A quick overview … (1) Introduction to the ETF

1. VET for Social Inclusion in the Western Balkan, Turkey and IsraelETF Action ResearchProjectLida KitaVienna, 3 December 2012

2. A quick overview … (1) Introduction to the ETF (2)EU Policy Developments and Benchmarking-EU prospective and mechanisms (3) VET for Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion-ETF Project (4) Issues and Challenges- whatcanwelearnfromeachother

3. What is the ETF ? (European Training Foundation) ? • Agency of the European Union (EU) • + Centre of Expertise in Human Capital Development • Assisting neighbouring countries to the EU in reforming • education and training systems through - supporting the EU external policy and aid programmes - policy advice/learning and capacity building to the countries - information and analysis • Three overarching themes (VET in a LLL perspective; Labour Market and • Employability; Enterprise skills / Education and Business cooperation)

4. OthercountriesfromCentral Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Candidate countries: Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey Potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), Serbia European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument countries ENP South: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Israel ENP East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia

5. Low-educated, low-skilled people Percentage of people with at the most completed basic education (8 or 9 years) – LFS 2011: 27.5% in Montenegro 28.4% in (fYR) Macedonia 29.9% in Croatia 36.8% in Serbia 43.2% in Bosnia and Herzegovina 53.0% in Kosovo (2009) 53.3% in Albania (2008) 72.0% in Turkey

6. WBT and EU benchmarks on education Sources Early school leavers - EU27, HR, MK, IS and TR: Eurostat; AL: LFS (received from the Country); BH: UNDP, "National Human Development Report 2007"; RS: Eurostat, "Pocketbook on candidate and potential candidate countries", 2010; ME: UNDP, "National Human Development Report 2009" Tertiary educational attainment (30-34) - EU27, HR, MK, IS and TR: Eurostat; AL: LFS. Lifelong learning - EU27, HR, MK, IS and TR: Eurostat; AL: LFS (received from the Country) Four-year-olds in education - EU27, HR, MK, IS and TR: Eurostat; AL, ME and RS: UNESCO Pupils' performance in reading: OECD, "PISA 2009 Results": EU - "Progress towards the common european objectives in education and training - Indicators and benchmanrks 2010/2011", Commission of the European Communities. (1) EU25

7. WBT and EU benchmarks on employment Sources: EU-27, IS, HR, MK and TR: Eurostat Databases; KS: "ETF input to EC progress report"; AL, BH, ME and RS: National Statistical Offices, LFS publications. Turkey unemployment rates (except long-term unemployment) come from TURKSTAT Notes: (1) = Agriculture, forestry and fishing (2) Long-term unemployed (12 months and more) as a percentage of the total active population; KS estimated on LFS data; Source for AL: National Institute of Statistics (3) As reported in LFS official publication, no information available on the calculation method. (4) National statistical Office, LFS 2010 publication, III quarter.

8. EU developments • Strategy: Europe 2020 (“smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe”) and Integrated Guidelines for the economic and employment policies of Member States • Guidelines 7-10: increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment; skilled workforce, job quality and LLL; improving performance of education and training systems; promoting social inclusion and reducing poverty • April 2012 Employment Package • Education and Training 2020 • New financing instruments 2014-2020: 'Education Europe‘ - integrated programme of €15.2 billion for education, training and youth with focus on skills and mobility; ‘Creative Europe’ €1.6 billion • Education, youth, culture and sport :Conclusions of the Council of EU Member States on the participation and social inclusion of young people with emphasis on those with a migrant background, November 2012 • European Social Fund  IPA Comp. IV HRD for candidate countries

9. Terms and definitions

10. Video spot: What is Social Inclusion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KOFZeuQmw&context=C36b699fADOEgsToPDskJDGZ4oh3N4_ohFaKNrBmTZ

11. To begin with… Education is a recognised human right and a means for empowerment of individuals to reach their full potential and participate in community and social life.

12. Equity in education "Equity is viewed as the extent to which individuals can take advantage of education and training, in terms of opportunities, access, treatment and outcomes. Equitable systems ensure that the outcomes of education and training are independent of socio-economic background and other factors that lead to educational disadvantage and that treatment reflects individuals' specific learning needs. “ Efficiency and equity in European education and training systems. Communication from the Commission to the Council and to the European Parliament, 2006.

13. Inclusive education • The process by which a school attempts to respond to all pupils as individuals by reconsidering and restructuring curricular organization and provision and by allocating resources to enhance equality of opportunity • The process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs, and at the same time reducing and eliminating exclusion within and from education

14. Council Conclusions on Education and Training 2020: Strategic Objective 3: Promotingequity, social cohesion and active citizenship Educationaldisadvantageshouldbeaddressed by providinghigh qualityearlychildhoodeducationand targeted support, and by promotinginclusive education. Education and training systemsshouldaim to ensurethat all learners - includingthosefromdisadvantaged backgrounds, thosewithspecialneeds and migrants - completetheireducation, including, whereappropriate, through second-chance education and the provision of more personalisedlearning. Council of the European Union, 12th May 2009

15. Council Conclusions on Education and Training 2020: Strategic Objective3:Promotingequity, social cohesion and active citizenship Education shouldpromoteinterculturalcompetences, democratic values and respect for fundamentalrights and the environment, as well as combat all forms of discrimination, equipping all young people to interactpositivelywiththeirpeersfrom diverse backgrounds. Council of the European Union, 12th May 2009

