In a globalising society, there is a need for competencies in the work environment, which often exceed specific technical competencies. These allow working in an internationally influenced environment and include intercultural competencies, speaking foreign languages, self-management and adaptability.
To respond to the need to internationalise the Flemish VET institutions
VET institutions that...
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Internationalisation continues to gain importance, also in VET. Skills in globalisation can be developed in the (often multicultural) school context, but only if the education staff have already acquired these competencies themselves. It is even better if learners and teachers are immersed in an international learning work experience. For instance, the Erasmus+ traineeship for VET learners will positively affect the attractiveness of VET in Flanders, but mobility of educational staff should...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The XR action plan pursues the following objectives:
providing XR materials (hardware and software) for all secondary VET schools with a low-threshold access;
increasing the professionalisation of teaching staff regarding XR use and XR applications;
increasing knowledge about XR for all Flemish schools.
With the InnoVET XR projects we also want to create a broader basis for innovative XR use in the five provinces and build new innovative digital material (software, apps) that can be...
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The XR action plan was concretised into four closely-intertwined actions:
Action 1. Practice-oriented research: an innovation can only be sustainably embedded if it can rely on (scientific) evidence about its effectiveness. Does this innovation actually contribute to achieving a certain objective? But also: what works in day-to-day educational practice and in what circumstances/with what support? Additional scientific research is also needed for XR in general. It is a living theme,...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The Digital education action plan (Digisprong) aims to address several challenges:
the availability of ICT infrastructure for all schools in compulsory education;
the need for schools to develop and implement a school-specific ICT policy, originated by the ICT coordinator or the ICT team of the school;
develop teacher and school ICT skills and provide them with digital learning resources;
create a knowledge centre ‘Digisprong’ as a unit within the Flemish Ministry of Education and...
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
That the Digital education action plan (Digisprong) will have important consequences for many schools is beyond dispute. Strategic objectives and concrete actions were formulated for each challenge. Those include:
ICT infrastructure
provide every learner in secondary education with a device;
provide ICT equipment for teachers through the school:
bolster the ICT infrastructure within the school;
facilitate the use of connectivity and telecom services with special attention to security...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The objective of the Higher education advancement fund is to make higher education in Flanders more digital, flexible and modern. One of the key points is to further develop lifelong learning in higher education, including more focus on labour market needs.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The main actions within the key point 'further developing lifelong learning in higher education' of the Higher education advancement fund are:
1. Agile offer of lifelong learning
There is a need for retraining, reorientation and reskilling. This includes developing micro-credentials and reshaping of programmes, in which social partners are involved. It is essential to strengthen cooperation with the private sector, e.g. in the context of dual learning. New, innovative pathways should also...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The action plan for lifelong learning aims to transform Flanders into a lifelong learning society. This is essential to increase innovation potential and productivity and to prepare Flanders for transformations such as climate change and the ageing population. This is an initiative to promote VET and lifelong learning; it also strengthens key competences in VET.
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On 30 October 2020, the lifelong learning partnership was established, to stimulate the participation in lifelong learning through working out a joint approach across sectors and policy areas. This partnership is composed of representatives from the Socio-Economic Council of Flanders (SERV), education and training providers, the private training providers, the Lifelong Learning Committee of the Flemish Education Council (VLOR) and a higher education expert from the Vlerick business school.
...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
To evolve to an innovative knowledge society a resilient and (re-)skilled workforce is needed. By offering (financial) support to individuals and enterprises, the Flemish government wants to increase the participation rate in lifelong learning. Incentives for learners and companies aim to promote work-based and lifelong learning and encourage the provision of quality guidance in the workplace.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Incentives for work-based learning In 2015, the federal incentives for VET became Flemish, due to a State reform. Since then, young people (below the age of 18) and the training companies, which offer work-based learning, receive a bonus each school year (starting bonus for learners, internship bonus for companies). In addition, training companies receive a reduction in employer’s social security contribution paid by companies for employees who are low-educated young people, apprentices in...
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Through the STEM-agenda 2030, the Flemish Government promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in VET and lifelong learning. The number of courses and careers in STEM should be increased, leading also to an increased number of graduate STEM specialists. STEM competences in the wider society in general should also be strengthened: this is known as STEM literacy.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The STEM agenda 2030 focuses on the following three parts.
