CIDREE Expert Meeting, Edinburgh, September 3 – 4, 2015

In early September 2015, 8 experts from 5 countries came to Edinburgh to give a presentation about the situation in their country. Participating countries were France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the host Scotland.

The group considered that vocational education and training in secondary schools and colleges across Europe is delivered in different ways.  Many vocational education systems have their own particular successes.  Much of that success depends on the quality of learning and teaching, links with employers, and pathways in vocational education.  Scotland is placing a priority on improving the range and quality of vocational education.

The group shared information from their country on:

• a brief summary of the political and social context of their vocational education and training system
• the key features of good learning and teaching in enabling students to develop and acquire vocational skills
•  the challenges involved in this
• the role of vocational pathways and involvement of employers in successful outcomes for students.

CIDREE colleagues compared their own countries’ situation with good practice in other countries.  The Expert Meeting also explored the feasibility of a longer-term project which would assist CIDREE institutions to:

• identify effective approaches to improving vocational education in their education systems (including through learning and teaching, vocational pathways, employers and training)
• support members to implement changes that contribute to successful vocational education and training