Oleksiy Miroshnychenko Executive Vice President, Confederation of Employers of Ukraine.

Oleksiy Miroshnychenko

Executive Vice President, Confederation of Employers of Ukraine

In its meeting in Lisbon,Portugal, the European Council adopted on March 24, 2000 the Lisbon Strategy of Economic Growth and New Jobs in the EU. The Strategy started the process of education modernization in the EU to make the EU the most dynamically developing and knowledge-based economy.

The Lisbon Strategy has recognized the key role of education as a factor in economic and social policies and an instrument for strengthening Europe`s competitive power worldwide and ensuring the cohesion of its peoples and the full development of its citizens.

The Copenhagen Process

The European Commission and European education ministers adopted on November 30, 2002, in Copenhagen, a Declaration on enhanced cooperation in European vocational education and training (VET).

The Declaration highlighted certain key points in this area, specifically: Enhancing the appeal of vocational education for young people; Parity between higher education and vocational education.

On December 14, 2004, the Ministers responsible for VET, the European Social Partners and the European Commission

signed the Maastricht Communique` (Review of the Copenhagen Declaration)


Increasing transparency of qualifications through the implementation of tools,including the integration of existing instruments such as the European CV, certificate and diploma supplements, etc. Addressing issues of recognition of competences and qualifications through developing a European framework of qualifications to ensure comparison and transparency of national qualifications. Developing a single system of credit transfer to ensure transparency through developing mechanisms for the transfer and recognition of competences and/or qualifications between different countries and at different levels. Developing a set of common principles regarding validation of nonformal and informal learning with the aim of ensuring greater compatibility between approaches in different countries. Developing competences and qualifications at sectoral level by reinforcing cooperation and coordination and using various EU initiatives and programs. Ensuring quality and formulation of common principles and criteria of VET quality evaluation so as to enhance the economic benefit of investments. Strengthening the European dimension in VET. Giving attention to the learning needs of teachers and trainers within all forms of vocational education and training, based on the increased role, participation and motivation of this category of workers. Offering lifelong guidance and counseling to citizens.

Main Objectives of the Copenhagen Process

The Copenhagen process is designed not for the unification of educational and managerial structures but for the development of voluntary cooperation among countries, promotion of mutual trust

and transparency, with all this resulting in the mobility of skilled workers.

The Bologna and Copenhagen processes are aimed at preserving specific national features of education (subsidiariness principle)

and are based on the voluntary participation of member countries.

To implement the Copenhagen Process, a Coordination Council and Technical Working Groups by area were formed.

Representatives of the Member Countries, Candidate Countries, Social Partners, an the European Education Fund were included in

the Working Groups.


The most recent legal and regulatory document in the Copenhagen Process is the 2006 Helsinki Communique`. It was adopted to sum up the challenges facing VET and outline priorities for the Copenhagen Process.

The Helsinki meeting of the ministers of education and the social partners also agreed that secondary education should orient young people to the continuation of education not only in higher education institutions, but in technical schools.

However, not a simple situation has developed on the European labor market: in spite of the growing demand for skilled workers, fewer and fewer young people wish to continue education in vocational schools which is accounted for by the declining prestige of the job of a workman in society.


Speaking at the January 2008 conference in Berlin, EC Commissioner Jàn Figel explained that the European Union plans to keep implementing the provisions and attaining the objectives set in Copenhagen in 2002 : increasing mobility of students and workers; mutual recognition of qualifications of employees; development of common criteria of assessment of quality of vocational education.

The European Qualifications Framework will be of help in this. The Framework, which is built on principles of transparency and confidence, is a common reference system that promotes the recognition and transfer of qualifications and encompasses both vocational education and secondary and higher education, based on competence and learning outcomes.


