Governance Dynamics and the Application of the Multilevel Governance Approach in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the European Neighbourhood Countries: the case of the ENPI South region

This article analyses moves towards good multilevel governance approaches in Vocational Education and Training (VET) as an effective way to improve VET policy making in transition and developing countries, focusing on the Southern Neighbourhood of the EU (ENPI South). The centralised approaches in public administration and to VET governance still prevail in this region. The new modes of governance applied by the EU in the policy area of education and training are based on the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). They are a source of inspiration to improve VET governance, taking into account the complexity of VET policies and systems. According to current European and international experiences, the most effective, relevant and attractive VET models and systems are demand‐driven. They rely on the effective and accountable participation of both state (national/local public actors) and non‐state VET stakeholders (e.g. employers, sectoral actors, unions) in decision‐making and policy implementation processes. This could also pave the way towards self‐governed and performance‐based VET provider institutions which would give quicker responses to rapidly changing labour market skills, competences and qualification needs. Thus, this means putting in practice more and better inclusion and effective cooperation and coordination of regional and local voices of VET actors and developing stronger social partnerships to engage employers, unions and civil society in shaping and investing in skills development. Furthermore, the role of methodological tools for VET governance is not only to provide an analytical ground to capture data and structure further policy advice. These tools can also be used as ice‐breakers to improve collaboration, inclusiveness, multi‐participation and trust‐building among policy makers as they work together on very sensitive issues such as reviewing country VET governance models, modes and institutional arrangements, and/or planning policy thinking and/or learning for implementing coordination mechanisms for VET policy making. The European Training Foundation (ETF) has implemented a methodology to map, analyse and self‐assess good multilevel governance in VET, inspired by how EU governance soft tools in education and training are being used. This methodology has been applied to the Governance for Employability in the Mediterranean (GEMM) project in the ENPI South region, which is a regional project implemented by the ETF and financed by the European Commission's Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargements Negotiations (NEAR).     

National Qualification Frameworks: from policy borrowing to policy learning

This article takes up the issue of the internationalisation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) reforms, expressed in the way policy instruments such as National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) are introduced in the European Training Foundation's (ETF) partner countries. There is an international debate and different perspectives regarding NQFs. These perspectives have largely talked past each other. The article brings together these perspectives and highlights the issues at stake in this field. Through the analysis of ETF interventions in different regions, the article makes a case for new approaches of intervention, namely policy learning, that aim at enabling national stakeholders and that are conducive for home-grown VET policies. The discussion is broad in scope, not only because the article reviews developments in qualifications frameworks across-regions, but also because it highlights the complex interaction of the global and local development when introducing NQFs and the impact of such reforms on VET systems.     

欧盟职业教育与培训质量保障的多元主体及其相互关系研究

欧盟职业教育与培训质量保障过程中,形成了欧盟、成员国、职业教育与培训系统、职业教育与培训机构、企业等多元主体共同参与的质量保障机制。在该过程中,各主体存在着一种互动关系,在欧盟职业教育与培训质量保障政策产生的各个阶段,存在着多元主体的博弈;在政策的实施阶段,多元主体注重相互合作;欧盟职业教育与培训质量保障政策的目标着眼于职业教育与培训的中长期发展。     

Vocational Education and Training and Human Capital Development: current practice and future options

EU neighbouring countries (partner countries) have made considerable efforts to improve their vocational education and training (VET) systems, with different policies and strategies that take account of country-specific priorities in human capital development. This article addresses the donor community. It analyses the role of partner countries' VET in contributing to human capital development in order to benefit better from the globalised economy. The emerging debate on the role of VET in these countries and among donors is considered in terms of the functional dimensions of employability, productivity and sustainable growth, taking into account the economic, social and ecological dimension of growth and development. Not addressed is the systemic perspective on VET in terms of improving existing curricula, learning arrangements and textbooks. The article focuses, rather, on functional dimensions of VET that are relevant to achieve development goals and makes some recommendations for international cooperation. Given the complexity of multi-stakeholder-driven VET systems, cooperation needs to build on existing VET structures. Moreover, cooperation must contribute to an effective reform implementation.     

