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This study compares the way IVET and CVET sub-systems interact to support the learning of adults, and thus facilitate lifelong and life-wide learning. By comparing the interaction between IVET and CVET sub-systems in the countries covered, the study analyses the extent to which IVET systems are opening up to adults, and questions whether national and regional policies and practices support or prevent a closer link between CVET and IVET. The study builds on concrete national case-studies, allowing for an in-depth, qualitative comparison and analysis of practices and policies. This allows for a better understanding of obstacles and opportunities in this complex area, directly supporting the stakeholders and policy-makers responsible for taking lifelong and life-wide learning in Europe forward. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmungsberatung GmbH (Austria). The consortium includes Ockham IPS (the Netherlands) and the Fondazione Giacomo Brodolino (Italy). The German Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) supported the project as sub-contractor. For "The Future of Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Volume 3. The Influence of Assessments on Vocational Learning. Cedefop Research Paper. No. 90," see ED626202.]

This report presents a holistic approach to understanding and comparing vocational education and training (VET) systems. The approach has been developed jointly by a group of interdisciplinary VET researchers over a 5-year period as part of Cedefop's research on the future of VET and has been reviewed several times. The framework introduces 50 dimensions for analysing VET systems, as well as parts of them, structured according to three overlapping main perspectives: epistemological and pedagogical, education system, and socioeconomic or labour market. The framework is particularly suited to 'clearing the ground' for policy work and provides a model for how research can support policy. This model can be flexibly adapted and applied in any comparative research or international policy learning activity related to VET. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmungsberatung (Austria). The consortium includes Ockham IPS (the Netherlands) and the Fondazione Giacomo Brodolino (Italy). The German Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) supports the project as sub-contractor. For "The Changing Nature and Role of Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Volume 1: Conceptions of Vocational Education and Training--An Analytical Framework. Cedefop Research Paper. No 63," see ED586251.]

The Swedish government has overall responsibility for the education system and sets the policy framework at all education levels. National goals and learning outcomes are defined centrally but with decentralised implementation. Swedish vocational education and training (VET) starts after compulsory education at age 16 and includes programmes at upper secondary, postsecondary and higher levels. This spotlight presents Sweden's education and training system, including distinctive features of VET in Sweden, along with challenges and policy responses.

In the framework of European countries' cooperation on VET and lifelong learning, Cedefop monitors, analyses and reports on countries' priorities and activities. Cedefop's role in the process is pivotal: it gathers the necessary national information through its network of expertise spanning all EU Member States, Iceland and Norway, ReferNet, and analyses it in a structured, comparable way to inform the European Commission and other stakeholders. This briefing note presents examples based on the EU Member States' national implementation plans (NIPs) that reflect the priorities of the Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, and the Osnabrück Declaration.

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Finland. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of the Cedefop study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Sweden and Finland) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Croatia. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of the Cedefop study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Sweden and Finland) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in France. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Finland and Sweden) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Sweden. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Sweden and Finland) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Europe. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET" and eight national case studies covering Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Finland and Sweden. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Spain. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research from Cedefop's study Entrepreneurship competence in VET. It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Finland and Sweden) and the forthcoming final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Austria. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Sweden and Finland) and a final report. [Dmitrijs Kulšs was responsible for the publication and research conducted under the project. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Srl SB (FGB) was contracted for research and services.]

Demographic trends and technological change increase the need for adults to learn and adapt to changing job content and working conditions. Despite this, most EU Member States have consistently underperformed in their efforts to reach targets for adult participation in lifelong learning. In 2010, the EU set a target of 15% of adults participating in lifelong learning by 2020. Only a handful of Member States met the target; the EU average in 2019 was 11.8%. It fell to 9.2% in 2020, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand these numbers more fully, Cedefop launched a pan-European opinion survey on adult learning and continuing vocational education and training (CVET) in 2019. The findings, which are presented in this briefing note, show that adults of all ages and across all occupations and qualifications recognise the need for new skills. This need, however, seems insufficient to motivate adults to participate in learning and CVET at the desired levels. Raising adult participation may require new, more learner-centric, policy approaches.

