VET FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND TURKEY: TOWARDS REGIONAL ACTIONS

1. VET FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND TURKEY: TOWARDS REGIONAL ACTIONS CONSULTATION WORKSHOP ETF – European Training Foundation, Turin, 12-13 December 2011 Lida Kita, ETF

2. A quick overview … (1) Introduction to the ETF (2) Context of ETF partner countries (3) The ETF 2010-2011 Policy Reviews (4) Objectives of the meeting

3. Introduction

4. 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)

5. Context of ETF partner countries

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

7. ETF 2010-2011 Policy Reviews Western Balkans and Turkey

8. Policy Reviews ETF review of progress in VET in PCs: • … ETF project (2008-2011) on mapping inclusive education approaches in WBT – VET for social inclusion and social cohesion- how much we know/do not know…; • … ETF 2010-2011 Policy Reviews: ETF Torino Process and HRD Reviews for DG Employment: Albania, Serbia and Montenegro(2010) and ongoing HRD reviews for DG Employment in Croatia, fYRoM, Turkey(2011); • Upcoming Torino Process Reviews 2012.

9. ETF 2010-2011 Policy Reviews and SI issues • Torino Process reviews : Chapter on the role of VET for promoting equity and addressing social demands for education and training • HRD reviews for DG Employment: Chapter on social inclusion with sub-chapters on social inclusion in education and in employment

10. Western Balkans and TurkeyDiversity but also large communalities between countries • Main findings • SI in education: reducing educational disadvantage and educational inequalities • Targeting the most disadvantaged groups (SEN students, Roma, IDPs and returnees) • High school drop-out rates, critical transition from primary to secondary education • Ethnicity strongly affects educational choices • Gender issues in education participation for some countries (XK, TR) and groups (Roma) • Underused potential of VET for SI promotion • Policy Challenges • Strong inertia from the past: homogenous vs. diverse classrooms and schools • Teachers and mainstream schools are not well prepared to address differences in 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 the policy making cycle • Fragmentation of the policy response to be replaced by holistic, integrated approach

11. Western Balkans and TurkeyGreat diversity but also large communalities between countries • What we know in the countries? • The concepts of social inclusion, social cohesion and equity are relatively new on the policy agenda and research discourse; • The role of the VET sector as contributor to employment, equity, cohesion and active citizenship has not been systematically considered in the design of the undergoing VET reforms; • Some measures but mainly isolated, donor-led projects, and only partial sustainability • VET system capacity alone if not couples with solid evidence and analysis will not be able to feed into the policy cycle • Looking forward…. • ETF plans to launch a new regional intervention in Enlargement countries to deal with the interlinkages between VET and social inclusion in the Western Balkans and Turkey(2012-2013) • International discourse and ETF work in the countries argue that VET has a potential for making multi-dimensional contributions, such as: skills for employment, socialisation, civic dimension, social mobility, and equity dimension.

12. Objectives of the meeting

13. Objectives of the meeting • MUTUAL LEARNING (different context and perspectives – EU and Western Balkans and Turkey; learning from country context and developments: what has worked but also from failures) • IMPROVING THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE BASE IN ETF (in the emerging / (re)discovered field of VET for combating social exclusion; enhanced analytical frameworks for the policy reviews) • SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ETF REGIONAL PROJECT INCLUDING METHODOLOGY AND TOOL (priorities, objectives and modalities of action of an ETF intervention focussing on the links between vocational education and training (VET) and social inclusion for young people & adults in the Western Balkans and Turkey).

14. Identification of problem (research) Needs assessment Looking at possible solutions based on the system of country (laws, policies, institutions etc) Mobilising resources and people (social planning) Advocacy and awareness-raising actions Gradual building of partnership with relevant stakeholders Empowerment of disadvantaged /marginalised groups Setting up feed-back mechanisms Use of results and dissemination to stakeholders and implementation local level

15. Objectives of the meeting Key Questions … • How should VET ensure the inclusion of groups at risk without having the image as a learning pathway for low-achievers? • Why specific sub-groups of young people systematically miss out on VET (….economically, socially and politically marginalised groups: disabled, women, ethnic groups, those from single-parent families, those living in rural areas and those from families with a history of parental illiteracy and unemployment)? • What are the structural barriers that also stand in their way • How can excellence and quality on the one hand be combined with including the low-skilled, migrants, early school leavers and other groups at risk? • How should gender inequalities in terms of sectoral and occupational imbalances be addressed in VET systems? • What role can VET play in promoting active citizenship?

16. Objectives of the meeting Key Questions … 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? What role can local self-governments play in finding solutions to these issues?

17. Welcome at the ETF and in the city of Turin (Italy) ! ENJOY the meeting and your stay !