Debate: Skills for jobs
On the 9th May 2014, in the frame of the European Youth Event, OBESSU Board member Luke Shore moderated a panel at the European Parliament in Strasbourg entitled: Skills for Jobs: Is Vocational Education and Training the Solution? Organised by the European Commission, the panel brought together apprentice, trainer and corporate representatives, as well as a political representative from the Commission, to debate the question of whether VET amounts to a solution to the youth unemployment crisis in Europe. Represented on the panel were Mariann Klingberg from the Youth Unit of the European Commission, Guus Morjan from the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA), Frédérique Naulette from Nestlé Europe and Benjamin Poredos, an apprentice and trainer from Austria.
The OBESSU representative began with an introduction to the VET policy context at a European level. In this introduction it was explained that a common perception of VET, especially from policy makers such as the European Commission, is as a potential method to reconcile education with the needs of the labour market in order to resolve the ‘skills mismatch’. Current European-level initiatives were also introduced, including the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, established to promote the status of work-based learning, and the current consultation for a European Area of Skills and Qualifications which would harmonise the certification of learning outcomes across the European Union. However it was also stated that structural problems with national VET systems and a reluctance to make significant investments in education often undermine the political rhetoric for prioritisation of VET.
Each of the panelists then outlined their perspectives, with Mariann Klingberg beginning with an introduction to the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme and the mobility initiatives it offers for apprentices and students. Benjamin Poredos continued by outlining the concerns over perception of VET as a ‘second-class educational path’. The apprentice also highlighted that young people need opportunities from the private sector, that an apprenticeship is not a dead-end in pursuing further education and spoke of the need to convince employers that VET is a good investment. Guus Morjan spoke about the necessity of collaborating on the permeability of VET and Higher Education, how to change the mindset of education managers and teachers with regard to mobility and VET and the importance of life-long learning and quality career guidance and counselling. Frédérique Naulette concluded the interventions by explaining the apprenticeships offered by Nestlé and speaking about the role of the private sector in providing education for a competitive and dynamic economy.
The moderator proceeded to follow up with the Nestlé representative by asking how the company informs VET students of and guarantees their rights in the workplace. Following this came a discussion of VET students’ place in a company and in society, and of the importance of stakeholder cooperation in education policy making.
The panel was not the only side of the room active and vocal in expressing opinions but the young audience members were keen to ask questions too. Questions from the floor varied from asking for concrete ideas on how to become an entrepreneur to how companies can ensure migrant students’ access to apprenticeships and, directed to the Commission, how extensive the opportunities offered by the new Erasmus+ programme are. OBESSU, also in the audience, raised the point that learners are often used by companies as cheap, disposable labour and asked the panelists whether they agreed that there is more to education than employability. The second time OBESSU spoke it was to point out that education designed to serve the needs of the labour market is only a short-term solution. OBESSU also questioned whether the future needs of the labour market can even be ascertained and therefore raised doubts over whether reconciling education and the needs of the labour market can indeed be the much sought-after long-term solution to youth unemployment.
The panel brought together a diverse range of perspectives and ideas regarding how skills gained through Vocational Education and Training will or will not prove the solution to the youth unemployment crisis in Europe. The entire panel concurred that more must be invested in VET and that VET should be de-stigmatised to allow young people to pursue the educational path to which they are best suited. We need to change the mindset of people, but not only of the students and parents but also of educational providers who must realise that there is a difference between a worker and an apprentice, and that VET students have distinct rights of their own as learners. However it is clear that there are still actors who believe that this short-term solution of harmonising the needs of the labour market with the learning process is the way to solve unemployment. OBESSU is pleased to see the commitment of stakeholders to improving VET education and we trust it will be followed not only with panel discussions but also in concrete actions.
Written by Luke Shore and Dasa Koribanicova
