Atlantis Seminar Amsterdam

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Atlantis Seminar Amsterdam

• Dutch Goverment Policy
• on Lifelong Learning
• Short Cycle Higher Education
• Patrick Leushuis Dept. of Education, Culture
  Science

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Lifelong Learning (LLL) in the Netherlands

• 2005 Project Directorate Learning Working
  (PLW)
• Interdepartmental
• Co-operation Department of Education, Culture
  Science and Department of Social Affairs Labour
• With support of Department of Economic Affairs
  and Department of Agriculture, Nature Food
  Quality
• Objectives
• upgrade qualification level of adult workforce
• develop sustainable infrastructure for LLL
• Action time!

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Actions PLW

• Subsidising regional co-operation businesses
  education government organisations
• Regional projects specific targets upgrading
  qualification level through
• Work Based Learning (WBL)
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
• Regional learning working offices (44)
• Subsidising UAS-projects
• RPL
• RPL and flexible learning pathways - WBL
• LLL-institutions Universities of Applied Sciences
  (UAS)
• Quality code RPL and RPL-register
• Pilots Short Cycle Higher Education (SCHE)

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Why Short Cycle Higher Education (SCHE)?

• Labour market demand SCHE-level jobs
• Demand for shorter, qualifying programmes
• Building block LLL
• Bridging the gap between level 4 and level 6
• Flexibility
• Differentiation
• Increase qualification level of workforce

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Characteristics SCHE in the Netherlands

• Two year programme 120 EC
• Formal qualification Associate degree (Ad)
• Integrated in 4 year professional bachelor
  degree programme
• ongoing learning pathway for Ad-graduates
• remaining programme 120 EC
• Accreditation Ad based on general accreditation
  framework HE
• Target groups
• Employees
• Graduates secondary vocational education (SVE)

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Facts figures SCHE in the Netherlands

• 3 pilot rounds since 2006
• 92 Ad-pilots started at 21 UAS (2 private)
• Participants
• 2006/2007 449
• 2007/2008 2.096
• 2008/2009 appr. 3.000
• 50 employees (gt 3 yrs. work experience)
• 25 graduates SVE
• Currently round 4 Ad-pilots
• 40 Ad-pilots at UAS
• 20 Ad-pilots co-operation SVEIs and UAS

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Evaluation of Ad-pilots in 2009

• Associate degree
• attracts new target groups
• leads to increasing number of participants in HE
• 60-75 of participants aims to continue to
  professional bachelors degree level
• Labour market enthusiastic about Ad
• HBO-Raad (UAS-council)
• concerns about quality bachelor degree level
  associate degree attracts weaker students
• continuation of Ad-graduates to bachelor degree
  in 2 years / 120 EC problematic
• Student organisations too soon to decide,
  continue pilots

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Final evaluation Ad-pilots end of 2010

• Effects and quality of continuation in bachelor
  degree programmes
• Labour market position of Associate degree
  graduates
• If positive end of pilot stage, implementation
  of Ad in HEI
• Ads in co-operation between SVEIs and UAS
  evaluation in 2014

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Objectives of LLL in the Netherlands

• Top 5 Global Competetiveness Index (GCI)
• Innovation
• Sustainable economic growth welfare
• Higher qualification level of workforce needed
• Anticipate shortages higher qualified workforce

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Facts and figures LLL

• 3 billion annually
• 85 private
• Mainly non-formal Training and Education
• Participation in TE 16

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Facts and figures LLL in HE

• Workforce 37 HE-level (Bachelor / Master / Phd)
• Participation of target group 30
• growth (10 since 1990) far below
• total growth HE-population (42)
• half of OECD-average
• Participation in part time HE (16.6)
• below OESO and EU-average (20.2)

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Issues and problems LLL in HE

• Participation level
• Flexibility of programmes
• Work based learning
• Periodization
• Laws, rules regulations

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Government policy on LLL in HE

• Decisions to be taken by new government
• Which parties will form new government coalition?
• Election programmes political parties
• LLL serious topic government policy measures
  required
• LLL-agreements part of employment contracts
• Labour market reforms
• Same (financial) conditions for learning for all
  ages

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Veerman - Threefold differentiation

• Structural implementation of Associate degree
• Professional masters
• Learning entitlements for students 30
• Create conditions for flexible learning pathways
• Distinct profiles for HEIs
• Financing HEIs based on profile and performance

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Education Council Secondary and Higher
Education for Adults

• Limited number of HEIs with specific LLL-tasks
  (not general)
• Separate arrangement for LLL (laws, rules
  regulations, finance)
• Currently seven projects LLL-HPE

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International study on LLL

• Flanders, Germany, UK, California-USA, Denmark,
  Sweden
• Learn from good practices re. government policies
  on LLL
• Key success factors
• Flexible arrangements training education
• Use of e-learning / blended learning
• Financial arrangements for adults
• Close co-operation HEIs and businesses