UK national ReferNet reports and links to reports from other European partners.

High quality vocational education and training (VET) systems can contribute to combating unemployment, improving labour market integration and fighting social exclusion. However, in many EU member states, participation in VET is lagging behind general education, and VET is often seen as a ‘second best’ option compared to general education. Understanding perceptions about the value of VET, its ability to equip people with the right skills, and the likelihood of finding employment are decisive elements in creating VET as an attractive educational option. Evidence is scarce on citizens’ perceptions about VET in existing literature, particularly when comparing VET perceptions to views on general education, and insights into specific attractiveness factors of VET such as permeability or satisfaction with skills acquired. In light of a desire to fill this gap and provide a richer picture of VET perceptions in Europe suitable to inform VET policy-making, Cedefop launched its first-ever opinion survey in 2016. The opinion survey provides unprecedented data on Europeans’ opinions on awareness, attractiveness and effectiveness of VET in Europe. The survey covers the 28 Member States of the European Union and the final report was published in October 2017.

The accompanying ReferNet article aims to present a more contextualised interpretation of the survey findings from a UK perspective.

People with low qualifications have increasingly weaker career prospects within the EU. Early disengagement from education and training is an acute issue in many Member States, frequently leading to unemployment and inactivity. Adults with low qualifications are three times more prone to fall into a situation of long term unemployment. Due to lack of information and demotivation, many long term unemployed do not search for training solutions which could enable them to change their situation. To be successful in identifying, contacting and reengaging young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) and the long term unemployed in learning activities, employment services have to develop effective outreach services.

To address the challenge of low qualification levels the European Commission has developed two fundamental initiatives, to finance national programmes:

• The Youth Guarantee, aimed at providing young people under 25 years of age with a job or a learning solution within four months after drop-out; and
• Upskilling Pathways, aimed at providing adults over 25 years of age with an opportunity to acquire upper secondary qualifications in a flexible way.

The success of both initiatives in addressing the needs of NEET’s and the long term unemployed depends, to a large extent, on the capacity of Member States in improving guidance services and establishing effective outreach mechanisms.

This article provides a brief overview of NEETs in the UK and an introduction to national outreach strategies in addition to two examples of good practice.

To adapt to new life situations and career shifts, manage change, take initiative and risk, innovate and engage in further learning, purely job-related skills are not enough. Vocational education and training (VET) learners also require key competences. It is one of the aims of the Bruges Communiqué which defined the strategic objectives for VET until 2020 to ensure that key competences are adequately integrated in IVET curricula and that they can be acquired through training opportunities in CVET’. The five medium-term deliverables for VET set out in the Riga Conclusions of July 2015 reconfirm the emphasis on key competences in VET curricula and provision of more effective opportunities to acquire or develop these skills through initial and continuing VET.

The distinctive feature of key competences is that they are not directly relevant to a certain job, but have the ability to be used flexibly in different situations for further learning and the labour market, although some key competences overlap with those directly linked to a specific sector/occupation. The purpose of the article is to inform on systematic national approaches to, and opportunities for, acquisition of key competences in upper secondary VET.

The purpose of this ReferNet article is to gather updated information regarding systematic national approaches to, and opportunities for, initial and continuing professional development (CPD) of VET teachers, trainers and mentors in both school and work-based settings in the UK.

Professional development of VET teachers and trainers is key to ensuring quality and relevance of VET, both school-based and work-based. Achieving aims such as implementing new curricula, strengthening links between education and the labour market, providing more and high quality apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning, developing quick and flexible responses to emerging competence needs and applying the common European transparency tools all requires committed and competent teaching staff who have access to adequate professional development and support. The Riga Conclusions moves support for initial and continuing professional development of teachers and trainers higher up on the policy agenda, as one of the five 2015-2020 deliverables for European cooperation in VET.

This article provides a brief overview of the link between VET and innovation in the UK, and a more detailed description of the Studio School model of education, which is a relatively new approach in England to teach the skills and attitudes necessary for young people to become innovative.

The European Commission Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014 shows that Europe’s innovation performance is lagging behind its competitors. Innovation policies have normally focused on technological R&D and its connection to university research. However, ‘Innovation Union’, one of Europe 2020 flagship initiatives also advocated for a strong VET to further develop an appropriate set of skills that empowers people to be more entrepreneurial, creative and innovative.

Similar articles on the topic of innovation are produced in European countries covered by the ReferNet network. Cedefop will use the articles to complement existing evidence and studies and the work will contribute to overviews prepared for the Latvian EU Presidency in 2015 and other EU-level events on the contribution of VET to innovation strategies.

This article on Apprenticeship-type schemes and structured work-based learning programmes written in 2014 is the second one of a set of articles prepared within Cedefop’s ReferNet network. The article provides an overview of the existing Apprenticeship programmes in the UK, their specific features, main strengths and weaknesses. Similar articles are produced in European countries covered by the ReferNet network. These articles are intended to support Cedefop in developing a comparative picture of Apprenticeship-type schemes and structured work-based learning programmes across the EU. More specifically, the information in these articles will contribute to:

• Cedefop’s research work, and specifically to support cooperation at European level and among Member States, also in the context of the European Alliance for Apprenticeship;
• A snapshot with comparative information and country examples on this issue that Cedefop is to prepare for the meeting of Directors General for VET in autumn 2014 under the Italian Presidency of the EU;
• Inform the activities of the Commission’s thematic working group (TWG) on VET whose primary focus is on the effective implementation of national VET reforms.

This article aims to help understand why young people drop out from VET in the UK, by focusing on reasons why learners drop out from VET and describing measures within VET programmes to prevent learners from ‘dropping out’ or measures to encourage learners to re-engage in education and training once they have dropped out of VET.

The article contributes to the joint Cedefop / Eurydice study ‘ Tackling early leaving from education and training in Europe: Strategies, policies and measures’ which was published in November 2014.

Improving education levels is at the core of Europe’s 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Reducing the share of early leavers from education and training to less than 10% has subsequently become one of its headline targets. Moreover, amongst the priorities within the Bruges Communiqué, member states agreed to maximise the contribution of VET in combating early leaving from education and training; use monitoring systems to support the participation of ‘at-risk’ groups in VET; and raise participation of low-skilled and other ‘at-risk’ groups in education and training.

ReferNet members have produced short overviews of VET systems in their countries including a standardised VET flow diagram. The 2016/17 UK brochure is now available to download here. Brochures from other European countries can be found at Cedefop’s website.

ReferNet members have produced short overviews of VET systems in their countries including a standardised VET flow diagram. The 2016/17 UK brochure is now available to download here. Brochures from other European countries can be found at Cedefop’s website.

The Spotlight on VET 2018 compilation has been published on the Cedefop website. The compilation contains information on the core components of VET in Europe. The 2018 brochure is now available to download here.

ReferNet agencies produce annual narrative reports describing the key issues associated with vocational education and training in their country. These publications are known as VET in Europe Country Reports. Understanding national VET systems, their characteristics, developments and priorities is a key element in different levels of the VET coordination and development process. It may also bring additional ideas and examples of good practice. Downloading the country reports is highly recommended for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners involved in VET activities, including conferences, seminars or projects.

• UK Country Report 2016
• UK Country Report 2014
• UK Country Report 2013
• UK Country Report 2012
• UK Country Report 2011
• UK Country Report 2010
• UK Country Report 2009
• UK Country Report 2008

The latest reports from other ReferNet agencies across Europe can be found on the Cedefop ReferNet site.