Vocational Education for Sustainable Development: an obligation for the European Training Foundation

This article presents an argued case for making sustainable development a policy obligation for the European Training Foundation (ETF) and for vocational education and training (VET) reform in the partner countries that are served by ETF. In relation to ETF it points out that no major emphasis has been put to date on combining economic, social and environmental considerations. It then analyses the ways economies operate in relation to sustainable development and the changed knowledge and skills needed for both economies and for a sustainable future. Implications for VET reform include attending to the broad goals of inclusion and equity, a reconsideration of the competences to be developed and the didactic approaches within a framework of lifelong learning. The didactics proposed are in line with current thinking related to constructivist pedagogy, an inter-disciplinary approach to ‘real life’ problems and increasing the porosity of school boundaries to the community. The scope of VET's mission should extend well beyond the confines of preparing young people for narrow labour market skills. The article is of particular significance for re-directing the focus of ETF and VET reform policy but will be of interest to a much wider audience, as it provides a synthesis of future-oriented ideas and options relating to education's obligations to face the urgent need to ensure sustainability.     

欧盟国家成人学习质量保障体系研究

在终身学习领域,成人学习质量保障一直是各国政策中的行动焦点。21世纪以来,欧盟先后出台了有关成人学习质量保障的政策,诸多国家明确了质量保障体系的实施目标、运行流程,制定了较为细化的评估指标体系。其中,设计理念的相关性、体系设计的科学性、运行进程的透明性以及评估主体的多元性推动了欧盟各国成人学习质量保障体系朝正确的方向发展。然而,目前欧盟各国缺乏综合性的质量保障体系、成人学习特殊元素难以彰显、成人学习专业工作者的持续专业发展困境以及缺乏监测信息数据等,桎梏了成人学习质量保障体系的＂更上一层楼＂。基于欧盟国家的实践,无疑拓宽了我国成人学习质量保障体系发展的视野。在整体框架设计原则上,要遵循综合性与特殊性相结合的原则;在操作哲学上,要从＂技术＂转向＂文化＂;在关键元素上,要关注成人学习工作者的专业化;在反馈控制上,要实现质量信息的资源共享。     

Connecting with the World of Work: horizontal accountability processes in institutions providing Vocational Education and Training (VET)

In VET systems, connectivity with the world of work has been on the agenda for many years: for Western and Southern European countries, since the 1980s as a consequence of the 1973 oil crisis, and then for Central and Eastern European countries, since the early 1990s. In the last few decades, awareness has grown that European prosperity depended heavily on the skills of the workforce and the innovativeness and competitiveness of the economy. In the EU, it has long been acknowledged that VET plays a key role in integrating young people in the labour market and providing skills and competences that foster innovation and entrepreneurship. More recently, VET has also been seen as a precondition to overcome the current economic crisis in Europe. This article analyses how institutions that provide VET can address these demands. It begins by describing European VET policy, characterising it as soft governance. Furthermore, based on data and insights from CEDEFOP and OECD research and publications, an overview is given of strategies and measure es and of the practice of VET providers connecting and cooperating with the world of work throughout Europe. The article goes on to analyse in greater depth the concept of horizontal accountability and stakeholder theory, providing a framework to study the external orientation and connectivity with the world of work of VET colleges in The Netherlands. The Dutch VET system is described and compared with other systems in Europe. Drawing on empirical data, the horizontal accountability processes in which Dutch VET colleges engage are unravelled, examining with which parties and about what they connect. Finally, some conclusions are proposed.     

Glimpsing the Future in the Past: VET in Europe

What do we expect from Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems? Is it different from 25 years ago? This article argues that the focus has increasingly been placed on strategies for lifelong and life-wide learning that seek to reinforce continuity among the subsystems of learning, but that VET systems are, nevertheless, still expected to address many and sometimes conflicting agendas, needs and priorities. The last 25 years or so have been critical for the development of VET in Europe. Making VET more attractive and increasing its parity of esteem in relation to general secondary education have been major, recurring themes in European countries, as part of, at least conceptually, more comprehensive approaches to lifelong and life-wide learning. From 1989 to 2003, the European Journal of Education (EJE) published a special issue on ‘Trends in Vocational Education and Training’ every two years and has continued to publish on VETrelated topics. This article revisits the major themes and challenges as they were observed and discussed by the authors who wrote in those special issues and in later articles. Many were directly involved in advisory positions to governments; held key decision-making responsibilities; undertook studies and consultancy and brought technical assistance across several countries. Their articles are moments of reflection nourished by experience on the ground. This article explores how the European Journal of Education has contributed to European reflection on VET systems, policies and preoccupations in recent decades – what can we learn that is useful for shaping and formulating our present ideas about new policy from our colleagues writing about the same or similar issues 20 years ago? A key theme concerns the role of the Europe Community (and subsequently EU) as a change agent supporting bottom-up exchange and top-down stimulus for reform through an increasing integration of education and training in the socio-economic strategy of the EU.     

欧盟职业教育教师能力结构标准及其启示

职业教育教师能力结构标准研究是当前职业教育研究的重要课题。近年来,欧盟多数成员国职业教育领域合作不断增强,欧盟职业教育教师能力结构标准研究取得新进展。新能力结构标准涵盖管理、培训、发展与质量保证,以及工作关系网构建等能力领域。其特点表现为在职业教育教师能力要求上突出工作关系网构建能力、增强团队合作能力、重视培训能力以及强调管理能力等。此能力结构标准内容及特点对我国职业教育改革具有启示意义。     

研究生教育外部质量保障体系建设思考

介绍我国研究生教育外部质量保障体系的内涵、手段与特点;分析近十年欧洲研究生教育外部质量保障体系的建设目标、实施情况及全面质量保障理论在国外发达国家教育质量保障实践中的应用。文章认为：我国高等教育外部质量保障活动应促进高等教育与国际接轨;评价理论、工具、形式要和具体情境结合;高等质量保障活动应更具体、更有针对性;评价活动的科学性有待进一步分析与验证。     

共同质量保障框架参考模式下丹麦确保职业教育质量举措简述

随着分权化与框架管理趋势的加强,欧洲各国日益关注职业教育质量的保障。丹麦自20世纪90年代以来逐步形成的确保职业教育质量的十项举措颇为引人注目。它们涵盖了共同质量保障框架的不同阶段,提供了不同阶段问题的解决方案。文章介绍了这十项举措,并在共同质量保障框架参考模式下对这些举措进行了政策分析和效果评价。     

Using the Copenhagen Process to Facilitate National Qualification Framework Strategies in South Eastern Europe

This article presents and discusses a perspective on the implications of the Lisbon Process for education and training in a selected group of partner countries of the European Union — the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro). It presents the reflections of a member of staff of the European Training Foundation responsible for managing the six country regional project underway since 2003 on developing strategies for national qualification frameworks. The reflection aims to assess the potential contributions of a major strategy of the European Union on the reform processes underway in the social and economic transitions in the Western Balkans. It draws on the broader experience of the Foundation in supporting reforms in vocational education and training systems. Qualification reform is taken as an illustrative example of the use, relevance and constraints of EU ‘processes’ in accompanying education and training reform. Although the Copenhagen process partially provides a broad structure and there is a shared history between the countries of the region, each country is sufficiently different in its local contexts to suggest that the manner and pace of adoption will diverge. The emphasis on further development to suit local circumstances essentially gives partner countries an approach or set of tools with which they can shape and form their own initiatives with some confidence that the result will be in line with general European trends.     

欧洲大学内部质量保障体系的构建及评价

欧洲大学自20世纪80年代开始建立质量保障体系,对于提升高等教育质量起到了重要作用。许多大学在界定质量保障体系的内涵、建立校内质量保障机构、制定和实施专业标准等方面积累了丰富的经验。为使大学内部质量保障体系更加完善,欧洲一些国家开始建立科学的评价指标,采取系统的评价程序,实施周期性的现场巡查,提供及时的评价报告和改革建议。     

Trans-nationalization of educational policy making: from European innovation projects in adult education to an emerging European space for lifelong learning: what model for the European vocational education and training policy?

This article is drawn from broader qualitative research on innovation in the field of professional adult training within the framework of European pilot projects such as the LEONARDO projects. This research aims at contributing to a general understanding of the phenomenon of innovation, in the context of European calls for projects, as an instrument of the European Vocational Education and Training (VET) Policy, which is supposed to transform the national training systems of EU member states according to the Lisbon Strategy. For this article, the author has chosen to present some of the results of the analysis of the European VET Policy and its transition to a lifelong learning policy. The first part of this article describes the conceptual framework and more especially three of the main concepts examined: public policy, social innovation and European space. The second part distinguishes three periods in the European VET policy’s history, identified through a genealogical examination from its first step within the European Coal and Steel Community to the present lifelong learning policy. The third part highlights the specificity of this supranational public policy model and the links between the European VET policy, the LEONARDO programme and the pilot projects. In conclusion, this article supports the idea of antagonistic logics in the evolution of this policy, on at least three levels: decision-making powers, conception of VET systems and conception of learning.     

