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ISSUE 6 / JANUARY 2016
MAIN STORY: SKILLS FOR JOBS AND JOBS FOR SKILLS, IN THE ROBOT ERA
FEATURE: ENGAGING SMEs IN APPRENTICESHIPS
INTERVIEWS: PETER CAPPELLI, MICHELINE SCHEYSJASON HOLT, KATE TETLEYTOMASZ SARYUSZ-WOLSKI
MEMBER STATES: DENMARK
Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: [email protected]
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
/cedefopwww.cedefop.europa.eu
@cedefop
9105 EN – TI-AQ-16-001-EN-N
APPRENTICESHIP
ENGAGING SMEs IN APPRENTICESHIPS: TURNING IDEAS 4INTO REALITY
INTERVIEW
GROWING BUSINESS WITH APPRENTICES 6Jason Holt, British entrepreneur
NEWS
REVIEWING APPRENTICESHIP IN MEMBER STATES 7By Ramona David
INTERVIEW
VET HELPS PEOPLE SAY ‘YES’ TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING 8Irene Psifidou, Cedefop expert
ARTICLE
HELPING LOW-SKILLED ADULTS 9By Steve Bainbridge and Lidia Salvatore
INTERVIEW
A BROADER ROLE FOR CEDEFOP IN A NEW EUROPE 10Micheline Scheys, Chair, Cedefop Governing Board –Governments' Group Secretary General
MAIN STORY
SKILLS FOR JOBS AND JOBS FOR SKILLS, IN THE ROBOT ERA 12
INTERVIEW
YOUNG PEOPLE: THE LAST ONES TO GET A JOB 14Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management, Wharton University of Pennsylvania
NEWS
PROUDLY PRESENTING THE NEW SKILLS PANORAMA 15By Alena Zukersteinova and Jesús Bustamante
NEWS
WORK ORGANISATION AND WORKPLACE LEARNING: 16A WIN-WIN ENVIRONMENTBy Rosy Voudouri, in Brussels
INTERVIEW
A EUROPEAN FORUM FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES 18Kate Tetley, International Manager, People 1st, UKTomasz Saryusz-Wolski, Educational Research Institute, Poland
ARTICLE
INCREASING OUTREACH AND ATTRACTIVENESS 20By Gerd Oskar Bausewein, Cedefop Head of Department for Communication
MEMBER STATES
IMPROVING VET IN DENMARK 21By ReferNet Denmark
NEW CEDEFOP PUBLICATIONS 22
COMING UP 23
02 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
CONTENTS
The European Centre for theDevelopment of VocationalTraining (Cedefop) is theEuropean Union's referencecentre for vocational educationand training.
We provide information on andanalyses of vocational educationand training systems, policies,research and practice.
Cedefop was established in 1975 by Council Regulation(EEC) No 337/75.
ISSUE 6 / JANUARY 2016
Cover photo: © Ministry o
f Education and Scien
ce of Lithuania
Publications Office of theEuropean Union, Luxembourg
ISSN: 2363-0183TI-AQ-16-001-EN-NNo of publication: 9105 ENFree of charge© Cedefop, 2016All rights reserved.
Head of Department for Communication:Gerd-Oskar BauseweinEditor: Rosy VoudouriDesigned by [email protected] in the European Unionon elemental chlorine-free bleachedpaper (ECF)
Cedefop: Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), Greece
Postal address: PO Box 22427,551 02 Thessaloniki, Greece
Tel. +30 2310490111Fax +30 [email protected]
Subscribeto the electronicedition
JANUArY 2016 | 03
Cedefop’s 40th anniversary was a highlight among recent activitiesbringing the centre closer to key European stakeholders. It was bothlogical and fitting to celebrate a landmark in the history of vocationaleducation and training (VET) in Europe.
Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities begins by saying that in 1859‘it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age ofwisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, itwas the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was theseason of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter ofdespair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…’Set in London and Paris, the novel tells the story of two men,Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, similar in appearance but verydifferent in character.
Like Darnay and Carton, vocational training and employability maylook similar but are quite different. Many Europeans are living in thebest of times; others, unfortunately, in the worst of times. Thisemerged from Cedefop’s activities on apprenticeships and SMEs,the European skills and jobs survey, the policy-learning forum onlearning outcomes, and cooperation with the European Economicand Social Committee and Eurofound on work organisation andworkplace learning.
The very busy autumn at Cedefop highlighted the needed fusionbetween the world of education and that of work. Learners andworkers, more than ever before, have blended profiles: research,policy analysis, policy learning, and reform in VET must ensure thatwhat people know and learn to do, they can use in places of work.
The imbalance between the two worlds demands determination toinvest in quality jobs that sustain people’s lives. Cedefop surveysshow that people possess skills that fail to match available jobs ordo not help them find a job. Quality jobs are what countries mustcreate to ensure bonding between the worlds of education andemployment. In this, VET providers and social partners can beexcellent implementers. ■
EDIToriAL
The very busy autumnat Cedefop highlighted
the needed fusionbetween the world
of educationand that of work“
in theof times
of timesin the
bestworst
JAMES CALLEJACEDEfop DirECTor
More than 180 participants from 28 countries sharedideas and discussed various ways of workingtogether to help European small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) increase their use ofapprenticeship at Cedefop’s conference inThessaloniki (9-10 November).
Ideas ranged from a European network forpromoting apprenticeships to training in-companytrainers, from tasters for would-be apprentices tocampaigns to engage small businesses. These ideaswill help develop European projects. Various fundingavenues were also presented.
Welcoming participants, Cedefop Director JamesCalleja said: ‘SMEs, who are drivers of economicgrowth and job creation, are natural partners withvocational education and training (VET), whichprovides the skills they need.’
SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTHe argued that apprenticeships give a sense ofaccomplishment to learners, adding: ‘Data fromCedefop’s European skills and jobs survey indicatethat people whose studies involved work-basedlearning are more likely to find a good job.’
