International Conference Productivity, Investment in Human Capital and the Challenge of Youth Employment VET as a policy for youth employment Aviana Bulgarelli ISFOL Director General Bergamo (Italy) December 2010

Skills needs forecasting for the next decade show that knowledge and skills intensive occupations will be on the rise and that the demand for those with high and medium qualification will increase at the expense of low qualified people (Cedefop) VET plays a key role in determining competitiveness. Europe will grow on the basis of the quality of goods and services it provides. This requires a highly skilled labour force

Knowledge – and skills – intensive jobs on the rise

More people with better qualifications

Current and future jobs require medium and high skills level. The low qualified are penalised in the labour market. Low qualified youth risk to be marginalized

Positive relation between education and employment (2008) This chart shows the percentage of year-olds in employment, by level of educational attainment.

Data on employment by work status refer to the period 2008Q2 to 2009Q2. Source: OECD Job losses have been concentrated among youth, the low-skilled and men Percentage change of employment over 2008 Q4 to 2009 Q4*

Vet as a policy for youth employment (Bruges Comuniqué and trends in EU countries) Need for an attractive VET system at secondary and tertiary level capable to respond to the changing requirements of the labour market. Overcome the tendency of VET institutions to develop their own dynamic, independent of the world of work and unresponsive to rapid change in the needs of the economy Need to adapt VET content, infrastructure and methods in order to keep pace and to anticipate with shifts to new production technologies and work organization VET should not prepare students only for a single occupation. Most young people face a sequence of complex choices and changes over a lifetime of learning and work. Young people should be equipped with a right mix of basic and specific skills Need to develop innovative learning methods and flexible learning pathways including work based learning

Work-based learning, including apprenticeship, is a way for people to develop their potential. It contributes to developing a professional identity and can boost the self-esteem also of those who might otherwise see themselves as failures. It is a learning pathway for excellence an innovation, and for inclusion. Workplaces provide a strong learning environment for both transversal and specific skills Need to create opportunities for enhanced cooperation between VET institutions and enterprises (apprenticeship and internship). Quality control should be agreed on as to avoid that workplace learning can degenerate into cheap labour Need to encourage VET institutions to collaborate with innovative enterprises in forming “knowledge partnerships” to develop excellence and innovation

Difficulties in finding a job, multiple answers,% affirmative answers Data source Isfol PLUS 2008

Early leavers from education and training * (%)

Drop out reasons by age Data source Isfol PLUS 2008

Secondary school options by marks at the exit of compulsory education

VET is important for youth employability, career development and economic growth but has been neglected It is still seen as a low status education pathway Need to encourage practical activities and the provision of high- quality information and guidance which unable young pupils in compulsory education, and their parents, to become acquainted with different vocational trades and career possibilities Need to increase public awareness of the possibilities which VET offers, organize activities aimed at promoting VET attractiveness and excellence (campaigns and skills competitions)

Thank you

Percentage of year-olds not in education and unemployed or not in the labour force (2008)

Post compulsory education options, by types and career, % Data source Isfol PLUS 2008

Drop out of primary and secondary school by reasons (18-29) Data source Isfol PLUS 2008