Edited by Marja-Leena Stenström and Johanna Lasonen

Jyväskylä: Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä 2000
ISBN 951-39-0743-0

This book is the final report of the Leonardo da Vinci  project SPES-NET (Sharpening Post-16 Education Strategies by Horizontal and Vertical Networking), the multiplier-effect project of the earlier Post-16 Strategies project.  SPES-NET was carried out in collaboration between fourteen partners representing researchers, policymakers,  administrators and teacher educators from twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Scotland and Spain). The project focussed on European reform strategies adopted with the aim of improving the quality of vocational education and training as regards links between VET and working life, access to higher education, curriculum reform and teacher education. The project was a response to the challenge of identifying a European dimension of parity of esteem between academic/general education and vocational education and training.

The SPES-NET project has been carried out with the financial support of the Commission of the European Communities under the Leonardo da Vinci Programme, of the Finnish Ministry of  Education, the Institute for Educational Research and the Partners. The project has been managed by Dr Marja-Leena Stenström and coordinated by the Institute for Educational Research at the University of Jyväskylä.
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary
Marja-Leena Stenström and Johanna Lasonen

Preface
Marja-Leena Stenström

Part I: Introduction 

Reassessing VET Reform Strategies in a New European Context: Implementation of the  SPES-NET Project
Marja-Leena Stenström 

Part II: Developing Post-16 Education Reform Strategies: Analyses of Substrategies to Improve the Quality of Vocational Education and Training

 National Case Studies

$ Recent Austrian Developments in the VET System From the Perspective of the Four VET Reform Substrategies for Achieving Parity of Esteem, Stefan Humpl and Jörg Markowitsch

$ Reforming Technical and Vocational Education in Belgium, Christophe Lejeune

$ Analysing Strategies for Improving Vocational Education: Towards a Framework for European Comparisons: Denmark: VET Reform 2000, Søren Nielsen 

$ Developing Post-16 Education Strategies in Estonia, Hanno Isok 

$ Strategies for Improving Vocational Education: The Finnish Case, Ulla Numminen

$ Evolution of Vocational Training Policies in France, Anne Lazar

$ SPES-NET Problems and Solutions in Hungary,  Csaba Fejös 

$ Evaluation of the Norwegian Reform `94, Kjell Andersen

$ Improving Vocational Education and Training in Scotland, Stuart Niven 
 

 A Summarising Framework of  Substrategies 

$ Improving Vocational Education: Trans-European Comparisons of Developments in the Late 1990s,  Michael Young

 Part III: Relationships Between Education and Work

 National Case Studies

$ The Labour Market at the Crossroads Between General/Vocational and Theoreti-cally/Practically Orientated Educational Tracks, Stefan Humpl and Jörg Markowitsch

$ Enterprises and Schools as Work-Based Learning Environments in Finland, Johanna Lasonen

$ A Portrait of GAB: A Pilot Project Between Schools, an Enterprise and the ITB, Rainer Bremer

$ Improving Relations Between the Educational and the Economic Field in Greece, Nikitas Patiniotis and Catherine Spiliopoulou

$ The Rebirth of Apprenticeship in Europe: Linking Education to Work? Fernando Marhuenda

A Summarising Framework of the Relationships Between Education and Work

$ Rethinking Education-Work Relationships, Fernando Marhuenda 

 Part IV: Conclusions and Future Strategies

$ Impacts of and Experiences  From the SPES-NET Project,  Marja-Leena Stenström

$ Towards a Vocational Curriculum and Pedagogy of the Future: Taking the Post-16 Strategies and SPES-NET Project Findings Forward for Future Research, Michael Young and Matti Vesa Volanen 

$ Future Trends in European Vocational Education, Gerald Heidegger

Part V Extended Conclusions Based on the Collaboration Between the Post-16 Strategies/SPES-NET and INTEQUAL/DUOQUAL Projects

$ Qualifications With a Dual Orientation Towards Employment and Higher Education - A Summary of the Results of  the Partnership Projects INTEQUAL/DUOQUAL, Sabine Manning

$ Promoting Collaboration Between the Four Partnerships Post-16 Strategies/SPES-NET and INTEQUAL/DUOQUAL, Johanna Lasonen & Sabine Manning

$ Parity of Esteem as a Challenge to European Cooperation as Reflected in the Post-16 Strategies/SPES-NET and INTEQUAL/DUOQUAL Projects, Pekka Kämäräinen 

$ Improving the Standing of Vocational as Against General Education in Europe: A Conceptual Framework, Johanna Lasonen & Sabine Manning

Contributors