In 2010 the Ministers responsible for education and training agreed a ten-year strategy for European cooperation. This strategy, the Bruges Communiqué, aims at improving the quality and attractiveness of VET.
For young people, VET should offer options for both employment and further study. It should help them to acquire the practical skills that are essential for many jobs and also open doors to higher-level qualifications. By providing both of these options, Europe can meet its aim of fewer than 10 percent of young people leaving school early. Developing new approaches to vocational training can also help to ensure that the European goal of at least 15 percent of adults participating in lifelong learning is achieved.
The three projects presented in this article show what VET can be about and how it can help young people to start the career that suits them best.
SATROmobiles: VET on wheels in the UK
How to empower young people to acquire key competences and to manage the changes and transitions in their educational path? SATRO, a UK-based educational charity, has found the answer in a fleet of five vans, the SATROmobiles, to inspire young people about their future careers.
The SATROmobiles visit secondary schools across Surrey and South East England on a weekly basis targeting students at risk of becoming NEET ("Not in Education, Employment, or Training"). Supported by experienced SATRO tutors, the students get first-hand experience of skills such as carpentry/joining, plumbing, electrical, brickwork, painting and decorating. The project enables over 350 students every year to get to practise their construction and building services skills. The project also promotes valuable life skills like communication and helps students to channel their energy into something valuable.
The Nordic example: the annual Taitaja event in Finland
Taitaja-Mästare (the Finnish/Swedish word for master) is a nation-wide competition for vocational education students and apprentices under 20 years old, taking place every spring in Finland. Over 400 young finalists who have been nominated in preceding semi-finals compete and demonstrate their skills in over 40 different skills categories. The event, organised by the non-profit organisation Skills Finland, promotes vocational education, improves co-operation between working life and vocational education and increases people's awareness and appreciation of various occupations and professional skills.
The competition aims to replicate genuine work environments, and the tasks follow the curriculum grade 'Excellent'. Each category is judged by a jury with representatives from educational, employer and employee organisations. The competition is also open to international participants who can experience the highly valued position of vocational education and training in the Finnish education system.
The Taitaja competition attracts about 40,000 visitors every year, including lower and upper secondary students, teachers, study counsellors and parents, thereby raising awareness and appreciation of various occupations and professional skills. Set up by teachers and over 450 VET students from the region, the event itself is a showcase of practical and entrepreneurial skills and team spirit.
AusbildungPlus – Linking VET and higher education in Germany
Why choose between vocational training and higher education, if you can benefit from both? The German AusbildungPlus ('TrainingPlus') programme targets especially high-achieving young people who would usually consider higher education studies their first choice. The programme, run by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), coordinates the provision of additional qualifications and dual study programmes which combine higher education studies with vocational qualifications or work placements.
All the offers by enterprises, universities, chambers of commerce and vocational training institutes are available in the AusbildungPlus database which already contains over 1,500 dual programmes and 2,300 offers for additional qualifications. The programme also invites employers who offer traineeships and training institutions to work closely with each other.