attainment covers educational qualifications at upper-secondary (ISCED 3) or post-secondary non-tertiary (ISCED 4) levels. Data for medium and highly qualified include only individuals who have graduated 1-3 years before the survey. The data exclude those still enrolled in education or training. The data is sorted by the employment rates of recent graduates from medium vocational programmes in a descending order. For Croatia, data is not available for the employment rate of graduates from medium-level programmes of general orientation. When comparing the outcomes of VET at upper-secondary level, it is found that in general graduates from VET at upper-secondary level have higher employment rates and lower unemployment rates than graduates from general programmes at the same education level. Work intensity among VET graduates is also slightly higher than among general education graduates. VET graduates have broadly the same outcomes in terms of job quality as general education graduates, although there are some dimensions in which the former group performs slightly worse than other graduates, even when they have similar characteristics and work in similar jobs (OECD, forthcoming). VET graduates have moderately higher wage levels than general education graduates although this level is substantially lower than for tertiary education graduates, even when they work in similar jobs. VET graduates are also less likely than general education graduates to report being ill prepared for their job and are more likely to work in occupations that match their education level. Nevertheless, a significant share of VET graduates work in occupations that do not match their field of study. Furthermore, fewer VET graduates are employed in high-skill occupations, compared to general education graduates (OECD, forthcoming). For VET graduates to be resilient in a changing labour market, it is imperative that they have strong foundational skills. However, the Survey of Adult Skills shows that, in many countries, VET graduates have lower numeracy, literacy and problem-solving skills than general education graduates. At the same time, only a relatively limited share of VET graduates participate in job-related training, although they have seen stronger growth in training participation in the past ten years than other graduates. In spite of the importance for VET graduates to up-skill and re-skill, they show low interest in training (OECD, forthcoming). Apart from formal (initial) education and training, covered above, also non-formal (continuing) education and training is seen as an increasingly important part of VET systems. This is also evident at the European level, where the Council since 2003 have set a benchmark to highlight the ambition to increase adult participation in learning (of which the majority is job-related). Despite this ambition, progress towards achieving the benchmark has been slow, both due to difficulties in changing the behaviour of (mostly) private actors but also in part due to weaknesses in the definition of the indicator, which considers participation only during a reference period of 4 weeks, as it is measured in the EU Labour Force Survey. Such a short reference period is not ideal for monitoring adult learning, where majority of learnings undertake only just one or two learning activities over a period of one year. Notably, lack of progress with regard to the original indicator could in part be explained as a statistical artefact caused by low sensitivity of the existing indicator measuring adult learning in the EU Labour Force Survey (JRC, 2020). Conversely other, specialised surveys - such as the EU Adult Education Survey or the EU Continuing Vocational Training Survey, which have indicators on adult learning that are more comprehensive, both show a steady increase in the prevalence of learning among adults (Eurostat, 2018). Figure 8: Share of adults (aged 25-64) participating in education and training (12 months reference period), 2011 and 2016

Source: Eurostat, AES, 2011 and 2016, special data extraction for DG EMPL provided by Eurostat. Reading note: the indicator represents the share of adults aged 25-64 who report to have participated in at least one formal or non-formal education or training activity, excluding guided on the job training or informal learning. The data is sorted according to the share of adult learning in 2011 in descending order. Data not available for Croatia in 2011. There is break in time series between 2011 and 2016 in Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden. Therefore, it is proposed for the analysis of adult participation in learning to rather use a more comprehensive measure, i.e. participation over a 12 months period. Based on the data from Adult Education Survey, in the EU27 adult learning participation rate has increased from 35% in 2011 to 37.9% in 2016. 3.2.Member States progress towards common (Riga) priorities In 2002, the Copenhagen process has laid the foundations for a systemic approach in VET reforms at European level. For nearly two decades, Member States, European Economic Area, candidate countries and European social partners have been working closely on joint priorities for vocational education and training (VET). Based on a long-term vision agreed in 2010 together with a set of shorter-term priority areas (Bruges communiqué), in 2015, they renewed their efforts in fewer and broader priority areas to raise quality and status of VET (Riga Conclusions). The Riga conclusions set five medium-term deliverables (MTDs), which have been addressed by the countries to a different extent depending on their starting point and respective contexts. In a 2016 Cedefop survey, the Directors General for VET assigned relevant priority to the MTDs as follows (see Figure 1): strengthening work-based learning, with specific attention to apprenticeships (MTD 1), followed by access to VET and qualifications for all (MTD 3) and teacher and trainer professional development (MTD 5); quality assurance and feedback loops (MTD 2) and key competences (MTD 4) were ranked lower by the countries (Cedefop, 2016) . Figure 9 - Riga Priorities for 2016-20 in the EU-28+ NB: 26 respondents. Source:Cedefop based on the survey among the Director Generals for VET in the Member States in 2016 (Cedefop, 2016). In its mandate, Cedefop has closely monitored and analysed the progress of EU28+ countries toward the agreed objectives, collecting evidence on common trends, achievements and challenges and identifying examples of practice that can inspire others. 