Skillset and match : CEDEFOP's magazine promoting learning for work. Issue 18, January 2020.
Date: 2020-01-14
Institutions: Cedefop
Subjects: Cedefop, apprenticeship, continuing education, education policy, employment policy, fight against unemployment, serial publication, updating of skills, vocational education, vocational training

ISSUE 18 / JANUARY 2020

INTERVIEWS:
ELKE BÜDENBENDER
DEMETRIO ALBERTINI
OLGA PAPAKYRIAKOU
JOS DE GOEY
ANITA DEBAERE
RENÉ VAN SCHALKWIJK

ARTICLE: 
KEY COMPETENCES: APPROACHES 
AND CHALLENGES

MEMBER STATES: CROATIA

OCCUPATION IN FOCUS: MACHINE 
AND PLANT OPERATORS

CONTENTS

ISSUE 18 / JANUARY 2020

The European Centre for the 
Development of Vocational 
Training (Cedefop) is the 
European Union’s reference 
centre for vocational 
education and training, 
skills and qualifications. 

We provide information, research, 
analyses and evidence on 
vocational education and training, 
skills and qualifications for policy-
making in the EU Member States.

Cover photo: 

© Cedefop, 2019/Eetu Laine

VET students, Helsinki 

Vocational College, Finland 

Publications Office of the  
Publications Office of the  
European Union, Luxembourg 
European Union, Luxembourg 

ISSN: 2363-0175
ISSN: 2363-0183
TI-AQ-20-001-EN-C
TI-AQ-20-001-EN-N
No of publication: 9142 EN
No of publication: 9142 EN
Free of charge
Free of charge

©  Cedefop, 2020 
©  Cedefop, 2020 

All rights reserved
All rights reserved

Head of Department for 
Head of Department for 
Communication:
Communication:
Gerd-Oskar Bausewein
Gerd-Oskar Bausewein

Editor: Rosy Voudouri
Editor: Rosy Voudouri

Designed by  
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Missing Element, Prague
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Printed in the European Union
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Cedefop: Europe 123, 
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Thessaloniki (Pylea), Greece
Thessaloniki (Pylea), Greece

Postal address: Cedefop service 
Postal address: Cedefop service 
post, 57001 Thermi, GREECE
post, 57001 Thermi, GREECE

Tel. +30 2310490111
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Fax +30 2310490020
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communications@cedefop.europa.eu
communications@cedefop.europa.eu
www.cedefop.europa.eu
www.cedefop.europa.eu

INTERVIEW 
IMPROVING SKILLS IS AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE  
Joost Korte – Director-General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 

#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
EUROPEAN VOCATIONAL SKILLS WEEK OPENS TO THE WORLD 

#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
CONNECTING VET RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 
René van Schalkwijk – Senior policy adviser, EUproVET  

#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
EQUAL PARTICIPATION FOR A MORE EQUITABLE SOCIETY 
Elke Büdenbender – Judge, Spouse of Germany’s Federal President  

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#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
AN ITALIAN FOOTBALL LEGEND IN VET’S DREAM TEAM 
Demetrio Albertini – Technical Sector President, Italian Football Federation   10

#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE IN GREECE 
Olga Papakyriakou – Pediatric nurse, Radio producer  

#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS
DO IT LIKE THE FINNISH! 

#CEDEFOPPHOTOAWARD
#CEDEFOPPHOTOAWARD: A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION  

#KEYCOMPETENCES
KEY COMPETENCES: APPROACHES AND CHALLENGES  

INTERVIEW
SKILLS COMPETITIONS: A VEHICLE FOR EXCELLENCE 
Jos de Goey – WorldSkills President  

OCCUPATION IN FOCUS
MACHINE AND PLANT OPERATORS 

MEMBER STATES
REVAMPING VET IN CROATIA 

ARTICLE
THE NEXT STEPS FOR APPRENTICESHIP 

INTERVIEW 
MULTISKILLING FOR SUCCESS IN THE CREATIVE SECTORS 
Anita Debaere – Director at Pearle* – Live Performance Europe  

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to the electronic
edition

NEW CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONS 

COMING UP 

2  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

EDITORIAL

VET

in and 
for the world

JÜRGEN SIEBEL

CEDEFOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Everything is new: the year, the European Commission, the multi-annual 
financial framework of the European Union, its emerging policy priorities 
in the context of the digital and green transformations. And even I feel 
I’m still new in my position. 

Cedefop is not new: it has been around for 45 years. But this proud 
EU agency is ready: ready for change, able to adjust its research, tools 
and services to the ever-evolving needs of our stakeholders, and willing 
to advance ‘vocational education and training (VET) in and for the world’.
The title of this editorial was also the motto of the anchor conference 

of the 2019 European vocational skills week. Skillset and match covers 
the events, interviews Director-General for Employment Joost Korte on 
new VET priorities, and retells some of the stories that were shared in 
Helsinki’s Finlandia Hall. The word ‘stories’ really applies, because the 
fourth edition of the skills week was very personal in many ways. Read 
what some VET ambassadors, including Germany’s First Lady, Elke 
Büdenbender, told us about their individual vocational experiences.

Cedefop encounters ‘VET for the world’ whenever we collaborate 
with organisations that reach out beyond the European Union. In this 
context two events stood out recently: our joint workshop with the 
OECD on apprenticeships in Paris in September, and the Cedefop 
seminar on key competences in Thessaloniki in October. An interview 
with Jos de Goy from WorldSkills looks into taking such competences 
to competition levels.

One key competence is creativity. For one particular sector, 
creativity is front and centre in terms of domain skills as well. Anita 
Debaere from Pearle* shares how performing artists can acquire 
transversal and interpersonal competences, managing their careers in 
sectoral training schemes.

Every VET student can be an artist, too, at least when it comes to 
Cedefop’s annual photo award. See the prize-winning pictures and the 
respective narratives. VET unleashes enormous creative potential, ‘in 
and for the world’. 

JANUARY 2020  |  3  

Cedefop encounters 
‘VET for the 
world’ whenever 
we collaborate with 
organisations that 
reach out beyond the 

European Union“

INTERVIEW

by ROSY VOUDOURI

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Improving  skills
an

is
investment 
in people
“

We all agree that skills need to 
be improved. The challenge for 
the EU, and also for Cedefop, 
which is a very important partner 
to the European Commission, 
is what we do specifically

JOOST KORTE 

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S  
DG EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND INCLUSION

Joost Korte has had a long 
career in public service in 
the EU institutions and, as 
the current Director-General 
of  Cedefop’s parent DG, 
his remit includes skills and 
vocational education and 
training (VET). During a 
recent visit to Cedefop, Mr 
Korte shared with Skillset 
and match his expertise in 
the policies that will shape 
VET’s future.

New European Commissioner 
for Jobs and Social Rights 
Nicolas Schmitt has placed great 
importance on the role of skills 
and VET. How do you see this 
fitting in the post-2020 strategy?
If we look at the political 
guidelines that the President 

4  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

of the Commission Ursula von 
der Leyen set out, it’s clear that 
skills, and the relationship with 
VET and broader education, are 
a main priority. Our societies will 
undergo fundamental transitions 
in developing a carbon-neutral 
economy by 2050 and also 
through digitalisation: both of 
these will have a tremendous 
impact on society, particularly 
on the way we are working in 
the European Union. If we want 
these transitions to be successful, 
we need to invest in people; a 
key approach is to improve their 
skills. Nicolas Schmitt has been 
asked to take this forward in three 
concrete ways: by modernising 
the existing skills agenda in light 
of new developments, by putting 
forward a new strategy for VET, 
and by exploring the possibility 
of individual learning accounts. 