European Qualifications Framework Structure

Level Qualifications and Competences

8 Doctorial degree / senior manager

7 Master degree / senior manager

6 Honors diploma / bachelor / middle manager

5 Higher education diploma / specialist / technician / paraprofessional / higher level of vocational education

4 Senior grade of secondary school / advanced craftsman / inspector

3 First grade of secondary school / middle craftsman / skilled workman

2 Basic workman / basic / semi-skilled

1 Basic skills / three Rs

The next steps to be taken in Europe: the system of transfer of credit units and the common system of vocational education quality assurance.

The Berlin Communique`dated September 18-19, 2003, urges all Member States to develop comparative and correlative systems of qualifications for higher education based on load, level, learning outcomes, competences, and learning profile that could be used to design a common framework for higher education.

The national frameworks should provide for flexible education trajectories, multiplicity of ways of receiving education, and methods that allow for the transfer of credit units. This experience should be used to develop a credit transfer system for vocational education which is necessary to increase citizens` mobility.


National Qualifications Framework in Ireland

Current Challenges for Ukraine

The EU Blue Card(Europarliament`s Resolution of September 26, 2007).

Government program for providing assistance in the voluntary removal to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad. (Decree of the Russian President #637 dated June 22, 2006).

“Card of a Pole” (Polish law on the Card of a Pole passed by the Polish parliament and signed by the President in September last year).

In the industrialized countries, education along with other factors has long become an economic growth factor:

each unit of education costs yields a return of 1.7 – 1.9 of produced GDP

(according to the EU EC Consultative Industry Committee)

Status and Problems of Current Vocational Education

Dynamics of Growth of GDP and the Number of Employees in Industry

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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005years

UA

H m

ln..

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4200

4300

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ВВП України (млн.грн.) Кількість зайнятого населення в промисловості (тис.осіб)

Аналітичний центр Конфедерації роботодавців України (за даними Держкомстату)

Officials at European,national and subnational levels are faced with the need to resolve the problem of insufficient competence of employees: the coexistence of high unemployment rates and unfilled vacancies.

The issue of vocational education and lifelong learning is currently particularly relevant which is accounted for by :

increased requirements of employers to competences of workers, including graduates of academic institutions;

demographic aging of labor;

increasing percentage of persons who received vocational education several decades ago as a result of which their competences do not meet the requirements of the day;

progress of existing technologies and emergence of new technologies which requires new knowledge and skills of workers.

Status and Problems of Current Vocational Education and Training

0

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10 000

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2006

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2028

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0-14 15-59 60+

According to the Institute of Demography and Social Studies, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Чисельність населення України (2006-2050 роки)

The ratio between graduates of academic institutions and graduates of vocational schools is

60 to 40

The labor market requires that 60% of vacant jobs be filled with skilled workers.

40% of newly-fledged economists become clients of the National Placement Service (NPS data).

This is largely accounted for by:1. unawareness of school graduates in deciding on their careers

which is proof of the need to re-institute and promote the system of career orientation.

2. the funding of training of students at academic institutions is not geared to the net result of their activities, i.e. the real state of employment of graduates.



Розподіл зайнятих за кваліфікацією (thou.persons)

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Legislators, top government officials, executives

