High-performance apprenticeships & work-based learning: 20 guiding principles

20 guiding principles on VET developed in 2014-2015

This document presents 20 guiding principles developed by the ET 2020 WG on VET in 2014-2015. These principles were developed during a series of meetings, in-depth country focus workshops and webinars. Representatives of the EU Member States, EFTA countries, and Candidate Countries as well as EU Social Partner and VET Provider organizations, Cedefop and the European Training Foundation (ETF) participated in the Working Group, which was chaired by the Commission. Cedefop and external consultants have contributed to the working group through background documents and research activities.

National governance and social partners’ involvement

• Principle 1: A clear and consistent legal framework enabling apprenticeship partners to act effectively and guaranteeing mutual rights and responsibilities
• Principle 2: A structured, continuous dialogue between all apprenticeship partners including a transparent method of coordination and decision-making
• Principle 3: Strengthening the role of social partners by capacity building, assuming ownership and taking on responsibility for implementation
• Principle 4: Systematic cooperation between VET school or training centres and companies
• Principle 5: Sharing costs and benefits to the mutual advantage of companies, VET providers and learners

Support for companies, in particular SMEs, offering apprenticeships

• Principle 6: Supporting measures that make apprenticeships more attractive and accessible to SMEs
• Principle 7: Finding the right balance between the specific skill need of training companies and the general need to improve the employability of apprentices
• Principle 8: Focusing on companies having no experience with apprentices
• Principle 9: Supporting companies providing apprenticeships for disadvantaged learners
• Principle 10: Motivating and supporting companies to assign qualified trainers and tutors

Attractiveness of apprenticeships and improved career guidance

• Principle 11: Promoting the permeability between VET and other educational and career pathways
• Principle 12: Improving the image of VET and apprenticeships by promoting excellence
• Principle 13: Career guidance to empower young people to make well-founded choices
• Principle 14: Enhancing the attractiveness of apprenticeships by raising the quality of VET teachers
• Principle 15: Promoting the attractiveness of VET and apprenticeships through a broad range of awareness-raising activities

Quality assurance in work-based learning

• Principle 16: Providing a clear framework for quality assurance of apprenticeship at the system, provider and company levels ensuring systematic feedback
• Principle 17: Ensuring the content of VET progammes is responsive to changing skill needs in companies and society
• Principle 18: Fostering mutual trust and respect through regular cooperation between the apprenticeship partners
• Principle 19: Ensuring fair, valid, and authentic assessment of learning outcomes
• Principle 20: Supporting the continuous professional development of in-company trainers and improving their working conditions

Marianne Thyssen
European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility

source: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events-and-projects/projects/apprenticeships-work-based-learning