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Italy. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the pilot research of Cedefop's study "Entrepreneurship competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Sweden and Finland) and the forthcoming final report.

Building on the findings of Cedefop/ReferNet thematic perspectives for EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, this synthesis report identifies recent trends and policy developments in Europe on the initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers. The report points to the different types of VET teachers and trainers in Europe; their evolving and complex role in mastering new technologies, supporting the integration of refugees, identifying and supporting learners at risk of early leaving, and understanding changing labour market needs, to empower and equip students with skills for the future. Their qualifications and opportunities for continuous professional development vary across countries but the challenges policy-makers face in supporting them are shared. The report concludes with key messages for designing effective policies in Europe. [This research paper was produced by Cedefop's Department for VET and skills.]

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Latvia. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the pilot research of the Cedefop study "Entrepreneurship Competence in VET." It is part of a series of eight national case studies (Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Finland and Sweden) and a forthcoming final report.

Following the financial crisis and the ensuing economic downturn in the past decade, apprenticeship sparked renewed interest among policy-makers both in Brussels and the EU Member States. Since, European and national crisis management strategies have advocated apprenticeship both as a short-term solution to youth unemployment and a useful response to companies' skill needs in the longer term. However, after the initial years of policy implementation and financial investment to increase apprenticeship numbers, social partners and experts have been raising grievances: not all schemes called 'apprenticeships' merited their name, not all ensured high-quality training (or any training), and not all 'apprentices' were entitled to employment or social protection rights. To help promote a common European understanding, Cedefop has identified the basic features a work-based education and training scheme should have to be called 'apprenticeship'. It suggests countries agree on a common denominator made up of the following features: (1) the scheme is backed by a legal framework; (2) it leads to a formal and portable qualification; (3) it relies on a structured alternation between work-based and school-based learning; (4) it implies a commitment for a minimum duration that makes the training alternation meaningful; (5) company and learner sign a specific type of contract; and (6) the learner receives a remuneration. Europe does not -- and should not -- have a single model of apprenticeship. Similarly, no model can simply be copied: the conditions enabling quality apprenticeships differ from country to country. Cedefop is widening and deepening its understanding of these conditions in their respective settings, to help step up transfer and adjustment of best practices in the future.

This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Portugal, by providing insight into its distinctive features and highlighting system developments and current challenges. VET in Portugal offers a wide range of programmes, flexible in type and duration. Promoting equal opportunities and supporting the integration of vulnerable groups are main features of the system. Some 40% of learners in secondary education undertake a VET programme. The national qualifications system has reorganised VET into a single system in which programmes lead to a double certification. VET for adults is an integral part of the national qualification system, having education and training programmes for adults and recognition and validation of prior learning as key elements. Responding to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Portugal has increased its focus on revitalising adult learning by supporting both the up- and reskilling of adults and the transition towards a digital economy.

Concise, clear and comprehensive snapshots of vocational education and training systems in EU, Iceland and Norway: this is what the Cedefop Spotlight on VET series offers. Building on individual country Spotlights, this publication provides an overview of VET systems with their distinctive qualities, such as main accession and progression routes for learners; types and levels of qualifications they lead to; types of programmes, delivery modes, work-based learning ratio and duration. In addition to the system charts, it also briefly reflects on current challenges and recent VET policy initiatives. [The country sections in this report were prepared by: Silke Gadji, Nikolaos Georgiadis, Dmitrijs Kulss, Jelena Letica, Vicky Oraiopoulou, and Iraklis Pliakis, and members of Cedefop's VET policies and systems team coordinated by George Kostakis.]

The current vocational education and training (VET) system in Portugal is the result of a 2007 large-scale reform, which reorganised VET into a single system (Sistema Nacional de Qualificações, SNQ). The main objectives of the SNQ are to ensure that VET qualifications better match labour market needs, promoting the competitiveness of enterprises, and to reinforce the recognition, validation and certification of competences (RVCC). It also aims to guarantee scholarly and professional progression of citizens in 43 sectoral areas of education and training. Key principles of VET provision are the wide range of programmes accessible to young people and adults, the link between VET provision and labour market needs, and flexibility in type and duration of programmes for adults. In the current economic context, where the socioeconomic effects of the pandemic crisis are apparent, VET should be a crucial tool in fostering employability, social inclusion and the development of the economy.

