Apprenticeships in focus at Cedefop’s policy learning forum

One of the main outcomes of the first forum, in 2017, was the shared need, across and within countries, for a clear vision of apprenticeship with implications for the way it is defined and placed in national education and training systems.

Today, there are many different interpretations of apprenticeships, even in the same national context. Reflecting on apprenticeship’s purpose and function may be a starting point to build a shared understanding of the term and a clear vision for the policies.

Since May 2014, Cedefop has carried out thematic country reviews on apprenticeships in volunteer countries: Lithuania and Malta (2014-15); Greece, Italy and Slovenia (2015-17); Cyprus and Croatia (2017-18). A lighter version of the TCRs (flash TCRs) has been piloted in Belgium (French-speaking Community) and Sweden.

The main objectives of the country reviews are:

• at national level, through Cedefop’s close cooperation with national stakeholders, to carry out in-depth review of apprenticeships in selected countries to identify their specific strengths and challenges and propose a set of policy recommendations for ensuring quality apprenticeships;
• at European level, to increase the evidence base supporting policy- and decision-makers in European countries, at different levels, in designing and implementing policies and measures for developing and/or improving quality apprenticeships; also to support comparison across countries.

Participants in the 2018 policy learning forum are called to reflect on and learn more about how apprenticeships differ in terms of purpose, function and organisation. The event principally addresses the TCR countries, but it also involves experts and policy-makers from non-TCR countries. They will be invited to support the policy-learning exercise.

The event is linked to the European vocational skills week 2018 of which Cedefop is a partner.