New
Perspectives for Learning - Briefing Paper 55
Participation in Continuing Vocational education and training: a need for a sustainable employability
This is the Final Briefing Paper
of the project that started in November 2001
Context of
the Research
A critical issue for sustainable
socio-economic development of all regions of Europe is the ability to ensure
that those who are already in employment continue to have the skills and
qualifications that are required for continuous changes in the workplace.
This requires adequate and effective policies to be designed, developed and
implemented for continuing vocational education and
training.
This project aimed at analysing the
structural, organisational and individual factors that influence employees'
decisions to participate in continuing vocational education and training. It
has looked at employees using technical skills from industrial small and
medium size enterprises in Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom. It has also studied the attitudes of employees using
technical skills towards their participation in
continuing vocational education and training, including the use of
information and communication technology skills.
It has aimed at
identifying and understanding the factors that influence the decisions of
individuals to participate in continuing vocational education and training
offerings and to engage in informal and non-formal learning processes. It
has assessed and characterised attitudes of employees using technical skills
towards participation in continuing VET programmes and engagement in
informal and non-formal learning processes.
Key
Conclusions
The conclusions of the project are:
1. Participation
in continuing vocational education needs to be linked to changes in thinking
about how learning and knowledge is acquired. There is now a greater focus
towards competence development and the integration of learning with work as
well as through the use of informal and non-formal learning.
2.
Most continuing vocational learning takes
place outside formal training settings. Even in the contexts where the
participation in formal CVET appeared to have a more relevant role than
“non-formal” learning for competence development, there were some indicators
pointing to the need to consider self-directed learning as an important
strategy for skill acquisition.
3. Technical
employees have the need not only for updating their technical skills but
also for developing further a range of more generic skills, including
planning, problem solving, communication, IT and management skills. Learning
how to organise knowledge effectively and apply it appropriately is vital
for technical workers’ development.
4. Although
formal continuing vocational education and training
measures play a significant role in the IT sector, more informal ways of
learning, such as learning at work, learning through self-study and learning
from peers are significant. Typically, learners from the IT sector display
traits that are orientated towards advancement, coping and self-reliance.
5. In
some countries such as UK and Italy, for instance, individuals’ competence
development through informal and non-formal learning and learning at the
workplace plays a very important role. This can happen incidentally as well
as systematically integrated within work processes. The outcome is the
development of a skill or a competence and the ability to perform a specific
function or activity necessary to fulfil a specific job.
6.
In Germany and Greece, participation
in continuing vocational education and training is
strongly influenced by classical indicators of social background and social
roles. However, in Greece participation in continuing
vocational education and training is particularly low compared to
participation in general education and despite unemployment being very high.
7. In
the Italian context, job enlargement, team processes, decreasing hierarchies
are phenomenon that can be increasingly observed. Therefore, professional
experience is rated high as a fundamental pre-condition to successful
continuing vocational education and training. Initial vocational education
is seen as only a very partial preparation for working life. In the Italian
settings a “dialectical” relationship can be identified between the more
“formal” and the more “informal” drivers of learning and knowledge
acquisition.
8. Within
the British context similar results were found, especially in those contexts
where the technical work itself is very challenging, whereby most continuing
vocational learning takes place outside formal learning settings. In
addition, to the requirement for the development of specific technical
skills there is also a need for employees to develop more generic skills,
such as planning, problem solving, communication, IT and management skills.
To make effective use of the potential for workplace learning it seems
particularly important that employees become more self-directed and use
personal networks for critical reflection on their role in work processes.
Key Recommendations
1. Policies
that are aimed at tackling skills deficits amongst technical workers need to
take into account the importance of learning through other methods as well
as “formal” learning environments.
2. Policies
for increasing participation of employees in small and medium enterprises’
in continuing vocational education and training
should be broadened towards policies for enhancing continuous learning.
This should focus on strategies for employees’ skill and competence
development.
3. There
is a need for more research in order to develop policies that are focused
upon development of individuals’ transversal skills, including learning how
to learn, rather than just upon the development of their technical skills.
4. Public
training institutions should design and implement policies to promote
participation in training and learning amongst not only the technical
workers but also the owners and managers of small and medium enterprises in
order to enhance both professional development and company development. In
particular, there is a need for implementing policies for self-learning
through e-learning.
5. The
need for hybrid skills or competences should also be reflected in modern
occupational profiles as well as in policies and measures of accreditation
that could improve the quality of training programmes.
6. Better
information needs to be supplied to workers in, and managers of, small and
medium enterprises so they are more aware of learning opportunities for
meeting skills deficits. This should include opportunities for “learning on
the job” enabled through greater co-operation with
continuing vocational education and training providers.
