During his first visit to Cedefop, new Greek Deputy Minister for Education Georgios Georgantas praised the agency’s work and expressed his willingness for closer cooperation.
Cedefop Director James Calleja and Deputy Director Mara Brugia welcomed the Greek government official. Mr Calleja said: ‘The centre wishes to work closer with Member States and Greece offers us a huge challenge in trying to give young people more employment opportunities.’ More...
06 décembre 2014
Ten thousand bursaries for ten thousand students in 2015
During the first stage, in 2014-15, HEFCE has provided £25 million for pilot projects testing different ways of stimulating progression to taught postgraduate level. Early findings from this work show that there is significant frustrated demand for taught postgraduate study, but that financial contributions – which do not necessarily need to cover all of the costs – are successful in addressing this. More...
HEFCE report highlights the growing transnational nature of English higher education
Over a third of all international entrants to first degree studies are recruited from transnational courses delivered overseas by UK higher education (HE) providers, or partners working on their behalf. China and Malaysia account for the majority of such students. More than half of all first degree students from these two countries start their first degree directly from UK higher education delivered overseas [Note 2].
Transnational students have mitigated the decline experienced by some institutions in the direct entry of international students to first degree programmes in 2012-13 [Note 3]. Without these students, it is likely that the decline would have been greater.
Higher education institutions with mid-range and lower entry requirements are most reliant on transnational students, who make up more than half of the international entrants to first degree programmes at these institutions[Note 4].
Courses with a duration of one year or less were the main driver of growth in the numbers of international students arriving through transnational pathways from 2009 to 12. This shift towards shorter courses requires harder work from higher education institutions to maintain recruitment levels.
A high proportion of transnational students on first degree programmes go on to postgraduate study in England. China emerges as a key driving force behind this trend.
More than half of the Chinese transnational students continue their studies at postgraduate level. About 45 per cent of the growth in international students from China starting taught masters courses in 2012-13 (1,100 students) can be attributed to transnational entrants. It appears that potential postgraduate progression is a key motivation for students from China undertaking first degrees. More...
Select committee endorses importance of HEFCE knowledge exchange funding
We welcome the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee's endorsement of the importance of HEFCE’s support for higher education knowledge exchange through Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF).
HEFCE has always recognised the importance of putting in place methods to measure the success of its funding, particularly in times of pressures on public funding. More...
Directions of travel: Transnational pathways into English HE
This paper studies key transnational pathways that international students use when they embark on first degree study in England. It aims to understand better the contribution of transnational education, as delivered by British higher education providers, to international student enrolments in English higher education. This study also tracks the progression to postgraduate programmes of students who had used the transnational pathway to first degree programmes. More...
Greek Deputy Minister for Education visits Cedefop
Germany - promoting skilled labour career advancement
Numbers of professionals wishing to advance their careers by using the Master BaföG (Federal Education and Trainings Assistance Act) funding tool has increased in 2013 for the sixth year in succession to now 171 000, according to the German Federal Statistical Office. More...
Malta - NCFHE launches consultation on VET and HE policy
In July 2014, the national commission for further and higher education (NCFHE) launched a consultation on vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE) policy in Malta. More...
Germany - ensuring successful apprenticeships
Almost a quarter of all apprenticeship contracts are terminated before completion - a rate that alarms all affected parties. This is exactly what the Berufsbildungswerk Südhessen (bbw - Vocational Training Centre South Hessen) innovative service provision addresses.
The neue akademie für berufliche Bildung des bbw Südhessen (bbw Südhessen new academy for vocational training) will support companies throughout all stages of the vocational education and training (VET) programme. More...
Latvia - present state of structural reforms in vocational education
In 2010, the cabinet of ministers (CoM) approved the Guidelines for optimisation of a vocational education establishment network for 2010-15. These guidelines aim to modernise vocational education provision and increase quality and availability of vocational education in regions. To achieve this, it is necessary to reduce numbers of State vocational schools (from 59 to 30), and to strengthen capacity of the remaining schools. More...
Estonia - new occupational qualification standards for vocational teachers
This autumn the Estonian Qualifications Authority will present new occupational qualification standards (OQS) for vocational teachers to be approved by the Sector Skills Council of Education.
Currently, there are OQS for vocational teachers on three levels of the Estonian qualifications framework – EstQF (and EQF): levels 5, 6 and 7, but according to the Professions Act, all occupational standards have to be competence-based and have to fit EstQF levels by 2014. Therefore a revision of the current standard is required. More...