1427,0 1459,8 1530,0 1495,3 1465,9 1423,7 1470,3 1505,9

Professionals 2614,8 2635,0 2652,5 2602,5 2730,5 2594,6 2484,7 2522,5

Specialists 3142,2 3061,1 2932,9 2789,8 2836,4 2549,1 2530,4 2488,7

Engineering employees 821,4 845,1 822,9 900,9 847,7 769,5 755,0 758,7

Employees in the services and trade sectors

2179,4 2305,1 2449,6 2575,6 2706,3 2654,9 2700,0 2728,7

Skilled agricultural workers

629,3 616,8 503,0 459,1 420,2 375,4 361,1 310,3

Skilled workers with tools

2684,2 2725,7 2683,2 2753,7 2760,1 2524,6 2727,4 2498,0

Operators and assemblers of machines and plants

3161,6 3152,0 2994,2 3000,4 2919,7 2697,4 2705,0 2649,9

Unskilled workers 3388,3 3619,2 3669,8 3823,4 3868,0 4706,5 5146,1 5267,7

Total 20048,2 20419,8 20238,1 20400,7 20554,7 20295,7 20680,0 20730,4


Employment Rates by Age, %

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

15-24 34.4 33.6 32.9 33.6 33.7 36.1 34.2 35.1

25-29 80.6 82.6 81.8 80.8 81.5 80.9 75.2 75.4

30-39 85.3 86.5 86.0 85.4 85.7 84.0 78.6 77.0

40-49 84.9 86.0 85.2 84.8 83.9 83.6 78.8 79.6

50-59 59.7 63.3 63.3 63.2 64.1 63.0 61.6 60.4

60-70 17.2 19.6 18.7 19.6 19.3 19.7 22.8 21.3


Employment Rates by Age

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The potential of skilled workers in Ukraine in recent years has dropped and constitutes some 15 percent of able-bodied

citizens.

This indicator in the industrialized countries stands at 70 percent.

The prestige of jobs of blue-collar workers is falling which may lead to influxes of foreign labor and become one of the factors

threatening national security.


Requirements of enterprises, agencies, and organizations for employees in Ukraine (by occupation)


Occupations 2006 (persons)

2007 (persons)

Professionals in physical, mathematical, and technical sciences

5 486 11 679

Professionals in biological, agri-chemical, and medical sciences

10 804 12 913

Skilled workers with tools 159 706 167 221

Workers in steel-making and machine-building 85 552 99 891

According to the National Placement Service

A street billboard in Kyiv advertising Philippine houseworkers (the year 2008 )


The system of vocational education and training meanwhile continues just to declare priorities of the labor market. In reality, the system is oriented toward the education services market which is borne out by the licensed volumes and areas of training, retraining, and professional development of personnel.

As a result, in conditions of market economy, much of the national budget is being used to train people who are noncompetitive on the labor market.

Monitoring the efficient use of public funds in the system of vocational education and training and setting up an agency to systematically deal with monitoring, forecasting, and marketing are issues that have yet to be addressed in Ukraine.

The time has come to introduce an independent evaluation (certification) of knowledge, skills and competences of both graduates of academic institutions and employees who have acquired these in the course of their work and require relevant proof by external job certification agencies.

Ukraine`s WTO entry will require that the level and quality of vocational education and training be enhanced in collaboration with all partners concerned.


Institute of Demography and Social Studies, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Характеристика оплати праці у вибраних країнах Європи (Euro per month)

Average Wages Wage difference between reference country and Ukraine Changes in

wage difference between reference

country and Ukraine in 2004-

2006.

COUNTRY 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006

Belarus 124,50 167,00 196.50 35,50 41,00 32.50 -3,00

Bulgaria 150,00 166,00 181,00 61,00 40,00 17,00 -44,00

Estonia 466,00 516,00 594,00 377,00 390,00 430,00 +53,00

Latvia 314,00 350,00 430,00 225,00 224,00 266,00 +41,00

Lithuania 333,00 373,00 434,00 244,00 247,00 270,00 +26,00

Poland 501,00 591,00 637,00 412,00 465,00 473,00 +61,00

Russia 188,00 243,00 315,00 99,00 117,00 151,00 +52,00

Romania 202,00 264,00 326,00 113,00 138,00 162,00 +49,00

Slovenia 1120,00 1157,00 1213,00 1031,00 1031,00 1049,00 +18,00

Hungary 578,00 638,00 648,00 489,00 512,00 484,00 -5,00

Ukraine 89,00 126,00 164,00 ХХХ ХХХ ХХХ ХХХ

Czech Republic 565,00 639,00 713,00 476,00 513,00 549,00 +73,00

Development of the Concept of the National Qualifications System (the Concept), whose component is the national qualifications framework, is caused by the following needs:

Implementing human capital development strategies.

Lifelong learning

Ensuring the interconnection between the education services market and the labor market

Adapting the volumes, areas and quality of vocational

education and training to the needs of employers.

