24 août 2011

Bonus-malus apprentissage

Avec l'Institut Montaigne, la fonction publique entre en fusion

Après la Fondapol et Terra Nova, suite de la série d'Acteurs publics sur les scénarios des principaux think tanks français pour réformer l'État après 2012. Proposition choc de l'Institut Montaigne et de son expert, Jean-Luc Bœuf: regrouper les fonctions publiques de l'État, hospitalière et territoriale.
Retrouvez l'intervention de Jean-Paul Tran Thiet, membre du comité directeur de l'Institut Montaigne, lors de la soirée des think tanks, aux Rencontres des acteurs publics.

> Fusionner les trois fonctions publiques
Concours, rémunérations ou évolutions de carrières des agents… Le mécanisme est toujours le même : la fonction publique d'État teste des dispositifs par décrets, qui sont ensuite étendus par voie législative à l'hospitalière et à la territoriale. Il faut franchir une nouvelle étape et fusionner les trois fonctions publiques pour approfondir ce que l'État a initié en matière de rapprochement des corps et des métiers. Une telle mesure faciliterait les parcours professionnels des hauts fonctionnaires, alors que les passerelles sont aujourd'hui davantage encouragées, en tant que politique d’ensemble, dans le sens de l'État vers les fonctions publiques hospitalières et territoriales. Dans l’autre sens, il s’agit encore trop de démarches individuelles.

> Maintenir les investissements publics d’avenir
La situation des finances publiques nécessite de poursuivre la RGPP, mais la France ne peut avoir la réduction des dépenses comme seule ligne d’horizon. Prenons l’exemple de l’hôtel de la Marine : on cherche à vendre un bâtiment de prestige au cœur de Paris, emblème de la France, sans se poser la question de la valorisation du patrimoine public… Tout en réduisant ses déficits, la France doit revenir à la notion d’investissements d’avenir : dépenser aujourd’hui pour obtenir un retour à moyen ou long terme. Les investissements publics sont essentiels pour maintenir la place de la France dans l’économie mondiale.

> Faire une pause dans la décentralisation
La poursuite de la décentralisation n’est pas souhaitable. Il faut d’abord digérer trente ans de réformes, c’est-à-dire plusieurs centaines de lois et plusieurs milliers de décrets, alors même que la décentralisation version 2004 n’est pas encore assimilée… Le système territorial est aujourd’hui devenu difficilement lisible pour le citoyen et le nouveau conseiller territorial ne sera mis en place qu’en 2014. Les déficits publics n’autorisent pas le lancement de nouvelles initiatives en matière de décentralisation.

> Des externalisations “sous contrôle”
L’externalisation de certaines missions de service public peut générer des économies, mais il est difficile de mesurer leur impact réel sur les dépenses publiques. Les externalisations permettent-elles une véritable économie ou ne se résument-elles pas à un simple “déport” de coûts ? Nous devons envisager la mise en œuvre de contrôles efficaces avant de confier de nouvelles responsabilités au secteur privé. Afficher une baisse apparente des dépenses pour répondre aux exigences européennes ne tient pas à long terme.

Jean-Luc Bœuf, expert associé à l’Institut Montaigne et maître de conférence à Sciences-Po: “Comment un ensemble éclaté de quelque 60 000 communes et intercommunalités peut-il participer à la maîtrise de la dépense publique ? Des « contrats d’objectifs » doivent être envisagés en évitant deux écueils : l’imposition d’une diminution drastique des dépenses qui serait identique pour tous et le choix d’une démarche à court terme. Il n’y a pas de solution miracle : seule une réelle prise de conscience dans l’ensemble de la classe politique sera efficace. Mais quand les élus nationaux encouragent une réduction des déficits, les élus locaux réclament souvent plus de moyens pour financer leurs projets. Au fond, ils dorment dans le même lit, mais ne font pas les mêmes rêves…”
Lire aussi :
- La Fondapol veut muscler la RGPP,
- Terra Nova veut des services publics à l'écoute des citoyens.

Po Fondapol i Terra Nova, po serii publicznych podmiotów działających na scenariusze z głównych francuskich think tanków do zreformowania państwa po 2012 roku. Szok wniosek Institut Montaigne i jego ekspertów, Jean-Luc Beef: konsolidacji publicznej w szpitalu państwa i terytorialnej.
Znajdź interwencji Jean-Paul Tran Thiet, członek zarządu Instytutu Montaigne , na imprezie think tanków, do spotkania z instytucjami publicznymi.
Zobacz także:
- Fondapol chce umocnić RGPP,
- Terra Nova chce usług publicznych oczekiwania obywateli. Więcej...

