SKILL NEEDS ANTICIPATION AND MATCHING IN THE SOUTH EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CRISTINA MEREUTA, EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATION WORKSHOP: ENHANCING SKILLS AND COMPETENCES THROUGH EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION (29 OCTOBER 2015); 4TH EUSDR ANNUAL FORUM ULM
A NEW POLICY FRAMEWORK IN THE ENLARGEMENT COUNTRIES (RELEVANT ASPECTS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COOPERATION) - ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAMMES - Macro-fiscal frameworks and structural reforms, including human capital development, geared toward growth and competitiveness (IPA support) - RIGA CONCLUSIONS - New medium term deliverables 2015-2020 for Vocational Education and Training across Europe (EU Members States and Candidate Countries) 2
RIGA CONCLUSIONS Medium Term Deliverables 1 Promote work based learning (involve social partners, companies, chambers and VET providers; stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship) 2 Develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET (EQAVET reccom. continuous information and feedback loops in I-VET and C-VET, incl. on graduates employability, adapt VET to economic and tech. needs) 3 Enhance access to VET and qualifications for all 4 Strengthen key competences in VET curricula and provide more effective opportunities to acquire or develop those skills through I-VET and C-VET; 5 Promote initial and continuous professional development for VET teachers, trainers and mentors in both school and work based settings 3
2014 TORINO PROCESS ROUND FINDINGS IN THE SEET REGION VET DELIVERING TO LABOUR MARKET DEMAND - Fostering cooperation modalities with business side and other stakeholders - Promoting entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurship - Improving labour market information and expand knowledge on future skills needs, mismatch analysis and monitoring education results - Consolidating career guidance and counselling and other services to enable efficient transition on the labour market Note: Torino Process is a biennial evidence based process of stocktaking and progress assessment in the field of vocational education and training. More information and country and regional reports are available on http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/torino_process 4
Mapping skills anticipation and matching Joint global initiative on assessing, anticipating and responding to changing skills needs (OECD led in cooperation with CEDEFOP, ETF and ILO) Structured information (questionnaire) collection from key actors: Ministries of education and labour/employment, employers associations and trade unions What: to identify effective strategies among countries for turning qualitative and quantitative information on skills needs into actions for policy making (from skills anticipation to skills matching). Focus on regular exercises. Topics: the extent to which skills assessment and forecasting exercises influence the labour market, education and/or migration policies; the involvement of the key potential stakeholders; degree and nature of institutional linkages and cooperation between the various bodies responsible for skills policy in assessing, anticipating and responding to changing skill needs good practices and barriers in using such exercises in policy development. 5
EXPLORING CURRENT AND FUTURE SKILLS DEMAND Levels Time horizon short-term (0-1 year) Mid-term (1-5 years) Long-term (>5 years) Micro-level (people, enterprises) SEE countries: Frequently used methods Meso-level (sectors, regions) Employer surveys, vacancy monitor Tracer studies, Qualification needs assessment at company level Surveys about labour market transitions Sector specific kill needs analysis SEE countries: Occasional/project basis exercises (still to be embedded in skill development systems) Macro-level (macro economic, national level) OECD countries: systematic use of various methodologies Qualitative (sector specific) forecasts Formal, national or regional quantitative projections Adapted from ETF Position Paper on Anticipating and Matching Demand and Supply of Skills in ETF Partner Countries, 2012 Frequency information from the forthcoming ETF regional report on skills anticipation and matching in the SEE countries, 2015
Key findings (a) Data sources a key limiting factor Efforts to establish integrated and evidenced mechanisms for skill needs identification (assessment and anticipation) Still to achieve a permanent and system embedded process of assessment and anticipation of labour demand and supply, including measurement of graduates LM outcomes Most skills-related analyses are limited in time and scope, project-based (high risk of discontinuation, methodological gaps, difficult to create and maintain proper dissemination channels for policy use and wider public awareness). 7
Key findings (b) Barriers to design and conduct regular exercises: lack of resources (expertise; financial); robust and regular data and information; consistent cooperation (across mandated institutions and social partners). Obstacles limiting translation of findings to policies: Ad-hoc/irregular frequency of exercises Insufficient disaggregation of data/results; Delay between data production and policy use; Reaching consensus on current and future skill needs; Policy response scattered across government levels; Limited flexibility to influence LM and education policy at local and regional level. 8
RECOMMENDATIONS MULTILEVEL APPROACH: SYSTEMATIC AND COMBINED USE OF VARIOUS METHODOLOGIES AND FOCUS ON CONSOLIDATION (!!! REGULARITY - RELIABILITY - REPRESENTATIVENESS) TESTS, TRIALS, ADAPTATION TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONTEXT (E.G. INFORMAL ECONOMY) CAPACITY BUILDING. LOCAL RESEARCH. MUTUAL LEARNING. WORK IN PARTNERSHIP. REINFORCE NETWORKS (PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENTS) TO DISSEMINATE AND DISCUSS THE RESULTS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY ACTIONS KEEP SKILL MISMATCH HIGH ON POLITICAL AGENDA. SOUND LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION AND SKILL ASSESSMENTS FOR BETTER INFORMED DECISIONS AND ADJUSTMENT OF SKILL DELIVERY 9
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.ETF.EUROPA.EU CONTACT: cristina.mereuta@etf.europa.eu EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATION (ETF) ETF is an agency of the European Union helping transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU s external relations policy 10