Cedefop promotes the European alliance forapprenticeships and supports apprenticeshipprogrammes. Mr Calleja offered a simple justification:‘The core values of VET lie in quality apprenticeshipprogrammes.’
He noted that ‘apprenticeships give young peoplethe security of a pay packet and dignity of arecognised qualification, both prerequisites foremployment.’ He said that the SME sectorrepresents a huge potential market forapprenticeships: ‘Unlocking it requires far greaterfocus and resources.’
Antonio Ranieri, Cedefop’s Head of Departmentfor Learning and Employability, which organised theconference, underlined that apprenticeship is makinga comeback in many countries. More young peoplenow see it as an opportunity.
VALUING APPRENTICESLeading British SME employer Jason Holt, CEO,Holts Group of companies, who has won awards andhonours for his contribution to promotingapprenticeship, was the keynote speaker: ‘I am theSME voice in the room and I really value apprentices:they are the future of my business.’
Mr Holt told participants that in the Uk ‘85% ofSMEs say they can’t grow because they can’t findtalent. So,’ he added, ‘we must focus on what smallbusinesses want.’
In her video message to the conference,European Commissioner for Employment, SocialAffairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen
04 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
SMEsin apprenticeships
engaging
APPRENTICESHip
TURNING IdEaS INTo rEalIty
JANUArY 2016 | 05
APPRENTICESHip
noted the crucial role SMEs play in Europe’seconomy, stressing that they can be ‘excellentproviders of work-based learning, including viaapprenticeships that will give our jobseekers the skillsthat are really needed in today’s and tomorrow’slabour market.’
Ms Thyssen argued that ‘SMEs can make majorgains with the right organisation and incentives. Forexample, in Austria, two thirds of apprentices are inSMEs; and in Germany, nearly 30% are in micro-companies.’
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIESThe Commissioner mentioned European Unionfunding through Erasmus+ and the European SocialFund to promote apprenticeship schemes in smalland medium-sized enterprises: ‘With this investmentwe hope to stimulate a substantial increase in theirsupply.’
She expressed her hope that a result of theconference would be ‘further ideas and inspiration onhow to boost apprenticeships in Europe’s SMEs; andthat SMEs will be empowered and helped to provideopportunities for young people with a springboard togood and rewarding work.’
Closing the event, Cedefop Deputy Director MaraBrugia praised the project ideas presented, and gavea commemorative gift for best contribution toFrance’s Meriem Dadou.
Speaking about Cedefop’s role in promotingapprenticeships, Ms Brugia noted: ‘We want to set upa systematic process to accompany countries andstakeholders on their apprenticeship trip.Apprenticeship partnerships should pave the way for
sustainable long-term exchanges and cooperation.We help countries build capacity and support policylearning. In 2017, we plan to investigate the launch ofapprenticeship schemes for adults. We expect allconference ideas to develop into Europeancooperation projects.’ ■
Scan to watchCommissioner Thyssen’s
video message
More on the European apprenticeship
conference
SMEs: the backbone
of european economy
SMEs employ 2/3of the European workforce
represent 99%of all businesses in the EU
have created 85%of new jobs in past five years
but, fewer than 1 in 4offer apprenticeships
iNTErVIEW
06 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
A leading SME employer in theUk, Jason Holt is a firm believerin apprenticeship. His academyserves the country’s jewellerysector. The Uk government askedhim to lead a review onapprenticeship in 2012 and hewon honours and awards for hiscontribution. He was a keynotespeaker at Cedefop’s Europeanapprenticeship conference andtold Skillset and match theexperience was an eye-opener.
You have been involved inapprenticeship for years. Howdid that come about?I saw how positiveapprenticeships were for my ownbusiness. On the back ofapprenticeships my businessgrew both in economic terms andin terms of the people in it; full oftalented people. We startedtraining for ourselves, but thenrealised that we could train forother businesses, so we ended upsupplying the apprentices weweren’t taking on to the rest of thesector and became the sole
provider of apprenticeships in thejewellery sector.
Young people sometimescomplain that the money theyget is not enough, and SMEsthat they train apprentices whothen leave for a biggercompany that offers more.There is always a chance that youspend all that effort training anapprentice and they leave. But, inmy experience, the bond createdbetween an apprentice and anemployer is very special. Thestats in the Uk show that over90% of apprentices stay with theemployer post-apprenticeship.Why is that? Because they reallyfeel a debt of gratitude to theiremployers. On the question ofsalary, I think it’s a fair deal:you’ve got the chance to earnsomething that gives somedegree of living wage, but you aregetting a qualification, you aregetting a career. In my case, I paymy apprentices the living wagebecause they generally do afantastic job.
You’ve given the keynotespeech at the Europeanapprenticeship conference.How does that relate to whatyou are doing?I’ve never been to a Europeanconference before, so it’s a greateye-opener for me. Being in aroom with 28 different nations isvery powerful and I’ve beenthinking about what this actuallymeans. A Uk-based apprentice isnot really a Uk-based apprentice;they are dealing with a worldeconomy and certainly a Europeannation. How can we work bettertogether? There are all sorts ofopportunities that I can see towiden the net, to make theexperience of being an apprenticefar broader, involving otherMember States, with businesses,as well, stepping out of theircomfort zone and seeing what ison their doorstep outside the Uk. ■
businessgrowing
In my experience, the bond createdbetween an apprentice and an employeris very special
“
JASON HOLTBriTiSH ENTrEprENEUr
by roSY VoUDoUri
with apprentices
Scan to watchthe full interview with
Jason Holt
NEWS
JANUArY 2016 | 07
reviewing
by rAmoNA DAViD
apprenticeshipin Member States
Cedefop’s thematiccountry reviews on
apprenticeships
Lithuaniareview results
Malta review results
Thematic country reviews onapprenticeships have beencarried out by Cedefop in Maltaand Lithuania. Following contactswith relevant ministries, reviewsare now under way in Slovenia,Italy and Greece.