Current Issues in Lifelong Learning from Student and Institutional Perspectives

Current Issues in Lifelong Learning from Student and Institutional Perspectives. Conference to be held at Birkbeck, University of London on Thursday 10th November, 10.00am - 4.00pm.
This conference will offer the opportunity to hear about and share thinking on current key issues in lifelong learning. Student experience and perspectives will be considered, as will institutional aims and concerns in both Further and Higher education.
Keynote speech: Professor Geoff Layer, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Bradford: The Academic Footprint
Panel of students: Experiences of lifelong learning
Workshop 1: Daphne Hampton, Education Consultant, and Anne Marie Bradley, University of Arts, London: The Student Voice - working in large groups
Workshop 2: Elaine Hawkins, Birkbeck, University of London: Widening access to higher education for students with young children - student and institutional perspectives
Workshop 3: Ursula Murray, Birkbeck, University of London: The intellectual tin opener: a case study of work with students
Workshop 4: Pauline McManus, University of Warwick: Group dynamics in lifelong learning contexts: student, tutor and institutional perspectives.
Programme
More detailed information and a booking form will be circulated at a later stage.
To register your interest in this event please contact: Michelle Lotherington at m.lotherington@leeds.ac.uk, telephone 0113 343 7891. Fee (inclusive of lunch and refreshments): UALL members £90.00, Non UALL members £120.

Statistics and indicators for VET and lifelong learning

Statistics and indicators by theme

• Education and Training 2020 (benchmarks)
• Initial vocational education and training
• Continuing vocational training and adult learning
• Employment and knowledge
• Economic and demographic background

Pipeline approach: statistics and indicators for VET and lifelong learning

• input
• process
• output
• outcome
• context indicators

Continuing vocational training and adult learning
At a time when Europes population is ageing rapidly, continuing vocational training and adult learning is of profound importance to Europes competitiveness and to the employability of its citizens.
Continuing vocational training takes place after initial education or entry into working life and aims to help people to improve or update their knowledge and skills or to acquire new ones.
Eurostats Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS) is the main source of data on vocational training in enterprises, though further sources exist. Users should note the differences in methodologies (collection method, sample, time scale, definition, etc) between the various sources.
Continuing vocational training and adult learning    
Participation in CVT courses in enterprises  
Cost and financing of CVT course in enterprises
Non-formal learning within paid working hours
Adult participation in Lifelong learning
Hours in CVT courses per employee (all enterprises) by NACE
Participants in other forms of CVT by type of training
Vocational training allowances for unemployed
Non-formal education and training activities by provider
Relevant classifications and methodology    
The 3rd Continuing Vocational Training Survey Manual.
EU LFS manual.
ESSPROS Manual.
Terminology of vocational training policy (Cedefop puplication).
For more detailed data and further methodological information go to Eurostat. This data can be downloaded for free. Users are advised to reference the relevant data source.

Education and Training 2020: European benchmarks.
Indicators and benchmarks are an important means of measuring progress in education and training. In 2009 as part of the Education and Training strategy ("ET 2020"), the Council of the European Union concluded that five reference levels should be established and monitored for measuring progress in the period 2010-2020.
Reference levels of European average performance:
- Early leavers from education and training: by 2020, the share of early leavers from education and training should be less than 10%.
- Tertiary level attainment: by 2020, the share of 30-34 year olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40%.
- Adult participation in lifelong learning: by 2020, an average of at least 15% of adults (25-64 years old) should participate in lifelong learning
- Early childhood education: by 2020, at least 95% of children between 4 years old and the age for starting compulsory primary education should participate in early childhood education
- Low achievers in basic skills: by 2020, the share of low-achieving 15-years olds in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15%.

Initial vocational education and training.
Cedefops skill needs project has forecast a net employment increase of almost 9.5 million jobs at the medium educational level (ISCED level 3 and 4) between 2006 and 2015. This has major implications for the further development of initial vocational education, its financing and its policies.
Initial vocational education and training statistics provide information on general and vocational education carried out in the formal education system, usually before entering working life.
Initial vocational training, as covered by the UNESCO/OECD/Eurostat (UOE) data collection, includes solely school-based programmes and combined school and work-based programmes (if the school component accounts for at least 10 per cent and is part of the education system with appropriate oversight).

