bis-13-587-continual-vocational-training-survey-cvts4

Continuing Vocational Training Survey
is generally performing well. For the EU, an additional problem lies in the heterogeneity of
its Member States: whereas some are performing above average or even belong to the top
performers worldwide for a particular indicator, others belong to a lower level.
Essentially, progress towards competitiveness has to be measured by reference to
multiple indicators, not only of ‘competitiveness outputs’ (say, those indicating productivity,
employment, or innovation) but also of ‘competitiveness inputs’ – the behaviours and
activities of national governments, employers and individuals which develop
competitiveness at the level of the firm, of regional and national economies, and ultimately
of Europe itself.
Vocational education and training (VET) is one such ‘behaviour’ which is recognised as an
important and flexible element of lifelong learning, rapidly connecting changing labourmarket
demands with relevant education and practically-oriented learning at the
workplace. The strategic statement for European policies laid down in the Bordeaux
communiqué of November 2008 (European Commission, 2008) recognised this
fundamental role of vocational education and training.
Thus, technological progress and structural labour-market change demand not only
anticipation of new skill needs but also continuously renewing and adapting knowledge,
skills and competences within an ageing labour force (Cedefop, 2008). Continuing
vocational training provided by enterprises is at the heart of this process, helping to
simultaneously raise productivity, modernise work practices, and facilitate innovation.
Promoting training in enterprises needs in-depth insights into training policies and
practices in enterprises, the role of social partners and the relevance of various public
instruments.
More particularly, enhanced cooperation in vocational education and training in the
European Union requires the improvement of VET statistics as a priority. Adequate
statistics and indicators are the key to the review of developments in VET, and to
understanding of what additional interventions and decisions are required from all parties
involved in seeking to achieve the Copenhagen objectives.
The Continuing Vocational Training Survey is a particular and specific source of pan-
European information for VET research: its data are indispensable to analysis of the
conditions, structure and development of continuing vocational training in enterprises.
Characteristics of enterprises and participants in CVT broaden the basis and enlarge the
scope for detailed analysis. Analytical results test hypotheses on training behaviour of
enterprises (and to a certain extent of individuals), on different forms of continuing
vocational training, on organisational and human resource development, and on the
impact of public measures on vocational education and training.
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