1. Anastasia Fetsi
Head of Thematic Expertise Development Department, ETF

2. VET AT A CROSSROADS
Complex policy area at the intersection of education, labour market,
economic and social policies:
Different types of client: youth and adults (employed, unemployed,
inactive)
Different levels of qualifications: low, medium, high
Formal, non formal, informal learning
Different contexts
Different actors: ministries of education, ministries of labour, sectoral
ministries, executive institutions
Multiple stakeholders
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 2

3. MULTILEVEL
TITLE GOVERNANCE (MLG)
MLG is about shared responsibility and coordinated action by
different actors in policy development, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation.
It has a vertical (different tiers of government) and a horizontal
(among different stakeholders) dimension of responsibility sharing,
action and coordination
It concerns both public and private actors
It is based on the subsidiarity principle according to which policies
are conceived and applied at the most appropriate level
MLG is not a model; it is a dynamic process and approach
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 3

4. ACTORS IN VET
MULTILEVEL
VERTICAL DIMENSION GOVERNANCE
IO NAL
NS
IT TIO
A
UT
IN ERN
ST
T
IN
PUBLIC PRIVATE
SECTOR SECTOR
HORIZONTAL DIMENSION
(Social Partners, NGO’s,
Associations)
4

5. TITLE
THE ETF STUDY ON VET GOVERNANCE
A methodology for mapping, analysing, assessing and identifying
future steps
The study piloted the methodology
Countries involved: Azerbaijan, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Serbia,
Tunisia, Ukraine
Implementation period February – March 2012
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 5

6. GRID FOR MAPPING VET
TITLE GOVERNANCE
Stakeholders roles (legend):
-(I) Initiator;
-(D) Decision Maker or Co-Decision
-(C) Consultative/Consultee
-(A) Acts on instructions/implement
decisions.
-(E) Evaluator.
-(F) Funder or co-funder.
-(P) Partner.
- Other (specify).
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 6

7. TITLE
PROPOSED PRINCIPLES FOR
GOOD GOVERNANCE IN VET
Principle Working definition
Relevance Responsiveness to needs of the economy and learners
Effectiveness Delivering policies timely, on the basis of clear objectives
and learning from experience
Subsidiarity & Decisions are taken at the most appropriate level;
proportionality
Transparency Open processes and sharing of information
Accountability Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and practices
comply to standards
Participation Inclusive approach throughout the policy chain
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 7

8. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
TITLE
Steps towards participatory governance
Although countries are starting from rather centralised governance,
they all understand the need for more openness and involvement of
actors
Positive developments are taking place in all countries though at a
different pace and with different results
Engagement of stakeholders through consultative processes and in
the phase of policy design seem to be more developed than in policy
implementation
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 8

9. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
TITLE
Where do the main strengths lie?
Flexibility and openness at central level to engage actors
Clear signs of success in the involvement of stakeholders at the
initial stages of the VET reform process
Linking VET to the broader national development policy – skills
based approach
Adopting support measures: quality assurance, qualifications, VET
curriculum
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 9

10. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
TITLE
Where do the main weaknesses lie?
Stakeholders engagement is rather formalistic
Vertical engagement is poor
Horizontal engagement is not effective
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING

11. WHAT’S NEXT
TITLE
Effective leadership at national level (workshop 2)
Skills policies and the regional/local level (workshop 1)
Institutional leadership at training provider/school level (workshop 3)
Social dialogue and effective partnership (workshop 4)
Evidence based policy development (cross-cutting)
Governance that fits for purpose (cross-cutting)
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 1
1

12. TITLE
Your comments and questions are
welcome
Thank you for your attention
MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 1
2