2020 will be remembered as a watershed year. The pandemic's impact has moved Europe's vocational education and training (VET) and skills policy centre stage. The new EU policy in the making was designed to unleash VET's full potential and make it better suited to shape and manage the digital and green transitions to a fair economy and society; it will also help boost the recovery from COVID-19 at the same time. This Briefing Note highlights Cedefop's efforts in 2020-21 to support vocational education and training, skills and qualification policies from concept to implementation.

Apprenticeships for adults are one of the policy solutions to the need for supporting adults willing to train, while broadening the skills base of the working population across Europe. According to Cedefop estimates, there are around 128 million adults with potential for upskilling or reskilling in the European Union (EU). EU Member States have decided to open apprenticeships to adults by removing age limits and by making them more flexible. All EU Member States have begun taking steps in this direction and adult participation in apprenticeships is clearly on the rise. This does not imply new types of apprenticeship or radically new concepts. It is rather about policies and initiatives facilitating adult participation in apprenticeship, including promoting more flexible learning options considering their life situations and learning needs.

European policies on international mobility of students in initial vocational education and training (IVET) are working but more is needed. Young people in IVET today have more opportunities to do part of their training abroad than their peers of a decade ago. In most European Union (EU) Member States they tend to receive better information, support and funding to cover a learning stint in another country; in many cases there is also better recognition of what they have learned when returning home. To monitor the policies EU Member States, Norway and Iceland have adopted to improve the mobility of IVET learners, including apprentices, the European Commission mandated Cedefop in 2014 to create a dedicated mobility scoreboard. This tool has been operational for three years, showing individual country progress in relevant areas. It allows European and national policy-makers, mobility organisers in the participating countries and other stakeholders to evaluate, compare and adjust their action where needed.

Vocational education and training (VET) in Germany is based on close cooperation between the State, companies and social partners. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is responsible for general VET policy issues and has a coordinating role for all training occupations. The BMBF works closely with the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). BIBB conducts research, moderates the process of developing the training regulations and plays a crucial advisory role for VET policy. Continuing training is playing an increasingly important role in improving employability by upskilling and reskilling in line with the digital and ecological transition. It is characterised by a wide variety of training providers and a low degree of State regulation. State incentives are in place to increase participation in continuing vocational education and training (CVET).

As part of its support to the European Union (EU) skills agenda and strategy, Cedefop started in 2016 to provide direct support to its Member States to strengthen their skills intelligence policies and systems. A first round of "Skills governance country reviews" has been concluded in four countries: Greece, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Estonia. The reviews have adopted a tailor-made methodology and analytical framework to analyse the governance of skills anticipation and matching in the national context, and to identify possible development opportunities for the future. This report summarises the key insights and lessons of the first review of the Greek skills anticipation and matching system. In recent years Greece has developed an innovative mechanism for labour market diagnosis, to design informed skills and employment policies. The national policy roadmap drafted in close consultation and agreement with national stakeholders seeks to ensure that the mechanism will become a systematic input, shaping continuous feedback loops between vocational education and training (VET) and changing labour market needs. The roadmap also advocates steps for ensuring robust skills intelligence as a strategic reference point for the design of skills policies that can support Greece's recovery to sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. This report, and the consensus-based policy roadmap developed, provides further direction so that timely skills intelligence can strategically support Greece's recovery to sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. [This publication was produced by Cedefop's Department for Skills and Labour Market.]

This paper, jointly prepared by Cedefop and the ETF, aims to inform the next steps in VET policy- making at EU level, including the Osnabruck declaration expected to be discussed by ministers in the autumn of 2020. It puts forward key challenges and opportunities for VET which have emerged from the intelligence, research and evidence collected over the years by the two agencies, each within its own remit and geographic scope.

