Diapositiva 1

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VETNET-ECER CONFERENCE 2005. DUBLIN MASSIMO
TOMASSINI Discussion of Whats European about
education and training in Europe? ECER
introductory speech by James Wickham
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MODELS OF VET HRD
THE GERMAN MODEL VET highly regulated, part of a
co-ordinated market economy HRD orientation
participation, long-term employment relations
THE BRITISH MODEL VET within a more free-trade
oriented system HRD orientation self-learning
for gaining value in the l.m.
THE EUROPEAN MODEL (Background
homogeneities) Active role of social actors in
VET systems Importance attributed to broad
qualifications (v/s just in time
learning) Recognition of citizenship factors in
the vocational curricula Participation and
learning at work as a right (not linked only to
firms needs)
will this model survive? Or will the marketised
American model prevail?
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Which are the dynamics of national models?
THE SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONALISM ..a specific
éffet societal influences structures and
behaviours in enterprises .. the internal
functioning of enterprises, and therefore the
concrete practices of VET and HRD actors, is
highly conditioned by the specific forms of
social link (lien social) which are typical of
different national systems .. the ways of
managing, organising work, training, maintaining
hierarchies, paying salaries, handling industrial
relations, etc.. are continuously reproduced
according to endogenous (national) criteria

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CHALLENGES TO SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONALISM 1. Growth
of external-homogenising factors Globalisation
standardisation of structures, procedures and
management styles within single organisations
(not only multinational companies) ..cosmopolitan
approaches diffused in management and hence
transmitted to entire organisations .. uses of
ICTs and new technology systems (like SAP, for
instance) same technical-logical frameworks for
reasoning and communicating in different
contexts.
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2. Growth of internal-differentiating factors ..
each national model is as a complex source of
cognitive, technical and social practices in
which formal norms and official procedures are
strictly intertwined with underlying values and
theories-in-use ...each model provides the
structure which regulates the social practices
and at the same time allow their sedimentation
over time. But the structure is maintained and
reproduced by a mobile agency, expressed by the
enacted conducts of VET and HRD actors .. the
grip of formal rules and socially transmitted
routines is increasingly loosening in modern
societies, where subjects expand their ability to
reflect on the social conditions of their
existence ..action prevails on structure
unleashing effects take place whereby agencies
are increasingly freed from structures, i.e.
freed from models
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Both the external-homogenising and the
internal-differentiating factors seem in action
for VET and HRD models in Europe in HRD several
homogenising isomorphic drivers are in place due
to the networking of the organisational control
chains and to the memetic effect of the
diffusion of ideas, fashions or even fads as
shown in a recent research study, HRD tends to
play a new role, more of service provider for
organisational areas and production lines
(regarding services such as training, career
paths design, counselling, etc..) than of central
(corporate) human resource management ..for
instance, HRD practitioners do recognise the
meaning of the learning organisation but do not
recognise any specific model attached to it,
while tend to treat it as an open construct
covering different practices for competence
development and problem-solving
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in VET generalised trends towards more
efficiency and effectiveness are in place for
responding to increasing demands for better
services and better overall outcomes .. not only
for higher level competencies (VET has to support
the development processes of European economies
caring about both the haves and the have-nots
of the globalising learning economy) other
drivers of trans-national isomorphism are linked
to the action of Europe (Brussels, the
Commission and its policies) a) ESF equal
opportunities, transparency, recognition of
non-formal learning, credit transfer systems,
etc.. b) ideological imperatives creating an
homogeneous reference system for actors
imaginary (..Lisbon the the most competitive
knowledge-based economy in the world)
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Concerning the differentiating effects involving
VET actors in each country vis-à-vis their
national models it is easy to remark that VET
incurred in extraordinary transformations in the
last two-three decades ... from being a function
related to stable demand patterns (mainly young
people, firmly established programmes) VET has
evolved to being a function facing turbulent
social- technological-market environments
(employed and non employed adults, continuous
updating and/or structural changes in strategies
and activities) VET practitioners had to grow
fast in professional terms the autonomy of their
practices vis-à-vis structural models has been
remarkably enlarged (satisfaction of their
customers, adoption of new technologies and new
teaching/learning methods, even changes in the
ultimate goals of the function)
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In conclusion, the constitution of the European
model appears as a very open game, in which local
actors have an important function to play, not
directly dependent on macro-political choices and
on established models. As already underlined,
the flexibility and autonomy of social actors in
VET and HRD contexts is related to their
reflexive capabilities action can prevail on
structure, pushed forward by reflexive
capabilities aimed at regularly using knowledge
about the circumstances of social life and at
transforming them accordingly the European
research community on VET/HRD should put the
focus on the development of these reflexive
capabilities and enter the game not just
analysing the trends but trying to influence them
through the alliance with actors on the field in
view of expanding their chances for autonomous
innovation.