7. Policies
for promoting quality in continuing vocational
education and training providers should be developed and integrate
incentives to make employers and employees aware of the role of training for
job performance and of the need for self-directed learning in work
processes.
8. Future
continuing vocational education and training policies should be based on new
forms of reciprocal recognition between the training world and the
productive world. They have to be based on lifelong learning attitudes,
which have to be carefully built through learning and education policies and
practices. The policies should acknowledge the close relationship between
innovation in companies, learning and more effective learning support.
Further
Information
The full title of the project is:
“Participation in Continuing Vocational Education and Training: a need for a
sustainable employability”. Final report December 2004.
The project web site can be accessed
at: -
http://www.academus.pt/public/EstudosPlanmnt/ProjCurs/PARTICIPA.doc
Partner
details
Final Report
Key
Publications
Brown, A.,
Grollmann, P. and Tutschner, R.(2004) "Learning while working in the
aerospace industry in England and Germany", Paper produced for the
VETNET Symposium: Technical workers’ participation in Continuing Vocational
Education Training and Learning - Comparisons of practice in England,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, European Conference on
Educational Research (ECER 2004), Crete, September 22nd- 25th, 2004
Brown, A. (Ed.) and PARTICIPA
Project consortium (2004). “Participation in Continuing Vocational
Education and Training (VET): a need for a sustainable employability. A
state of the art report for six European countries”. ITB-Arbeitspapiere
Nr. 38. Bremen: ITB, Universität Bremen.
Brown, A., Grollmann, P., Tutschner,
R., and PARTICIPA Project Consortium (2004). “Participation in Continuing
Vocational Education and Training: Results from the Regional and Sectoral
Surveys. ITB-Arbeitspapiere Nr. 51. Bremen: ITB, Universität Bremen.
Brown, A., Grollmann, P., Tutschner,
R., Figueira, E. and PARTICIPA Project Consortium (2004). “Participation
in Continuing Vocational Education and Training: Results from the Case
Sudies and Comparative Conclusions. Bremen: ITB, Universität Bremen.
Figueira, E.,
Bláquez, F., and Lucero, M. (2004). “Participation in Continuing
Vocational and Training (PCVET): a need for a sustainable employability
in some Regions of Spain and Portugal”. Paper presented at
the VETNET Symposium: Technical workers’ participation in Continuing
Vocational Education Training and Learning - Comparisons of practice in
England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, European Conference on
Educational Research (ECER 2004), Crete, September 22nd- 25th, 2004.
Figueira, E., Brown,
A., Entonado, F., Alves, M., Tomassini, M., Patiniotis, N., Grollmann, P.
(2002). “Active adults’ participation in Continuing Education in
Alentejo” Paper presented in XV World Congress of Sociology, Brisbane –
Australia, 7-13 July 2002, Published
in the Proceedings.
Figueira, E., Silva,
S. and Rainha, L. (2004). “Participação na Formação Contínua: Uma
necessidade para uma empregabilidade sustentável
na Região do Alentejo” Paper pesented in V Congresso
Português de Sociologia, Braga, Portugal, 12-15 May 2004, Published in the
Proccedings.
Kaminioti, O. and Patinotis, N.
(2004) “Participation in training of technical workers in Greece”,
Paper presented at the VETNET Symposium: Technical workers’ participation in
Continuing Vocational Education Training and Learning - Comparisons of
practice in England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, European
Conference on Educational Research (ECER 2004), Crete, September 22nd- 25th,
2004
Tomassini, M. (2004)
“Learning at work in the radio, TV and software
production sectors in Rome“, Paper presented at the VETNET
Symposium: Technical workers’ participation in Continuing Vocational
Education Training and Learning - Comparisons of practice in England,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, European Conference on
Educational Research (ECER 2004), Crete, 22nd- 25th September, 2004
Research
Institutions
Academus - Consultadoria, Formação e Investigação, L.da, Portugal
ITB, Universitaet Bremen, Germany
ICE,
University of Extremadura, Spain
Istituto
per lo Sviluppo della Formazione dei Lavoratori, Italy
University
of Warwick, United Kingdom
University
of Patras, Greece
Contact
Person
Eduardo Figueira
Academus – Consultadoria, Formação e Investigação L.da.
P.I.T.E – Rua Circular Poente, n.º56
7000- 171 Évora
Portugal
Tel: +351 266 742 672
Fax: +351 266 769 501
Email: edufigueira@academus.pt
PDF Version
For
more information about other Briefing Papers on “New Perspectives for
Learning” go to http://www.pjb.co.uk/npl/index.htm
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Last updated
28 June 2007