Vocational education and training (VET) plays a prominent role in Croatia. Overall responsibility for VET lies with the Ministry of Science and Education supported by the Agency for VET and Adult Education (ASOO). The agency is responsible for developing VET curricula, continuous professional development of VET teachers, skills competitions and quality assurance. Stakeholders are involved in curriculum development, sector skills councils and in the VET Council, which proposes measures for the development of VET in Croatia. VET in Croatia has two main roles. Alongside preparation for labour market entry, it enables progression to tertiary education; this is primarily through four-year VET programmes, where learners spend half of their time acquiring general competences. Current priorities for VET development focus on increasing its labour market relevance, quality, attractiveness and internationalisation. Determined reform efforts are under way to address outdated curricula, skills mismatch, the quality of work-based learning and apprenticeship, as well as the public image of VET.

This annual report demonstrates the value of Cedefop's work and the ingredients of the Agency's success: being a step ahead, understanding current trends, and a solid knowledge and evidence base on vocational education and training (VET), skills and qualifications. Continuity and innovation characterise the achievements of Cedefop in 2019--a year when the overall and the VET-specific European Union (EU) policy framework was in transition. While the VET and adult learning policy cycles 2010-20 were moving into their final stage, in the second half of the year, the new Commission's ambitious goals and priorities were unfolding. This annual report is comprised of the following sections: (1) Highlights of 2019; (2) Results Achieved; (3) Communication, Information and Dissemination; (4) Relations with EU Agencies; and (5) Resources. [For the 2018 report, see ED602879.]

Developments in five priority areas for VET, agreed in 2015 by the EU-28, Iceland, Norway, candidate countries, the European Commission and EU social partners, are at the centre of this report. Work in 2015-19 shows continuity with earlier national strategies and initiatives. It confirms the recent focus on apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning, and increasing attention to widening access to VET and qualifications; these two areas have been reinforced by EU-level policy packages. The report also presents measures taken in VET teacher and trainer professional development, key competence provision, and quality assurance, including actions to make use of information on skills intelligence. Complementing this report, individual country chapters offer more detailed information on national developments. The report offers an overview of the progress made since 2015 and the state of play of VET policies in participating countries at the end of the Riga cycle, pointing out challenges for the future.

In light of the growing negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on national labour markets and people's lives and livelihoods, the role of career guidance has become ever more important to individuals, families, communities, the workforce, employers and society. This report is based on a flash joint international survey, designed to provide a snapshot of how career guidance policies, systems and services were adapting and coping, following the declaration of the world COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The survey, launched on 8 June 2020 and closed on 3 August 2020, included an exploration of these policies, systems and practices (focusing on remote and ICT-based delivery) in the context of the early phase of government reactions to the pandemic, the extent to which the pandemic and its social consequences triggered a debate on career guidance reform, and the role for career guidance in pandemic recovery measures. It also considered the support role of international and donor bodies. [This report was co-produced by the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP).]

Key competences are important for personal development, employment, integration into society and lifelong learning. They are transversal and form the basis for all other competences. Acquiring key competences is possible through various learning pathways, including vocational education and training (VET). However, little is known at the European level of how VET supports the key competence development. This research paper investigates three key competences: digital, multilingual and literacy. It analyses the extent to which they are included in initial upper secondary VET in the EU-27, Iceland, Norway and the UK, as well as national policies supporting their development since 2011. It focuses on four areas of intervention: standards, programme delivery, assessment and teacher/trainer competences.

The publication "Global inventory of regional and national qualifications frameworks 2019 -- Volume II: National and regional cases" gathers information on progress in establishing national qualifications frameworks (NQFs), as well as the challenges and success factors in implementation. It shows how countries around the globe are reforming their education systems by improving the quality and relevance of their qualifications.Volume II comprises more than 100 country chapters, from all the continents, plus seven world regions chapters. The country chapters describe the characteristics and analyse the development and implementation of the national frameworks. They provide the educational, social, economic and policy context which shape countries' NQFs; assess the application of learning outcomes in the national education system; summarise the governance, stakeholder and legislative arrangements countries have adopted; examine the links between NQFs and associated policies, instruments and services; and conclude with an assessment of impact, successes and challenges. [For Volume I: Thematic Chapters, see ED604740.]