The results of Cedefop’sreview in Malta, which werepresented in Valetta in October,have found a mismatch betweenwhat is offered and labour marketneeds. Maltese Education andEmployment Minister EvaristBartolo noted that‘apprenticeships encourageyoung people to feel likepromising individuals with thepotential to learn,’ adding that‘many employers look for specificbehaviour and attitudes inemploying people.’
The review report suggests aninitial step to address the problemis ‘to set governance structures toensure cooperation and equalpartnerships between vocationaleducation and training (VET)systems and employment/labourmarket systems.’
It also suggests that‘governance structures shouldenable a quick reaction tochanges in the employment andthe professional world.’
The Lithuania review proposesfour stages in makingapprenticeship a reality: clarifyingthe vision, building on theenablers, improving informationand communication, and fine-tuning regulation.
Review started in Slovenia inAugust 2015. It will help defineapprenticeship’s place in the VETsystem, clarify roles andresponsibilities of stakeholders,and motivate and stimulateimplementation. The expectationis that it will help develop a goodevidence base for policy decisionsand suggest possible scenariosfor developing apprenticeship.
The review in Italy started inOctober and focuses onapprenticeships that prepareyoung people for vocationalqualifications at upper secondaryand post-secondary levels. The2015 labour law reform defined
new rules and opportunities todevelop these schemes, wherebycompanies can hire 15-25 year-old students who alternatework-based learning with part-time VET. The country had aninterest in such apprenticeships,statutorily regulated since 2003,but never put it into practice.
Greece, where the reviewstarted in November, is currentlypreparing extensive VET reform.This includes provision ofapprenticeships at post-secondary level and an increasein numbers, alongsideimprovement in quality andrelevance of apprenticeshipprogrammes.
Cedefop’s reviews provide aplatform for identifying priorityreform areas, enabling in-depthexamination through acollaborative approach. ■
phot
o: ©
Mini
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of L
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Cedefop research looks for newevidence to understand dropoutand early leaving from vocationaleducation and training (VET) inEurope and to analyse VET’s rolein reducing early leaving. Projectmanager Irene Psifidou answerssome of the questions theresearch addresses.
Why is early leaving morecommon for those enrolled inVET programmes?This is true for some countries,such as Belgium (French-speaking community/Flemishcommunity), Denmark, France,the Netherlands and Italy, and forsome types of VET. For example,early leaving rates are higher inVET schools and apprenticeshipsin Austria, but not in VETcolleges. VET’s nature, and itsconnection with the labourmarket, may explain this. VET hasan inclusive role, accommodatinglearners who would have already
dropped out from education if itwas not offered as a choice. It isalso very much related to labourmarket reality. Availability ofapprenticeships, value ofqualifications and workers’ wagesmay all affect the achievement ofa VET qualification.
How does Cedefop promoteVET as a solution to theproblem of early leaving?Cedefop has provided newevidence that VET may preventand counteract early leaving; thisis why many initiatives aiming tocombat the phenomenonencourage VET pedagogies.Work-based learning,apprenticeships and real worksimulations may build learners’confidence, increase theirmotivation and engagement byadopting a positive attitude tolearning.
What is being done in Europeto address early leaving from orthrough VET?There have been severalapproaches aiming at prevention
or remedy. However, we don’tknow much about how successfulthese interventions are; impactmeasurements have beenundertaken for just a fewimplemented policies. Of 350measures Cedefop hasexamined, only 37 had someevaluation undertaken. And evenwhen policies are evaluated, theextent to which these haveultimately helped young people toachieve an upper secondaryqualification, to continue furtherstudies, or to integrate into thelabour market remains largelyunknown.
What remains to be done?Most of those who abandoneducation and training prematurelyfail to return. This is why it is soimportant to develop tools toidentify early those who are at riskof dropping out from VET, plusways of reaching out to those whohave already dropped out. In thedetail of design and application wecan see what makes such toolsbeneficial. But benefiting learnersis not a detail. ■
yes
08 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
iNTErVIEW
VEt
IRENE PSIFIDOUCEDEfop ExpErT
helps peopleto education
and trainingsay
Cedefop has new evidence that VETmay prevent and counteract early leaving
“
Watch young peopletalking
about early leaving
The number of people with low skill levels is falling.By 2025, around 14% of the European Union’s(EU’s) labour force will have low skill levelscompared to around 21% in 2015. Despite thiswelcome trend, low-skilled adults will continue to beamongst the groups more likely to be unemployed, orin low-paid, insecure jobs.
Their job prospects have worsened following theeconomic downturn, which began in 2008. Ascompetition for jobs has increased, people havebeen more willing to take positions for which they areoverqualified, displacing lower-skilled people.
Low skills have a cost. People with highqualifications have better prospects of good jobs with
good pay; those with low skills are at greater risk ofpoverty and social exclusion and more likely to bedependent on public welfare. There is also strongevidence that low skills and disadvantage can bepassed on from one generation to the next.
To help address these concerns, Cedefop isfinding out more about adults with low skills. Analysisso far shows a complex problem: the low-skillpopulation is varied, including both home nationalsand people with a migrant background. Causes oflow skills among adults are also diverse and notalways solely linked to education and training;someone is more likely to be low-skilled if theeducation level of their parents was also low.
Measuring low skills is difficult. Data limitationscause educational attainment and type of job by skilllevel to be used as proxies for people’s skill levels,but this does not capture non-cognitive andemotional intelligence aspects such as social skills,empathy and friendliness. Such skills are importantfor certain groups of adults who are regarded as low-skilled, such as personal care assistants, to carry outtheir tasks effectively.
