Imagine you left school in 2000, somewhere in Europe.

You’d remember feeling trapped by rigid education paths. If you chose vocational training, forget about university later. Skills from work or volunteering? Completely invisible to employers and schools. Moving between countries for work meant starting all over again - qualifications didn’t transfer.

Today’s reality is different. Now you can probably combine modules from different learning programs to build your perfect qualification. Your informal project management skills can be officially recognised: they could qualify you, for example, for a master’s program. If you do an apprenticeship, it could lead directly to a bachelor’s degree.

Our research for this important new Cedefop report highlights that Europe’s education system is still too siloed - different sectors don’t talk to each other, and it can still be hard for people to move between vocational training, universities, and work experience. Rural areas lag behind, and disadvantaged communities still face hurdles.

But we’ve moved from a “one path fits all” model to a “build your own journey” framework.

Our Tavistock Institut Europe research team concluded: the key challenge now is to enable everyone (learners, families, education & training providers, employers, governments) to collaborate in creating the flexible networks for learning that will meet the needs of both individuals and the labour market.

Reference

New Tavistock Institute research published by CEDEFOP: Lifelong learning in 2000 and 2020 - what has changed for the individual citizen?