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across borders. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications frameworks 2019, Volume I: Thematic chapters" comprises six thematic chapters, charting developments in national and regional qualifications frameworks worldwide. It shows the extent to which countries see NQFs as instruments for reforming their qualifications systems to improve transparency, relevance and quality, as well as widening access and opening up pathways to learning opportunities. This fourth edition (the first three editions appeared in 2013, 2015 and 2017) of the "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks" arrives at a crucial moment in the relatively short history of qualifications frameworks as tools within the wider reforms of education and training systems. Numbers of frameworks, national and regional, remain stable, while implementation of most frameworks has deepened and widened since 2017. At the same time, frameworks are evolving in a context of ever-faster technological, social and economic change. Much of this change has a direct bearing on the purposes and function of frameworks, notably the search for systems which compare skills and qualifications internationally, the emergence of digital credentials, and the development of methods and tools to recognise the skills of migrants and refugees, especially where those skills are undocumented or not formally certificated. [For Volume II: National and Regional Cases, see ED604742.]

Finnish vocational education and training is competence-based and learner-oriented. A personal competence development plan is drawn up for each learner. It charts and recognises the skills previously acquired by the learner and outlines any further competences the learner needs and how they can be acquired in different learning environments. Vocational education and training (VET) supports lifelong learning and learners' development as human beings and members of society. It provides learners with knowledge and skills necessary in further studies and promotes employment. Communication and interaction competence, mathematics and science competence and citizenship and working life competence are included in all IVET programmes. In Finland, VET is an attractive choice. The government is currently undertaking vocational education and training (VET) system reform, which aims to renew VET legislation and the financing system, and to promote learning at the workplace. All VET programmes ensure eligibility for higher education studies. National qualification requirements ensure standardised vocational competence and are the basis for evaluating learning outcomes. The Finnish National Agency for Education develops them in broad cooperation with stakeholders (employer organisations, trade and student unions). Representatives from enterprises contribute to development of national qualification requirements; they also organise and plan workplace training and competence tests, as well as assessing the tests.

This report presents key findings and suggestions to improve apprenticeship for learners and employers and increase its attractiveness for economy and society in Cyprus. Based on information provided by apprentices, teachers, institutional actors, social partners and policymakers, the review examines the country's new modern apprenticeship, which provides an alternative education pathway for students who have completed compulsory education or a preparatory apprenticeship. Improvements have been and are being made to the new modern apprenticeship, but national policy-makers need to decide which role they want apprenticeships to play in the Cypriot education and training system. This publication is the final report of Cedefop's review of apprenticeship in Cyprus, carried out between January 2017 and June 2018 at the request of the Ministry of Education and Culture. This review of apprenticeship is one of several carried out by Cedefop at the request of various Members States.

Jobs, labour markets and economies are rapidly changing: globalisation, technology and a growing services sector are both causes and symptoms. Ageing populations and dwindling youth cohorts, on the one hand, and labour migration, on the other, are affecting workforce composition. And that's not to mention the lingering impact of the financial crisis. All these are leaving their mark on European economies and societies. Against this backdrop, what is the role of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe in addressing the challenges ahead? To help in shaping future policies, a Cedefop project considers different routes and multiple options for VET. An analysis of VET developments since 1995 has helped to outline a series of potential paths -- scenarios -- pointing towards plausible and consistent pictures of how VET can evolve by 2035, depending on today's decisions and policy choices. Using these scenarios, Cedefop intends to inform strategic discussions on future European cooperation on VET.