We all agree that skills need to 
be improved. The challenge for 
the EU, and also for Cedefop, 
which is a very important partner 
of the European Commission, 
is what we do specifically. The 
analysis, the political messages, 
that’s the easy part. How do we 
take this forward in an operational 
manner? The EU has quite 
limited means, both in terms of 
powers, where it supports the 
Member States, and in terms 
of funding: we have a budget 
that is going to be around 1% of 
GDP, of which, if we are lucky, 
10% will be made available for 
investing in people. We should 
not create expectations that we 
cannot fulfil. I’m pretty sure that 
the Commission will be extremely 
active in this field and we all 
need to work closely as we do 
with Cedefop. 

 
 
 
 
INTERVIEW

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Cedefop has worked with 
Member States who have 
asked for help, for example 
in apprenticeships and skills 
governance. How can the 
Commission, and Cedefop in 
this case, take advantage of the 
fact that some countries are 
taking steps in areas including 
the individual learning account?
By studying how this is being 
done. From what I understand, 
France is quite advanced; it’s a 
complete system and everybody 
must have an account. It’s all 
digital, financed by a social 
contribution, offering a certain 
number of points that everybody 
can use. To date it has been 
largely used for language learning. 
My own country, the Netherlands, 
is also thinking about this. 
Comparing, learning from each 
other and analysing what is 
happening, even in places like 
Singapore, which has a powerful 
system, would be one way in 
which Cedefop could help; as a 
tripartite agency it has proximity to 
the labour market with the social 
partners at the table. It’s not just a 
matter of engaging governments, 
strategies or legislation; Cedefop 
also works with employees and 
employers. That dimension is 
extremely enriching. 

JANUARY 2020  |  5  

How do you see Cedefop 
playing its part?    
There’s also something of 
a new start for Cedefop. Its 
governance structure has 
been modernised with the new 
Regulation now in force, it has 
a new Executive Director and a 
new Chair of the Management 
Board. I’m taking as a starting 
point that Cedefop, as an EU 
agency, has to work with the 
EU agenda. There are various 
concrete things that can be 
done. First, help the Member 
States and social partners 
develop this new agenda for 
VET: the Croatian and German 
EU Presidencies want to take 
it forward. Second is skills 
anticipation. What skills are 
needed for the future? Technical 
skills certainly are, but also 
transversal ones. And the tools 
that Cedefop has, which are 
already quite powerful, can be 
improved; use of big data in 
particular, linking with Europass. 
The third action is to refine 
analysis of the real situation in 
the Member States. In the EU, 
on average and according to our 
statistics, only 10% of people 
who have a job regularly engage 
in training. This is much lower 
than other parts of the world. 

Can Cedefop help, getting more 
granular information and seeing 
what this means? Which sector, 
which country, which region? 
That would be extremely useful 
in developing policies to tackle 
the real problems. 

In the labour market, big 
businesses normally have 
the budget and the human 
resources to improve workforce 
skills. Small and medium-sized 
enterprises simply don’t have 
the capacities. Is there anything 
there that we can do more 
specifically? I’m keen to explore 
the feasibility of the individual 
learning account and I would 
welcome Cedefop’s help in 
getting the correct analytical 
basis. Learning accounts are 
being introduced in France, 
also in other countries. There 
are different modules and the 
jury is still out. Being able to 
do something concrete, which 
is what the EU should do, 
distinguishes us from a think-
tank. The individual learning 
account is promising because 
it also motivates employees to 
take their own training more 
seriously. But they need to be 
helped, to be given the time and 
the financial support to do this.

 
 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

by ROSY VOUDOURI in Helsinki

EUROPEAN 
VOCATIONAL 
SKILLS WEEK
opens to the world

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Since its inception in 2016, the European vocational 
skills week, an initiative to promote vocational 
education and training (VET) visibility and excellence 
across Europe and beyond, has become a 
much-anticipated annual rendezvous of learners, 
practitioners, experts and policy-makers. 

Organised by the European Commission, with 

Cedefop as one of its partners, the 2019 edition 
incorporated over 1 600 events in 46 countries, with 
a reach of over 2.5 million people. Helsinki hosted 
the main celebrations last October, and Berlin has 
already been announced as the host for the fifth 
staging in 2020. 

Skills for the future and VET in the world were 
the main themes in Helsinki. Cedefop had a central 
role, with a team of experts organising meetings, 
moderating workshops or making presentations of 
the agency’s work. 

Executive Director Jürgen Siebel gave a keynote 

speech at the Vocational education and training 
(VET) for all, skills for life conference. As jobs and 
ways of working transform, so does the emphasis on 

6  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

skills and learning, he said, adding that adaptability 
to change is the skill most in demand, according to 
Cedefop’s analysis of online job vacancies.

Mr Siebel noted that digital transformation breeds 

digital skill gaps, potentially affecting one in three 
workers; sound digital and technological literacy 
is essential to social and economic participation. 
He concluded: ‘Building the skills for tomorrow will 
require deep learning from one another, will impact 
on VET, and require policy choices.’

Outgoing European Commissioner for 
Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour 
Mobility Marianne Thyssen said at the VET in and for 
the world conference that ‘we decided to open the 
VET week to the world because we all face the same 
challenges; wherever we are, our people and our 
companies need the right skills.’

To promote VET in Europe, the week organisers 

have recruited volunteer ambassadors in various 
countries, and Skillset and match talked to some of 
them (see pp. 8-12). 

 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

Connecting  VET
research and practice

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A community of  practice strongly 
linked to research is really important. 
It can be very effective and raise 
quality and excellence in VET  

RENÉ VAN SCHALKWIJK 

SENIOR POLICY ADVISER, EUproVET

The meeting of Cedefop’s community of learning 
providers kicked off the European vocational skills 
week events in Helsinki. Four European associations 
for vocational education and training (VET) and two 
for higher education are active in the community. 
Three working groups on migration, mobility and 
technology-enhanced learning for teachers and 
trainers exchanged views and best practices in the 
Finnish capital. 

One of the group moderators, EUproVET’s René 
van Schalkwijk, talked to Skillset and match 
about the initiative:
The idea of the community is to connect research 
and practice. You ask people to describe their best 
practices and concepts in a community context; 
this then produces a cross-sectional view on 
what is effective and allows it to be reproduced. 
One of the challenges is to involve teachers and 
trainers because they are the ones who do the 
work in practice. Another challenge is to have a 
good platform for communication; this demands 
appropriate ICT facilities. Cedefop’s Tina Bertzeletou 
had the arduous task of trying to get the working 
groups online, working towards the same goal, 
inviting everybody to meetings and trying to create 
coherence in the work. She did a great job.

Going around the groups we noticed lively 
discussions, even arguments. 

Many people accept that dialogue, communication, 
and sharpening your ideas by listening to ideas 
from others is the way forward. Take the concept of 
migration, an entirely political subject in Europe. How 
are we going to manage it to ensure we have the 
migrants that are accepted in Europe and can give 
them a new future and training for a new profession? 
Of course there are differences of opinion. This helps 
to make clear where the challenges are for VET 
because, for most people involved, VET is the way 
to a profession, to employment, to money and to 
building a life for yourself and your family.

Following the discussions here what are the 
next steps?
The unanimous view of the groups was that a 
community of practice strongly linked to research 
is really important. It can be very effective and 
raise quality and excellence in VET. As providers 
associations we will now ask the European 
Commission to do a feasibility study on how we 
can realise a community of practice and do it cost-
efficiently. It would be open to every VET teacher 
and practitioner. Even those who don’t contribute 
can benefit from the results of others. And with 
artificial intelligence and data-mining you can build 
an enormous resource available to all VET teachers. I 
think it’s going to be a major instrument for innovation 
in VET in the future. And we were there at the 
beginning, and it started at Cedefop! 