Tackling the problem of low-skilled adults willrequire various targeted policies to meet people’sspecific needs. But it is important to confront theeconomic and social costs of low skills forindividuals. Cedefop will publish its study in 2016,aiming to provide robust evidence to developpolicies. ■
JANUArY 2016 | 09
ARTiCLE
helping
adultslow-skilled
by STEVE BAINBRIDGE andLIDIA SALVATORE
phot
o: ©
Shu
tters
tock
_Diet
er H
awlan
phot
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Shu
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_Lov
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lhoue
tte
A sociologist, former researcherand current Secretary Generalat the Ministry of Educationand Training of Belgium’sFlemish community,Micheline Scheys is alsoChair of Cedefop’s GoverningBoard since last summer. Shebelieves that Cedefop has acrucial role to play invocational education andtraining (VET) policy atMember State and EuropeanUnion levels.
How do you see the agency’srole in the changing EuropeanVET landscape, especially inview of the commitmentsincluded in the Rigaconclusions?Europe is in crisis: economically,financially, socially and politically.It is not reasonable to speakabout VET and Cedefop’s rolewithout taking that broadercontext into account. In the past,VET contributed to developingand strengthening the humancapital that was essential forbuilding a European Union out ofdifferent and diverging MemberStates. It goes without saying thatVET still plays an important role indeveloping the human capitalneeded for shaping Europe for thefuture. However, today’schallenges ask for new social,economic and employmentpolicies to ensure Europe’s addedvalue in supporting MemberStates in improving people’sworking conditions and personallives. Cedefop’s expertise, basedon its research and policyanalysis, can and should informpolicy-makers in elaborating suchpolicies. I am convinced that theagency’s role is not limited tochanging the European VET
landscape. It has a crucial part toplay in delivering evidence tosupport policy-making and indocumenting VET’s importancefor putting effective policymeasures in place, both atMember State and EuropeanUnion levels. The Rigaconclusions underpin Cedefop’srole in assisting Member States inimplementing VET reforms andthe European Commission insupporting Member States in thatimplementation process.According to those conclusions,Cedefop must highlight Europeancooperation and set out astreamlined system to monitorand analyse progress in VET(together with ETF). The Rigaconclusions stress Cedefop’smultidimensional role inimplementing and monitoring VETreforms. Unfortunately, they payinsufficient attention to the needfor, and importance of, Cedefop’swork in informing new policiesbased on research evidence.
Having researched the linkbetween education and thelabour market yourself, do youbelieve VET is an effective toolin the fight against youthunemployment?
new
10 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
iNTErVIEW
by roSY VoUDoUri
broader
Europe
roleCedefop
A
FOR
IN A
MICHELINE SCHEYSCHAir, CEDEfop GoVErNiNG BoArD –
GoVErNmENTS' GroUp SECrETArY GENErAL
Riga conclusionson VET
young people’s labour marketchances are better in countrieswith a strong VET system. yet,improvements are possible. VETcan fight youth unemploymentand unemployment in general ifdifferent policy domains(education, employment,economy, wellbeing, sociocultural)and actors (governments andsocial partners) work intensivelytogether. Collaboration betweeneducation and employment iscrucial to ensuring VET isresponsive to labour marketneeds and in order that educationand in-company-trainingcomplement and reinforce eachother. Two VET instruments arevery effective in combatting youthunemployment: work-basedlearning and validation of informaland non-formal learning. VET canalso prevent youth unemploymentby combatting early schoolleaving through making learning(in particular STEM) morerelevant for youngsters’ lives,stimulating craftsmanship andentrepreneurship, making use ofup-to-date infrastructure inschools or in work-based learning.This means recruiting goodteachers and trainers, delivering agood mix of professional skills
and key competences, andcombining them in soundqualifications.
What prompted you to getinvolved in Cedefop’s work?Raising VET quality, continuing aswell as initial VET, has alwaysbeen one of my priorities. Beforejoining the ministry I worked as aresearcher and my first job at theministry was organising policy-oriented education research. Ialso like working in aninternational context: contact withdifferent social and politicalcontexts, different pathways to thesame goals, is useful inevaluating your own nationalpolicies.
You are a governmentrepresentative, but you workwith different stakeholders (theEuropean Commission andsocial partners) in Cedefop’sGoverning Board. How fruitfulis this cooperation?The composition of Cedefop’sGoverning Board is a real assetfor VET and policy-making. If wewant VET to be successful inimproving societies, governmentsmust cooperate with socialpartners. Governments can
design policies, but without thesupport and collaboration of socialpartners they cannot beimplemented, so policies arebetter elaborated taking intoaccount the social partners’ pointof view. Another added value ofCedefop’s Governing Board is thecombination of different levels ofpolicy-making: governmentrepresentatives from the MemberStates sit together and discusswith the European Commissionand European social partners(such as ETUC, BusinessEurope), but also withrepresentatives of national socialpartners.
How can Member States benefitfrom Cedefop’s expertise andcoordination of projects suchas the new apprenticeshipreviews?Cedefop’s expertise ininternational comparativeresearch and policy analysisshows Member States theircomparative strengths andweaknesses, their opportunitiesand challenges. It can help themappreciate possible commonframeworks for VET which canstimulate them in setting commonpolicy goals. ■
JANUArY 2016 | 11
iNTErVIEW
“Cedefop has a crucial part to play in delivering evidence to support policy-making and in documenting VET’s importance for putting effective policy measures in place
In the not-too-distant future, people and robotswill have to coexist. Many of today’s jobs will bedone by human-like machines, leaving actualhumans with the challenge of acquiring new setsof skills to find work.
Doctors and lawyers are as likely to lose theirjobs to robots as truck drivers and factoryworkers, affirms Professor of Economics atHarvard University Richard Freeman, one of thekeynote speakers at Cedefop’s high-level skillsconference last December. Workers in manyfactories have already been replaced bymachines.
At the Thessaloniki conference, more than130 participants debated how technology andworkplace change impact on skill needs and howto create partnerships to address skill mismatch.The findings of Cedefop’s European skills andjobs (ESJ) survey were also discussed.
Prof. Freeman argued that robotisation cannotbe stopped and that the effect on people’sincome depends on who owns the robots: ‘Toprevent a small number from ruling the world, wemust widen ownership of machines, robots andcapital.’ The Professor sees the positive side of a
new reality: ‘We are entering a new world inwhich robots are going to be more human thanmany humans in their work, but won’t makemany of the mistakes we make.’
