Europe

Article Type: Research news From: Education + Training, Volume 50, Issue 6

National VET systems: patterns of research

Numerous studies have been carried out to establish national characteristics of education and training in Europe – but what about national patterns of research in this field? An attempt has now been made to present a European landscape of national research in vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development (HRD), covering 25 EU countries. This new resource offers a profile of national research, related to selected activities, in a comparison between the countries. This comparative profile is a secondary analysis of national reports which were prepared by members of the Cedefop ReferNet in 2006 and subsequently published in the European Training Village. The following aspects of VET/HRD research in European countries are included in the profile:

• links between national research activities and national policies;

• links between EU sponsored research activities and national policies;

• issues addressed in research projects;

• thematic orientation of institutions involved in research;

• funding frameworks and support structures for research;

• thematic orientation of associations and networks facilitating research; and

• effectiveness of research activities.

Under each aspect, a specific typology is used for analysing the research activities and, subsequently, defining archetypes or levels which are suitable for trans-national comparison. The outcome for each aspect is summarised in a map showing the European countries grouped according to geographical regions(see general pattern for all aspects in Figure 1).

This geographical pattern implies certain stages of EU enlargement and also specific socio-cultural traditions, both of which are relevant for VET/HRD research activities in the countries concerned.

For more details see the Newsletter for European Research in Learning and Work at: www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/educ/news.htm

The needs and expectations of European young workers

From 25 to 39 years old, young workers live through a crucial period, with a succession of key events: they begin their business life and become financially independent, some purchase their first house and start a family, others have to take care of their parents. So many new situations that they have to face up with at the same time, and which can engender disturbances, or even real difficulties.

Ipsos, a European provider of market research, has carried out a survey among 3508 young workers, aged between 25 and 39 in seven European countries (France,Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, UK) to better understand the way young workers aged between 25 and 39 look at this crucial period and tackle the problems it brings. Findings suggest that:

• Young workers show fairly high morale: 64 per cent say their spirit is“quite” high, while only 15 per cent show a “very high”spirit.

• They share a strong feeling that their situation is now more difficult to cope with than it was in the past: 61 per cent claim that, compared with their parents’ generation, their daily life has become more difficult, and even“much more difficult” (32 per cent)

• They neither lack ideas, nor advice, but they lack time. Six out of ten young workers say they lack time, while 38 per cent lament a lack of opportunities and 30 per cent a lack of energy.

• Well-being and health and business life are the two main preoccupations of young workers. Their well-being and health rank first in the hierarchy (41 per cent), ahead of their professional life (38 per cent), their daily life and its unforeseen events (26 per cent), their life at home (25 per cent), formalities(18 per cent) and their environment (18 per cent).

• A degree of “serenity” is displayed by Dutch young workers. In comparison with their European neighbours, few Dutch young workers consider that their daily life is more difficult than that of their parents (48 per cent,against an average 61 per cent for the seven countries surveyed). What is more,their morale is in good shape: 96 per cent of them claim a good morale, of which 25 per cent have “very good” morale. These figures are unequalled in all the other countries surveyed. This contrasts with the “dismay”expressed by French and Italian young workers, who turn out to be the most fatalist across Europe. French young workers are extremely disenchanted, for 78 per cent of them think that their daily life is more difficult than that of their parents (against an average 61 per cent for the seven countries surveyed). French young workers also are the only ones who claim as a majority that their daily life is “much more difficult” than that of their parents.

Results and analysis are available on the IPOS website: www.ipsos.fr

e-Skills

The challenge of how to implement an e-Skills agenda for the 21st Century will be the main topic of the European e-Skills 2008 Conference, “Implementing a long term e-Skills strategy in Europe”, to be held at Cedefop’s conference centre in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 9-10 October 2008.

The conference is jointly organised by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) and the European Commission, in partnership with the e-Skills Industry Leadership Board. It will bring together experts from government, the ICT industry, social partners and academia to discuss best practices and flagship projects and to report on progress made.