Cedefop is one of the oldest European Union (EU's) decentralised agencies. Founded in 1975 and based in Greece since 1995, Cedefop supports development of European VET policies and contributes to their implementation. The Agency is helping the European Commission, EU Member States and the social partners to develop and implement the right European VET policies. In line with the vision and values set for the Agency, for 2017-20, three strategic areas of operation have been defined: (1) shaping VET: foster the renewal and modernisation of VET systems and institutions in response to rapidly changing policy needs and priorities; support the development and use of European tools and principles promoting lifelong and life-wide learning; (2) valuing VET: support the development and implementation of VET policies and programmes helping all citizens to achieve competences and skills required for work, employability, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning in a constantly changing labour market; and (3) informing VET: inform the design of VET and employment policies that ensure the availability of a qualified workforce and its continuous, as well as effective, skilling; promote jobs that value, develop and make the best possible use of people's skills throughout their working lives. Cedefop's multiannual objectives--providing evidence and new knowledge; monitoring and analysing policies; acting as a knowledge broker for countries and stakeholders--reflect the core functions of the Agency. Combined with the thematic strategic areas of operation, they define the type and scope of the work the Agency delivers. The multiannual objectives steer the activities of Cedefop's annual work programmes and ensure continuity of its work, allowing the necessary flexibility to respond to changing needs. Following a foreword by Director, Joachim James Calleja, this report provides the following: (1) 2017 At a Glance; (2) Results Achieved; (3) Relations with EU Agencies; (4) Management, Resources, and Internal Controls; and (5) Annexes.

Helping to make vocational education and training (VET) fit for future challenges while meeting those of today: this principle best encapsulates Cedefop's work and achievements in 2018. Policy discourse throughout the year reflected the growing recognition that devising employment, social and education and training policies in different silos is no longer an option. Neither is striving for excellence, innovation, and competitiveness at the expense of inclusion. It takes concerted and forward-looking approaches to tackle the multiple challenges and their complexity to the benefit of Europe's economy and social fabric. Throughout the year, Cedefop collaborated with its sister agencies, Eurofound and the ETF, to share and pool expertise to the benefit of their stakeholders, notably in the work on skills, qualification frameworks, and policy monitoring. Joint events and publications highlighted throughout this report bear witness to this collaboration. In a similar vein, the joint Cedefop-European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) policy-learning forum called for coordinated approaches and collaboration among governments, social partners, and civil society organisations to devise effective pathways for low-skilled adults to upgrade their qualifications. The end of the year was marked by two important developments that will guide Cedefop's work in 2019 and the years to come: (1) the vision for VET 2030 agreed by the Commission's Advisory Committee on Vocational Training, to which Cedefop contributed, which will inform the Commission's work on future cooperation in VET; and (2) the adoption of Cedefop's new regulation to replace the one dating from 1975 when the Agency was established. [For the 2017 report, see ED586325.]

In a highly competitive global landscape, occupations are transformed, new jobs are created and the skills needed for the labour market are constantly changing. European countries are looking at redefining VET [vocational education and training] to respond promptly to such challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead. They are reforming to modernise their VET systems and strengthen the relevance of their national qualifications in an international context. This publication explores national responses to globalisation in 15 countries and five economic sectors. It aims to understand how European and international initiatives help VET renewal across Europe. It shows how countries' reactions are embedded in their national traditions but also depend on their interactions with European, sectoral and multinational players that provide training and award qualifications. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by IBE Educational research institute and 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH.]

Work in 2015-17 signals continuity with earlier national strategies and initiatives. It confirms the recent focus on apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning, and increasing attention to widening access to VET and qualifications, two areas that have been reinforced by EU-level policy packages. The report also presents measures taken in: VET teacher and trainer professional development, key competence provision, and quality assurance, including actions to make use of information on skills intelligence. Complementing this report, individual country chapters offer more detailed information on national developments. Though their long-standing collaboration, countries aim at achieving common objectives set for 2020. As policy-makers are reflecting on their vision for VET and collaboration beyond 2020, this interim report also discusses these trends from a forward-looking perspective. [The thematic sections and accompanying country chapters were prepared and drafted by: Silke Gadji, George Kostakis, Dmitrijs Kulss, Jelena Letica, Vicky Oraiopoulou, Iraklis Pliakis, Anastasia Pouliou, Eleonora Schmid, Guy Tchibozo and Aristos Theocharous (Cedefop); and Georgios Zisimos, Evgenia Petkova and Mircea Badescu (ETF).]