Lifelong guidance across Europe: reviewing policy progress and future prospects

This Cedefop report reviews progress made across Europe in 2007-10 in developing guidance policy coordination, quality assurance mechanisms, access to services and career management skills. The review shows that the EU policy framework and changing economic conditions have encouraged closer collaboration between policy makers, guidance professionals and researchers. Together they are locating assets and resources, identifying and engaging stakeholders, defining and completing joint goals and objectives, and balancing a diverse range of interests. These partnerships help everyone involved – education and employment sectors, various policy levels, and practitioners - to work more efficiently.   The challenge is now to agree on what needs to be done to create a truly lifelong guidance system across all sectors, life situations and countries. Such services will support not just lifelong learning, but social inclusion and active citizenship for all. Download Lifelong guidance across Europe-reviewing policy progress and future prospects.

Assessing and recognising skills
Governments have been introducing skills and competence strategies not just to help people into jobs, but to help break the cycle of low skills, short-term jobs and low wages. Information, guidance and counselling are usually a core component and integral element of such strategies. Within these strategies many countries have taken active measures to improve the assessment and recognition of skills acquired through various means throughout all aspects of life: work, home, school, sports, hobbies, and more.
Competences gained through work experience and through non-formal and informal learning are being assessed and recognised more and more frequently across Europe. However, adults are often not aware of the qualification opportunities available to them, and they may have a restricted view of their own skills and know-how. For adults to choose an appropriate and realistic qualification path, it is necessary to clarify their expectations and deepen their self-knowledge, and to map out the alternatives to reach the preferred qualification. Depending on the competence, the client may get access to an education programme, exemption from parts of the programme itself or even a competence certificate or diploma to recognise either a completed programme or completed modules of the programme.
European guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning (Cedefop, 2009a) suggest that the potential candidates and those already in the process of receiving validation should have access to impartial information, advice and guidance. A validation system should be responsive to the needs of the individual who seeks validation and work towards tailor-made solutions. Candidates need to be advised, for example, about the standards to be met and the form of evidence required for demonstrating learning outcomes. When completing the validation procedure, candidates should also be given information about potential routes to further qualification. Finally, a clear distinction should be made between guidance linked to assessment issues and guidance related to the validation process itself. These two dimensions in guidance provision call for different professional skills from practitioners delivering the service.
The selected examples below illustrate some recently developed assessment tools across Europe and how and where they can be accessed. The German ProfilPASS (Profilpass http://www.profilpass-online.de) self-assessment instrument is used by guidance services to review, document and assess informally acquired competences, regardless of where they were acquired, and record them in a competence portfolio. It was initially offered as a validation tool for adults, but in 2007, the ProfilPASS for young people was introduced. ProfilPASS seeks to identify an individual’s educational, professional and life goals (Cedefop, 2008b, 2010d, 2010e). In Iceland two training centres owned and operated by social partners offer guidance on how to get ‘real competences’ evaluated and certified. The Education and Training Service Centre provides guidance at the workplace (This service evolved from a Leonardo da Vinci project called Workplace guidance for lower-paid workers (ISL/03/B/F/PP/164001) and the Vocational Education and Training Centre puts more emphasis on assisting those who have partly completed education for regulated professions, but need additional (most often general) education to get their journeyman’s exam (Cedefop, 2009d).
Building up the skills of guidance experts in competence assessment has been an issue in some countries, such as Bulgaria, where staff of the Employment agency participated in a related training programme in 2007. The Bulgarian competence assessment tool helps to determine the knowledge, skills, motivation, professional experience, personal interests and values of an individual client, and allows people to consider their continuing vocational training and future job options (Cedefop, 2008b). The Slovenian system of craftsman exam (The conditions to enter the craftsman exam are the diploma of the three year vocational education programme and two years of practical experiences from the field in which the candidate wishes to pass the exam) is a solid example of validation of non-formal learning within the formal system for acquiring higher levels of education; it is also an example of how to interweave education and the labour market. It offers the candidates an opportunity to attain an education title different from their original field of study. The success of this measure is demonstrated by high number of individuals who have successfully passed the exam to date and who are currently preparing for the exam. All candidates are adult learners in full time employment who are given information and guidance support for the validation process (Cedefop, 2008b).
Promotional measures are needed to create visibility of services that are either new or not that well known by the target audience. In 2009, the project directorate for Learning&Working in the Netherlands launched a campaign on national television, encouraging people to obtain their ‘experience certificate’. The resultant interest identified problems in how to ensure that the Accreditation of prior learning quality code is applied by various institutions (In the Netherlands, the government has laid down the rules concerning APL (Quality Code, supervision by the Inspectorate or the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation), but the implementation is a non-subsidised activity by schools, universities or other applicable institutions) in a uniform way (Cedefop, 2010d).