3.2.1.Priority 1 - Promote work-based learning in all its forms, with special attention to apprenticeships Promoting apprenticeships continued to be high on the European policy agenda and in 2015-19, apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning (WBL) expanded and became central to several EU-level and many national actions and initiatives in VET. Most countries introduced system level reforms such as setting up or updating their legal frameworks, updating and clarifying rules and regulations or expanding apprenticeship to new programmes at higher levels. Some countries worked to clarify roles and responsibilities of different actors especially employer organisations and chambers. This area will be on countries’ agenda for the years to come. Example 1: Alliance for dual training in Spain; Baltic alliance for apprenticeships and work-based learning In Spain, the Alliance for dual training was created in 2015. It is a network of companies, VET institutions and research centres to support the development of dual VET through creating a quality dual training model, assisting SMEs participating in dual VET, and contributing in improving legislation. To be admitted to the alliance, companies must have remuneration systems for their apprentices, ensure that trainers and tutors are properly trained, and involve higher level managers in dual VET. Latvia together with Estonia and Lithuania, launched the Baltic alliance for apprenticeship and work-based learning in 2015, which aimed to involve social partners and VET providers in promoting work-based learning/apprenticeships and make VET more attractive. Source: Cedefop Many countries focused on making apprenticeships more attractive for employers and learners. Incentives are increasingly used to encourage enterprises to offer training places; most of these are financial subsidies or tax exemptions. Some countries have started designing non-financial incentives such as developing ‘labels’ and certificates to companies to recognise the quality apprenticeship they provide. School-business cooperation was reinforced through increased participation of labour market stakeholders, sharing responsibilities and strengthening partnerships in shaping VET, in programme design and teaching. Despite the efforts this area requires more attention and further exchange through peer learning as well as increased matchmaking between schools and businesses.. The findings of Cedefop’s thematic country reviews on apprenticeship conducted in 2014-2018 point out that countries find it particularly difficult to distribute and coordinate learning that happens at school with that at the workplace. Example 2: Labour market and education cooperation programme in Estonia; Office Francophone de la Formation en Alternance in Belgium-Fr In Estonia, within the framework of the Labour market and education cooperation programme, education-business coordinators were introduced into schools, tasked with finding enterprise partners and coordinating cooperation in apprenticeships training. VET schools received support to strengthen cooperation between employers and education institutions for developing work-based learning . In the French Community of Belgium, the Office Francophone de la Formation en Alternance (OFFA) was established in September 2015, and mandated for steering, promoting, developing and coordinating apprenticeships. OFFA’s purposes include harmonising practices in the framework of the apprenticeship contract; centralising accreditation of companies; and centralising and processing applications from companies for incentives. Source: Cedefop

Evidence reveals that countries worked to boost the involvement of SMEs in providing WBL and apprenticeship and SMEs will remain one of the key target group of policy actions in the future. Example 3: Support to SMEs – various countries SMEs were provided with methodological guidelines and toolkits for quality placements and took part in training workshops (e.g. Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Latvia and Poland). Apprenticeship advisors were trained to provide companies with administrative assistance and apprenticeship support services (e.g. Croatia). For employers that can only provide partial placements, shared apprenticeship was put in place, where apprentices move between different employers (e.g. Wales). And finally, databases of SMEs interested in apprenticeships were created to support schools’ and learners’ search for placements (e.g. Croatia). Source: Cedefop Some countries strengthened the work-based component of their school-based programmes by requiring more VET programmes to include practical training, increasing the duration of practical training and set up coordination functions to support school-business cooperation (e.g. Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia). 3.2.2.Priority 2 - develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET and continuous information and feedback loops By 2019, all countries had developed a national approach to quality assurance (QA). Many countries worked on revising their regulatory frameworks (e.g. Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, Scotland), either as part of a greater VET reform or in some cases focusing on consolidating their fragmented approaches (e.g. Croatia) and establishing comprehensive practices across the country and different sectors of education and training (e.g. Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia). Many developments focused on quality of VET providers: promoting self-assessment in VET schools (mostly in IVET) to introduce a culture of continuous improvement; further developing external evaluation practices, introducing quality observatories (e.g. Luxembourg), inspection bodies (e.g. Bulgaria, French-speaking Belgium, Norway) and making quality agreements with VET providers systematic (e.g. the Netherlands). The analysis of the countries’ approaches to quality assurance of VET providers shows a significant variation in terms of flexibility on the mandatory or optional nature of self-assessment, on the bodies and the types of external monitoring, and the types and number of indicators used. The variation can be explained by the differences in the way VET is organised and the degree of autonomy of VET providers. In most cases, self-assessment and external evaluation work hand in hand and support putting in practice the use of the quality cycle, an important element of the EQAVET Recommendation. The Quality Assurance National Reference Points supported quality assurance related developments, using the expertise provided by the EQAVET community of practice. They shared examples of good practice with other network members, participated in peer review activities and used Erasmus+ funding to support the developments and implementation of their national approaches. The analysis of national developments also calls for closer links between quality assurance efforts and other policy areas. Few countries linked quality assurance to developing methodologies for qualification design and review (e.g. Portugal), certification and examination processes (e.g. Greece, the Netherlands, Poland); and expanded quality assurance to work-based learning and apprenticeships (e.g. France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Portugal). Anticipating training needs is a crucial element of feedback loop to improve the quality and relevance of VET. Most countries have some mechanism to inform national, regional and local authorities responsible for VET, training providers, public employment service and employers in planning of VET; some combine available statistical data with qualitative information to identify technological trends and societal changes to project future skills demand in the labour market. About one third of the countries started developing comprehensive forecasting mechanisms. Cedefop supported Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Malta and Slovakia in their endeavour to improve anticipation methods, build their capacity on skills and labour market intelligence and put in place effective policies and actions to tackle skills mismatch. Setting up mechanisms to assess, anticipate and respond to skill needs is not enough. To be able to translate labour market intelligence into effective policies requires collaboration of different stakeholders. Evidence shows that countries set up advisory bodies to inform policy making, such as government agencies, sector skills councils (e.g. Hungary, Latvia), national and/or regional education councils (e.g. Greece, Latvia, Poland), and forums for national and/or regional public debate on education and training (e.g. England, Ireland, Luxemburg). A closer look at the composition of these advisory bodies points to the need of more involving teachers, learners and employee representatives. There is also an increased need for local and regional autonomy in programme development and closer cooperation between providers and employers in keeping VET relevant to regional and local needs. Example 4: OSKA surveys in Estonia In Estonia, the Ministries of Education, Economic Affairs and Social Affairs, in cooperation with employers and representatives from other ministries, launched a system for regular forecasting, monitoring, and feedback on labour market needs (OSKA). OSKA’s surveys on sectoral needs for labour and skills use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods and analyse professional qualifications across all education levels. Results of this analysis and projections form the basis for several activities: establishing qualifications; career guidance services; curriculum design by education institutions; aiding authorities that finance learning activities. Active and content-driven participation by employers in the lifelong learning system is a prerequisite to making this approach a success. The first OSKA reports in 2016-17 focused on ICT, accounting, forestry and the timber industry, metal products, machinery, social work, healthcare, production of chemicals, rubber, plastic and construction materials, energy and mining. An overview of global and domestic trends influencing labour supply and demand in the country was also published. The first labour market overview, conclusions and proposals based on the surveys were presented to the Estonian Government in spring 2017. The government will receive a summary of OSKA results every year. Source: Cedefop (2020, forthcoming). Enhancing European cooperation in VET: Outcomes of the Riga round. Progress in common priorities for 2015-20. Transition and employability of VET graduates has come to focus as the information on outcomes is not collected systematically. Many countries work to develop monitoring systems of graduate tracking (Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, Sweden), mainly through statistical tools as well as the setting up of specialised bodies (e.g. French-speaking Belgium). To set up graduate tracking countries report the obstacles posed by data protection regulations, the cost of collecting such data and the capacity needed at system level to interpret and use these data to inform VET. Example 5: Graduate tracking in Ireland, Belgium-Nl and Poland In Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and the Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) agreed on a data sharing protocol to develop and implement a data infrastructure to support VET provision and policy. In Dutch-speaking Belgium, the Flemish Public Employment Service (VDAB) and the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training agreed that schools will receive data on both progression of their graduates towards higher education (as was the case so far) and the transition of their IVET graduates to the labour market. In Poland, the Educational Research Institute launched an ESF co-financed project to develop a system to track the educational and professional trajectories of VET graduates at the national, regional, local and school levels. The project has been using administrative data from the social security administration (for professional trajectories) and educational resources (for educational trajectories). First results and recommendations are expected for 2019. Source: Cedefop (2020, forthcoming). Enhancing European cooperation in VET: Outcomes of the Riga round. Progress in common priorities for 2015-20. 3.2.3.Priority 3 - access to VET and qualifications for all To address the multidimensional scope of the MTD, countries worked on the following areas: training, reskilling and upskilling vulnerable groups; increasing permeability and flexibility; improving guidance services; recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning; transparency of qualifications and promoting equal opportunities for all. Almost all countries acted to train, reskill and upskill at-risk groups, such as early school leavers and young people not in employment, education and training (NEETs), low-skilled, unemployed, employed people at risk of becoming jobless, parents on (or after) a parental leave, youth from disadvantaged urban areas, young people with learning difficulties, people with disabilities, senior workers, refugees and other migrants. Among the approaches, countries developed training courses for the different target groups (most typical approach); apprenticeship and internship schemes (e.g. Bulgaria, Czechia, French-speaking and German-speaking Belgium, Sweden); established training guarantee programmes (e.g. Austria, Germany), scholarships or financial support for training (e.g. Bulgaria, England, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden). In few countries, the approaches to upskilling low skilled adults aligned with the three-stage pattern of the Upskilling pathways Recommendation and most often in relation to refugees and migrants (e.g. Austria, Finland, Germany, Poland, Sweden).