He predicted that future workers will not needto learn foreign languages, but only thelanguages of computers: ‘Training and skills thatwork best in the new world are likely to differfrom those in the past by being more computer-based.’ He spoke of the rise of the ‘robot-boss’,already in place in some big companies.
EDUCATION MATTERSWorld Bank’s Harry Patrinos (Practice Manager,Education), also a keynote speaker, providedinternational evidence on returns on educationand skills, which shows that ‘more educationleads to higher earnings.’ He said that theaverage global private return on schooling is10.4%, with the European Union being close tothat average at 10%.
Private returns, he noted, are about equalbetween general education and vocationaleducation and training (VET), but social returnson general education markedly outweigh those ofvocational. He suggested people need to investin skills early: ‘Those who start learning earlycontinue to learn throughout their life.’
Cedefop Director James Calleja emphasisedthat, as Europe is emerging from one of theworst economic crises, ‘people need to aligntheir skills with a labour market in whichtechnology has spread from the production lineto being online and everywhere; with its rapiddevelopment, learning on the job is the onlyway forward – hence work-based learning isVET’s future.’
The European Commission is also on board
12 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
mAiN STORY
by roSY VoUDoUri
More on the conference
Watch an exclusiveinterview with Professor
Richard Freeman
ESJ survey video: people tell their storiesskills
jobsfor jobs
for skillsandIn the era of the robotS
JANUArY 2016 | 13
mAiN STORY
the technology train. Detlef Eckert, Director forSkills at DG Employment, Social Affairs andInclusion, mentioned the skills agenda to belaunched by the Commission in 2016, addingthat the initiative is ‘in essence about technology.’
Boston University’s James Bessen offered adifferent perspective on new technology’s role invocational skill shortages. He said that the neteffect of automation on employment is zero, ascomputers create about as many jobs as theyare destroying. For example, the introduction ofautomatic teller machines (ATMs) by banks didnot lead to the anticipated reduction in thenumber of tellers in the US; the technologypowering ATMs minimised operational costs perbranch, so banks could afford to open morebranches which, in turn, required more tellers. AsMr Bessen stressed, ‘the problem is scarce skills,not scarce jobs’.
SKILL MISMATCH COSTSCedefop’s Head of Department for Skills andLabour Market, Pascaline Descy, said that skillmismatch is costly for individuals, employers andsociety in general: ‘The unexploited workforcepotential is compromising European Unionefficiency, with 27% of workers being in dead-endjobs.’
So, what comes next? Cedefop DeputyDirector Mara Brugia called for action to matchjobs and skills better from the outset, saying that‘the tools to do that exist (for example, EuropassCV and supplement), but we need to becomemore aware of them and how to use them. Thereis also a need to manage people’s talents moreeffectively once they are in a job, with validationplaying a key role in certifying skills learned onthe job.’ As for the bigger picture: ‘We must
rethink labour and social policies and think ofmeasures to avoid leaving people behind. Thisrequires more cooperation and trust, andCedefop will remain at the forefront ofdevelopments.’ ■
World Bank's Harry Patrinos
cedefop’s
EUROPEAN SKILLS AND JOBS SURVEY
Launched in 2014
49 000 adult employees(aged 24-65)
All 28 EU Member States
Looking at how employees’ skillsmatch the needs of their jobs
Exploring skill mismatch over time
Peter Cappelli, internationallyrenowned professor at theWharton School of Business inthe US, was a keynote speaker atthe Cedefop/IZA workshop onskills and skill mismatch inOctober.
In his book Why can’t goodpeople get good jobs, ProfessorCappelli explores the reasonsbehind high youth unemploymentin recent years. Speaking toSkillset and match, he argues thatit is not education and trainingfailing ‘good people’: ‘The shortanswer is just not enough jobs,and young people are the lastones hired.’
The Professor takes a critical
stance on employers complainingabout so-called ‘skill shortages’.But does he believe that suchstories lack validity or are theylegitimate concerns of businessowners faced with intensecompetition for human resources?‘I think employers are looking forsomething different now,’ henotes, ‘which is applicants whodon’t need training and who arealready experienced. That mayhave been realistic during theGreat Recession, but that was theworst labour market in 80 years. Itwon’t be realistic going forward,without paying a big price inwages.’
Fast technologicaldevelopment can be a concern foreducation and training providersbut Prof. Cappelli believes there isno need for help to keep up withtechnological progress andinnovation in advanced labourmarkets: ‘There isn’t any evidencethat they are behind now. Theissue is whether schools canprovide work experience, which iswhat employers want.’
The Professor has studiedworkforce development systemsin the US and Europe and thinksthat a major challenge for thesesystems will be to ‘get employersinvolved in providing workexperience – internships,apprenticeships, and so forth.’
He agrees that modernbusinesses have forgone theirtraditional role of training andadvancing their staff’s skills. So,what could be done to rekindletheir involvement in skillsdevelopment? ‘They have tobelieve that it will pay off,’ hesays.