JANUARY 2020  |  7  

 
 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

Equal participation
for a more
equitable society

Young people’s career choices 
should not be based on social 
conventions or stereotypes, but on 
their interests and talents alone

ELKE BÜDENBENDER 

JUDGE, SPOUSE OF GERMANY’S FEDERAL PRESIDENT

Being the spouse of  a 
President brings various formal 
obligations, but it can also offer 
a platform to promote causes 
close to the heart. In Elke 
Büdenbender’s case, becoming 
vocational education and 
training (VET) ambassador for 
Germany provides visibility to 
a traditionally important sector 
in her country, one reflecting 
her own background. She is a 
former apprentice who went 
on to become a judge and has 
been married to the current 
Federal President of  Germany, 
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 
since 1995. Ms Büdenbender 
is particularly keen to 
promote gender balance in 

8  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

VET, which she spoke about 
at the closing event of  the 
European vocational skills 
week in Helsinki. She also 
spoke to Skillset and match 
about her life journey and her 
ambassadorial role.

You have been the German 
ambassador to the European 
vocational skills week for two 
years running. How did this 
come about and what have 
you offered and gained by 
the involvement?
The German Federal Government 
approached me with the idea 
of becoming the national 
ambassador for the European 
Commission’s European 
vocational skills week. It was 
a great opportunity because, 

during my husband’s term of 
office as Federal President, I 
have been actively involved in 
promoting educational equity 
and equal opportunities. My goal 
is to improve how vocational 
education is valued and regarded 
in Germany. I see myself as 
an ambassador for vocational 
education, which is why this 
opportunity to work for the 
European Commission has been 
especially welcome, giving me 
the chance to share my beliefs 
beyond Germany’s borders, at 
European level.

You had a vocational education 
yourself, training to become an 
industrial clerk. What prompted 
that? And how did you then 
change careers to study law at 
university and become a judge?

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After finishing school in 
1978 I first wanted to do an 
apprenticeship, but I had in mind 
that I would eventually also do 
my A levels. On the advice of my 
parents and, naturally, seeing 
what my friends planned to do, 
I eventually decided to do an 
apprenticeship as an industrial 
clerk. This experience confirmed 
my desire to continue learning 
once my apprenticeship was 
over. I also became a member of 
the trade union, where I received 
a lot of support and was greatly 
encouraged to take my A levels. 
Later on, I decided to go one step 
further and study law, pursuing a 
career as a judge.

What makes vocational 
education and training an 
appealing choice in your 
opinion?
We all reach that stage in life 
where school is over and we 
wonder what comes next. Should 
I study or do an apprenticeship? 
What job would I enjoy doing? 
What job would give me security? 
There is no single right answer. 

There are so many individual 
paths – probably as many as 
there are young people in Europe 
– all with their own merit. Young 
people must pursue their own 
career paths; for many this is not 
necessarily down the academic 
route of university studies but 
through the practical route of 
vocational education and training. 
No one path is better than the 
other: they are just different 
routes to achieving the same 
goal of a job that makes you 
happy and that offers social and 
professional security.

In your speech in Helsinki, you 
talked about the lack of gender 
balance in VET, particularly in 
the STEM fields. How can this 
be addressed?
Society cannot afford to neglect 
even a single talent, whether in 
Europe or elsewhere. And on 
no account should we women 
allow men to reign supreme in 
the fields of the future, especially 
in the field of digitalisation. The 
future belongs to us all – both 
men and women – and we need 

to shape it together. We must also 
harness the diverse perspectives 
and experiences of men and 
women. This will give rise to equal 
opportunities and will allow women 
to break through the infamous 
glass ceiling. Equal participation 
makes our society more equitable, 
improves our political responses 
and provides our democracy with 
a solid foundation for the future. 
In Germany, we have the Initiative 
Klischeefrei (Cliché-free initiative), 
instigated by representatives 
from various federal ministries. 
It campaigns for career choices 
to be made free from gender 
stereotypes, because there is no 
reason why women cannot be IT 
professors, or men cannot work in 
caring professions. I am the patron 
of this initiative, and I think it is very 
important to remember, constantly, 
that young people’s career choices 
should not be based on social 
conventions or stereotypes, but on 
their interests and talents alone. As 
adults, it is our job to help young 
people discover and cultivate 
these talents. 

JANUARY 2020  |  9  

 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

An Italian

football legend
VET’s

dream 
team

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I’d love to think that I can contribute 
through communication with young 
people and be a positive influence. At 
the end of  the day, this is our duty

DEMETRIO ALBERTINI 

TECHNICAL SECTOR PRESIDENT, 
ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION

He was an integral part of  
the Italian national football 
team and AC Milan’s midfield 
engine in the 1990s. Now, 
Demetrio Albertini puts his 
skills to good use as Technical 
Sector President of  the 
Italian Football Federation. 
When asked to become Italy’s 
ambassador for the European 
vocational skills week, he didn’t 
think twice. It is our duty to 
reach out to young people, he 
told Skillset and match when we 
caught up with him in Helsinki.

You have been able to speak 
to many people since you’ve 
been in Helsinki and you 
may have heard about other 
projects too. How does being 
here appeal to you?

10  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

This is a terrific meeting place of 
many associations involved in 
vocational education and training 
(VET) from different countries. I 
am delighted to have been able 
to take part, to be able to bring 
my contribution from Italy to 
Europe, especially because of my 
current role in the Federation. My 
team and I are dealing with the 
vocational training of directors 
of football, coaches, scouts, all 
the professionals that work for 
a football club in Italy. In this 
process we also work with UEFA, 
the European association. This 
connection is something that 
we definitely need to make the 
most of, so we can bring it to the 
service of Europe.

Football is about training, about 
skills, learning to be part of a 
team, but when people think 

of VET, they usually don’t think 
about football. 
Football is a very important 
commercial sector. It’s not only 
about the talent of a footballer 
on the pitch; there’s a whole 
organisation around that which 
needs to be appreciated. The 
training and improvement of 
these professionals comes 
through studying and goes hand-
in-hand with what the club, the 
business, requires. Ultimately, 
football is an enterprise but there 
is one aspect that differs from 
other sectors: the popularity and 
media exposure. I believe that 
football must also be a supporter 
of VET for other professions: 
this is why I accepted the role. 
In some cases, in Italy we lag 
behind, but in others, such as 
sport, we are a great example for 
the whole of Europe.

 
 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

Many clubs have schools for 
young players to gain other 
skills, apart from football ones, 
because not all of them are 
going to play for the first team.
There is the vocational part 
of football, which includes 
training until someone becomes 
a professional player. This 
is a situation that we always 
need to appreciate because a 
footballer’s career is relatively 
short and then they have to get 
back into the labour market. 
Some may have had financial 
success in managing their future, 
but others may not have been 
so lucky; these are the ones who 
have to get back into the labour 
market. The other thing about 
football is that it is a business. 
Today in Italy it accounts for 
around EUR 3 billion with 
more than two million people 
involved. The sector is evolving 
as it follows important and rapid 
changes in society.

Have you managed to make 
your role as a vocational skills 
ambassador known to a bigger 
audience back in Italy?
Being a focus for media makes 
many things easier. We have 
issued press releases; I have 
taken part in various meetings 
as an ambassador, including 
one about careers with the 
Confindustria in Rome. We have 
planned more before the end 
of the year to communicate to 
young people the importance 
of VET for finding a job, as well 
as the professions in demand 
from businesses. In the next 
three years Italian companies 
will look to fill around 200 000 
VET jobs and we need to train 
people for these jobs. There 
are still too many young people 
outside the VET network, 
missing the opportunity to find 
a secure job. We can make a 
comparison with football, where 

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someone has the talent but 
needs to develop it with work, 
knowledge and professionalism. 
Then they show this talent on 
the pitch. The same goes for the 
young people who must do a 
vocational course and then have 
the ambition to put their talents 
to work and find their place in 
the labour market.

How can the European 
Commission, EU agencies, 
and governments help you in 
that respect?
It’s important for such a project 
first to secure funding and 
then identify the appropriate 
vocational paths in each case; 
across Europe every place 
has its peculiarities. We have 
to match the paths with the 
requirements in each case. 
I’m thinking of Italy and the 
differences between the North 
and the South; they are two 
completely different realities 
and the requirements are also 

completely different. Then we 
need to communicate with more 
intensity how VET can help 
young people find a job and be 
independent. Europe needs to 
communicate more with young 
people to be able to create 
even more opportunities for the 
current and future generations.

Would you like to continue in 
the ambassador’s role?
This is a role forever in the 
sense that I’d love to think 
that I can contribute through 
communication with young 
people and be a positive 
influence. At the end of the day, 
this is our duty. I have enjoyed 
so much popularity through 
football and to be able to give 
something back is important. It 
may be decided to change the 
ambassador every year, but the 
message remains the same, 
and we have to carry it with 
us always. 

JANUARY 2020  |  11  

 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

Inspiring
young people
in Greece

What I tell students is that they 
can go far in their lives with VET, 
working in a profession they love

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OLGA PAPAKYRIAKOU

PEDIATRIC NURSE, RADIO PRODUCER

European vocational skills ambassador for Greece, 
Olga Papakyriakou, comes from a vocational 
education and training (VET) background. She works 
as a nurse at a children’s hospital in Athens. At the 
same time, she promotes volunteering through her 
weekly radio show ‘It’s up to you to save a life’. 

How do you interpret your role as an 
ambassador?
This is my second year as an ambassador. We 
mainly use press articles, radio and television 
programmes to promote the attraction of VET, the 
fact that there are many education options to choose 
from. I also help with promotion through my radio 
show on volunteering. To become an ambassador 
you have to be a volunteer. I believe that if you love 
what you do, you can inspire other people too.

Have you been in direct contact with the people 
you are targeting?
I speak directly to young people. The Education 
Ministry sets up meetings in vocational schools and 
I share my personal life story. What I tell students is 
that they can go far in their lives with VET, working in 
a profession they love.

12  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

VET is not a first choice for young Greeks. Most 
of them want to go to university. How can this 
trend be reversed? 
The ministry has made a great effort in the past 
few years to change this. The number of students 
who choose to follow the VET path has risen, and 
so has satisfaction. A programme called A new 
beginning in vocational upper secondary schools 
(EPAL), started as a pilot in nine schools in 2017/18 
with very promising results. The following academic 
year, it was extended to about 80% of the 400 
EPAL across Greece. It provides the services of a 
psychologist in every school and a second teacher 
for every class where modern Greek and maths 
are taught. This is important for the students who 
are behind in academic achievement, helping them 
catch up with their classmates. There is also another 
new programme, the apprenticeship year, which 
started with 1 100 participants in 2017, increased to 
3 000 in 2018 and now has 4 000. This has several 
advantages: for nine months students work four days 
a week and go to school for one day. They acquire 
work experience, get social security and about 75% 
of the minimum wage. 

 
 
 
#EUVOCATIONALSKILLS

Do it like the

Finnish!

The hosts of European vocational 
skills week 2019 exemplify what 
works in vocational education 
and training (VET). Nine out of 
10 Finns see VET as high quality, 
leading to good jobs. Many 
young people actively choose the 
VET path. 

The Helsinki Vocational 
College, run by the City of 
Helsinki, offers free education, 
has five campuses in 17 
locations, and boasts 15 000 
students, 29 qualifications 
and over 50 professions. We 
visited three locations to meet 
teachers and learners from fields 
as different as media studies, 
hairdressing and massage.

International team coordinator 

Taina Rahkola told Skillset 
and match that the college is 
a frontrunner in Finland’s VET 
reform. It combines school and 
work-based learning, and, since 
2018, offers personal study plans 
for every student. Plans are 
created in discussions between 
the employer, the teacher and 
the learner. 

College work is in modern 

facilities with the latest 
equipment. There are 500 
students and 50 teachers 
in media studies alone, in a 
state-of-the-art building where 
learners produce their own 
programmes. Valeria Borovskaya 
is one of them. Now 24, she 
abandoned her nursing studies 
because ‘it didn’t feel like the 
right thing for me’ and turned 
to photography and film editing: 
‘Practical experience is a huge 
part. I went to the Finnish TV 
news Yle for three months, 
which was very nice.’ 

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Konsta Polkutie and Valeria Borovskaya

Valeria is deaf and uses an 
interpreter, provided free by the 
state, at school and work: ‘I hope 
to find a job, but it might be hard 
because deaf people encounter 
prejudices.’ She is happy with her 
time at the college: ‘It’s the best. 
The quality of teaching is great, 
the teachers are very friendly’.
Game art lecturer Konsta 

Polkutie believes that VET 
reform is still work in progress. 
‘There is still no implementation 
formula for individual learning 
paths. For some students it’s an 
advantage to plan their studies 
beforehand and pick different 
courses; for others it can be 
a disadvantage as they don’t 
really know what they want to 
do. They need guidance, which 
teachers provide.’

One of those who knew what 

he wanted to do early on was 
19-year-old game development 
student William Rueter: ‘I enjoy 
playing games, but I also want 

to make games for other people. 
It’s my passion and I’m excited to 
be able to do it.’ His classmates 
motivate each other: ‘We work in 
groups: if one of us is motivated, 
everyone gets inspired too. The 
school also helps because it 
allows you to fail, to learn from 
your mistakes; grading is only for 
your final product.’

Rosa Nykänen studied art 

and worked as an artist but 
felt she ‘didn’t know enough 
technical stuff’. She decided to 
get technical skills by doing a 
course on visual effects. She 
still works as a video and media 
artist but has another job to 
ensure a steady income. College 
flexibility allows her to combine 
work and study: ‘You can pick 
and choose your courses without 
it being every day, nine to four.’ 
The personal learning plan 
works perfectly for her ‘because 
I can vocalise what I want, and 
teachers find it for me.’ 

JANUARY 2020  |  13  

 
 
 
#CEDEFOPPHOTOAWARD

by ROSY VOUDOURI

#CedefopPhotoAward
a source of inspiration

The #CedefopPhotoAward continues to inspire vocational education and training (VET) learners 
of all ages across the European Union, Norway and Iceland. Asked to relate a memorable VET 
experience through a photostory and a short narrative, learners have shared, in the award’s four 
editions, such diverse activities as applying make up to a woman posing as a mermaid in the 
cold waters of Thessaloniki’s Thermaic Gulf to cutting a real human heart in an anatomy class at 
a Portuguese medical school. The 2019 competition featured entries from 20 European countries, 
with 112 teams, 380 VET learners and 76 teachers/trainers sharing their stories. The top two 
teams, from Austria and Croatia, won a trip to the European vocational skills week celebrations in 
Helsinki, in October. They went head-to-head for the honour of being first; the winner, Austria, was 
announced at a special gala, following a public online vote. The Prix du Jury, a trip to Thessaloniki 
for the opening of the city’s international film festival, went to a group of learners from Romania.

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First prize: Cultureconnects – Austria 
(‘cultureconnects’ team), HTBLVA Graz-
Ortweinschule

Anna Fachbach, Sarah Steinhäusler, Jacob 
Jabornig and Benjamin Wedemeyer bring together 
the experiences of four individuals from different 
environments and diverse vocational art schools in 
Germany, Austria, Poland and Italy. Their photostory 
alludes to VET’s power to connect people no matter 

14  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

where they come from. They shared their Erasmus+ 
experience where, during a one-week workshop, 
they had the opportunity to get to know one another 
and learn about different educational approaches in 
arts and design. 

Watch interviews with the three 
winning teams!

 
#CEDEFOPPHOTOAWARD

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Second prize: Skinny chef – Croatia (‘The Chefs’ 
team), Ekonomska i turistička škola Daruvar 

Lara Ivesa, Martina Stari and Domink Zulj were 
inspired by the talent of young chef Matej who has 
found favour with various top-notch hotels. They 

show his love of food, especially in making desserts. 
On the night before the photoshoot he was up until 
4am making birthday cakes! Matej has already had 
numerous job offers, but is also looking forward to 
possibilities of further education and improvement.

Prix du Jury: My path, our path – Romania 
(‘Artisan in Maramureș’ team), Marmaţia 
Technological High School 

Business students Beatris Panas, Carina Czako, 
Patrick Liszkovics and Alin Pașca show how tradition 
and art can become a source of inspiration to start 
one’s own professional venture. Their fascination for 
a grandmother’s embroidering of traditional shirts, 

the pride in wearing them and the impression they 
left on an encouraging teacher were the incentive 
behind the creation of a micro-company. With the 
help of associates from different nationalities, this 
company promotes a strong connection between 
locals and the traditional products of three cultures: 
Romanian, Hungarian, and Ukrainian. 

JANUARY 2020  |  15  

 
 
 
 
#KEYCOMPETENCES

by DMITRIJS KUĻŠS and IRAKLIS PLIAKIS

Key competences:
approaches  
and challenges
“

For vocational education and training, key competences are 
as important as occupation-specific skills

Key competences are crucial for employment, social 
integration and lifelong learning. For vocational 
education and training (VET) – a driving force 
for growth, jobs and competitiveness in Europe 
– they are as important as occupation-specific 
skills. Cedefop’s new comparative study brought 
together literature and policy reviews, more than 
500 interviews and 39 focus groups across the 
EU, Iceland and Norway. It shows the variety and 
complexity of approaches and challenges for 
promoting three key competences – digital, literacy 
and multilingual – in initial VET.

BROAD POLICIES
The study revealed that, in the past decade, 79 
national policies were applied supporting the 
selected key competences. They are mainly broad 
policies, around half of them having a scope wider 
than initial VET. Most focus on more than one key 
competence, combining two or all three. Research 
shows that such policies often limit their aims to 
raising awareness about key competences and 
setting a vision, rather than embedding them into the 
system.

Around a third of the policies attempt to promote 

key competences in initial VET without setting 
explicit objectives. It is still possible that such 
policies, such as a broad lifelong learning strategy, 
have an effect on the embedding of a specific key 
competence in VET. 

made it difficult to assess the extent to which the 
policy has achieved its objectives. For the same 
country, the Eurobarometer survey showed positive 
results (increased connectivity and increased digital 
competences among secondary school teachers) but 
these were not directly related to the national strategy.

EU initiatives have an impact on policies 

promoting key competences. Almost half of policies 
referred to EU or international initiatives; the EU 
frameworks for key competences, languages (CEFR) 
and digital competences (DigComp) are examples. 
The timing of adoption of national policies indirectly 
confirms this: most were adopted in 2014, linked to 
the EU policy planning schedule 2007-13 and 2014-
20. However, for national policies supporting key 
competences and main EU policy initiatives for VET 
(Bruges communiqué and Riga conclusions) the links 
between the two are less evident.

KEY OR OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC?
The study also looked at sample curricula from 105 
programmes in three sectors: accommodation/
food, manufacturing and construction. Digital and 
multilingual competences in VET can be occupation-
related, as with IT programmes requiring digital 
competence as a requirement for an occupation. 
However, a key competence stricto sensu may not 
be directly linked to an occupation; everyone needs 
such competences to be able to live and work in our 
modern society.

Vague and abstract objectives make it difficult 
to operationalise policies and, therefore, to monitor 
the results and impact. For example, absence of 
concrete targets for the digital strategy in one country 

While the two often overlap in practice, there 
are differences by sector. For example, the share 
of multilingual as ‘pure’ key competence in the 
manufacturing sector (57%) is almost three times 

16  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

#KEYCOMPETENCES

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that in the accommodation sector. The share of 
digital as an occupation-specific competence is 
higher in manufacturing.

SUCCESSFUL APPROACHES
Some policies are more successful than others. 
Policies for digital competence development in VET 
are more often and more successfully focused on 
teacher training than others. We measure success 
by the extent to which policies result in actual 
changes in standards, delivery, assessment and/
or teacher training. Policies aiming to embed the 
key competences through programme delivery and 
teacher training were often observed to achieve their 
objectives faster compared to those addressing the 
revision of occupational, education and assessment 
standards that usually require more time.

NEXT STEPS
The identified approaches and challenges may help 
countries review and plan new policies that need to 
take into account particularities for promoting digital, 
literacy and multilingual competences in initial VET. 
This includes the fine balance between targeted 
and broad policies, the need for robust policy 
implementation monitoring, external factors and 
better coordination between stakeholders. 

Cedefop will publish the detailed research results, 

including national policy examples and detailed 
analysis, in the coming weeks. 

Cedefop project: Key 
competences in vocational 
education and training

COMPETENCES ARE DEFINED AS 
A COMBINATION OF KNOWLEDGE, 
SKILLS AND ATTITUDES, WHERE:

• 

• 

• 

 knowledge is composed of the facts and figures, 
concepts, ideas and theories which are already 
established and support the understanding of a 
certain area or subject;
 skills are defined as the ability and capacity to carry 
out processes and use the existing knowledge to 
achieve results;
 attitudes describe the disposition 
and mindsets to act or react to 
ideas, persons and situations.

THE

8 KEY COMPETENCES 

•   Literacy 
•   Multilingual
•   Mathematical competence 

and competence in science, 
technology and engineering 

•   Digital
•   Personal, social and learning to learn 
•   Citizenship 
•   Entrepreneurship 
•   Cultural awareness and expression 

Source: Council of the European Union recommendation on key 
competences for lifelong learning, 2018.

JANUARY 2020  |  17  

 
 
 
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INTERVIEW

by ROSY VOUDOURI

Skills competitions: 
excellence
a vehicle for

WorldSkills is now promoting 
and benchmarking vocational 
education and training excellence. 
It is logical to be part of  that!

JOS DE GOEY 

WORLDSKILLS PRESIDENT

The idea of  engaging young 
people in international skills 
contests was inspired by the 
huge skills shortage which 
followed World War II. As 
a result, WorldSkills was 
born. It organised the first 
skills competition, modest by 
today’s standards, in Madrid 
in 1950. The latest edition, 
held in Kazan, Russia, in 
2019 featured over 1 300 
young professionals from 63 
countries in 56 skills. The 
organisation’s new president, 
Jos de Goey, has taken on 
the task of  maintaining its 
success. He spoke at Cedefop’s 
recent workshop on key 
competences (see pp. 16-17) 
and gave Skillset and match his 
views on the relationship of  
the competitions with technical 
and vocational education and 
training (TVET) structure.  

18  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

WorldSkills competitions have 
come a long way since the 
1950s. What’s the secret of 
their success?
Countries are increasingly aware 
that they need a quality TVET 
system. WorldSkills is a way to 
learn about how other countries 
are working with TVET and the 
position of some qualifications 
on a global level. With the world 
now one big market, global 
competition is increasing. You 
have to be aware of what is going 
on in other parts of the world as 
well. WorldSkills is now promoting 
and benchmarking vocational 
education and training excellence. 
It is logical to be part of that!

How are the key competences 
reinforced through the 
competitions? 
Key competences are very 
important because, if you look at 
TVET systems around the world, 
they are focused on reaching 
above average competence, or 

just a little above it. Performing 
at a level that can be described 
as ‘excellence’ is not the 
objective of TVET programmes. 
The competitions are different: 
you need to perform excellently 
to be able to win a medal. Key 
competences are vital for the 
training in excellence, on top 
of the normal VET programme 
that a student follows, and 
being best prepared for the 
international competitions. 
Some schools create classes of 
excellence for those students 
who are passionate and 
enthusiastic about their trade, 
about their skills, but perhaps 
are not selected for a WorldSkills 
competition. This ensures that 
the knowledge and approach of 
those students who participate 
in the WorldSkills competitions 
flows back into the TVET system.

WorldSkills follows this up 
as well in preparing the next 
competition?

 
 
 
INTERVIEW

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Exactly! It’s easier to organise a 
football match than to organise 
a skills competition. With sports 
you know that the rules are there 
and, for most, they have been 
there for a long time. But skills 
competitions have to be reviewed 
every two years to see which 
of the latest trends in industry 
should be part of the competition. 
And that’s our biggest challenge. 
We work with industry to hear 
about the latest trends; then, 
together with education, we 
review the WorldSkills standards 
specifications, which is then 
the reference for defining a test 
project. And the test project is 
the assignment a student gets in 
the competition.

In that context, how useful is 
it for you to take part in events 
such as this one?
It’s very useful. First, it’s 
an opportunity to promote 
WorldSkills, and second, through 
the discussions about key 
competences, we as WorldSkills 
are more aware of what is 
important to take into account 

for our competitions from the 
world of VET. And to make sure 
that the relationship between 
the competitions and the VET 
structure, taking into account the 
world of work, is matched in the 
best possible way.

How did you get involved in this 
strand of work? 
My father had 14 florist shops; 
later my father-in-law had three 
hairdresser’s shops. I was 
surrounded by craftsmanship and 
the need to be able to master a 
skill. I realised the need for high 
quality, because customers ask 
for that. When I went to school in 
the morning my father would ask 
me what time I was free because 
he wanted me to help in the shop. 
I am also a keen sportsman and 
skills competitions relate to that. 
When I was asked in 2000 to 
become project manager for a new 
team competition at WorldSkills, I 
immediately said ‘yes’ because it 
fits my personality. I never thought 
about becoming president at that 
time; my ambition was to help 
young people. 

Now, as president, how do 
you see the future of the 
competition?
We need to look in a positive 
way at what is sustainable and 
will still have the impact that we 
strive for. We also need to look 
at our regional organisations, for 
instance at WorldSkills Europe 
which has grown to a certain level. 
It’s important that we continue 
to promote VET through skills 
competitions. The challenge is to 
manage the growth and to help 
our regional and national members 
further develop their structures, 
to create a stronger movement 
for the benefit of young people 
and of the quality and further 
development of VET. 

WorldSkills website

Cedefop workshop on key 
competences in initial vocational 
education and training

JANUARY 2020  |  19  

 
 
 
OCCUPATION IN FOCUS

Machine 

and plant operators

Machine and plant operators are responsible 
for controlling and monitoring various forms of 
machinery and equipment in industrial plants. 
In 2017 they were the second most important 
occupation in terms of employment in EU 
manufacturing. Total employment was 5.5 million, 
300 000 more than in 2012.

The strong performance of the EU economy and 
manufacturing were the main driving forces behind 
this employment growth. Cedefop’s online vacancy 
analysis shows that machine and plant operators 
continue to be in high demand in several EU Member 
States, especially those with a robust industrial base, 
such as Czechia, Germany and Slovakia. 

Despite being an occupation exposed to 
significant automation risk, machine and plant 
operators are expected to have solid future 
employment prospects: in 2018, only 16% of 
EU manufacturers were using industrial robots. 
Additionally, Cedefop’s skills forecast indicates that 
high job demand for machine and plant operators 

Demand intensity for machine and plant operators in online job 
vacancies (2018-19)

High demand

Average demand

Low demand

Data not available yet

20  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

MACHINE AND PLANT OPERATORS  
  5.5 million employees in the EU (2017)
  Male-dominated occupation (66.6%)
  Solid employment prospects 
across EU Member States
  Rising transversal skill needs

ESTIMATED DEMAND FOR 
MACHINE & PLANT 
OPERATORS IN EU, 2018-30

  Job losses: 29 000
  Replacement needs: 2 071 000
  Total job openings: 2 042 000

is expected between 2018 and 2030 due to a high 
number of retirements.

Machine and plant operators are a traditional 
vocational occupation, with almost half of workers 
holding qualifications in technical fields. However, 
Cedefop’s online vacancy analysis shows employers 
also value transversal skills such as adapting to 
change, teamwork or problem solving.

In the coming years, both automation risk and 

skills needs for machine and plant operators will 
grow. Machines will become more sophisticated and 
autonomous, and will require operators with stronger 
IT, analytical and interdisciplinary skills. Continuous 
skills upgrade will keep these workers employable and 
competitive in the age of the 4th industrial revolution. 

Learn more about 
machine and 
plant operators

Cedefop’s 
skills in online 
job vacancies 
analysis

More on 
Cedefop’s skills 
forecast 

Cedefop’s 
digitalisation, AI 
and the future of 
work project

MEMBER STATES

Vocational education and training (VET) plays a major role in Croatia. Traditionally, 
its strengths lie in: 
• 

 high participation in VET at upper secondary level (69.6% compared to the 
2017 EU average of 47.8%);
 strong key competence development and progression to tertiary education, 
primarily by four-year VET programme graduates (80% take matura exams and 
around 60% of all VET graduates continue to higher education);
 lowest rate of early school leaving in the EU (3.3% in 2018, compared to the 
EU average of 10.6%);
 high effectiveness of public administration and VET providers in using EU funds 
to innovate and modernise.

• 

• 

• 

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Revamping 
VET in

CROATIA

The priorities for VET development focus on increasing its relevance, quality, 
and attractiveness. VET curriculum reform, to be implemented in 2022/23, aims 
for improved quality and relevance through comprehensive curriculum redesign in 
line with labour market needs and the learning outcomes approach. It will increase 
the volume of work-based learning and strengthen contemporary teaching, with 
comprehensive support to VET teachers and providers.

The first WorldSkills Croatia competition launched a reformed model of student 

competitions with over 580 competitors in 46 disciplines and over 10 000 visitors 
in 2019. Designed to promote excellence and raise VET’s attractiveness, the 
event ensured high visibility and stakeholder endorsement, becoming the leading 
national event for the promotion of VET.

In 2018, Croatia also established a network of 25 regional centres of 

competence, which will become operational in 2022/23. These will offer state-of-
the-art technologies, teaching excellence and work-based learning, training for 
professionals, VET teachers and workplace mentors, as well as close cooperation 
with local businesses. 

An experimental dual education programme, piloted since 2018, aims to 

improve the quality of work-based learning and apprenticeships. 

A new model of VET teacher training was developed in 2018-19, offering 
extensive training opportunities. Teachers and trainers are a focus of the current 
Croatian EU Presidency priorities. 

by REFERNET CROATIA

JANUARY 2020  |  21  

 
ARTICLE

by VLASIS KOROVILOS, RAMONA DAVID and LISA RUSTICO

The next steps

for
apprenticeship

Cedefop and the OECD organised a joint symposium 
to discuss research findings on how external factors 
(might) have an impact on apprenticeship

Apprenticeship became a focus of EU policy-making 
in 2013-14 in the context of combating youth 
unemployment. It was seen as a way to ensure faster 
school-to-work transitions for young people, based 
on its potential to reduce the disparity between 
skills supply and demand. It is also increasingly 
discussed and promoted as a valuable option for 
qualifying adults, either low-skilled in the context 
of the upskilling pathways initiative, or at higher 
qualification levels.

In recent years, governments across 

Europe and the OECD countries have invested 
considerable resources in introducing and reforming 
apprenticeship to reach even more learners. 
Cedefop and the OECD organised a joint 
symposium on the future of apprenticeship, in 
October in Paris. This discussed research findings on 
how external factors – such as socio-demographic 
changes, new technologies and new forms of 
work organisation – (might) have an impact on 
apprenticeship with implications for its design and 
delivery.