Example 6: Alliance for initial and further training in Germany In Germany, the 2015-18 Alliance for initial and further training between the Federal Government, the Länder, business and industry, unions and the federal employment agency aimed to reduce the number of young people without school certificate and give each person in need a path that can lead to a VET qualification. Within the alliance, sectors have committed to providing 20 000 places annually for introductory training. 17 500 young people took up this type of training in 2015 while in 2018 they were 21 000 . Source: Cedefop. To allow learners a smooth progression in education and training systems, countries worked to increase their permeability and flexibility through setting up new pathways and bridging routes (e.g. Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovakia); making admission, progression and examination rules more flexible (e.g. Estonia, Norway, Spain, Sweden); opening up VET to general education and higher education students (e.g. Germany, Norway); and introducing modularisation and partial qualifications in IVET and CVET (e.g. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden). According to Cedefop monitoring of the EQF/NQF implementation, all countries have developed or have revised their qualification frameworks; the coverage of NQFs has been increasing and their comprehensive character is becoming stronger. The impact of the NQFs is growing in particular in the review and renewal of qualification standards and in promoting stakeholder involvement, as comprehensive frameworks act as platforms for cooperation across educational sub-systems and education and labour market. There is a growing trend among countries to open up their frameworks to include qualifications awarded outside the formal system by labour market stakeholders and international organisations. It is important that work continues in this direction in order to further increase the international dimension of VET. A challenge that needs to be addressed in the future is to continue communicating the benefits and added value of EQF/NQFs to end-users. A concrete example is to systematically include EQF and NQF levels on qualification documents and in registers of qualifications. Since 2015, efforts in most countries have been made towards integrated and quality guidance services. Countries concentrated on revising procedures, training teachers who have guidance tasks, extending services to broader age and social groups; e-tools with integrated matching and self-help tools have become prominent in the last years. Despite the number of initiatives implemented by countries, the challenge remains to seize perceiving guidance as an ad-hoc service and embed it into the lifelong learning process. It is important that countries follow a holistic approach to guidance and counselling involving stakeholders and linking it to skills assessment, validation and certification at any transition points from education to work and within both. Example 7: Guidance for all learners in Sweden In Sweden, the Government proposed in January 2019 an amendment to the Education Act aiming to introduce individual career guidance for all learners. Compulsory education would include an activity called ‘Future choices’ of a total 80 hours in grades 7 to 9 to teach learners about working life, career paths and vocational areas before they proceed to upper secondary education. Source: Cedefop. Most countries have reinforced their work on validating non-formal and informal learning, moving towards the creation of overarching strategies and tackling the existing fragmentation of validation systems. The youth guarantee, the Council recommendation on upskilling pathways, measures for long-term unemployed and large inflow of migrants in recent years have contributed to using validation more widely. Major challenges on validation in VET seem to be the professionalisation of validation practitioners who are not required to have any training and the offer of this training is limited. Monitoring and evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of existing validation initiatives remains limited, although more countries are establishing quality assurance systems specifically for validation. There is limited information on the number of people that goes through validation. In addition, there is still room for better coordination between validation and wider career guidance management practices. 3.2.4. Priority 4 – strengthen key competences Key competences are high on the skills demand that employers look for and they received due attention in the countries’ education and training policies through setting up strategies and action plans; revising programmes and curricula; improving methods for assessment of key competences; and training of teachers and trainers on learning key competences. EU initiatives, e.g. the EU frameworks for key competences, languages (CEFR), entrepreneurial (EntreComp) and digital competences (DigComp), affect these policies . Digital competences, competences in science, technology and maths, country and foreign languages, entrepreneurship and financial literacy were among most frequently addressed while learning to learn, social and civic competences and cultural awareness and expression competences received less attention. Sometimes, national policies address key competences as a package, aiming mainly to raise awareness and set a vision, rather than embedding them into the system. A trend to develop tools in support to key competences (competence mapping tools, tools to support the acquisition of digital skills, learning-to-learn, entrepreneurship competence and other emerging key competences) is on the rise. Digital competences attracted most attention among the countries. There is an increase in inter-ministerial/ inter-departmental cooperation towards addressing digital competences in VET; also establishing of dedicated authorities for digital affairs. Comprehensive digital strategies addressing learners and teachers as well as the provision of appropriate infrastructure and learning tools have been designed (e.g. Austria, Croatia, Estonia, French-speaking Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway). Courses on digital skills, the internet and programming have been offered in schools and to the wide public including disadvantaged groups (e.g. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, French-speaking Belgium, Luxembourg). Example 8: Digital skills programmes in Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Ireland In Germany and Italy, funding and tax incentives were provided to support investment that contributes to the acquisition of digital competence. Cyprus introduced the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) Certification Programme, for participation on a voluntary and free-of-charge basis. In Ireland, the Explore programme started, in June 2018, to provide older workers in the manufacturing sector with training on basic digital skills. Source: Cedefop (2020, forthcoming). Enhancing European cooperation in VET: Outcomes of the Riga round. Progress in common priorities for 2015-20.

