Vocational education reform in Finland. EDU/UTA Anja Heikkinen,

Transcription

1 Vocational education reform in Finland EDU/UTA Anja Heikkinen,

2 Outlines 1. Characteristic of VET reform * in the policy rhetoric, in reality and as part of metropolitan politics 2. Transnational models for VET reform? 3. Relation of VET to higher education in reform? 4. Impacts and consequences: VET reform from the planet political perspective

3 1.1. VET reform in policy rhetoric

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6 1.2. VET reform in reality Indicators and funding criteria Less support for further and special qualifications = for adults and lifelong learning, priority to initial qualifications, VET for employability and further studies Continuous enrolment of students, effective student flows Reduction of (further and special) qualifications with more than 50% Reduction of VET providers (inability in adapting to budget cuts = reduction of provision, teachers) = capacity to arrange comprehensive and flexible VET, number of qualifications, effectiveness of student flows and retention, employment and further studies of graduates Spearhead of all development is digitalization of VET VET export is highly promoted Competence- (instead of subject-)based, customer-led, individualised VET: focus on lacking competences, tailored support, guidance and counselling to enable efficient and fast achievement of qualification Instead of teachers, work-places (not masters ) as main educators, but without educational tradition or competence

7 1.2 and as part of Metropolitan (global smart cities) politics Metropole: economic region comprising one or more cities and their surrounding areas, all linked by economic and commuting ties... For the EU, Switzerland, and Norway, the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON): functional urban areas of more than 500,000 inhabitants Cities with engaged information network of information-sharing, specialized talent, a vibrant economy and policy that enable technology adoption and experimenting, help to define today s smart cities and can help others as they seek to adopt smarter policies for the future (A.T. Kearney Global Cities 2016) Today, members of a vast and complex network of cities participate in international flows of goods, services, people, capital, and ideas, and thus make distinctive contributions to global growth and opportunity. And as the global economy continues to suffer from what the IMF term too slow growth for too long, efforts to understand and enhance cities contributions to growth and prosperity become even more important (Trujillo& Parilla 2016). Centralization and urbanization justified by freedom to choose, better quality to mobile work-force and companies, increasing cost-effectiveness of VET Linked to parallel reforms in social and health care, public transportation etc. and all sectors and levels of education Undermining autonomy and ownership of VET by educators/teachers (or occupational collectives); eroding principles of lifelong learning, equality of opportunity, local (municipal/community) democracy, inclusiveness, vocational education as a common good

8 2. Transnational models in VET reform? Instead of adopting models: alignment of VET to global economic and industrial trends Guidelines from OECD, WTO, Ministry of Finance, state and employer organizations research agencies more important than foreign models marginal provision of initial apprenticeship or other qualifying VET by industry; employers involved in work-based learning are entitled to state subsidies; training contracts support to work-based learning has increased, but criteria and recognition of modules is controlled by educational authorities and providers, company interest remains low coordination and standardization incentives are adopted in all education policies, but emphasis on competence-based qualifications undermines ECVET or EQFstandards Emphasis on industry 4.0, but no indicators show increase in continuing instead of initial VET Emphasis on individual responsibility for updating skills and for lifelong learning

9 Finnish foreign trade / GNP , Haaparanta et al 2017

10 Intermediates are the core of Finnish trade, dependent mostly on China and US, Ali-Yrkkö et al 2016

11 3. Relation of VET to higher education in reform? Promoting transition to HE Funding criteria: emphasizing further studies Assessment: more selective, in line with HE assessment (scale 1-5) Challenging transition to HE Lowering standards in general subjects <-> opposite reforms in academic education (increasing competitiveness of gymnasium and direct entrance to HE) Increasing and emphasizing work-based learning Individualized pathways and diminished support But policies and strategies of polytechnics (VHE) and universities converging?

12 4. Impacts and consequencies: VET reform from planet political perspective? Marginalization of previous policies and strategies of sustainable development, of regional equality, of lifelong learning, of local (municipal) democracy etc. Austerity measures and funding criteria strike most badly sectors and contents related to environmental sustainability (case TAKK) No vision or awareness of burning issues of the planet, vital in economy, industry and work; silence of human-nonhuman relations in planetary value or commodity chains: indifference about nature-workers; questioning exploitation of cheap labour and cheap nature (Capitalocene) Is it possible to create space and forums for alternative conceptions (non-economist, anthropological interpretations) of vocational education Awareness of embeddness of education and economy in culture-nature relations / work as metabolism between humans and rest of nature / social-ecological system : planetary concepts of justice and equality Reducing the human (harmful) impact on earth-system Cultivation of consumption: desires, habits and ways of life Ethics of vocational education: the right not to take part and not to obey