This short description examines vocational education and training (VET) in Bulgaria. The overall aim is to help build bridges between VET systems, encourage learner and teacher mobility across Europe, and foster the understanding that Bulgaria's VET is first rate. Four sections focus on: (1) External factors influencing VET (demographics, economy and labor market indicators, educational attainment, and employment policies); (2) Provision of VET (VET in the national education and training system, financing VET, other forms of training, VET governance, teachers and trainers, and recent policy changes); (3) Shaping VET qualifications (anticipating skills needs, VET professions, state educational standards for VET, VET curricula, national qualifications framework, managing qualifications, validation for nonformal and informal learning, and quality assurance); and (4) Promoting VET participation (campaigns and easy-to-access registers, incentives for enterprises, guidance and counseling, and key challenges and opportunities).

Based on analysis of developments during the past two decades (1995-2015), the report provides important insights into the responsiveness of national VET systems, notably in relation to changes in demography, technology and the economy. Building on detailed national case studies, this report demonstrates how 'big shocks' (the fall of the Berlin wall, the economic crisis of 2008), national policy reforms and incremental developments over time have changed the character of this crucial part of the European education and training landscape. [This publication is the third in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project, "The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18)." The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH. For Volume 1, see ED586251. For Volume 2, see ED586252.]

Labor market and skills intelligence, which provides information on current and future labor market trends and skill needs, can help people, enterprises and policymakers make informed decisions. Cedefop's project, "Governance of Skills Anticipation and Matching Systems: Country Reviews," aims to help participating EU states overcome challenges to improve their skills anticipation and matching systems. National stakeholders are in the driving seat, identifying priority areas for improvement and providing valuable insights. In 2016, Cedefop worked with Malta and Iceland. For 2017-19 Bulgaria, Greece, Estonia and Slovakia have invited Cedefop to work with them. Working with national authorities and stakeholders, including social partners, Cedefop provides technical expertise, methods and tools to promote stakeholder cooperation and consensus, to help build a path for developing skills anticipation and matching in their country. Cedefop's overviews examine skills anticipation approaches in all 28 EU Member States, showing differences and similarities in skills anticipation methods and tools, governance structures, dissemination and its use in policy-making. The overviews explore current approaches to skills anticipation, giving insights and possible policy lessons on how to get the best out of a potentially powerful policy tool.

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across borders. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications frameworks 2017, Volume II: National and regional cases" gives an update on the national and regional qualification frameworks of 99 countries around the world. For each country, the NQF has been analysed based on the policy objectives, the levels and use of learning outcomes, stakeholder involvement and institutional arrangements, the recognition of non-formal and informal learning as well as whether references are made to existing regional frameworks. In addition, this volume also outlines existing regional frameworks in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Gulf region, the Pacific, Southern Africa and the Commonwealth States. This third edition (the first two editions appeared in 2013 and 2015) of the "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks" is published at a time when the attention being paid to qualifications frameworks is rising, as evidenced by the UN's Education 2030 Framework for Action and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which calls on countries to promote inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Outcomes-based qualifications frameworks can contribute directly to achieving this goal. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks 2017, Volume II" is the result of collaborative work developed by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the European Training Foundation (ETF), UNESCO and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). [The thematic chapters, and national and regional cases were drafted by: Jens Bjørnåvold, Slava Pevec Grm, Ernesto Villalba and George Kostakis, Anastasia Pouliou and Andreea Rusu (Cedefop); Michael Graham and Arjen Dej and all members of the qualifications team (ETF); Borhene Chakroun and Katerina Ananiadou (UNESCO); and Madhu Singh (UIL). For Volume I: Thematic Chapters, see ED604734.]