The need for digital competences and entrepreneurship is rising since they are key to flexible learning approaches, to promoting creativity and innovation and to supporting other key competences, such as literacy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In addition, the need for further work on personal, social, learning to learn, citizenship and cultural awareness and expression competences is strong. VET has good potential to equip learners with key competences. As the Cedefop’s 2016 opinion survey on VET revealed, respondents from VET were more likely to say that they developed entrepreneurship, creativity, communication, digital and team-working skills while respondents from general education were more satisfied on the development of their social and civic competences, foreign languages, science and technology skills and critical thinking skills. 3.2.5. Priority 5 - initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors Competent and motivated teachers and trainers are essential for high quality and inclusive VET. Different EU-level working groups have focused on competences and professional development of VET teaching and training staff. Some countries looked for ways to address teacher shortages and make teaching more attractive by increasing salaries (e.g. Latvia), developing career opportunities and attracting professionals from industry (e.g. Hungary, Norway, Slovakia, Northern Ireland). Despite the work done in this respect further attention is required on this area in the future. Redefining VET teachers’ entry requirements and updating pre-service and initial in-service training is mostly targeted at addressing insufficient preparedness of teachers with respect to the challenges they are faced with. To support teachers and trainers continuous professional development, most countries introduced programmes and courses, extended career development opportunities and promoted work placements in companies (e.g. French-speaking Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, France, Hungary, Luxemburg, Latvia, Slovenia) to keep teacher competences up-to-date on the industry, labour market and technological developments. Some countries moved towards more flexible and innovative provision of CPD, including digital resources and provision. Example 9: Continuing professional development of teachers and trainers on digital skills in Spain In Spain, the National Institute of Education Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF) has been developing interactive and multimedia digital education resources for teachers’ CPD, such as open and online courses; a ‘Digital Competence Portfolio for Teachers; an Open Badge Backpack for the acknowledgement of professional competencies; and a mobile app for micro self-training aimed at the improvement of Digital Competences. INTEF also promotes networking among teachers to exchange resources and experience. Source: Cedefop. Professional developments of VET leaders received limited attention: few countries have introduced specialised programmes to prepare VET school leaders for their role, which often includes taking decisions about teacher professional development. Taking into account the number of initiatives as regards teachers’ and leaders’ CPD, countries will need to consider monitoring of its content, quality and effectiveness for better learning. With the development of apprenticeships and work-based learning in most of the countries, there is a growing need for more employees from companies who can act as trainers/mentors. Countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain) worked on (re)defining the requirements to become a trainer, introducing/updating training programmes and opening up learning opportunities through school visiting schemes. 3.3.Overview of EU support The Commission supports VET modernisation through: 1.Legal acts — Council recommendations on a European quality assurance reference framework for vocational education and training (EQAVET), on a European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) and on the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships (March 2018); 2.Mutual learning — Focusing on the priorities defined in the EU VET agenda and leading to expert reports (e.g. 20 guiding principles for high-performance and work-based learning); 3.Policy initiatives — Such as the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, the European Vocational Skills Week and the Centres of vocational excellence; 4.Targeted funding — Notably through the current European Social Fund (ESF) and Erasmus + Programmes; 5.Monitoring of progress — carried out by the two Agencies, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) and the European Training Foundation (for candidate countries), feeding into the European Semester and annual Education and Training Monitor.

