Concise, clear and comprehensive snapshots of vocational education and training systems in EU, Iceland and Norway: this is what the Cedefop Spotlight on VET series offers. Building on individual country Spotlights, this publication provides an overview of VET systems with their distinctive qualities, such as main accession and progression routes…

Realising the potential of work-based learning schemes as a driver of productivity requires careful design and support. The length of work-based learning schemes should be adapted to the profile of productivity gains. A scheme that is too long for a given skill set might be unattractive for learners and waste public resources, but a scheme that is…

This paper looks at the importance of mechanisms that give formal recognition to vocational skills acquired through work-based learning and how such mechanisms might be developed. It describes how skill recognition can benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole, and identifies in which contexts skill recognition has the highest…

This paper examines the relationship between a firm's training motives and the quality of apprenticeship training. Data on training quality and training motives are obtained by interviewing former apprentices. The paper employs a novel measure for training quality based on subjective survey data on the firm's training effort. It is found that…

Describes vocational education and training (VET) policy in the Netherlands, components of the VET system (prevocational education, senior secondary vocational education, apprenticeships, higher vocational education, adult continuing education), and features of work-based learning in school-to-work programs. (SK)

Highlights cross-national differences in school-to-work systems in Germany, the Netherlands, England, Wales, and the United States. Suggests that the root of many transition problems is the disconnections and tensions between the vocational education and training system and the labor market. (SK)

This overview of vocational education and training in Europe gives (1) detailed descriptions of the educational systems of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, and Switzerland; (2) discussion of European Community projects; (3) 50 references; (4) addresses of information sources; and (5) a glossary in English, Danish, German,…

This document reports the proceedings of a research forum on vocational training. Following an introduction that outlines the course of the meetings, the following 13 papers are included in the proceedings: "Report by the National Employment Office (ONEM)" (Belgium); "Training Research and Development" (National Manpower…

This paper reports an investigation of the situation of employment in the Netherlands for individuals with mental retardation and discusses the function of schools in preparing students for the labor market. Background information on special schools for students with mental retardation is provided, focusing on vocational preparation of students.…

This collection includes a series of reports presenting the main results of a project to identify trends in continuing education and training in eight countries throughout Western Europe. The following reports are included: "Synthesis Report," by Hilary Steedman; "Belgium," by staff at the Office National de l'Emploi;…

These conference proceedings consist of 15 presentations: "Trends in the Development of Vocational Adult Education" (Heinrich Wenidoppler); "Training Programmes for the Long-Term Unemployed in the Flemish Community in Belgium" (Frederik Geers); "New Technology and Non-Vocational Adult Education in Baden-Wurttemberg,…

The labor market in the Netherlands is characterized by rapid economic and technological development. In response to this, a new approach to career development has been to expand individuals' career competencies. Education, employment policy, non-profit organizations, and corporate life are facing the task of developing career development services…

This report synthesizes findings of a survey of vocational training measures for women in the nine countries of the Western European community. In the first section, some basic figures are presented on numbers of innovative measures, proportion of women gainfully employed, distribution of employed women among economic sectors, and persons…

Eleven working papers are provided from a meeting to enable national training research and development organizations to present their current and future research and development priorities and exchange information and experience on projects of mutual concern. They cover a wide range of subjects in 11 of the 12 European Community Member States, but…

In the Netherlands, 15 to 17.5 percent of the working age population participated in further education and training for adults in 1985-88. Enterprises, state ministries, and private institutions supply adult education; enterprises, ministries, and sectoral institutions finance it. The Ministry of Education and Sciences provides basic education,…