Digital gap during COVID-19 for VET learners at risk in Europe

The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to all types and levels of learning including vocational education and training (VET). An entire generation of VET learners have seen their education and training being interrupted. This population could suffer severe disruption of their learning if continuity of distance learning is not ensured. Among VET learners, for those being already at risk, COVID-19 is not the only threat they face. These students are often found out of school. With schools being shut down, they risk falling even further behind while...  [+] Show more

The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to all types and levels of learning including vocational education and training (VET). An entire generation of VET learners have seen their education and training being interrupted. This population could suffer severe disruption of their learning if continuity of distance learning is not ensured. Among VET learners, for those being already at risk, COVID-19 is not the only threat they face. These students are often found out of school. With schools being shut down, they risk falling even further behind while at the same time they are also at increased risk of violence, abuse and neglect, as families and households are locked down.

This report, based on preliminary information collected from Cedefop's ambassadors [from Germany, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom], tackling early leaving from VET, calls for a COVID-19 response that puts the needs of each VET student at risk front and centre. Students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, migrants and from ethnic minorities, learners with disabilities and special educational needs, have an equal right to health, education and protection during the global recovery of COVID-19. The aim of this report is to offer a synthesis of preliminary findings coming from a small-scale survey based on the responses of Cedefop's ambassadors tackling early leaving from VET. The next section briefly presents the survey's questions and the limitations of this exercise. The following sections synthesise the main messages that come across from the ambassadors' responses. The conclusions highlight the key messages and propose avenues for further research.

Excerpts from publication