Increasing the role played in these processes by social partners and business entities.

Concept of National Qualifications System


The national qualifications framework (in the context of the national qualifications system: an instrument for determining and establishing qualifications by the criteria of education levels) is a vehicle for improving the vocational education and training system which will require a set of activities to ensure that this system and the labor market are linked.

General Provisions

General Provisions

The Concept provides for a new approach to qualifications (certificates and diplomas), which is based on recognition of education results.

Implementation of the Concept will help ensure the quality and transparency of qualifications, their comparison with qualifications in other countries, and mutual international recognition of documents on vocational education and training.

An efficient national qualifications system will enable passing from one to another (higher) qualification level or acquiring of allied qualifications which will motivate citizens to improve their professional competences and to be productively employed.


Goal

The goal of the Concept is to implement a single, integral, transparent, and flexible national qualifications system that will encompass all levels and types of vocational education and training.

It will be geared to meeting the current and long-term requirements of the labor market for manpower and increasing its competitive ability as well as adjusting vocational education policies to national economic growth.


The National Qualifications System will be implemented and streamlined for the purpose of:

ensuring that qualifications are more appropriate for the needs of employers;

agreement between the qualifications systems (vocational, higher, and post-diploma education);

recognition of nonformal learning that will contribute to the development of lifelong vocational education;

raising effectiveness of collaboration with social partners and other stakeholders;

ensuring that Ukraine and its human capital will occupy a fitting place globally and

in the future postindustrial society.


Basic Terms and Concepts

Lifelong learning – any learning that is accomplished on a permanent basis to improve the knowledge, skills and competences that are necessary for productive employment.

National qualifications framework – a single multilevel system of qualifications, reduced to one structure, that are recognized nationally and internationally and through which education results are measured and correlation of documents on education is established.

Qualification – the duly proven sum of an individual`s abilities, his/her professional knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill tasks in carrying out labor activity.

Competence – a person`s ability to perform tasks and responsibilities in line with the requirements set for a specific professional activity.

Professional standards – the indicators of competence in certain jobs (areas of professional activity) that are reflected in a relevant regulatory document specifying the requirements

Key Areas of Development of National Qualifications System in the Field of Legal Support

Developing and updating the legal framework, in particular, through drafting a new law on the National Qualifications System, revising the Law of Ukraine On Vocational Education, amending the Law of Ukraine On Corporate Income Tax, the Budget Code of Ukraine, and other acts, and expediting enactment of the Law of Ukraine On Staff Professional Development.

Developing and implementing, in accordance with the nation`s socioeconomic development priorities identified by the government, a new mechanism for placing a government order for the training of workmen and professionals at education institutions of various types and accreditation levels, aimed at meeting the needs of the labor market, and involving social partners in this process.


Making amendments to effective laws and regulations to maximally simplify the terms and procedures of licensing the activities related to the provision of education services by education institutions, enterprises, organizations, and agencies that carry out the training of their employees so that they could promptly and flexibly respond to the demand of employers for personnel having the required qualifications.

Developing and implementing a strategy for decentralization of vocational and higher education so as to ensure that the training of students is consistent with the regional requirements, the needs of employers, and enhancing the role and raising the responsibility of local governments,social partners, and business entities.

Developing a concept of the system of career orientation of young people and putting it in place.


Updating the laws and regulations on employment of graduates of higher education institutions and vocational schools whose tuition was paid from the national budget.

Developing proposals for introducing amendments to effective legislation to increase the scope for professional development of employees (including graduates of education institutions) of enterprises, organizations, and agencies by using the financial resources of the Fund of Mandatory State Social Insurance Against Unemployment, so as to improve the quality of labor.

Developing and introducing a qualifications character reference for teachers and trainers at vocational schools.

Key Areas of Development of National Qualifications System in the Field of Management

Identifying and devolving certain powers in the field of the national qualifications system to the subnational level and distributing the relevant authority among the central executive bodies concerned as well as the social partners to enhance their performance and balance supply and demand on the labor market.