3.3.1.Legal acts a)EQAVET The Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) defines a reference framework to support Member States in improving the quality of their vocational education and training systems. In addition, the EQAVET Recommendation also aims to contribute to increased transparency of vocational education and training policy developments between Member States, thereby aiming to promote mutual trust, mobility of workers and learners, and lifelong learning. The importance of maintaining quality in VET was initially already included in the 2000 Lisbon strategy underlining that the transition to a knowledge-based economy requires modern and adaptable VET. The 2002 Copenhagen Declaration subsequently proposed EU cooperation in quality assurance in VET in order to enhance quality in VET as well as to support mutual trust and the recognition of vocational qualifications. The EQAVET Framework comprises quality criteria, descriptors and indicators applicable to quality management at both VET-system and VET-provider levels organised around the quality assurance and improvement cycle (planning, implementation, evaluation/ assessment and review/revision). Following the adoption of the EQAVET Recommendation in 2009, EU Member States cooperate in the framework of the EQAVET Network composed of the EQAVET National Reference points. This section aims to take stock of the experience gained with the implementation of the EQAVET Recommendation over the last 10 years. Progress in quality assurance for vocational education and training in the EU Since 2009, important improvements to QA arrangements in the EU Member States have been made. A study on the EU VET instruments, notably ECVET and EQAVET, was published in 2019 which had the objective to examine the progress EU Member States have made in the implementation of these instruments since their adoption in 2019. According to this study, 19 EU Member States have made major changes to their QA arrangements for IVET while others have made some adjustments over the last 10 years. A similar trend can be observed for CVET. Around 20 EU Member States have made changes to their QA arrangements in CVET. The many changes between 2009 and 2018 concern: ·The introduction of new structures in charge of quality assurance such as inspectorates and new agencies in charge or quality assurance ·Creating of a new monitoring and quality assurance system comprising internal and external evaluation as well changes to guidelines for self-assessment of VET providers ·Improving quality assurance arrangements in the area of apprenticeship schemes and work based learning ·Putting a stronger focus on outcomes of VET provision trough the development of new indicators for monitoring the performance of VET programmes ·Strengthening the involvement of stakeholders such as employers, trade unions and learners in the design and implementation of quality assurance procedures Quality assurance developments at VET system level The EQAVET Framework puts a lot of emphasis on strengthening effective feedback loops in VET. The importance of feedback loops was also underlined in the Riga conclusions adopted by the EU Minister in charge of VET in 2015. The second Riga priority calls on the EU Member States to establish continuous information and feedback loops in initial VET and continuing VET systems based on learning outcomes. Many EU Member States have worked on improving feedback loops. In the Czech Republic for example, an EQAVET project was launched in 2017 consisting among others of the development of an app for mobile devices to facilitate the dissemination of information about employers' requirements for graduates as well as labour market data. Furthermore, a high number of EU Member States have focused specifically on the development of VET graduate tracking measures as part of their quality assurance arrangements. Greece has developed a more comprehensive and systematic VET graduate tracking mechanism, linking labour market needs to VET at a national level. The aim is to ensure that enhanced information on VET graduate tracking, as well as skills need forecast, are used as valuable input at VET system level in order to inform VET policy-making and improve VET provision and VET qualifications at all levels.

In the context of the Council Recommendation on tracking graduates, the Commission has set up a joint Expert Group for higher education and VET graduate tracking in 2018. By the end of 2020, the Expert Group is expected to assess the state of graduate tracking in Member States and prepare recommendations to the Commission and Member States how to implement the Council Recommendation. Quality assurance developments at VET provider level Self-assessment of VET providers is one of the key instruments to foster quality and to develop a culture of quality. Several EU Member States have improved their processes for self-assessment of VET providers. In Croatia, several regional training workshops for VET schools were organised to provide support on self-assessment and promote a culture of quality. The EQAVET Framework also emphasis that learners’ feedback is gathered on their individual learning experience and on the learning and teaching environment. The 2018 EQAVET Forum was devoted to this topic and several good practices from inter alia the Netherlands were discussed and analysed. In the framework of a EU funded project carried out by the Romanian EQAVET NRP, Romania is developing a methodology to measure students' satisfaction with the way learning outcomes are achieved and assessed. Use of EQAVET indicators The EQAVET Recommendation includes a set of reference quality indicators for developing quality in VET which can be used to support the development and improvement of VET systems and/or VET providers. Many EU Member States are using these EQAVET indicators to improve their QA arrangements and to exchange good practices with other EU Members States on these issues. Sweden focused on strengthening quality assurance in VET by identifying mechanisms that can be used by the National Agency for Education and national programme councils for analysing the quality in VET and for quality development over time. Study visits to other EU Members States were organised to learn from and be inspired by the QA-process in other EU Member States and to analyse how EQAVET indicators are used, as well as to learn how stakeholders and VET providers on a systemic and local level cooperate to increase quality in VET education in other EU Member States. Governance The EQAVET Recommendation asks Member States to establish a Quality assurance National Reference Point for VET (NRPs) that is linked to the relevant structures and quality assurance set up of the Member State. The NRPs are bringing together existing specialised bodies and partners, supporting self-evaluation as a complementary and effective means of quality assurance and disseminating information on EQAVET to national partners. These EQAVET NRPs constitute the EQAVET Network