Vocational education and training at higher qualification levels

The European policy agenda calls for an increase in the qualification levels of the working population and for overcoming the institutional divide between vocational and general education. In this spirit, common EU instruments such as the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and European Credit System for Vocational education and Training (ECVET) cover all qualification levels. This research paper, covering 13 countries and six sectors, examines the kind of higher qualifications that are currently offered within vocational education, including their features, governance patterns, and degree of academisation. The paper also discusses wider issues such as parity of esteem between vocational and academic education, and the forms and degree of labour market involvement. Download Vocational education and training at higher qualification levels.

Conclusions
This research paper aims at improving the understanding of vocationally oriented education and training, describing the rationales, characteristics and future development of vocational education and training at higher qualifications levels. The understanding of VET at higher qualifications levels differs among policymakers and sector stakeholders in education and training systems and in the labour market; it also differs within and between countries.
Framework to VET at higher qualification levels
The definition in use did not contribute to greater clarity since terms such as vocation, occupation or profession are sometimes used as synonyms. Given the diverse national education and policy contexts, and the diversity in recent national tertiary level VET developments, it is not possible to formulate a full definition that satisfactorily covers all elements of tertiary level VET practice in Europe. This led to analysis of VET at higher qualifications levels by considering different dimensions such as policy-making and practices, providers and qualifications and the involvement of labour market stakeholders.
A variety of policymaking organisations were identified for VET provision at higher qualification levels. The major policymaker in almost all countries studied is the Ministry of Education (e.g. the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland, Ministry of Education in Norway). In some countries, policymaking roles are shared between institutions (e.g. in France the Ministry of Education is responsible for HE and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Vocational Training is responsible for vocational training; in Denmark the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is in charge of all HE initiatives and policies above EQF level 5 but the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries also has an important role within agriculture education). Non-ministerial bodies also play an important role in formulating policies. These include sectoral organisations (e.g. the Nursing Board in Norway or the Nursing and Midwifery Council in UK-England), as well as industry associations (e.g. BITKOM in Germany), chambers of commerce and trade unions (e.g. IG Metall in Germany).
There is substantial variety and diversity of VET policies and practices at tertiary/higher education levels in Europe. The national traditions, contexts and trends determine how VET at higher levels is defined, and if it is recognised as a separate policy issue at all. Unlike the situation at the (upper) secondary education level, the countries involved in this study, with the exception of Germany, do not have a dual system consisting of VET and general/academic education at tertiary education levels. The main underlying reason for this is that while general academic education programmes at the (upper) secondary education level do not prepare students for a vocation or profession (but instead prepare them for entrance in tertiary education programmes), in academic/general higher education a large number of programmes prepare their students for a specific profession: law, medicine, engineering, and business administration are examples.
The policy understanding of VET at tertiary levels can be characterised as follows in the 13 involved countries:
(a) dual system: Germany;
(b) integrated system of certification and recognition: Ireland, France, UKEngland;
(c) tertiary VET part of higher education policies:
(i) higher professional education and university education increasingly integrated: Norway;
(ii) higher professional education and university education kept separate: Czech Republic, Denmark, , the Netherlands, Finland;
(d) policy emphasis on academic tertiary education: Greece, Poland;
(e) no explicit focus on VET at tertiary education levels: Portugal, Romania.
In policy practices it is difficult to distinguish between higher professional education programmes (including professional programmes offered by universities) and tertiary level VET programmes and courses, since there is no rational ground for arguing that, for example, university engineering programmes are not regarded as VET, while tertiary ICT programmes either offered by public higher professional education institutions or private providers, are regarded as VET.
The main providers of VET programmes at higher qualifications levels in the countries and segments analysed are public HE institutions. In addition to universities, these include business academies in Denmark in agriculture education, public colleges in Norway in nursing, universities of applied sciences and universities of cooperative education in Germany, polytechnics in Finland, and university based professional institutes in France. There is also considerable private HE (e.g. in Poland in the ICT sector or private colleges in Norway with religious components) or emerging private HE (e.g. Germany and France) in some countries. Other providers include private companies (e.g. in the ICT sector in Germany, finance sector in the Netherlands and Portugal), chambers of commerce and crafts (e.g. Germany) and other non-sector or sector specific non-HE institution providers (e.g. the Netherlands and Portugal in the finance sector). The involvement of labour market stakeholders in education and training provision at higher levels was found to be common in almost all countries. The exceptions were Poland, in which the links between academic and employers are generally weak, although the picture was better in the ICT sector, and Portugal in the case of public HE institutions. Diverse types of interaction between providers of education and training and employers were found:
(a) employer consultation in the curriculum development phase. Examples include L&F and 3F in Denmark (representing employers and employees) and industry committees and consultation bodies in Ireland;