The aim of the paper is to review scholarly attempts to define or explain vocational education and training and to develop a theoretical model to analyse national definitions or conceptions of VET [vocational education and training] and how they have changed over time. VET takes many forms and is, perhaps, the least unitary of education sectors. Based on a literature review of previous attempts to characterise VET, the paper suggests using a multi-perspective framework which combines: (a) an epistemological and pedagogical perspective; (b) a system and institutional perspective; and (c) a socioeconomic and labour market perspective to analyse VET. These perspectives can help to identify appropriate learning approaches, institutional solutions and forms of cooperation to work towards. In Volume 2 of this series, the approach is empirically tested and the different understandings of VET in 30 European countries are illustrated. [This research paper is the first in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project, "The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18)." The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH. For Volume 2, see ED586252. For Volume 3, see ED586256.]

This Cedefop study examines the contribution that vocational education and training (VET) can make to reducing early leaving from education and training (ELET). Published in two volumes, this first looks at quantitative data to understand better the extent of early leaving from VET (ELVET). It analyses mechanisms for monitoring early leaving (at national and EU-levels), and examines VET and labour-market-specific factors, as well as those related to the individual and his/her family background, contributing to this phenomenon. It aims to assist national policy-makers and decision-makers at different levels in developing existing monitoring systems to measure ELVET and inform VET policies to tackle ELET. It also aims to assist European stakeholders to refine the EU indicator to capture the important variations in individual situations of early leavers. The second volume reviews VET-related measures to tackle ELET, either by preventing learners dropping out and/or by bringing those who have already left back to education and training. Contains a bibliography and webliography. [ICF consulting services conducted the research for this report. For "Leaving Education Early: Putting Vocational Education and Training Centre Stage. Volume II: Evaluating Policy Impact. Cedefop Research Paper. No 58," see ED573445.]

Cedefop has been conducting monitoring of the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) implementation since 2010; this report covers developments from mid-2013 till 2015. It is based on national responses provided by the ECVET users' group from 28 EU Member States and four EFTA countries. The report examines whether existing credit systems provide conditions for individuals to have their learning accumulated or transferred towards a qualification. It examines key aspects: whether qualifications are based on learning outcomes and organised in units; whether individual units are assessed and validated for further transfer and accumulation; whether units are assigned credit points; and whether VET providers use memoranda of understanding and learning agreements to understand better the learning outcomes they provide. The report also focuses on the ways ECVET is promoted among stakeholders and beneficiaries and on examples of support materials that can be useful to ECVET promoters throughout Europe. Two annexes provide country summaries and websites with ECVET information, by country.

This Cedefop study focuses on the contribution that vocational education and training (VET) can make to reducing early leaving from education and training (ELET). Published in two volumes, the first is dedicated to understanding better the learning pathways of young students, providing measurements of early leaving in VET, and understanding the role of VET in breaking the vicious cycle of early leaving and unemployment. This second volume reviews VET-related measures to tackle ELET, either by preventing learners dropping out and/or by bringing those who have already left back to education and training. This volume identifies and discusses the key features of successful policies and practices, plus the conditions necessary to evaluate and upscale successful regional and local practices to national strategies. Contains an annex of reviewed evaluations and main results. Includes a bibliography and webliography. [ICF consulting services conducted the research for this report. For "Leaving Education Early: Putting Vocational Education and Training Centre Stage. Volume I: Investigating Causes and Extent. Cedefop Research Paper. No 57," see ED573444.]

Around half of Europe's population acquires their first job-related skills through vocational education and training (VET). Many more develop those skills and learn new ones through continuing training and other forms of learning at the workplace. VET is central to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. It is fundamental to delivering the European youth guarantee that all young people under 25 receive a good-quality offer of a job, apprenticeship, traineeship, or continued education within four months of them leaving formal education or becoming unemployed. Europe's VET systems are struggling to meet 21st century expectations. Implementing change can be difficult, especially at a time of economic hardship. "Old Roots to New Routes" is Cedefop's 40th anniversary theme for 2015. With 40 years of experience, Cedefop is continuing to help European policymakers adapt VET to new demands in education and employment. This brief outlines some of Cedefop's achievements in 2014 and highlights its work program for 2015, both of which are evidence of progress made and the scale and ambition of the task ahead. The following areas are highlighted in this brief: (1) modernization of VET systems; (2) careers and transitions--including issues such as continuing VET, adult, and work-based learning; and (3) analysing skills and competence needs.