comprising representatives from all countries that signed up to deliver EQAVET, as well as members of the European Commission, Education and Training Foundation, Cedefop, social partners and the EQAVET Secretariat. Support is provided to countries through frequently organised Peer Learning Activities, where participants discuss effective practice around priority areas identified by the Network. Additionally, materials and resources are provided by the EQAVET Secretariat, including examples of good practice and guidance documents. Specific issues are also explored through EQAVET Network working groups. Working groups have been established for a range of topics, including adult learning and CVET, the use of EQAVET indicators, international quality management standards such as EFQM and ISO standards. In addition, an Annual EQAVET Forum is organised during the European Vocational Skills Week since 2016. The Forum is used to discuss VET quality assurance issues and to reach out to an audience outside the EQAVET Network. According to the 2019 Study on ECVET and EQAVET, EQAVET users generally reported a range of strengths with the current EQAVET governance structure. The NRPs were generally considered to provide a necessary point of contact in national authorities to drive forward national developments in QA, by playing the role as “national advocates for EQAVET”. Furthermore, the establishment of NRPs was also reported to have resulted in a ‘community of practice’ which facilitates the exchange of good practices. Many EQAVET NRP representatives also reported examples where they had contacted other NRPs to discuss their practice and how they overcome implementation challenges. However, several EQAVET NRP representatives stated that the EQAVET Network was too diverse given that it involves policy makers, funders, QA specialists and practitioners. Each of these sub groups prefer to focus on different aspects which means that some issues cannot be discussed in sufficient depth. Since 2016, EQAVET NRPs can also apply for a call for proposals for EQAVET NRPs. The general objective of these calls for proposals is to support EQAVET NRPs to further develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET in line with the EQAVET Recommendation as well as to focus on specific topics such as improving graduate tracking and making use of graduate tracking data in their quality assurance systems. In the framework of the 2019 EQAVET NRP call for proposals, 20 projects were selected for a total amount of around 2.5 million Euro. These projects focus on the following main topics: ·supporting the development of a culture of continuous Quality Assurance (QA) in VET; ·collecting data concerning skill need forecast;

·improving links between the VET providers and the labour market; ·improving quality assurance mechanisms and indicators at system and/or provider level; ·developing and or improving comprehensive and reliable graduate tracking systems; ·disseminating quality assurance principles; ·promoting work-based learning; ·developing and/or implementing feedback loops and flexible learning pathways; ·adopting and/or improving the learning outcomes approach. Box 1 - Concrete examples of work of EQAVET NRP Austria: The "train the trainer" concept and its pilot training as a valuable means to enhance the knowledge of the trainers and teachers; Bulgaria: Promotion of EU practices linked to feedback loops (guidelines on how to use leading indicators); Croatia: Development and piloting of VET graduate tracking mechanisms; Czech Republic: The training programmes for I-VET and C-VET cooperation to bridge the generation gap were designed in line with the EQAVET quality cycle and respond to the priorities of the New Skills Agenda; Finland: Guide for quality management of qualification design, assessment and validation; Germany: Renewed portal with relevant information on quality assurance in work-based learning based on recent VET studies. The portal provides relevant information on the German dual system; Greece: A methodological framework to tackle skills gaps; Hungary: A set of guidelines for career tracking at VET provider level were developed and tested; Italy: Survey on training for VET trainers and quality system in 20 Italian regions; Latvia: recommendations on work-based learning and on how QA can be improved in the Latvian context; Lithuania: Survey on companies’ satisfaction with competences of VET graduates; The Netherlands: Guidelines for teachers and students on how to enhance the quality culture; Romania: The involvement of students and parents in the debate around quality assurance in VET and the EQAVET framework. Good feedback on project's impact; Slovakia: The European Peer Review Methodology adapted to the Slovak context; Slovenia: Transnational review of EQAVET tools to promote transparency and mutual trust; Sweden: Cross-sectoral discussions and networking among National Programme Councils representing different economic sectors; b)ECVET The ECVET Recommendation adopted in 2009 defines a technical framework to assess and document learning outcomes – the knowledge, skills and competences developed by learners. It also aimed to serve as a means to facilitate labour mobility by enhancing transparency and recognition of such learning outcomes. ECVET is based on the following principles: ·Qualifications are made up of learning outcome units that can each be assessed and validated; ·Assessed units of learning outcomes represent the learners’ credit, which can be transferred to another country or setting and cumulated towards a full qualification. The validation or certification of parts of qualifications, which are the responsibility of the competent bodies in accordance with national provisions, allow that different units can be certified following learning experience in different countries, contexts (i.e. through validation of work experience), and timeframes (i.e. continuing training distributed over time). As a result, learning pathways become more flexible and mobility is supported. This section takes stock of the 10 years of ECVET implementation. It is based on the 2014 external evaluation, on Cedefop reports, on the follow up by the Education Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of relevant pilot projects as well as on the 2019 study on EU VET instruments. ECVET at VET system level One the main important areas of ECVET’s influence at national level have been on increasing the introduction and implementation of learning outcomes approaches and the structuring of qualifications into units or groups of learning outcomes. The concept and use of groups or units of learning outcomes have been central to reforms of VET systems in a variety of countries: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Malta and Romania attributed a strong influence of ECVET on their substantive VET reforms. In Romania, ECVET, in conjunction with the EQF, has been the main pillar for the revision of qualifications in the technical VET system, for example.