(b) work-based assignments and company based thesis works. Examples are found in Germany and Ireland in innovation and technology management, and in Finland and UK-England in SEN study programmes;
(c) apprenticeships, which are a growing tendency in HE in France, the Netherlands in the framework of the accountant degrees. As for Norway and UK-England in the nursing sector clinical practice is a traditional pattern;
(d) private corporate education and training initiatives which include examples in Germany and Ireland in innovation and technology management, and in Portugal in the finance sector;
(e) courses tailored to company needs, for instance in the Netherlands in the finance sector and Ireland in innovation and technology management;
(f) fully work-based learning in the German IT further education system.
There are a number of countries in which there is resistance towards opening up more extensive interaction with labour market players (e.g. the case of universities in Poland, in Romania it mostly exists in theory) or where interaction hardly exists such as in the Czech Republic and Portugal. Qualifications, degrees and study programmes tend to be delivered at EQF levels 6 and 7 in the form of classical Bachelor and Master qualifications, although in Norway there are also EQF level 8 PhD degrees in nursing science.
There is also an increase in other degrees (e.g. professional Bachelor degrees in Denmark and France, professional Master courses in France). There are also different types of HE degrees. For instance, the diploma courses, foundation courses and postgraduate certificates in UK-England. Further, there are specific non-HE certificates (e.g. a certificate at EQF level 6 in the finance sector in Portugal, and strategic and operative professional qualifications in the IT sector in Germany). The discussion on academically and vocationally oriented degrees in education and training systems is still vivid in Europe, with some strong divisions between the two. For instance, in Denmark professional Bachelor degrees are not equal to the traditional Bachelor degrees, and therefore do not provide progression to formal Master courses. There have been efforts to improve this situation with the new EUX exam to bridge the gap between vocational and academic worlds. Also, in Germany, steps have been taken to reduce the divide between VET and academically oriented HE by recognising parts of ICT further training in university ICT studies. There is a tendency towards a vocationalisation of HE as in development of the vocational Bachelor qualifications in France, and combining theoretical studies with vocational/on-the-job training in Germany. The opposite tendency, academisation, can be detected in other countries, e.g. in Norway nursing education is becoming part of HE and there is an expected evolution of specialisation courses into Master programmes, and in UK-England there will be a degree requirement for all nurses from 2013. The emergence of private sector providers at higher levels can also be identified in some countries, including Germany, Ireland and France. Quality assurance is provided in different forms in the various countries. There are independent sectoral quality assurance bodies that approve study programmes (e.g. CTI in France for engineering courses) and agencies for the quality assurance in HE (e.g. NOKUT in Norway, HETAC in Ireland for non university organisations, State Accreditation Committee in Poland, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in UK-England, etc.). Other types semipublic entities also participate in this process by reviewing existing and approving new programmes (e.g. vocational committee in Denmark), as well as other professional bodies (e.g. the Nursing and Midwifery Council in that also does the registration of nurses, or the Royal Dutch Institution of Registered Accountants staging examinations in the Netherlands in the case of the officially recognised finance degrees). Other organisations include chambers of commerce and industry through student examinations (e.g. in Germany in case of some further education programmes), independent accreditation agencies (in the case of state-recognised Bachelor and Master programmes in Germany) and universities that have self-accreditation power (e.g. in Ireland).
A new approach to parity of esteem
The first set of dimensions had to be contrasted with existing definitions and deeper analysis of characteristics of qualifications offered at higher levels. The research paper suggests a new approach to parity of esteem between VET at higher qualification levels and traditional HE which is much inspired by the learning outcomes approach to qualifications, the value of professional experience in degree awards and the criteria of employability of graduates. Important to parity of esteem between VET and HE are the national legal frameworks and regulations, and the level of autonomy of universities in determining the entrance requirements for their degree programmes. If all countries are committed to realising parity of esteem between VET and HE qualifications, one of the conditions required to be fulfilled is the updating of national or regional laws to determine entrance requirements for university programmes.
Professional experience is highly valued and required in VET at higher levels in some countries. These include Norway, in which some continuous specialisation courses require professional experience in addition to a Bachelor degree, or in Portugal, for finance sector courses in the private sector provided by private companies. In Ireland, most public HE institutions in innovation and technology management programmes require some years of work experience, which in specific cases can be considered to replace other qualifications if the candidate does not match all the admission requirements. In nursing in UKEngland, prior learning, both practical and theoretical, can be used to reduce study time by as much as one of the three years of the programme and each university evaluates prior learning individually. In two out of the three education programmes analysed for France, professional experience is considered and evaluated individually at the enrolment stage. This is so in one of the study programmes in Denmark.
The introduction of qualifications frameworks represents a shift to learning outcomes, including at the highest levels, in the sense that the skills, competences and knowledge levels of graduates are made explicit in each programme’s description and organisation. In this way students will understand the expected learning outcomes. Further, society at large, including potential employers of the students, can obtain an insight into their expected capabilities. The analysis shows that there is a generally positive attitude towards the shift to learning outcomes. In practice, however, the process is still in an early stage and not all stakeholders had the same positive expectations towards the alignment to the EQF and the use of learning outcomes; examples are the Danish agriculture education case study and trade union opinions of deprofessionalisation in Germany. The use of the learning outcomes approach is still in its early stages in most countries. Stakeholders have generally positive expectations, although this is not always the case (e.g. in the Danish agro-food case study the expectations were
