The next steps of apprenticeship, its future and the perspective of emerging policy objectives, but also new approaches to education and training and external megatrends. These are the issues at the heart of the joint Cedefop / OECD publication, which came out last January under the title The next steps for apprenticeships.
The publication is a collection of 16 papers by researchers from the European Union, Australia and the United States; nine were presented and discussed among policy makers, practitioners and researchers during the joint Cedefop-OECD symposium on the future of apprenticeships held in October 2019 in Paris. Evidence and analysis in these papers will help inform political decisions shaping the future of apprenticeship.
As shown by the coronavirus pandemic, it is important for education and training systems to be prepared and agile to respond to external pressures. The combination of the emerging economic crisis together with long-term structural trends that affect our economies will entail a profound transformation of the world of work and require effective policy responses in the years to come. So what will the next stages of the apprenticeship be?
The publication offers insights from world-leading scholars based in different countries on scenarios for the future development of apprenticeship, its emerging relationship to higher education, its orientation towards attractiveness and excellence and the (often ambiguous) impact of policy reforms on apprenticeship provision and design.
Cedefop Executive Director Jürgen Siebel and OECD’s Director, Employment and Social Affairs, Stefano Scarpetta point out that ‘Deep economic crises often serve to accelerate changes in the labour market and the underlying trends that shape them, such as automation and migration patterns. Effective vocational training and skills systems can contribute to making sure these changes do not lead to further disparities but offer new opportunities by continually improving the learning experiences of young people, enhancing equity while minimising costs.
Findings and messages presented in the publication will contribute to informing political decisions which shape the futures of the current generation of learners.