Apprenticeship Training and Copenhagen Challenges

1
Apprenticeship Training and Copenhagen Challenges

• European Challenges in the Apprenticeship
• Training -seminar
• 31.1.2005
• Mika Tammilehto
• Ministry of Education

2
Apprenticeship training in the finnish education
system

• Apprenticeship training is integral part of VET
  system in Finland
• Training organised at a workplace connected
  with practical work assignments and supplemented
  with theoretical studies
• Apprenticeship training is based on a Contract of
  Employment (apprenticeship contract) between the
  student and the employer, confirmed by the
  education provider.
• Alternative route of upper secondary education
  (initial and further VET)
• Provides the same qualifications as
  institution-based VET

3
Apprenticeship training in the Finnish education
system

• The position of apprenticeship training has
  strengthened as an alternative training route in
  initial and further vocational education in the
  education system
• The form of education is on-the-job-training
• The volume of apprenticeship training has
  increased significantly from 1990's
• 1994 8 500 apprenticeship contracts
• 2004 34 500 apprenticeship contracts
• target in 2009 38 500 apprenticeship contracts

4
VET Priorities in Finland

• Promote closer relations between VET and the
  working life
• Enhance the attraction of VET and valuing of
  skills The National Year of Vocational Skills
• Quality assurance by introducing competence-based
  assessment system of learning results ( skills
  tests)
• Quality management recommendations for VET
  providers
• Performance-based financing system for VET
  providers - financial incentives - reform of the
  financing system
• Quantitave indicators and Quality awards
  (EFQM/CQAF)

5
The Copenhagen Process

• The Lisbon strategy
• " To become the most competitive and dynamic
  knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of
  sustainable growth with better and more jobs and
  greater social cohesion."
• Education has important role as an integral part
  of economic and social policies, as an instrument
  for strengthening Europe's competitive power
  worldwide, and as a guarantee for ensuring the
  cohesion of our societies and the full
  development of its citizens
• Vocational education and training (VET) is a
  vital component of the Lisbon strategy

6
The Copenhagen Process

• The Copenhagen Declaration
• Strategy for improving performance, quality and
  attractiveness of VET in Europe
• Increase voluntary and bottom-up co-operation on
  VET
• Promote mutual trust, transparency and
  recognition of competences and qualifications
• Access to lifelong learning in order to build
  basis for increasing mobility and facilitate
• Social partners have a crucial role

7
The Copenhagen Process

• The main targets of Copenhagen process
• Strenghtening the European dimension of VET
• Increasing transparency, information and guidance
• Promoting recognition of competences and
  qualifications
• Strenghtening quality assurance of VET

8
The Copenhagen Process

• The reforms and investments should particularly
  be focused on
• improvment of the image of vocational training
  for employers and individuals in order to
  increase the attractiveness and participation
• high level of quality and innovation in VET
  systems in order to benefit all learners
• links between vocational training and the labour
  market requirements
• the knowledge economy for a highly skilled
  workforce
• the needs of low-skilled and disadvantaged groups
  for the purpose of achieving social cohesion and
  increasing labour market participation

9
The Copenhagen challenges for apprenticeship
training

• Deeper co-operation with working life
  (increasing competitiveness and promoting
  innovations)
• Increased number of training periods abroad
• Increased portability of studies abroad
• Transparency of VET qualifications
• Benefiting from Leonardo da Vinci and EU-
  structural fund projects
• Development of Quality Management