Review and lessons learned of Phare vocational education and training reform programmes 1993-1998

The European Union’s Phare vocational education and training (VET) reform program was designed to assist the governments of beneficiary countries in modernising and reforming their secondary vocational training systems as key elements in social and economic reform processes. Between 1990 and 1998, a number of Eastern European countries were beneficiaries of the EU’s Phare budget. The majority of the programs were managed by the European Training Foundation. This publication provides a review of Phare VET Reform program interventions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Albania between 1993 and 1998. The main objective is to provide a tool to assist managers in the design and implementation of future vocational training reform programs. The review examines program design and management and then provides analysis and assessment of program outputs. Program outputs are assessed in terms of curriculum innovation, school manager training, teacher training, equipment procurement, European Union partnerships, policy and institutional development, and dissemination. VET reforms were initiated through a pilot school approach. Comment is made on the effectiveness of this approach. The final section of the report contains conclusions and recommendations for successful training reform interventions. Show less