Box 2 - Examples ECVET contribution to reforms at VET system level In the French Community of Belgium, the ECVET-inspired certification by units of learning outcomes – where each unit is certified and becomes transferable – was a major element within a comprehensive reform of the VET system, also linked to the NQF. In Finland, VET qualifications were already divided into units and a credit system was applied before ECVET was launched. However, following a sustained testing phase, the ECVET principles have been introduced in the reforms of the qualification and credit system in force since August 2015. In Romania, where qualifications were already composed of units, ECVET triggered the development of a credit system for initial VET. It will be implemented when the NQF is fully established. In 2012 Malta, building on the project VET-CCS, modified its well-established NQF to better take into account the validation of prior learning and to prepare the ground for the conversion of VET qualifications into an ECVET format, with transferable units and point allocation. ECVET for better mobility ECVET has strongly contributed to the development of better-quality mobility experiences for VET learners, through more effective agreement on, and documentation, of learning outcomes. In some countries this has reinforced the shift to use learning outcomes acquired abroad to obtain a VET qualification, while also ensuring that the mobility experience is better structured, organised and quality assured. In addition, ECVET has contributed in a few countries to developing more flexible vocational pathways both generally (AT, MT, FI) and for learners facing barriers to learning (IE, HU, PT). Nevertheless, it is recognised that its contribution to increasing flexible learning pathways for upskilling and reskilling could be greater. On the other hand, some stakeholders argue that the concept of units of learning outcomes which are to be assessed and certified separately for accumulation are incompatible with the key characteristics of their VET qualifications. It has also had less success with the use of ECVET credit points to transfer assessed learning outcomes. Countries which implement national credit point systems for VET programmes or ECTS for mobility have not adopted ECVET points for mobility outcomes. Despite the fact that ECVET is being implemented since 10 years, it did not result in the establishment of an EU credit system in VET. Governance The Commission, following the adoption of the ECVET Recommendation, has promoted a network of ECVET stakeholders and set up the ECVET Users’ Group, which is the main governance body. It includes national representatives, social partners and other stakeholders, and meets on average twice a year. The wider network includes more than 2,000 members, and is used as a dissemination list; some 100 – 200 members participate in the ECVET Forum organised once a year. In several Member States national contact or coordination points for ECVET (NCPs) have been designated and which are financed through grants allocated to the Erasmus+ National Agencies. As they are not foreseen in the ECVET Recommendation, they don’t share any terms of reference and their nature, role and activity vary significantly between countries. The funding provided to National Erasmus+ Agencies to implement ECVET is used to support and coordinate national teams of ECVET experts. The teams provide a pool of expertise who promote the adoption, the application and the use of ECVET at national level and provide counselling to VET relevant competent bodies and institutions. The teams of experts provide primarily consultancy to VET providers in the development of a better-quality mobility experience, namely in the application of the ECVET templates and defining, assessing and recognising (units of) learning outcomes related to transnational mobility experience. This need is intensified by the growing emphasis on long-term mobility measures including ErasmusPro. In some countries, the growing number of private providers presents a new target group. As mobility is becoming more a formally integrated element of national VET programmes, it increases the need for awareness about and application of the EU instruments including ECVET. Some National Agencies conduct an expanded ECVET work where the primary focus is on the application of the learning outcomes approach in different contexts as a means to improve quality. Within the VET community, VET providers (teachers, headmasters, assessors) are frequently targeted to be informed about the use of learning outcomes in teaching and particularly in assessment but also in developing training programmes. ECVET teams contribute to exploiting ECVET as a tool to increase quality of domestic work-based learning schemes as well. ECVET aims to contribute to mutual trust among the various actors involved in VET in national and international level. A number of ECVET teams work towards the application of ECVET to increase the transparency and flexibility of national qualifications systems and to facilitate lifelong learning. ECVET is also tested and used to contribute to quality assurance of validation policies and practices and to build flexible pathways in adult learning provision. Promoting ECVET as a tool to support permeability between higher education and VET is being exploited as well by several ECVET teams. The national teams work together with experts and contact points of other transparency and flexibility EU instruments such as EQF and EUROPASS NCPSs, EQAVET, Euroguidance, ECTS, EPALE, EFQEA dependent on national policy priorities. c)Apprenticeships The Council adopted on 15 March 2018 a Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (2018/C 153/01), following the Commission’s proposal of October 2017. The Framework sets out 14 criteria to define quality and effective apprenticeships, ensuring both the development of job-related skills and the personal development of apprentices. It takes into account the diversity of vocational education and training (VET) systems across the EU and respects the Member States' competence in the area of VET. The Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective