How Can Higher Education Contribute to Developing Modern and Effective Vocational Education

Erasmus+ Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar

Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training in the Erasmus+ Partner Countries neighbouring the EU: Partnership for socio-economic development

Istanbul University (Turkey), 10-11 March 2015

DATE:10-11 March 2015

LOCATION: University of Istanbul (Turkey)

PARTICIPANTS: E+ Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs) from EU neighbouring partner countries, National Erasmus+ Offices' (NEOs) representatives, European and Partner countries experts, representatives from the host institution (University of Istanbul), representatives from the Ministry of Education in Turkey,representatives from the European Commission, representatives of the European Training Foundation and the Executive Agency.

WORKING LANGUAGE: English

1 - Aim of the Seminar

The aim of the seminar is to encourage reflection and discussion among Erasmus+ Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs) originating from the Partner Countries neighbouring the EU[1]on the role Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) should play to support economic and social development in the countries concerned. More specifically, the seminar aims at discussing the modalities to reach a holistic approach based on an effective partnership between HE and VET.

The seminar is intended to offer a unique opportunity for country representatives to exchange information and experiences about on-going developments in HE and VET in their respective countries and particularly reflect on how a reinforced cooperation between HE and VET could contribute to raise awareness on the importance of VET, to address some of the challenges faced by VET systems and to support educational reform processes.

For more than 20 years, EU cooperation programmes (and in particularly the Tempus and Erasmus Mundus programmes) have encouraged higher education reforms in countries neighbouring the EU and,with the launch by the Commission of the new Erasmus+ programme, which includes a major international dimension notably in the field of Higher Education, it is the right moment to also discuss to what extent and how these efforts can alsoimpact on on-going VET reforms in these countries.

Socio-economic developments require that both Higher Education and VET adapt constantly to changing conditions, and both sectors can learn from each other in this respect. Due to political uncertainty and economic transition, VET systems diminished their importance as pathways into employment in most of the neighbouring countries and witnessed decreased interest during the nineties with more and more people entering higher education. Only during the last ten years there has been a gradual recovery in participation. In the meanwhile, the participation in HE has expanded rapidly in most neighbouring countries, but the employment opportunities for graduates have not grown equally fast. Relevance of both, VET and HE, require more interaction with stakeholders from the world of work and society. Sharing international experiences can also stimulate development. Bringing together different stakeholders who can contribute to the development of VET and HE is the key reason for partnering.

The seminar will contribute making Higher Education stakeholders aware of on-going challenges in VETand to what extent these are similar or different than those faced in higher education and their responsibilities as major education and training providers.The participants are expected to produce a set of recommendations and advices for practitioners at national and institutional level and also to come up with ideas and suggestions for the implementation of the Capacity Building Higher Education action recently launched under the Erasmus+ programme.

Whereas many international conferences and seminars provide regularly opportunities to discuss on-going trends, policies and reforms in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training worldwide, this seminar will focus on a particular angle, namely the articulation between Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training. The aim is to discuss the conditions and modalities for developing effective relationsbetween both sectors and identify possible short and medium-term priority actions and initiatives.

2 - Background

VET systems are defined and organised according to different social, economic and political traditions and realities, which impact on their purpose, functions, status and scope. Traditionally, VET prepared individuals for well-defined technical, manual or ‘craft’ occupations with provision closely linked to the labour market. There was a strict separation between blue collar and white collar workers that is now obsolete. Nowadays, VET is becoming more and more synonymous with lifelong learning. VET is wider than HE in scope and tends to prepare individuals for certain occupational activities for immediate employment/self-employment, for sustainable employment, for further/higher (vocationally orientated) education and training, for entry into regular VET by compensating for the failures of the general education system (prevocational). VET also aims to meet the skill needs of companies and for economic development that are of ever-increasing diversity and complexity and subject to rapid and profound change.

Recent trends in societies and economies such as globalisation, the rising need for new and high skills in work organisation and labour-market development, the fast pace of technological change in advanced countries, the economic crisis, the high level unemployment rates and last but not least themajor demographic changes have all resulted worldwide in interrogations about the relevance and effectiveness of current VET and HE systems.

The importance of VET on the policy agendas of national and international organisations has therefore increased. At European level, the European ministers for vocational education and training from 31 European countries and the European Commission adopted the Copenhagen declaration in 2002, which underlines the contribution of VET to achieving the Lisbon goals and sets priorities for VET systems’ reforms through enhanced European cooperation. Every two years, progress by Member States in modernising VET is reviewed and reform priorities are refined. In this broad context, most of Erasmus+ partner countries neighbouring the EU have also recently demonstrated great interest in and commitment to launch reform of their vocational education sector.

In order to address the challenges of sustainable and inclusive development worldwide, some countries have settled for widening the purposes of VET systems including an expansion of tertiary VET after a general upper secondary phase, while others – including European countries- have identified the need to improve rapidly their arrangements for VET provisions towards the end of compulsory schooling and/or in the upper secondary phase, as well as in higher education.

In the countries neighbouring the EU, the main scope of reform has been secondary VET, with less consideration being given to post-secondary or higher VET whereas a growing demand for higher qualifications from companies and the need for diversification of education provision at this level is a general trend, thus encouraging strategies favouring higher-level vocational skills. A particular challenge has been to reconnect VET to the labour market and establish effective working relations between local VET providers and local companies, between parts of the VET system and representatives of sectors and chambers, i.e. to develop a dialogue on VET development with Social Partners at the policy level.

Given the variety of educational system structures around the world, it is difficult to formulate standard recommendations but comparison and exchange of experience make sense and are very beneficial. From international experience, general trends can be identified and it appears that VET should be decentralised, responsive to labour-market and learner needs, transparent, well resourced, provide flexible and open pathways for young and adults, and have a capacity to innovate and adapt to changing conditions.

Considering the wide scope of the challenges to be addressed, the seminar will focus on four main topics in relation to the above mentioned objectives.

3 – Themes to be discussed during the Workshops

Workshop 1: HE and VET, partnering for training of VET school teachers and managers

In many countries VET is often considered a second-choice to general education. VET institutions and schools often suffer from lack of updated equipment and relevant resources (human and financial) and face difficulties in fulfilling their mission and objectives, notably as regards the employability of their graduates. Higher Education institutions are often involved in initialtraining, and to a lesser degree in in-service training. There is not always a specific training for VET teachers and managers. With an aging teaching workforce, there is a need to ensure that VET school teachers and managers are exposed to the changing realities of the labour market and to student centred approaches.

Discussion during workshop 1 should focus on how Higher Education Institutions could / should play a supporting role in renovating, modernising VET teachers' and school managers' training.

In particular, the discussion should address the following topics:

- the strategies and measures to be taken to improvequalifications and skills of VET professionals; teachers, instructors for practical training, in company trainers,and managers (initial training and continuing education)

- the ways and methods to modernise / adapt teaching and pedagogical methods to be implemented within secondary and post-secondary VET programmes in view of improving their relevance and adequacy to the needs of societies and economies. Promoting a learners' perspective in VET education should be a key driver of the discussions.

The discussion will aim at (i) identifying possible action lines at policy and institutional level, (ii) sharing information and good practice at institutional, regional or national level, (iii) formulating recommendations for future action at all levels.

Workshop 2: HE and VET, partnering for developing post-secondary intermediate levels of qualifications for the labour market

Most countries are currently facing major economic, political and social challenges including transition towards market economy and demographic changes. High level youth unemployment rates and lack or inadequacy of qualifications with regards to the need of the labour market are currently a major concern that needs to be addressed urgently to secure the foundations of an harmonious economic growth.

One of the challenges is to ensure a balanced distribution of skills on the labour market and allow proper mechanisms of technology transfer among the sectors concerned and in particular between research, industry and business. Most countries are currently lacking post-secondary intermediate level qualifications/skills whereas the number of students enrolled in higher education is increasing significantly.

Discussion during workshop 2 should focus on how such issue should be addressed in the countries concerned and how HE and VET could work together to contribute to the emergence of the intermediate levels of qualifications needed by business and society.

The discussion will in particular focus on the following topics:

- the place of post-secondary VET, short-cycle and employment oriented bachelor type[2]programmes in the tertiary education paradigm. Indeed, from integrated to dual models, the list is very long of the ways the offer of vocational programmes has been organised and delivered and how they are articulated (including from an institutional point of view) with traditional academic programmes and degrees on one side and typically vocational-oriented programmes and diplomas on the other.

- the strengths and weaknesses of the different models and formats of these programmes notably in terms of who should deliver them (what type of institutions – universities, polytechnics, colleges ?), how to differentiate them with normal academic programmes (e.g. what kinds of learning outcomes?) and how to link them with the labour market demand.

- the visibility and attractiveness of vocational-oriented short-cycle programmes and diplomas in particular as compared to academically oriented programmes and degrees, that do not directly train for the labour market.

Workshop 3: HE and VET, partnering for ensuring portability of qualifications and permeability among education and training systems

Lifelong learning (LLL) is considered worldwide as the major tool to develop a knowledge society. Ensuring professional and career development is the main driver to ensure sustainable employability/employment of workers.

In that context, permeability among education and training systems is an asset to allow mobility of students, to enhance the portability of learning achievements and as such to increase the attractiveness of the VET system.

Discussion during workshop 3 should focus on the need and modalities:

- to develop flexible and innovative pathways and bridges between secondary VET, post-secondary education and higher education (vocational, but mainly academic education).

- to improve mechanisms for the validation of prior learning (formal and non-formal) including the development of modular approaches in curriculum design and the use of credits transfer mechanisms.

- to define, adapt or make compatible existingqualification frameworks so that they can fulfil their role in support of the transparency, comparability and portability of qualifications.

- to identify how a more flexible HE provision can facilitate participation of a growing group of potential adult learners with a VET background and work experience.

Workshop 4: HE and VET, partnering for fostering local development

In the last decades, a new mind-set has emerged worldwide envisaging education as an integral part of policiesand strategies designed to supportan equitable and sustainable growth, to foster job creation and to tackle unemployment, mainly for young people. Education is therefore at the top of the political agenda in most countries.

As a result, education providers are called upon to play a leading role to address the economic and social agenda at local, regional and national levels in their respective countries. Higher education institutions and VET providers are invited to revise their mission statements and contribute more actively to the development of communities, regions and territories. Policy makers also insist on their social role.

The discussion in workshop 4 will focus on the strategies needed to enforce such approaches and in particular on the collaborative mechanisms that should be put in place in order to exploit possible synergies and complementarities between HE and VET. Their joint role into the multilevel governance of human capital development is more crucial than ever.

Inertia of education institutions and opposition forces will be part of the debate and possible countering measures willbe discussed.

[1] Erasmus+ Partner Countries from the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Southern Mediterranean, Russia and Central Asia.

[2] Short cycle programmes are generally seen as EQF level 5, while bachelor programmes are at EQF level 6.