As for lifetime employment, heconcurs with the widely held viewthat ‘it is a thing of the past,unfortunately, in most countries.’With that in mind, how can peoplebecome adaptable and equipthemselves for the demands ofthe modern labour market? ‘Howto keep up-to-speed requireskeeping our eyes open,particularly to secure workexperience in emerging areas,’ heconcludes. ■
jobget
14 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
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a
young people:THE LAST ONES
TO
PETER CAPPELLIprofESSor of mANAGEmENT,
WHArToN UNiVErSiTY of pENNSYLVANiA
The issue is whether schools can provide workexperience, which is what employers want“
Since December 2015, the SkillsPanorama has been turninglabour market data into useful,accurate and timely intelligencethat helps policy-makers takedecisions on skills and jobsacross Europe.Because sound data andevidence are the foundation ofinformed decision-making, wehave designed the new Panoramawebsite with the followingprinciples in mind:• clarity (information presented
visually is easier to understand)• reliability (decision-makers need
to trust that the information theyhave is accurate)
• openness (it is possible to shareinformation with peers andexperts)
• relevance (we select just the
right data fordecision-making).When Cedefopset out to improvethe EU SkillsPanorama userexperience, wesoon realised that
presentation and visualisation ofdata and information are asimportant as quality if they are tobe useful for decision-makers.The new Skills Panoramaprovides overviews of key trendsas well as detailed mapping andforecasting across skills themes,sectors, occupations andcountries.Users can easily customise thedashboards to their needs andexplore all indicators in full detail.To make understanding of criticaltrends and skills issues easier,Panorama provides succinctanalytical reports, called analyticalhighlights, about specific skills,sectors, occupations or countries.Within our selection of ‘usefulresources’, visitors finddocuments, websites, institutions,
glossaries and everything elsenecessary to completeunderstanding of the skillslandscape in Europe.There is also the Panorama ‘blog’,offering European policy-makersand experts a platform to sharetheir insights. Visitors have theopportunity not only to learn, butto comment and connect onvarious skills-related topics. ■
JANUArY 2016 | 15
Proudly presenting THE
‘Clear, intuitive and useful analyticaltool binding up-to-date statistics
with latest forecasts. Moreover withimpressive graphic representation.’
Lucia Fašungová, Director of the Analytical Centre,
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of
the Slovak Republic
Explore the newSkills Panorama
NEWS
by ALENA ZUkErSTEiNoVA and JESúS BUSTAmANTE
new
“
16 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
NEWS
by roSY VoUDoUri, in Brussels
Celebrations for Cedefop’s 40thanniversary concluded with anevent in Brussels, jointlyorganised with the EuropeanFoundation for the Improvement ofLiving and Working Conditions(Eurofound) – the other EUagency created in 1975 – and theEuropean Economic and SocialCommittee (EESC). More than200 participants explored workorganisation and skill developmentpractices that benefit bothemployers and employees at a
seminar on 19 November.The seminar was an
opportunity to present to policy-makers, academics, practitionersand representatives of nationalauthorities, European institutions,enterprises and trade unions thefindings of Cedefop’s Europeanskills and jobs (ESJ) survey andEurofound’s Third EuropeanCompany Survey.
As well as marking theanniversary of Cedefop andEurofound – the two longest
established EU agencies – theevent recognised the EESC’sstrong tripartite role in EU policy-making. Both agencies are alsotripartite organisations with agoverning structure of employers,trade unions and governments.
EESC Vice President GonçaloLobo Xavier underlined that forfour decades the two agencieshave provided timely and relevantexpertise to improve citizens’wellbeing. Both are more relevantthan ever, he said, adding:‘Employment is at the heart ofcitizens’ concerns. Not only do weneed to create jobs in Europe butalso to match people skills betterto market needs. The EESC ispleased to celebrate 40 years ofefforts from Cedefop andEurofound to create the bestpossible work environment.’
Detlef Eckert, Director for Skillsat DG Employment, Social Affairsand Inclusion, argued that peopleneed to have the ability to learnquickly skills for tomorrow'sworkplace.
Cedefop Director JamesCalleja praised the role of socialpartners in the agency’s creationand highlighted the cooperation
workplacework organisation
A wIN-wIN ENvIRONMENT
AND
learning
Luxembourg’s Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy Nicolas Schmit (centre) made the closing speech at the event.
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with Eurofound and EESC. Headded: ‘As part of its work onskills, Cedefop carried out its ESJsurvey, a major investigation ofskill mismatch among adultemployees across all 28 EUMember States. The survey is thefirst to look at skill mismatch overtime, taking account of changes topeople’s skills and their job tasks.Its findings make a strong case forexpanding work-based learning;for investing in continuingvocational education and trainingand adult learning; and showingthat good jobs develop good skills.All these have implications forthe social dialogue.’
Eurofound Director JuanMenéndez-Valdés noted that itswork on new forms of workorganisation goes back to the1970s and that the two agenciesare exploring the possibility ofconducting a European surveytogether.
Cedefop expert konstantinosPouliakas presented in more detailsome of the ESJ survey findings.
A panel debate considered thequestion, ‘What is a great place towork?’
In his closing remarks, Nicolas
Schmit, Luxembourg’s Minister ofLabour, Employment and theSocial and Solidarity Economy,congratulated both agencies ontheir anniversary and their work.Speaking to Skillset and matchafter the event, he added: ‘Thetwo agencies have done a greatjob showing where the problemsare and also proposing the rightsolutions. Forty years after thecrisis in the 1970s we are again ina period of big change. The
agencies have to try andunderstand better what ishappening in the economy, andwhat is happening in the world ofwork. We have to invest in peoplebecause otherwise we are notgoing to reduce the gap with theUS.’
Exhibitions marking the 40thanniversary of Cedefop andEurofound were on display at theEESC building for participants inthe event and other visitors. ■
CEDEfop AND EUrofoUND T H E f i r S T T W o E U A G E N C i E S
Founded 1975
Location Cedefop: Berlin (until 1995), Thessaloniki (1995-present) Eurofound: Dublin
Governing Tripartite – governments, social partnersstructure (employers and employees) and European Commission
Mission The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training(Cedefop) supports development of European vocational education andtraining (VET) policies and contributes to their implementation. Theagency is helping the European Commission, EU Member States andsocial partners to develop the right European VET policies.
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and WorkingConditions (Eurofound) provides knowledge in the area of social andwork-related policies. It contributes to the planning and design of betterliving and working conditions in Europe.
JANUArY 2016 | 17
NEWS
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The first in a series of plannedpolicy learning forums, designedby Cedefop to open up acontinuous process of sharingexperiences, explored the waylearning outcomes are applied ininitial vocational education andtraining throughout Europe. Thelearning outcomes presentedillustrated use by some countriesfor specific qualifications.Representing the Uk’s tourismindustry was kate Tetley,international manager at People1st, a skills and workforcedevelopment charity foremployers. Tomasz Saryusz-Wolski from Poland’s EducationalResearch Institute spoke about the
computer numerical control (CNC)machine operator qualification.They gave Skillset and match theirthoughts on the future Europeanlandscape of learning outcomesand qualifications.
