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This paper provides an overview of the proceedings of the fifth Entrepreneurship Education High Level Reflection Panel. In following the chronology of the two-day agenda, it captures the key issues and concerns raised by the delegations from the 11 participating countries. A final section of the paper draws on the more salient issues raised by the panelists over the two-day programme and concludes with a number of next-step recommendations for entrepreneurship education in the [European Union] EU partner countries.

Excerpt from published introduction reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

'Live and learn', the European Training Foundation (ETF) magazine, is a twice yearly publication which provides readers with an insight into the different areas of work of the ETF and the many topics it is involved in. This issue contains the following vocational education and training (VET) related articles: 'An advantage, not an obstacle' by Anne Jenson (p. 4-7); 'Everyone has a right to a better life: Italian minister Emma Bonino vists the ETF' (p. 8-9); 'Can VET institutions help to reduce poverty' by Eduarda Castel-Branco (p. 10-13); 'The new learning paradigm in Portugal: Novas Oportunidades' (p. 14-17); 'Involving ethnic groups in education' (p. 18-21); 'Understanding change' by Patrick Grabolle (p. 22-24); 'Dissecting the transition from education to work: highlights of a new ETF publication' (p. 25-27) [the full report is indexed at TD/TNC 91.249]; 'Annual Forum measures the progress of MEDA-ETE project in 2007' (p. 28-31); and 'The effect of ETF intervention' by Outi Karkainnen (p. 32-35). Show less

This report outlines the three-year program of the European Training Foundation (ETF). The ETF's mission is to assist its partner countries in reforming and modernising their vocational education and training and employment systems within the framework of the EU's external relations policies. The ETF operates in four regions: EU candidate countries; the Western Balkans; the non-EU Mediterranean partners; and the New Independent States and Mongolia. The services of the ETF include project management and design, analysis and articulation of training needs, contributing to policy development, information provision, and technical assistance to the European Commission (EC) for the Tempus program which supports transformation processes through targeted assistance to higher education systems in partner countries. In addition to its services, the ETF maintains a number of networks: the National Observatories, the Advisory Forum, the National Training Institutes, the Distance Learning Centre Network, and a business schools and management training network.

The first section of the report outlines the ETF's foundation activities in relation to its obligatory, or ongoing, activities, support for EC projects, information provision and analysis, and development activities. The second section outlines in tabular form the proposed activities for each of the four regions. The third section outlines the ETF's technical assistance to the EC for the Tempus program and the fourth section provides information on the use of the ETF's human and financial resources according to nine different key activities. Annexes provide information on the services and networks maintained by the ETF. Show less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Active Labour Market Project New Opportunities Programme (NOP) implemented by the Turkish Employment Organization (ISKUR). The evaluation study has been carried out on behalf of the European Training Foundation (ETF) by a team of five independent local experts and supported by an international consultant in the period July-December 2006. The Active Labour Market Project aimed at assisting the Turkish Government in the design, development and implementation of effective employment policy measures and services aligned with the European Employment Strategy. ISKUR was the main beneficiary of the project, which included three components. NOP, an active labour market intervention and the first of its kind by ISKUR, was designed to improve the job prospects of unemployed and currently employed people through vocational training and other measures based on locally determined needs. Funded by the European Commission and the Turkish government, it provided grants to 245 projects run by non-government organisations (NGOs) targeting unemployed young people, women, disabled people, former prisoners, the long term-unemployed, migrants from rural areas and working people in need of new skills in seven areas of Turkey. NOP was found to be extremely relevant to Turkish needs and was praised for enabling non-government bodies to tackle economic and social problems locally. In terms of efficiency, the modest amount of average grants allowed a large number of projects to be funded. However, inexperience in handling finance and information in line with [European Union] EU rules were identified as problems. The evaluation appears to indicate the program has targeted the right groups of people - the unemployed and those in work who need new skills, but more should be done to involve women. Other recommendations include providing advice to project participants wishing to start their own businesses, taking the needs of local employers into account when selecting which projects to fund and using local ISKUR offices instead of regional ones for the purposes of monitoring.

Published executive summary with additional information reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The Torino Process was launched by the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2010 and is a biannual participatory analytical review of the status and progress of vocational education and training (VET) in the ETF partner countries. The aims are to acquire current knowledge about policies and their outcomes in a country, and to strengthen ownership, participation and the evidence base of policy formation.

This report represents a participatory review of progress with the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), developed within the framework of the European Training Foundation (ETF) Torino Process and aimed at providing a concise and documented analysis of vocational education and training reform in partner countries. The review includes identification of key policy trends, challenges, constraints, best practices and opportunities.

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This report belongs to a series of country analyses developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF) at the end of 2005 for all countries in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It contains an overview of the country’s social and economical contexts, an analysis of the educational system and a short review of the main initiatives in education and training carried out by international donors in the country. A sustainable approach to vocational education and training (VET) reform in Azerbaijan needs to tackle all key angles: VET policy and strategy within an integrated/lifelong learning perspective; VET institutions; and economy, labour market and employment linkages. This comprehensive VET reform process requires international technical assistance for three main areas: (i) reform conception; (ii) institution and capacity building; and (iii) school development. Key topics for technical assistance include: the qualifications system and national qualifications framework; competence-based learning; a lifelong learning policy framework to underpin the integration of the VET subsystems that has clear pathways and is compatible with a national qualifications framework; and economic sector/cluster analysis with a prospective view of broad occupational profiles and competencies.

Published excerpts reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The series of reports is indexed from TD/TNC 84.362 to TD/TNC 84.375. Show less

This report belongs to a series of country analyses developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF). It covers: Socioeconomic background; Key policy issues and strategies in human resource development; EU (European Union) and other donor policies and interventions; Mid-term perspective ETF intervention strategies contributing to added value in national, EU and donor reform-support policies; The qualifications system and labour market intelligence; Social dialogue on VET (vocational education and training); Work Programme 2007: objectives and indicators. The ETF objectives for Georgia 2007 are: To support implementation of EU policies and interventions and to strengthen national capacities for VET reform particularly in the area of national qualifications.

In 2006, VET legislation was drafted, whose text was under discussion by the parliament in early 2007. The draft law suggests how the VET system will receive an impulse from approval of the new legislation. There are references to the continuity of VET with other branches of education, with different levels of qualifications and with formal and informal learning. There appears to be a clear intention to promote the role and place of the VET system in the world of work and in society. The draft law encourages openness and provides for the participation of other actors in VET governance (e.g., employers, unions, professional associations, regional entities and families). The draft law envisages the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF), alignment with European standards, and the concept of guidance. At the same time it has to be noted that explicit public-private partnerships should be considered as a necessary pre-condition for a functioning NQF and effective standards. The establishment of an NQF needs to include the concept of different modalities of learning in both formal and informal settings. Despite the recent policy developments acknowledging the role of lifelong and adult learning in education reform, further steps are required, such as: the development of a regulatory framework, the enabling of conditions for the development and supply of adult learning options, the development of mechanisms for the recognition and validation of prior learning and the outcomes of non-formal learning, the provision of lifelong information and guidance, the development of quality assurance systems, improved linkages with the education system at various levels, and the development of learning methods and financing.

Excerpts from publication reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The series of reports is indexed from TD/TNC 90.820 to TD/TNC 90.844. Show less

Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) are often represented as the institutions that embody vocational excellence. However, the purpose, structure and functions of CoVEs vary greatly from one context to another. Differences and similarities are often disguised by the use of specific terminologies, which may be lost in translation. CoVEs are assigned different roles in policy-making and enjoy different levels of political commitment and prioritisation of resources. Quite often, CoVEs exist in isolation without partnerships with other education institutions at national and international level. Sometimes CoVEs are fundamentally skills providers - vocational schools or training centres - but sometimes they are coordination or development centres or networks rather than providers.

This report aims to help readers understand the different types of CoVEs as developed in different contexts. It is intended to offer a different perspective on vocational excellence, with the aim of facilitating understanding of the phenomenon and its links with vocational education and training (VET). There is no robust measurement for defining vocational excellence. There are, though, the thorny questions: What is vocational excellence, why is it important, and how is it developed and for whom? It is this complexity of vocational excellence that the report attempts to address. To this end, a wealth of information is used from countries outside the EU to show that vocational excellence functions not in a vacuum, but in relation to a context. It is this context that defines the parameters of what can be perceived as vocational excellence and CoVEs.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Social partners are key players in the development of vocational education and training. It is a widely supported statement in the European Union and its member states. However, it is easier said than done. The transition economies of South Eastern Europe are only slowly recovering and most companies are fragile and having mainly short-term visions and perspectives. Because investing in education and training is leading to longer-term results, companies and their representing social partners do not consider it as a high priority. How can the general idea to promote social partnership in South Eastern Europe be given shape and should social partners be involved in all parts of the policy design and policy development processes? The [European Training Foundation] ETF carried out a peer learning exercise in 2008 focussing on the role of social partners in education and training in the construction and tourism sectors in Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. This report aims to illuminate the issues discussed and provide evidence of the insights and reflections of the peers. It should be seen also as a possible tool to support the stakeholders’ capacities to formulate and implement systemic education reform policies, where the added value is the participation of social partners in the reform agenda in each country.

Published summary from the ETF website reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This report belongs to a series of country analyses developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF). It covers: Socioeconomic background; Key policy issues and strategies in human resource development; EU (European Union) and other donor policies and interventions; Mid-term perspective ETF intervention strategies contributing to added value in national, EU and donor reform-support policies; Social dialogue; Modernised VET (Vocational Education and Training) governance; Labor market intelligence and the qualifications system; Work Programme 2007: objectives and indicators.

There is a need to open flexible pathways within and across sectors and between levels and types of education and training, e.g., between VET and general and higher education. From the perspective of a lifelong learning approach, recognition of non-formal learning, learning opportunities for adults, and flexible entry and re-entry points should be part of this strategy. At stake are the attractiveness of VET and the subsequent availability of the middle-level qualifications that are much in demand. The existing qualifications system in Armenia does not allow for flexible pathways between levels of a qualification or between qualifications. Methods for certifying competence acquired (whether formally, non-formally or informally) are not systematized, and incentives to continuous learning are limited. The question of how to define key occupations, related profiles and a national qualifications structure, as also of who should do this, are closely related and interdependent.

Excerpts from publication reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The series of reports is indexed from TD/TNC 90.820 to TD/TNC 90.844. Show less