not positive). In Germany and UK-England the need for public discussion on implementing the learning outcomes approach and the involvement of a variety of educational institutions and social actors was considered important. There are a number of different trends with regard to education providers’ implementation of the required reforms. Many involve deeper institutional reforms and take this as an opportunity to improve their systems and activities, while some have addressed the changes in a more superficial way. In some cases, the reforms are reduced to ‘mere cosmetic surgery’ (Reichert, 2010). It is early to say whether the new approach will bring the desired benefits. The next 5 to 10 years will determine whether learning outcomes will actually be used in a meaningful way in educational practices as well as by employers. It can thus be recommended to set up a European monitoring database to follow and assess further developments with respect to the use of learning outcomes in VET activities at EQF levels 6 to 8.
The issue of parity of esteem between VET at EQF levels 6 to 8 and traditional HE is complex and to some extent controversial. In the German case, EQF implementation led initially to a system in which the VET qualifications were positioned lower than the HE qualifications. Under pressure from private sector representatives in the latest proposal, some VET qualifications were then upgraded to the level of HE qualifications. However, at the same time, education pillars were introduced in the German QF system, implying that, a Meister level qualification (which is at the same level of a Bachelor qualification) does not give access to a university Master programme.
In Denmark or Finland, VET (and even higher professional education) Bachelor degrees do not give direct access to university Master programmes. If this tendency of educational pillars in NQFs is implemented in more countries, then the notion of parity of esteem between VET and HE would be mostly an illusion. However, there are also positive experiences. In the Irish system, in which there is an NQF developed, some convergence between VET at EQF levels 6 to 8 and traditional HE can be observed due to the use of a learning outcomes approach. The shift, however, seems to be more in the vocational direction responding to the increasing need to demonstrate practical skills.
While scepticism prevails over whether the shift to learning outcomes would positively impact the parity of esteem between vocationally oriented and academically oriented study programmes at higher qualification levels, there is some conviction that the shift to learning outcomes will actually increase the value of vocationally oriented programmes in comparison with academically oriented ones. As most countries are still in the implementation phase of this approach, there is little evidence on its actual impact on VET developments at EQF levels 6 to 8, including the question of parity of esteem.
Taking the issue forward
Vocational education and training, and professional higher education, are very dynamic in Europe. New VET programme providers at EQF levels 6 to 8, and traditional HE institutions providing higher professional education programmes, are central to the European efforts on employability and economic growth. The last five to ten years have shown important developments in both types of programme. The impression is that traditional HE is not adapting rapidly enough to the (changing) needs of the labour market (e.g. the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Romania), and especially the needs of the private sector. VET can fill part of the gap left by traditional HE institutions. However, this requires rapid development of new fields, including ICT. The situation in more traditional vocational/professional fields such as nursing, teaching, and agriculture is more balanced in the sense that the relationship between VET /professional higher education providers and the labour market is more stable, and based on common understandings and agreements between employers and providers. The analysis undertaken led to four main proposals for research and policy initiatives:
(a) to set up European level coordination of VET policies and practices for tertiary education. The coordination should be both vertical and horizontal and relate to current development of joint activities between the Bologna and Copenhagen processes;
(b) to develop a widely accepted understanding of VET at EQF levels 6 to 8; it is important to create more transparency of qualifications, which itself calls for a need to clarify the specific nature of VET at tertiary education levels. The questions to be answered for this include:
  (i) how and where is VET at higher levels different from the established higher professional education programmes?
  (ii) how do the targeted skills, competences and knowledge levels of VET of higher level graduates differ from the targeted skills, competences and knowledge levels of traditional higher education graduates?
  (iii) if there are important differences in the targeted skills, competences and knowledge in traditional academic higher education and tertiary level VET, what do these mean for the possibilities to achieve parity of esteem of qualifications and learning outcomes?
  (iv) if the differences are considered to be limited, or of limited relevance from the perspective of the development of effective knowledge policies that include tertiary level VET, what is the rationale for treating tertiary level VET as a separate policy area?
(c) to develop regulatory and funding frameworks for VET at higher levels and professional higher education that relate to the dynamics of education and training. Further, such frameworks should stimulate sector transparency, so that the equal treatment of all vocational and professional fields is prevented. More mature fields such as nursing and agriculture need different frameworks from rapidly developing fields such as ICT;
(d) to share successful examples and practices for VET and labour market interaction in Europe. These practices should be shared between countries and their potentials examined for adoption and adaptation to other national education environments where such mechanisms are scarce or nonexistent, or even to those where cooperation models already exist.
See also The eight types of strategic action lines in the current progress towards ECVET implementation.

