Malgorzata Kuczera (OECD) presents Building Future Ready VET systems on 26 October 2023 at the webinar Charting the Future of Vocational Education and Training: Insights and Strategies for Tomorrow’s Workforce

1. BUILDING FUTURE READY
VET SYSTEMS
Malgorzata Kuczera
Policy Analyst – VET and Adult Learning
OECD Centre for Skills
EU OECD webinar, 26 October 2023

2. 2
How do we work?
• 35 countries
around the world
• 45 country studies

3. The share of highly skilled jobs has
increased by 25% in the past two
decades, and today 50% of employment
is in digital-intensive sectors. However,
six out of ten adults lack basic ICT skills
or have no computer experience
14% of jobs could be fully
automated in the coming
years, and an additional
32% of jobs can see
significant changes due to
automation.
Builiding Future Ready VET:
Megatrends are changing skill needs
Populations are ageing, and in
more than two-thirds of OECD
countries at least one quarter
of the population will be over
65 years of age by 2050.
The green transition implies a the
adoption of greener technologies by
employers, and a shift to clean and
sustainable consumption.
COVID-19 crisis has accelerated some of these trends

4. Responsiveness: Aligning training with skill needs
Flexibility & inclusiveness: Making VET accessible to a diverse group of learners
Supporting transitions: Developing foundational, soft and digital skills
Innovation: Adopting innovative technology and pedagogical approaches
Re-engineering VET for the future

5. 1. Responsiveness
Social partners Public authority
Occupation related skills (e.g. welding, crane
operation);
Job specific skills (e.g. using software
developed for the employer);
General skills and knowledge (e.g. English,
Science);
Socio and emotional skills (e.g. being on time,
motivation)
E.g. In Switzerland, employers identify occupation related skills and the Confederation defines
the general skills requirements. Confederation also ensures the qualifications do not overlap.

6. 1. Responsiveness
Social partners Public authority
Collaboration
National Advisory Council
advises the Ministry on the
establishment of new vocational
programmes and changes in
existing ones.
Includes representatives of the
social partners.
Sectoral ‘trade committees’ :
composed of and funded by
employer and employee
organisations. Decide on many
elements of VET programmes,
define rules and approves
companies providing
apprenticeships.
In Denmark
Local training committee:
includes representatives of local
employers and employees and
college representatives. E.g. works
closely with colleges to adapt the
content of VET programmes to local
needs, and support colleges with
the delivery of programmes.

7. 1. Responsiveness
In Australia, qualifications involve many modular options that
local actors can select a mix of options that will suit them.
The Swedish system of higher vocational education involves the
creation, for a limited time period, of programmes to meet local
skills requirements.
Meeting local labour market needs

8. 2. Flexibility and inclusiveness
The arguments Country examples
 In Denmark and Finland vocational
programmes are composed of several
‘steps’, each corresponding to a specific
competence and in most programmes, the
completion of steps may be recognised with
a partial qualification, helping those who do
not obtain the full qualification to make their
skills visible.
 Modular qualifications allow flexibility and
specialisation through a blend of mandatory
and optional modules; easier updating of
qualifications when just one module needs
replacing; and partial credit to those who
have not completed an entire qualification.
 But if modular construction is too
permissive, we may lose sight of the
objective of defining a coherent set of
competences required for a target
occupation.
Modularisation, access and participation of adults

9. 3. Supporting transitions
Share of 25-34 year-olds whose highest level of education has a vocational
orientation, by level of educational attainment (2022)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Austria
Slovak
Republic
Romania
Slovenia
France
Poland
Germany
Hungary
Finland
Italy
EU
average
OECD
average
Switzerland
Canada
Australia
Latvia
New
Zealand
Estonia
Netherlands
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Czech
Republic
Greece
Sweden
Bulgaria
United
Kingdom
Norway
Korea
Portugal
Chile
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Iceland
Israel
Ireland
Türkiye
Costa
Rica
United
States
Mexico
Upper secondary (vocational) Post-secondary non-tertiary (vocational) Short-cycle tertiary (vocational)

10. .
Upskilling
Upskilling and
reskilling
Pathways from upper
secondary VET and to
bachelor programmes
• Finland
• Switzerland
• Denmark
• US
• Sweden
• Denmark
• US
• Sweden
• Switzerland
3. Supporting transitions
Higher VET – various roles

11. .
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Norway Scotland Estonia
Use of technologies in VET institutions in Estonia, Norway and Scotland
Share of respondents reporting using the specific technology
4. Innovations

12. 4. Innovations
Online
meetings
School
information
system
Digital
examinations
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Lack of
financial
resources
Too dependant
on individual
teachers
Students do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Online
courses
Immersive
learning,
Robots
Personalise
d learning
with IA
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Too dependant
on individual
teachers
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Lack of financial
resources
Lack of financial
resources
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
Teachers do not
have sufficient
knowledge
POLICY SOLUTIONS?
Collaborative solutions to overcome
the upfront cost and maintain the
quality
Norwegian Digital Learning Arena
Training of teachers
-preparation of trainers providing
computer training
-bringing training close to
participants
Large scale basic computer training
of teachers in Estonia
OBSTACLES

13. Contact: malgorzata.kuczera@oecd.org
www.oecd.org/skills/vet.htm
Contact