How can qualifications befuture-proofed whentechnological development isalmost impossible to keep upwith?K.T.: We try to keep occupationalstandards as broad as possible sothat the assessment is withincontext; so that the training,whether it’s in a workplace or in acollege or in a school, is in theparticular industry they aredelivering training for. That cangive you enough space to enablefuture trends, or things that arecoming along that you might wantto address, to be included withinthat delivery. It takes probably 12months at least for standards to beupdated and reviewed. So, you’realways playing catch-up. Tourismpicks up on trends much more
quickly than any other sector. Ifyou are the owner of a small hotelin Greece, for example, yourcustomer will be ahead of you interms of trends: the ICT they areusing, the social media and whatthey are anticipating. It is verydifficult to future-proof. But if youkeep your standards as wide aspossible, and ensure that thequality assurance of your continualprofessional development ofteachers and trainers is up-to-date,that will help.
T.S-W: I think it’s impossible. Wehave to do it up to the present andto ensure that qualification holdersare able to learn in the field. Somebasic knowledge andunderstanding is necessary; fromthis they should be able to learnfor the future. Technology ischanging so fast that there is noschool where you can learn for thefuture. One of the most importantlearning outcomes on any leveland from any kind of education isthe ability to learn: if it’s in
learning
18 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
iNTErVIEW
A EuROPEAN FORuM
ON
kATE TETLEYiNTErNATioNAL mANAGEr, pEopLE 1ST, Uk
I didn’t realise just how many differentapproaches there were to this subject
outcomes
“
university or vocational school isnot the issue. Speaking about theCNC machine operator, veryspecific skills are necessary forthis qualification. But there is alsocompetence: the ability to learnand to follow new technologicaldevelopments.
How useful has it been for youtaking part in a policy forum andexchanging ideas andexperiences with people fromother countries?K.T.: It’s really interesting. I didn’trealise just how many differentapproaches there were to thissubject. I think the Uk has a verymature system in terms ofoccupational standards, sectorskills councils, qualificationdevelopment and frameworks. It’sinteresting to see how othercountries have approached it andtailored these things to their ownneeds. Networking, makingcontacts and finding out moreabout the subject is also very useful.
T.S-W: I have learned a lot. And Ihave seen that what we are doingmakes sense. That what otherpeople are doing in this field, issimilar to what we do. I have founda few examples very similar tocompare, so, it has been veryuseful for me. I have spent twodays here, but the learning effect,the learning outcomes are reallyhigh.
What do you think should bedone to improve the definitionand writing of learningoutcomes?K.T.: I think clarifying thedescription so that an employer oran individual or a parent knowswhat somebody can do afterthey’ve done that course, ratherthan having just a title or adescription of what the course isabout. If someone can change thatto learning outcomes it would bevery useful. My other feeling is thatmaybe it’s quality assurance anddelivery of teachers’ continualprofessional development that
needs attention rather thanstandards.
T.S-W: I have to share back homewhat I have learned here. We haveto go ahead with this continuousexchange of ideas at Europeanlevel. I also think that somecountries which have developedsimilar models can work to preparea more international one. We canuse a common language. Wecannot build a model foreverybody, a standard foreverybody; I don’t want us to dothis. But to develop a few modelsand to show the differences,what’s good, what’s bad, is for mea useful approach. ■
JANUArY 2016 | 19
EDUCATioNAL rESEArCH iNSTiTUTE, poLANDTOMASZ SARYUSZ-WOLSKI
More on Cedefop’spolicy learning forums on
learning outcomes
We have to go ahead with this continuousexchange of ideas at European level
iNTErVIEW
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In 2015 most of ourcommunication activities wereunder the banner of Cedefop’s40th anniversary. Along with ourvideo and online channels,Skillset and match features and aspecial issue played a central rolein increasing our ability to reachinterested parties.
Increasing the outreach andattractiveness of ourcommunication activities will be a
main focus also in 2016.Cedefop’s communicationstrategy undergoes another majorrevision this year, and will focuson the redesign of publicationspolicy. A limited number ofreference publications will becomplemented by streamlinedresearch papers and briefexecutive summaries, allavailable online in pdf format forprint on demand.
At the same time we will investmore in new, innovative andinteractive online publicationformats, such as online datavisualisation to give access tocomplex information in a moreuser-friendly way. The interactivepresentation of country data, asuccessful innovation last year,will be elaborated and enrichedwith more content, providingEuropean citizens better accessto Cedefop’s country-specificfindings.
Collaboration across presswork, social media, publicationsand events with our new parentDG Employment, Social Affairs &Inclusion, which started in thesecond half of 2015, will becomemore systematic and have a
positive effect on visibility andimpact of our joint communicationefforts.
This collaboration has alreadyallowed us to extend our socialmedia outreach and will increaserelationship-building with keyinternational and EU MemberState media. Last November weinvited to Thessaloniki selectedjournalists who cover vocationaleducation and training issues inEuropean media: this year we willjoin forces with the EuropeanCommission and presentCedefop’s work at a majorjournalist seminar in Brussels,covering the skills agenda.
Cedefop has also reinforcedits presence in the capital ofEurope. A newly appointedliaison officer is fostering regularcontacts with the Europeaninstitutions, permanentrepresentations and Europeansocial partners. In cooperationwith the agency’s communicationteam, the liaison officer willensure that Cedefop’s researchoutputs and expertise gainmaximum exposure amongBrussels-based keystakeholders. ■
iNCrEAS iNG
ARTiCLE
20 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
outreach and
by GErD oSkAr BAUSEWEiN CEDEfop HEAD of DEpArTmENT for CommUNiCATioN
Cedefop’s communication strategy undergoes anothermajor revision this year, and will focus on the redesign of publications policy
“attractiveness
In August 2015, vocational education and training (VET) reform wasintroduced in Denmark. Its key features are attractiveness, betterprogrammes, and more further education and training opportunities. Itsobjectives will be translated into measurable targets for monitoring VETdevelopment, at both national and college levels.
