Mobility at the crossroads



AGORA XXV

Higher Education and

Vocational Education and Training

Date: 22 - 23 February 2007

Venue: Cedefop, Thessaloniki, Greece

Introductory note

The Cedefop Bulletin, the ancestor of the European journal of vocational training has its 30th anniversary in 2007.

As our readers know from the editorial of European journal issue No37, the bulletin evolved progressively into the international scientific journal we have today.

The European journal editorial committee decided to celebrate this anniversary by organising a special event and so Cedefop will organise an Agora Thessaloniki on the theme of Higher Education and vocational education and training (VET) a topic essential to develop the knowledge society, a course to which Europe has attached its destiny since the Lisbon declaration in 2000. The outcome of the Agora will be published in a thematic issue of the European journal in 2008.

Higher education as a theme was examined in European journal issue No10, back in 1997. Then the European journal had to justify and explain why it chose higher education as a wtopic. The question posed in Arnt Sorge’s editorial was “What do universities have to do with vocational training”. His answer was, “that vocational training and university education are gradually and inevitably becoming closer”. He considered “this proximity is reflected in the institutional structure, the content and the expectations placed upon both”. This gave him “sufficient justification for this journal to discuss universities as places of vocational education and training. This should not question the general educational goal of universities. However their legitimacy on account of their educational value must be increasingly shared with vocational goals and both their legitimacy and effectiveness are increased when they are regarded as part of vocational training.”

With the passing of time we want to see if Europe has really seen greater integration between higher education and VET. To examine this question we decided to look at three issues: the link between secondary education VET and higher education; the way higher education takes account of VET if, indeed, it does; and the role of the European initiatives and how they contribute to changing the relationship of VET toward higher education and vice-versa.

The Agora will thus be divided in three sessions.

The first session will address the issue of VET and the links and passage between secondary vocational education and training and higher education. There are differences in Europe over this link. In some educational systems like those in France, Denmark and Germany, it is possible to pass from secondary education VET to higher education. In other systems, particularly those in eastern Europe, there is little chance to enter secondary education VET and then go on to higher education. There are other cases where there is continuity between secondary level VET and VET in higher education are parallel, some time without or with very few connections with general academic higher education, the two worlds being parallels like in the Nederland or Austria, some time a real mobility being organised between them as in the case of Australia.

The nature of the link has consequences on the practice and tools developed to permit a genuine integration of VET and higher education. This includes mechanisms and practices to take account of previous learning, formal and/or non formal at higher education level. This raises the question of the role of higher education in lifelong learning.

In each case, the basic question is that of parity of esteem between VET and general education. This, in turn, raises other key questions of whether the concept of a “knowledge society” integrates, or not, professional and technical knowledge, and if general knowledge has a vocational nature.

The second session will look at how higher education deals with VET.

Some claim that any form of education, “which prepares for a qualification for a particular profession, trade or employment or which provides the necessary skills for such a profession, trade or employment is vocational training[1]” and so includes University[2]. This issue is the first theme for debate in this session.

How higher education integrates and develops specific VET careers will also be addressed, along with how this relates to the transformation of socio-economic conditions on the labour market.

Two specific points will be made on VET management by higher education institutions, the first on the dual system at university, the second on continuing vocational training at university. Both are good indicators of the evolution of the role of higher education in preparing of people for the labour market and its contribution to maintaining the skills of the labour force.

The European journal of vocational training fosters and develops comparative analyses inside and outside Europe. This Agora should, as far as possible, integrate this comparative dimension, identifying signs of convergence in the different European national realities.

The third session will examine the consequences of EU initiatives by different institutions to foster VET and its development in higher education institutions.

The Bologna process is of particular interest. It well advanced throughout Europe, but it remains to be seen whether the local practices in the different countries are really congruent with the initial objectives.

The contribution of the European qualifications framework (EQF) to mainstreaming VET, including at university level, will also be discussed, as it is obviously one EQF‘s many purposes.

Other initiatives, communications and programmes will be debated, such as the new integrated programme for lifelong learning and the European Commission’s Communication on Adult Education.

All these topics are of considerable socio-economic interest. This Agora will be an opportunity to give the floor to the different actors in VET in higher education, trade unions, employer associations, students, university authorities and policy makers both in debate and round table discussion.

This Agora will have a very particular purpose, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Cedefop Bulletin. Each contribution during this one and a half day celebration should, be conceived as a draft article rather than a mere presentation. After the Agora, authors will be invited to revise their contributions, and to include the discussions in the Agora, taking into account the requirements of academic papers and by the European journal’s Editorial Committee.

Bibliography

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Arrighi, Jean-Jacques; Brochier; Damien. 1995-2003, l’apprentissage aspiré par le haut. Bref n° 217. Marseille: Céreq, mars 2005. Available on the Internet:

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Kessels, J.W.M. & Van Wijngaarden, P.J. L’approche compétence pour un enseignement supérieur en alternance dans une société de savoir. In C. Hahn (ed.) L’alternance dans l’enseignement supérieur. Enjeux et perspectives. p. 265-275. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2005. (ISBN 2-7475-8301-5).

Leney, Tom et al. Achieving the Lisbon goal: The contribution of VET. Lisbon-to-Copenhagen-to-Maastricht Consortium Partners. London, 2005.

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[1] Judgment of the Court of 30 May 1989. - Commission of the European Communities v Council of the European Communities. - European Community action scheme for the mobility of university students (Erasmus) - Action for annulment - Legal basis - Vocational training. - Case 242/87, paragraph 24:

As the Court has consistently held ( see primarily its judgment of 13 February 1985 in Gravier, cited above ), any form of education which prepares for a qualification for a particular profession, trade or employment or which provides the necessary skills for such a profession, trade or employment is vocational training, whatever the age and the level of training of the pupils or students, even if the training programme includes an element of general education .

[2] Idem, paragraph 25:

“In its judgment of 2 February 1988 in Case 24/86 Blaizot (( 1988 )) ECR 379, the Court has already stated that, in general, university studies fulfil those criteria and the only exceptions are certain courses of study which, because of their particular nature, are intended for persons wishing to improve their general knowledge rather than prepare themselves for an occupation”.

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