ECVET Magazine n. 5

Evaluation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 2005/36/EC)

Green Paper Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive

This Green Paper is aimed at gathering stakeholders’ views on a modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 2005/36/EC). Download GREEN PAPER - Modernising the Professionnal Qualifications Directive.
This Directive, adopted in 2005, sets the rules for mutual recognition of professional qualifications between Member States. Beyond a few innovations, it mainly consolidated and simplified 15 previous Directives, some of which dated back to the 1960s.
The reform of the system of recognition of professional qualifications as a means to facilitate mobility is one of the priority actions proposed by the Commission in the Single Market Act. With the view to preparing this reform, the Commission wishes to consult stakeholders on new approaches to mobility ways to build on achievements and on the modernisation of the automatic recognition. Submition of contributions by 20 September 2011.

INTRODUCTION
EU citizens (this also concerns third country nationals who enjoy rights under European legislation: family members of EU citizens, long term residents, refugees, and “blue card” holders are treated in the same way as EU citizens with respect to recognition of professional qualifications) providing a wide range of professional services to consumers and business are essential stakeholders in our economy. Gaining employment or providing services in another
Member State is a concrete example of how they can benefit from the Single Market. It has long been recognised that restrictive regulation of professional qualifications has the same stifling effect on mobility as discrimination on the grounds of nationality. Recognition of qualifications obtained in another Member State has thus become a fundamental building block of the Single Market. As highlighted in the Europe 2020 Strategy (Communication from the Commission Europe 2020, A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth - COM(2010) 2020, 3.3.2010) and the Single Market Act (Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European economic and social Committee and the Committee of regions, Single Market Act, Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence, "Working together to create new growth" - COM(2011) 206, SEC(2011) 467), professional mobility is a key element of Europe's competitiveness. Burdensome and unclear procedures for the recognition of professional qualifications were identified in the EU Citizenship Report 2010 (EU Citizenship report 2010 "Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens' rights" - COM(2010) 603, 27.10.2010) as one of the main obstacles EU citizens still encounter in their daily lives when exercising their rights under EU law across national borders. A modernisation would also strenghten the position of the European Union in international trade negotiations making regulatory convergence easier, and allowing the EU to obtain better market access in third countries for EU citizens.
Mobility of professionals is still low in the EU. The number of complaints, SOLVIT cases and questions raised with Your Europe Advice and analysis of these cases provide clear evidence of a need to modernise the rules. In addition, intra-EU trade in services (including professional services) represents only about 25% of overall trade within the EU. This share is far too low when considered against the background of the overall importance of the services sector to the EU economy (70% of GDP). More can be achieved.
Increased mobility would also respond to the challenge of filling high-skill jobs, as the active population declines. According to the projections of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), 16 million more people will be needed to fill high-skill jobs by 2020 (Skill supply and demand in Europe: medium-term forecast up to 2020 (2010), available at http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/Files/3052_en.pdf), which under current trends will lead to severe shortages of qualified professionals. Some of these skills shortages could be filled by people with professional qualifications obtained outside the EU, who currently face major problems in having their qualifications recognised.
A projected shortage of one million health professionals is of particular concern. How countries can better manage mobility of health professionals by further strengthening their general workforce policies, and further elaborating workforce planning mechanisms will be subject of separate action by the Commission and the Member States (A further issue concerns sea-related regulated professions where the Commission intends to publish in 2012 a Communication on Blue Growth, sustainable growth from the oceans, seas and coasts. The Commission is, in that perspective, interested to understand whether in this area any specific obstacles to mutual recognition can be identified).