Developing and implementing a system of social partnership on vocational education and training at national and subnational levels.

Key Areas of Development of National Qualifications System in the Field of Management

Setting up a National Qualifications Agency as the authority to control the processes of planning, acquisition,assessment, and recognition of qualifications on the basis of social partnership, systemic monitoring of the labor market, forecasting of needs for workers by hand and by brain.

Forming an institution for independent assessment of the quality of knowledge, skills, and competences in graduates of vocational schools and hired employees who wish to prove their skills acquired through nonformal learning.

Key Areas of Development of National Qualifications System in the Field of Organizational and Methodological Support

Developing a national qualifications framework as a mechanism for the coordination and comparison of qualifications by constituting links between different qualifications.

Developing professional standards that are based on qualifications and provide the basis of national education standards, so as to assure quality in vocational education and training.

Further developing and updating national education standards through involving the social partners, employers, and other stakeholders in this process.

Developing and implementing descriptors that are based on education results, as well as criterial indicators for evaluation


Further streamlining and modernization of the procedures regarding accessibility to vocational education and training, transfer to the next vocational and qualification level through developing and implementing a mechanism for recognition of credit units.

Developing and implementing methods of identification of employer requirements to knowledge, skills and competences of employees; labor market monitoring.

Aggressive introduction of modern training procedures , in particular, modules.

Updating the system of training and professional development of teachers of education institutions.


Organizing and conducting the systematic training of professionals dealing with the organizational and methodological support of the national qualifications system.

Conducting research in the field of the national qualifications system and preparing recommendations for their updating and improvement.

Development and publication of manuals, literature, information material, and visual aids addressing the qualifications system.

Forming a unit at the Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine to provide organizational and methodological support to the national qualifications system.

Extending international cooperation in the area of development of national qualifications.

The Peruvian government`s initiative provoked a crisis in the the national education system: it turned out that less than 1% of 180 thou. school teachers in the country had passed a single State examination.

The introduction of a single State exam for teachers was designed to raise the standard of teaching in the country`s schools. Education standards in Peru are considered to be among the lowest in Latin America.

Regardless of the results, the authorities had to extend contracts even with those teachers who had failed the exam. Some teachers who are union members decided to boycott the State exam saying that its results might lead to the loss by teachers of their jobs.

According to BBC

Facts

Key Areas of Development of National Qualifications System in the Field of Economic Support

Introducing a mechanism for encouraging citizens to improve their knowledge and skills (competences) throughout their lives, and employers to participate in the modernization of vocational education and training.

Developing and implementing a mechanism of multichannel and multilevel funding of vocational education and training.

Developing new methods for calculation of the cost of preparation of skilled workers with due regard to the sophistication, science intensive nature, and material capacity of trades.

Strengthening the financial autonomy of education institutions and their responsibility for output.

Anticipated Outcomes of Implementation of National Qualifications System Concept

Completing the Concept activities will make it possible to:

1. Extend and bring order to the education services market, taking into account the current and long-term needs of the labor market and national economic growth.

2. Raise the competitive power and mobility of labor, in particular, graduates of education institutions on the labor market.

3. Modernize the national qualifications system (national qualifications framework), which will be based on international experience, improve the qualifications structure and the mechanisms of assessment, recognition, and accreditation of competences and qualifications.

4. Improve the quality of vocational education and training and bring it into consistency with employer needs through developing professional standards as the basis for updating national education standards.

5. Ensure the legislative regulation of issues related to the national qualifications system

Thank You

Confederation of Employers of Ukraine42-b Ivana Franka St., Kyiv

Tel.: +38 044 591 6391E-mail: [email protected]

Oleksiy Miroshnychenko Executive Vice President, Confederation of Employers of Ukraine.

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Transcript of Oleksiy Miroshnychenko Executive Vice President, Confederation of Employers of Ukraine.