The reform aims to raise the number of students choosing the VETpathway directly after compulsory schooling and to increase the numberof students completing VET. It does so by promoting a positive image ofVET and colleges and by motivating learners with challengingprogrammes.
VET structure is simplified (only four basic programmes instead of 12),learning environments for youth are made more attractive at VETcolleges, and there is a new programme for adults over 25. Admissionrequirements have been strengthened to ensure people starting VEThave the necessary knowledge and skills to complete it.
Early results are encouraging: a study by the Association of DanishBusiness and Technical Colleges shows that, in the first two months ofthe school year, only 3.2% of the students who started VET aftercompulsory school have dropped out; this is a significant improvement on2014.
The reform also focuses on VET quality, better interplay betweenschool and work-based learning, and improved guarantees of completinga VET programme, promoting more apprenticeships and school-basedlearning opportunities. New and better opportunities to progress to highereducation include the strengthened EUX programme, which leads to aVET qualification for the labour market and a general qualification forhigher education access.
Quality is also encouraged by making it mandatory for VET institutionsto offer talent tracks for gifted learners and by investing in continuingprofessional development for VET teachers. By 2020, all experiencedVET teachers without pedagogical training at bachelor level (arequirement for those employed after 2010) must engage in professionaldevelopment equivalent to 10 ECTS to acquire pedagogical skills.
VET institutions in Denmark are working hard to implement the reform.The Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research(kORA) has been contracted by the Ministry of Education to follow up onits implementation and impacts. ■
JANUArY 2016 | 21
MEMBER STATES
by rEfErNET DENmArkhttp://www.phmetropol.dk/refernet
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DENMARKimproViNG VEt iN
More information onDanish VET reform
Cedefop’s Spotlight onVET – Denmark
22 | SKILLSET AND MATCH
PUBLICATioNS
OTHER PUBLICATIONS:
■ Tackling unemployment while addressing skill mismatch■ Matching skills and jobs in Europe: Insights from Cedefop’s European skills
and jobs survey■ Briefing note: Making apprenticeships work for small and medium enterprises■ Apprenticeship review: Lithuania■ Apprenticeship review: Malta■ Spotlight on VET: Luxembourg■ Vocational education and training in Luxembourg: short description■ Briefing note: Vocational education and training prevents and counteracts
early leaving from the education system■ Work-based learning in continuing vocational education and training: policies
and practices in Europe■ Job-related adult learning and continuing vocational training in Europe■ Vocational pedagogies and benefits for learners: practices and challenges in
Europe
iN foCUSSKILL SHORTAGES AND GAPS IN EUROPEANENTERPRISESThe global crisis has increased unemployment in the EU tounprecedented levels, yet many employers claim they have difficultiesfinding skilled workers to fill their vacancies. This report shows that mostvacancy bottlenecks arise because of factors other than general skilldeficits, including poor quality job offers. Genuine skill shortages affect asmall group of dynamic, internationally oriented European enterprises inspecific economic sectors (health and social care, ICT, advancedmanufacturing). To mitigate skill bottlenecks, European companies mustcommit to offering high-quality apprenticeship places and good-qualityjobs, which can be supported as part of a process of social dialoguebetween VET providers and labour market actors. The business andproduct market strategies of a greater share of European firms will have tobecome reliant on higher skill needs. VET’s role in developing creativityand entrepreneurial capacity in the European workforce will be crucial.
CEDEFOP PuBLICATIONSnewYou can browse and/or download all Cedefop publications at: www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resourcesor by scanning this QR code
Download the publication you wish by clickingthe cover and/or corresponding title
EVENTS
iN foCUS
refernet annuaL pLenary
meetInG
19-20 JANUARyTHESSALoNiki, GrEECE
ReferNet, Cedefop’s European network of vocational education and training (VET)expertise, will hold its annual plenary meeting on 19 and 20 January. The 30ReferNet partners from all EU Member States, Iceland and Norway will start a newcooperation period through a four-year framework partnership agreementconcluded with Cedefop. The meeting will be an opportunity to share tools to reporton VET policy developments in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, describenational VET systems using a common European terminology, and contribute to theinitial VET mobility scoreboard. Building on the solid and fruitful partnershipdeveloped in the past 13 years, Cedefop thanks all ReferNet partners for their wide-ranging cooperation in raising VET’s visibility and wishes success to the newnetwork!
comingupFor more information on what’s coming up go to the events page on the Cedefop website:www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events-and-projects/eventsor scan this QR code
JANUArY 2016 | 23
fEBrUArY
mArCH
mAY
8-9
11-12
7-11
20-21
Cedefop workshop: Governance and financing ofapprenticeship
Cedefop workshop: Fostering partnerships for CVET
Training workshop on financing skills development co-organised by Cedefop, ETF and ILO
European youth event organised by the EuropeanParliament
OTHER EVENTS
THESSALoNiki, GrEECE
THESSALoNiki, GrEECE
TUriN, iTALY
STrASBoUrG, frANCE
19NOV
ISSUE 6 / JANUARY 2016
MAIN STORY: SKILLS FOR JOBS AND JOBS FOR SKILLS, IN THE ROBOT ERA
FEATURE: ENGAGING SMEs IN APPRENTICESHIP
INTERVIEWS: PETER CAPPELLI, MICHELINE SCHEYSJASON HOLT, KATE TETLEYTOMASZ SARYUSZ-WOLSKI
MEMBER STATES: DENMARK
Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECEPO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECETel. +30 2310490111, Fax +30 2310490020, Email: [email protected]
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
/cedefopwww.cedefop.europa.eu
@cedefop
9105 EN – TI-AQ-16-001-EN-N