Enabling citizens to realise their individual right to work anywhere in the EU must been seen in this wider context. To take full advantage of the freedom of movement, professionals must have their qualifications easily recognised in other Member States (Difficulties linked with the recognition of professional qualifications are one of the obstacles to professionals mobility within the EU, along others such as portability of pension rights, language barriers etc). It is therefore essential that the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (OJ L 225, 30.9.2005, p. 22) sets out clear and simple rules for the recognition of professional qualifications. At the same time, the rules must ensure high quality of services without themselves becoming an obstacle to mobility. The European Union has already achieved a lot in this area: some professional qualifications, notably in the areas of health, architecture, crafts, trade and industry are subject to automatic recognition; for all the other professions, the principle of mutual recognition on the basis of a “general system” has been introduced successfully. In 2005, these rules were complemented by a new lighter regime to facilitate temporary mobility. These rules benefit millions of professionals in Europe. It is estimated, that the system of automatic recognition on the basis of harmonised minimum training requirements alone applies to 6.4 million citizens (Internal Market Scoreboard, July 2010).
In March 2010, the Commission launched an evaluation of the Directive which mobilised many stakeholders: around two hundred competent authorities drew up experience reports in 2010 and around four hundred participants gave their views in a public consultation in early 2011. The Green Paper builds on this evaluation. It presents new ideas for facilitating mobility in the Single Market, such as the European Professional Card; it explores ways to build on achievements (see part 3); and it sets out the options for the modernisation of automatic recognition (see part 4). A broad consultation on these ideas will help the Commission to assess the various options for the modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive. A legislative proposal to modernise the Directive is planned for the end of 2011.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THE GREEN PAPER
The Commission invites all interested parties to submit their contributions by 20 September 2011, preferably by e-mail to the following address: DG Internal Market and Services, Unit E-4 "Free movement of professionals". E-mail: MARKT-PQ-EVALUATION@ec.europa.eu. Postal address: European Commission, Internal Market Directorate General, Unit E-4, Rue de Spa 2, Office 06/014, 1049 Brussels, Belgium.
Contributions do not need to cover all of the questions raised in this Green Paper. They can be limited to questions of particular interest to you. Please indicate clearly the questions to which your contribution relates. If possible, please give specific arguments for or against the options and approaches presented in the paper. All contributions will be published on the DG Internal Market and Services website unless a contributor requests otherwise. It is important to read the specific privacy statement attached to this Green Paper or information on how your personal data and contribution will be dealt with.

Examining the background and current reform of Poland's vocational education system

Poland, the Member State which holds the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2011, is introducing major reforms in vocational education. The focus is on improving quality and relevance in order to make the system more flexible and more responsive to labour market needs. These reforms, along with the background to vocational education and training in Poland, are the focus of a new publicaiton in Cedefop's series of short descriptions of VET systems.
The new measures include:
- a greater involvement of employers in curriculum design and assessment;
- the modernisation of vocational qualification classifications, moving to a learning outcomes approach;
- measures to attract highly qualified specialists to vocational schools;  
- the opening of vocational education to adults. 
Cedefop's report on vocational education and training in Poland - the latest in the series of Short Descriptions of national VET systems - summarises the country’s socioeconomic background and planned reforms, explains how training for young people and adults is currently organised, and addresses topics such as teachers and trainers, guidance and counselling, and financing for vocational education.