“At the interface of learning for employability” is the latest note released by CEDEFOP and tackling latest and upcoming CEDEFOP work on the modernisation of VET systems (i.e. a VET policy monitoring report is notably announced for this year), careers …

The Slovenian act on short cycle higher vocational education has marked some changes in November 2013. The amendments to the Act will bring about more autonomy for higher vocational colleges regarding curriculum implementation. The process of accrediting new programmes has been simplified, but still remains the responsibility of a special committee nominated by the Council of Experts for Vocational Education of the Republic of Slovenia. The changes are also expected to increase the flow of knowledge from industry to education institutions since field experts are now easily able to teach in higher vocational colleges. Further collaboration with social partners regarding practical education has been ensured by introducing a procedure for nominating relevant chambers of commerce and industry and consequently securing funds for practical education.
Traditionally in Slovenia short cycle higher vocational education is provided in vocational colleges and is very responsive to the needs of labour market demands as well as focused on high employability of its students.

VETWORK is a network to strengthen the relations between vocational education and training (VET) and the world of work at the governance and implementation level. VETWORK website. More...

The Revive VET project aims to review and revive VET practices, applying innovative ICT integration methodologies and building online communities of VET professionals who collaborate to improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility of VET services. Revive VET aims to create online community of VET experts who will establish common agreement upon the quality criteria of ICT application in the areas of continuing professional development (including teacher training), and creativity, business and citizen skills fostering on four levels – (1) institutional, (2) curriculum, (3) continuous professional skill development level, and (4) overall quality assurance process. An online consultation is now open to outside experts on the quality criteria for these four levels. More...

In a series of interviews to European media, new Cedefop Director James Calleja has outlined the organisation’s work and targets, and addressed issues such as unemployment and career guidance that are at the centre of European citizens’ concerns.
Mr Calleja talked to German daily Die Welt about ways to address high youth unemployment, especially in the south of Europe. He highlighted the importance of vocational education and training (VET) as a realistic alternative to higher education and added that the German dual system in VET could be adopted as a model for the benefit of labour markets in southern Europe. He also stressed that the European Union (EU) Member States still have different cruising speeds when it comes to the implementation of strategies and expertise for fighting youth unemployment. You can find the interview, in German, here. More...

Cedefop Director James Calleja told participants at a conference on skills mobility and competitiveness that there are solutions to the ‘worrying situation with millions of jobs in Europe still remaining vacant while 27 million people are unemployed’.
Mr Calleja addressed particularly the issue of youth unemployment, saying that it is up to 23 % – in some countries even hitting the 60 % mark. 
‘This is an issue, which will be picked up again in this particular city next year because Thessaloniki will be European Youth Capital, and I think it will be particularly appropriate for us as an EU agency to really focus on this,’ he noted in his speech at the conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee’s Labour Market Observatory. More...

Vocational education in a lifelong perspective and the VET systems in Germany and Austria were the themes of two interventions made by Cedefop Deputy Director Christian Lettmayr at the Global HR Forum 2013 in Seoul, South Korea (5-7 November). 
Mr Lettmayr said that there is ‘a sense of failing education systems and increasing mismatch between qualification levels and skills required’ with a new European Union (EU) report indicating that 76% of recent graduates with at least upper-secondary education now find employment compared to 82% in 2008. And one in five of the EU working population with tertiary qualifications are in jobs that usually require lower qualifications. More...