The coherence of vocational education and training in Norway and Spain: national traditions and the reshaping of VET governance in hybrid VET systems

Coherence of national education and training systems is increasingly tabled in European policy debates. Leaning on literature about the emergence and consolidation of national education systems, this article explores the rationale for VET reforms in Norway and Spain by scrutinising attempts to strengthen the coherence of their VET systems. Coherence has been sought through the unification of different strands of vocational education; initial, continuing and active labour market policies (what we call ‘horizontal coherence’) and the mainstreaming of VET curricular elements; plus the systematisation of VET practices across educational levels (‘vertical coherence’). While both countries looked for coherence, their motivations, how they operationalised the term and the emphasis of their actions differed substantially. Spain has experienced a move from the three largely unrelated strands into a more unified system; Norway from a fragile VET system to the availability of more VET courses and apprenticeship arrangements at all educational levels.     

终身教育资历框架下的质量保证机制:欧盟和东盟的策略与启示

终身教育资历框架的建立为各级各类教育的纵向衔接和横向沟通提供了可能,为保证资历衔接的公平、公正和透明,严格的质量保证机制是基础。欧盟建立了基于资历框架下的高等教育质量保证标准和职业教育与培训质量保证参照框架,东盟构建了资历参照框架下的东盟质量保证框架并推动了东盟国家的资历衔接,通过对欧盟和东盟资历框架下的质量保证机制进行剖析,提出我国资历框架质量保证体系建立的策略性建议,以期为我国终身教育资历框架和配套质量保证体系的构建提供参考。     

Neoliberal economic markets in vocational education and training: shifts in perceptions and practices in private vocational education and training in Melbourne,Australia

This article argues that the adoption of the competitive Vocational Education and Training (VET) markets in Australia resulted in shifts in institutional perceptions and practices. Using situated experiences and perspectives from quality assurance auditors, training managers, international students and VET teachers from seven commercial for-profit private VET institutions in Melbourne, Australia, the article suggests that there are emerging patterns of institutionalised market-based relationships, which can have long-term implications for pedagogy, learning and international students' outcomes in VET.     

Achieving the Lisbon Goal: the contribution of Vocational Education and Training

This article summarises the main conclusions of the ‘Maastricht study’: Achieving the Lisbon Goal: The Contribution of VET ( Leney et al., 2004 ), which the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), in collaboration with the Institute of Education and other international partners, prepared for the European Commission's DG Education and Culture in 2004. Based on the self‐assessment reports prepared by the Directors‐General for VET (DGVTs) of 31 European countries, and on independent expert reviews of the national and international literature on VET, the report analysed the contribution of VET to achieving the Lisbon goal and influenced the framing of the Maastricht Communiqué which the European education ministers agreed in December 2004. This summary of the findings of the report is organised under the following sections: 1) The potential of VET as an aspect of European cooperation; 2) The current state of play and progress of VET towards achieving the Lisbon goal; 3) Innovation in VET teaching and learning; and 4) Conclusions.     

Converge or not converge: the European Union and higher education policies in the Netherlands,Belgium/Flanders and Germany

This article examines the impact of European integration on higher education policies of the Netherlands, Belgium/Flanders and Germany. The analysis of higher education policies in the three countries is part of a broader project, which focuses on a majority of E.U. member states. The selection of the three countries for this paper is not based on any methodological considerations. The question addressed is if higher education policies of member states are converging, diverging or not changing at all, and whether such developments are a consequence of the policies of the European Union (E.U.) or of other factors (e.g., the globalization of the market or of institutions imitating each other). A preliminary assessment leads to the conclusion that a number of important indications of convergence are present in national policy arrangements in the field of higher education (in particular student mobility and quality assurance, but less in the structure of higher education systems My attention will be focused on the structure of higher education systems, on quality assurance and on student and teacher mobility. These domains appear to cover most relevant issues pertaining to higher education policies in the European Union member states (funding of higher education is sometimes considered as a separate domain, but it can also be regarded as an element of the structure of higher education systems, while it is also related to the issue of quality assurance).). The European Union, however, does not have much legal authority in the policy sector in question. Thus, an explanation for converging national policies may lie elsewhere, in part in the concept of “institutional isomorphism”.     

Implementation of quality assurance standards in European higher education: does context matter?

The vast majority of studies concerning the implementation of quality assurance in higher education institutions have been conducted from a national perspective, with few cross-national studies. This study aimed to explore the implementation of quality assurance standards in Europe from a comparative perspective. A questionnaire based on Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area was developed to compare countries. The results indicate that higher education institutions mainly formulate their quality assurance systems according to national standards or based on their own needs. The main emphasis in quality assurance is on teaching and learning activities and curriculum development. The major contribution of the study lies in showing how different country settings affect the implementation of quality assurance standards through presenting the strengths and weaknesses for quality assurance implementation among several European countries.