- The EU agency of Vocational Training addresses that institutions must enhance flexible, inclusive, age-neutral and learner-centred VET measures
- DESTINE Project supports the development of implementation of VET in the institutions and EU countries
Cedefop EU agency aimed at improving vocational education and training (VET) through effective policy-making, presented the latest VET-related developments during the Meeting of directors general of Vocational Training held in Seville during 24-26 October, under the umbrella of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of Cedefop, laid out Cedefop’s view of policy priorities as they emerge during the European Year of Skills, focusing on flexible, inclusive, age-neutral and learner-centred vocational and educational training.
Siebel addressed that EU members are adapting and modernising their VET programmes and curricula triggered by European cooperation and priority setting. On this issue, Siebel remarked that those programmes using the learning outcomes approach or new assessment methods are expanding, with the aim of empowering people to improve their skills and to engage in work, learning, and society. “All this shows a clear shift towards more individualised, locally adapted, inclusive and flexible VET”, concluded Siebel. Siebel put also the spotlight on microcredentials, outlining the opportunities that they give in terms of flexibility and transferability and the quality assurance and trust challenges that must be faced.
Another of the main topics in the intervention was the need to encourage and support companies, including MSMEs, to adopt a people-centred organisational culture through skills development. “By way of better skills utilisation, companies, in particular MSMEs, can play a more active role in skills ecosystems”, concluded Siegel. Moreover, Siegel added that another key issue in this area will be the creation and expansion of lifelong learning spaces, as it will improve company bottom lines and, ultimately, improve their contribution to skills ecosystems.
Finally Siegel also referred to the eventual evolution of skills intelligence, a journey from the traditional skills intelligence to the next gen ones, as the elders are no longer sufficient to map labour market. Siegel underlined the next gen skills intelligence as a tool to understand and interpret labour market trends, emerging skills needs and translating trends and policy aims into actionable learning and matching opportunities. Cedefop has invested in piloting and rolling out real-time labour market intelligence, expanded its skills foresight capacity and developed innovative pan-European surveys.
The DESTINE project is aligned with those needs that the EU vocational training agency Cedefop points out in the field of skills. DESTINE supports initiatives in VET learning that improve the quality of learners’ education, the creation of lifelong learning spaces and the evolution of skills intelligence.
About ERASMUS +
Erasmus+ 2021-2027 is the European Union’s renewed programme in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, offering opportunities for all people and in all education sectors (School Education, Professional Training, Higher Education and Adult Education). This new Erasmus+ is more international, more inclusive, more digital and greener, supporting digital transformation, inclusion and diversity, as well as the environment and the fight against climate change. With a budget of more than €28 billion, it will fund learning-related mobility and cross-border cooperation projects for 10 million people of all ages and from all backgrounds. “This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
About DESTINE
The Erasmus + DESTINE (DivErSity and Tolerance IN E-Environment) project was born with the aim of promoting online professional training that ensures support for diversity, inclusion and tolerance, providing the necessary tools for all professionals and students to adapt to the e-learning methodology. DESTINE focuses especially on those vocational training students who need a learning environment adapted to their needs.
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