16. Council Conclusions on Education and Training 2020: Strategic Objective 3: Promotingequity, social cohesion and active citizenship Education and training policy should enable all citizens, irrespective of their personal, social or economic circumstances, to acquire, update and develop over a lifetime both job-specific skills and the key competences needed for their employability and to foster further learning, active citizenship and intercultural dialogue. Council of the European Union, 12th May 2009

17. The socialisation dimension Socialisation of new generations and assisting them to become active citizens Schooling as a major agent of socialisation or “a cradle of future adult citizens” This function is usually associated with general education, while VET has traditionally been ascribed more limited roles (providing skills for particular jobs or preparing for working life in general) NB! VET acts as a primary means for the process of professional socialisation, for the development of professional identity and of a sense of belonging to a professional community

18. The socialisation dimension “Educational institutions do not simply transmit human capital, they also pass on social capital in the form of social rules and norms. This is true not just in primary and secondary education, but in higher and professional education as well.

19. The civic dimension Education, including VET, promotes trust in social institutions, institutional integrity, and solidarity ET prepares learners for a pro-social way of life and behaviour NB! This function of ET has received prominence in national and international discussions on the subject, but still not enough is done in concrete actions/measures to address it

20. The social mobility dimension Education, including VET, may contribute to the reduction of social inequalities, although it cannot on its own eliminate them Participation in education can compensate for inequalities and improve the social mobility potential of less advantaged students NB! Education systems are also important tools for class reproduction and may reinforce – instead of diminishing – social inequalities through specific policies and arrangements that regulate the access to, participation in and the quality of education (e.g. separated/segregated education, elite universities, etc.)

21. The equity dimension Establishing inclusive and equitable E&T systems that provide access to all, allow for high completion rates and for high educational attainment NB! Social, economic, territorial and/or personal inequalities continue to translate into educational inequalities NB! Other – intrinsic – factors with impact on inequities in schools

22. The equity dimension System-level factors contributing to educational inequalities: NB! The structure and architecture of the education system and the pathways it provides NB! Curricular differences and organisational policies and practices NB! Different human and financial resources available in schools NB! Differences in teaching and learning methods

23. Weak VET systems in WBT:some causes and consequences Transition economies: structural change has led to: • problems of social exclusion of both young people and older displaced and redundant workers, • Significant skill mismatches, giving rise to high youth unemployment and at the same time skills gaps. Ideally these skill mismatches should be addressed by the national VET systems, but these have failed to provide this vital function.

24. Social exclusion and the VET systems:What do we know? • There are largedifferences but also similarities between the WBT countries • Important to target the most disadvantaged groups (ethnic groups, immigrants, Roma, IDPs and returnees) • High school drop-out rates, critical transition from primary to secondary education • Ethnicity strongly affects educational choices • Gender gaps in education participation in some countries (Kosovo, Turkey) and for groups (Roma)

25. The Policy Challenges • Teachers and mainstream schools are not well prepared to address the diversity of students • Lack of sufficient understanding, awareness and support in society at large about inclusion in education • Lack of solid and reliable evidence (data) to inform policy (on drop out rates, on career path of graduates,….) • Fragmentation of the policy response to be replaced by holistic, integrated approach • Weak links between schools and employers

26. Why this project? • The concepts of social inclusion, social cohesion and equity are relatively new on the policy agenda and research discourse; • The role of VET as contributor to employment and social inclusion has not been systematically considered in the design of the undergoing VET reforms; Looking forward…. ETF has launched a new regional project in Enlargement Countries and Israel, focussing on the interlinkages between VET and social inclusion, implemented together with LSE-Enterprise (2012-2013)

27. The project approach • Participatory action research involving key stakeholders (School directors, teachers, students, employers, community leaders) • Involves 3 schools/center in each country (27 schools) • Covers all stages of a student in VET - access, learning process, learning outcome: • Entry into VET system • Completion of course or drop-out • Educational experience of stayers • Transition from school to work • Subsequent career path

28. The project approach Covers all levels from national policies, VET systems, concepts and practives at school level 28

29. What do we want to achieve? Identify good practices and draw recommendations about: How could VET be made attractive and available to vulnerable groups? How could VET ensure the inclusion of vulnerable groups without having the image of alearning pathway for low-achievers? How could VET deal with gender stereotypes and imbalances in terms of occupational choices and participation in education? How could VET providers regularly cooperate with employers? What role for local communities, NGOs and other local stakeholders? 29

30. Reports authored for the European Commission by the NESSE network of experts(2007-2012) which summarise key mechanisms, actions, policy lessons and evidence from research on: Mind the Gap Education Inequality across EU Regions Early School Leaving Education and Migration Early Childhood Education and Care Education and Disability/Special Needs Gender and Education (and employment) Private tutoring and its implications for policy makers in the EU

31. Why are wetogether? MUTUAL LEARNING Differentcontext,perspectives, mechanisms, policy and practises – WBTI , EU Member States- Austria . Learning from national and trans- national’ context and developments: what has worked but alsofromfailures.

32. Activities Evidence Regional network : PolicyNet a web-based interactive Social Inclusion Platform and at least 3 annual meetings of the network https://lnconnections02.etf.europa.eu/communities/login • Policy learning and capacity development through exchange of experience in the countries under study and EU 32