IDENTITY QUESTIONS

Cedefop’s recent work has showed that countries 
develop apprenticeship to address a mix of divergent 
policy purposes, ranging from social inclusion to 
education and excellence. This poses challenges in 
terms of a shared understanding of apprenticeship 
function and identity among the stakeholders in the 
national contexts.

The symposium came at a time when policy-

making needs to address several fundamental 
questions, linked to the identity of apprenticeship: 
Does apprenticeship primarily serve specific 

22  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

company needs and a narrow, short-term 
understanding of employability? Or does it address 
skill needs at sectoral or occupational level, and a 
broader, long-term approach to employability? To 
what level should apprenticeship be offered (upper 
secondary or higher)?

Cedefop Executive Director Jürgen Siebel’s 

opening remarks reflected these considerations: ‘It is 
time to think about where apprenticeship is headed. 
Accelerating labour market change, new forms of 
work and learning, and changing partnership and 
cooperation models require fundamental reflection 
on how best to shape the apprenticeship of the 
future.’

SCENARIOS AND EXAMPLES

The symposium explored different scenarios 
for apprenticeship: from a more traditional role, 
associated with educational goals, tripartite 
governance, and long-term commitment for 
human capital development, to approaches where 
employers use it as a screening tool to recruit 
low-cost labour, with little educational value, low 
attractiveness and visibility, and highly individualised 
and fragmented. 

Future scenarios also stem from the possible 
relationship between apprenticeship and higher 
education: the historic distinction between the two 
might not always meet the requirements of modern 
economies, and their emerging convergence might 
lead to potential overlaps. A graduate apprenticeship 
scheme in Scotland, offered at higher education 
level, showed how apprenticeship could provide the 
high-level and specialised skills increasingly required 
by the labour market. It also highlighted the essential 

ARTICLE

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role of cooperation between the university and the 
employers in a specific sector.

activities enables apprentices to acquire the full set 
of learning outcomes listed in training profiles.

Focusing on changes at the workplace, examples 

from companies in Australia showed how they are 
already adapting their apprenticeship provision to 
cope with changes due to ‘Industry 4.0’, economic 
structural adjustment, globalisation of companies, 
global labour mobility and the ‘gig economy’. Results 
from an online survey among German companies 
showed that, although digitalisation leads to 
transformation within companies, there is still a lot 
of potential for companies to apply digitalisation in 
apprenticeship provision. The need for modernisation 
of existing apprenticeship training occupations, 
rather than introduction of new ones, is also 
highlighted. 

A study in England revealed that apprenticeship 

provision in ‘non-traditional’ settings may pose 
challenges to organisations and learners, and 
lead to varying experiences, including differences 
between newly recruited young apprentices and 
existing employees who become apprentices. In 
contrast, a Swiss case showed the importance 
of innovative learning culture in companies in 
supporting apprentices in developing new, in-
demand competences, and promoting, even leading, 
innovation.

Various policy drivers and initiatives put pressure 
on apprenticeship. Countries with a strong tradition 
(Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland) look 
for excellence at different levels as a means to 
increase and stabilise apprenticeship attractiveness. 
A Danish case showed that the intention to raise 
quality might lead to unintended outcomes in terms 
of participation of low-income students, as the 
actual preferences of companies (and learners) were 
not fully considered in policy-making. In contrast, 
a project promoting collaborative training among 
Italian and Belgian companies with complementary 

QUALITY AND VALUE 

Experts and policy analysts from the European 

Commission, ETF, ILO, UNESCO, OECD and 
Cedefop discussed the research findings and 
acknowledged the importance apprenticeship 
continues to have. Cedefop expert Ramona David 
warned, however, that such value is not yet visible 
because evidence about it is mostly unavailable 
and the quality of the learning experiences and their 
comparability are not always guaranteed. Clear and 
coherent policy design supported by commonly 
understood and shared goals between education 
and training and labour market is a sine qua non 
condition to achieve apprenticeship quality and 
accrue value. This has been valid in the past and will 
continue to be so.  

Cedefop’s Apprenticeship schemes 
in European countries: A cross-
nation overview, focuses on three 
features common to all analysed 
apprenticeship schemes:

  a scheme’s link to a formal qualification 
  a contractual link between  
the learner and company 
  that the apprentice receives  
a form of compensation

Cedefop/OECD symposium: The 
next steps for apprenticeship

JANUARY 2020  |  23  

 
 
INTERVIEW

by MARIA CHATZISAVVIDOU

Multiskilling
in the

for success
creative sectors

The live performance sector has 
a specific ecosystem, which can 
thrive on an abundance of  talent 
and creativity, despite lacking 
specific technical profiles

ANITA DEBAERE

PEARLE* – LIVE PERFORMANCE EUROPE DIRECTOR

We hear a lot about skills, 
qualifications and labour 
market needs in major 
sectors such as engineering, 
IT, communications and 
manufacturing. But how 
often do we hear about the 
creative sectors – especially 
the audiovisual and live 
performance sectors – and the 
various professions that fall 
under their umbrella? What 
skills are needed there and how 
could these sectors improve 
and grow? Is it mere talent 
that artists need or particular 
technical skills such as camera 
filming and video editing?  

In a 2016 report, the Creative 

Skills Europe initiative tackles 
these questions, looks at the 
main drivers of change and offers 

24  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

recommendations about future 
progress. The report puts the 
creative sectors into the broader 
context of factors such as the 
digital shift and globalisation.
Various stakeholders, 

including Pearle* – Live 
Performance Europe, the 
association representing 
organisations and management 
in the sector, piloted the 
recommendations. Pearle* offers 
a good example of the work 
done in the creative industries, of 
the concerns they face and the 
changes they are experiencing. 
Pearle* Director Anita Debaere 
spoke to Skillset and match about 
the initiative and their own work.

How is Pearle* involved in this 
initiative? 
Pearle* is a European employers 
association, recognised by 
the European Commission, 
involved in skills matters for over 

20 years. Creative Skills Europe 
is a joint initiative of employers 
and unions. Its strength lies in 
the common concerns for the 
continuity of the sector: what is 
needed to keep it going?

What has changed since the 
Creative Skills Europe report?
The report revealed a number of 
key trends in the live performance 
and audiovisual sectors. Skills 
needed for tomorrow were 
also investigated. This was 
initially done through thematic 
workshops; in 2018 and 2019 
other aspects were covered during 
our conferences. A deepening of 
our understanding of the trends 
outlined in the report and of future 
skills needs is enabled through our 
longstanding relationship with the 
conservatoires and higher music 
education and vocational training 
providers in theatre technical 
training.

INTERVIEW

9
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Vocational training and dual 
learning paths in secondary 
education programmes have 
been developed, in close 
collaboration with the sector 
in various countries, for young 
people preparing for theatre 
technical occupations. This 
increases their job chances and, 
thanks to apprenticeships and 
this dedicated training, they 
gain knowledge of potential 
employers.

The report speaks about a 
‘multiplatform environment’ 
and ‘multiskilling’. How do you 
understand ‘multiskilling’? 
The report mentions multiskilling 
in the context of the audiovisual 
multiplatform environment. 
As live performance also 
increasingly integrates 
audiovisual and digital 
departments, there is a need 
for people who also possess 
journalistic qualities and digital 
skills to record, livestream, 
communicate and use social 
media. Those who master 
writing and presentation skills, 
in combination with thorough 
digital competence, are in 
high demand. 

Trends and skills in the 
European audiovisual and 
live performance sectors

JANUARY 2020  |  25  

What challenges do the 
professionals of the live 
performance sector face? 
The challenges are multiple. The 
live performance sector has a 
specific ecosystem, which can 
thrive on an abundance of talent 
and creativity, despite lacking 
specific technical profiles. 
Many, especially dancers, 
actors and musicians, are highly 
specialised in their field. During 
their education little attention is 
paid to the acquisition of other 
skills in demand in the labour 
market, which would enable 
them to manage their own career. 
Employers are looking both 
for highly-specialised people, 
perhaps even in more than 
one artistic field or technical 
area, as well as with transversal 
and interpersonal skills. This 
means that education institutes 
have to adapt to the changing 
labour market and create more 
options in curricula for students 
to take on additional modules. 
It also requires frameworks for 
continuous training; acquiring 
new skills is a continuous 
process and increases individual 
potential in the job market. 
Another sectoral issue is the 
cross-country mobility of 
workers for varying periods. 
It is very much at the heart of 
live performance to tour around 
the world and explore career 

opportunities internationally. For 
light, sound or stage technicians, 
working internationally involves 
questions of safety standards 
among others. Knowing well an 
individual’s skills is a support 
to working freelance. Pearle* 
has been involved in various 
European projects to analyse 
skillsets across Europe with the 
aim of identifying the core set of 
skills and competences required 
for different occupations. A 2017 
report from our British members 
(Solt/UKtheatre) revealed other 
challenges our sector is facing, 
such as the need to embrace 
a more diverse workforce and 
create opportunities for an influx 
of people from other sectors.

How can their job chances 
increase? 
Initiatives in Germany and 
France were presented at our 
latest members meeting, in 
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, detailing 
training programmes developed 
for migrants: these included 
technical occupations, to boost 
their chances in the job market, 
with consideration of work in 
the live performance sector. 
Besides targeted programmes, 
theatre technicians such as stage 
hands have typically engaged in 
work-based learning, acquiring 
additional skills as their level 
of responsibility increases. 

 
 
PUBLICATIONS

EVENTS

new

CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONS

You can browse and/or download  
all Cedefop publications at  
www.cedefop.europa.eu/publications  
or by scanning this QR code

EN

Creating lawful 
opportunities for adult 
refugee labour market 
mobility
A conceptual framework for a VET, skills and 
qualifications-based complementary pathway 
to protection

IN FOCUS
CREATING LAWFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULT 
REFUGEE LABOUR MARKET MOBILITY

Creating labour mobility opportunities allowing refugees to move 
lawfully from first asylum countries to receiving countries, based on 
their skills and qualifications and recipient labour market needs, is a 
policy idea that deserves to be explored and tested. The conceptual 
framework presented in this report sketches the potential, the 
key elements and main issues to be addressed in creating such 
opportunities through a skills-based complementary pathway 
to protection. The central element of a skills-based pathway is 
matching refugees’ skills and qualifications to labour market needs 
in a potential receiving country, offering adult refugees a clear 
perspective of employment with a defined route to self-reliance.

Global inventory of
regional and national 
qualifications frameworks 
2019  

Volume I:
Thematic chapters

United Nations

Cultural Organization

Download the publication you wish
by clicking on the cover or title

OTHER PUBLICATIONS:

  Briefing note – Not just new jobs: digital innovation supports careers

  Vocational education and training in Finland – Short description

  Spotlight on VET – Finland 

   Apprenticeship review: Cyprus

   Flash thematic country review on apprenticeships:  
French-speaking Belgium

  Cedefop’s analytical framework for apprenticeships

  Refugee skills and labour market needs

   Overview of national qualifications framework developments in Europe 2019

   Global inventory of regional and national qualifications frameworks 2019

SEpTEMbEr

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

Cedefop policy learning forum on setting up and developing

apprenticeships in Europe

26  |  SKILLSET AND MATCH

MAY 2017 |  23

comingup

For more information on what’s coming up 

go to the events page on the Cedefop website:

www.cedefop.europa.eu/events

or scan this QR code

iN foCUS

3rD cEDEFop BrussEls

sEMinar: aDDrEssinG anD

prEVEntinG loW skills  

26 JUNE

brUSSELS, bELGiUM

JUNE

26

The seminar, organised in cooperation with the maltese EU Presidency, will

serve as a platform for policy-makers, social partners and other vocational

education and training and labour market stakeholders to discuss factors which

impact on workers’ average skill levels: early leaving from education and

training, long-term unemployment, ageing, skill mismatch, socioeconomic

background, migrant status and gender. Discussions will also focus on how to

encourage the development of systems to address low skills, a key objective of

the recommendation Upskilling pathways: new opportunities for adults.

OTHER EVENTS

MAY

29-31

jUNE

jUNE

15-16

7-8

VALETTA, MALTA

meeting of Directors-General for Vocational Training (DGVT)

and conference on making VET a first choice: access to skills

for jobs, social cohesion and equality, in the framework of the

maltese EU Presidency

7-8

TUriN, iTALY

Torino process conference 2017 on changing skills for a

changing world

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

Cedefop policy learning forum on vocational training for the

long-term unemployed: learning from inspiring practices

ENOVERVIEW OFNATIONALQUALIFICATIONSFRAMEWORKDEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE 2019Cedefop’s analytical framework for apprenticeshipsENENFINLANDspotlight on VET2019BEFLASH THEMATIC COUNTRY REVIEW ON APPRENTICESHIPSFrench-speaking regionBELGIUM 
EVENTS
EVENTS

comingup
comingup

For more information on what’s coming up 
go to the events page on the Cedefop website:
For more information on what’s coming up  
www.cedefop.europa.eu/events
go to www.cedefop.europa.eu/events  
or scan this QR code
or scan this QR code

IN FOCUS
iN foCUS
REFERNET ANNUAL 
3rD cEDEFop BrussEls
PLENARY MEETING
sEMinar: aDDrEssinG anD
prEVEntinG loW skills  

26 JUNE
5-7 FEBRUARY 
brUSSELS, bELGiUM
THESSALONIKI, GREECE

ReferNet is Cedefop’s network of institutions which provides information on 
The seminar, organised in cooperation with the maltese EU Presidency, will
national vocational education and training (VET) systems and policies in the EU 
serve as a platform for policy-makers, social partners and other vocational
Member States, Iceland and Norway. Its 17th annual plenary meeting will welcome 
education and training and labour market stakeholders to discuss factors which
the 30 new partners under the 2020-23 framework partnership agreement and 
impact on workers’ average skill levels: early leaving from education and
the national representatives. The meeting will provide briefings on the latest 
training, long-term unemployment, ageing, skill mismatch, socioeconomic
EU VET policy developments and prepare the network’s 2020 work plan. The 
background, migrant status and gender. Discussions will also focus on how to
plenary will include knowledge-sharing on VET policies, peer review, hands-
encourage the development of systems to address low skills, a key objective of
on workshops, joint reflection sessions, face-to-face talks and mentoring.
the recommendation Upskilling pathways: new opportunities for adults.

FEBRUARY
JUNE

26

OTHER EVENTS

MAY

29-31

VALETTA, MALTA

OTHER EVENTS

JANUARY 

jUNE

23 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
TUriN, iTALY

7-8

MAY

jUNE

SEpTEMbEr
JUNE

15-16

5-6 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

7-8

24 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

ThESSALoNiKi, GrEECE

meeting of Directors-General for Vocational Training (DGVT)
and conference on making VET a first choice: access to skills
for jobs, social cohesion and equality, in the framework of the
maltese EU Presidency

European skills and jobs survey 
(ESJS) expert group meeting

Torino process conference 2017 on changing skills for a
changing world

3rd Policy learning forum on flexible learning pathways 
for low-skilled adults, organised jointly by Cedefop 
Cedefop policy learning forum on vocational training for the
and the European Economic and Social Committee 
long-term unemployed: learning from inspiring practices
Cedefop seminar with the Croatian EU Presidency: 
The role of transversal skills and competences 
in transforming education and employment

Cedefop policy learning forum on setting up and developing
apprenticeships in Europe

JANUARY 2020  |  27  
MAY 2017 |  23

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Europe 123, Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECE
Postal address: Cedefop service post, 57001 Thermi, GREECE
Tel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: communications@cedefop.europa.eu

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