Sustainable STEM communication in relation to VET
With a sustainable and inclusive STEM communication strategy in VET:
attention will be paid to the low and barely increasing participation rate of girls;
societal transitions will be placed in a central position (VET and STEM contribute to these transitions);
high-quality and instructive practices will be disseminated towards the STEM and VET ecosystem;
players in that...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
InnoVET stands for innovation in vocational education and training (VET): innovation in labour market-oriented courses.
It is a project of the Flemish government for schools offering technical secondary education (TSO) or vocational secondary education (BSO) courses, to familiarise teachers and students with the labour market of today and tomorrow. This is done by stimulating labour market-oriented schools to develop and test innovative materials and methodologies through projects, with the...
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In 2018, a Flemish evidence-based research facility - commissioned by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training - carried out a study to formulate an answer to three questions, together with teachers, directors, business leaders and networks:
What are the major technical challenges facing education?
Which training needs for teachers are related to this?
What does good professionalisation look like to meet those needs?
The resulting policy development consists of three phases:
...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Since the academic year 2017/18, all students enroling in initial teacher education at bachelor level have to take a non-binding admission test on study skills and motivation and knowledge of Dutch. Students enroling in initial teacher education programmes for primary education take additional tests on knowledge of mathematics and French. Taking the exam is compulsory, but admission to the programme is not linked to the results on the admission test. The admission test is meant to assist in...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Social partners (Employer organisations and worker unions)
At the end of a stage, learning outcomes determine what a secondary school learner must know and be able to do. The final attainment levels in secondary education date from the mid-1990s and so were more than 20 years old; there was a need to update them. For specific subjects, this means that the learning outcomes are adapted to, amongst other things, new knowledge about or new applications of, for example, mathematics or economics.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The public debate on the attainment targets/learning outcomes for secondary education, including vocational-oriented secondary education (initial VET) took place in between February and June 2016. It involved around 40 000 participants, half of which were young learners. In January 2018, the Decree on the renewal of the learning outcomes for compulsory education (for all pupils) was adopted by the Flemish Parliament. The decree was set up by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training and...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Flemish Ministry of Education and Training
Agency for Higher Education, Adult Education, Qualifications and Study Allowances (AHOVOKS)
The aim of validation is to help individuals to achieve personal development, to contribute to a higher level of employment, to improve access to formal education systems and to stimulate lifelong learning. Developments at policy level aim at an integrated approach to validation, bringing existing separate validation measures together in a single comprehensive strategy.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
There is increased cooperation between different validation providers (inside as well as outside education) and the willingness to create a single framework linking validation processes to the Flemish qualifications framework (FQF). In July 2015, the concept for an integrated framework for validation in Flanders was approved by the Flemish government; a task force was set up to develop the integrated policy framework and to draft a decree on validation. A cost-benefit analysis has been...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Flemish Ministry of Education and Training
Flemish Ministry of Work and Social Economy
Agency for Higher Education, Adult Education, Qualifications and Study Allowances (AHOVOKS)
The National qualifications frameworks (NQFs) facilitate the understanding and comparison of qualifications. The NQF classifies qualifications by level, based on learning outcomes, which the holder of a specific diploma or certificate is expected to know, to understand and to be able to do. This approach facilitates the moving between education and training institutions and sectors.
The FQF includes the:
professional qualifications (beroepskwalificaties), which are the basis for formal...
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In 2016 arrangements were made to facilitate the update of the content of the professional qualifications and to provide partial qualifications. Professional qualifications have been levelled individually (as opposed to being placed as a block) in a process involving the main social partners. Since 2017 it is possible to update the content of the professional qualifications. The procedures take into account the nature of the changes: technical or substantive changes, changes with or without...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
To link data on learning pathways with information on labour market participation more easily.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In 2017, progress was made towards more easily linking administrative data on learning pathways with information on labour market participation. Based on an agreement between the Flemish public employment service (VDAB) and the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training, schools will, in the future, receive data not only on the progression of their graduates towards higher education (as was the case so far) but also on the transition of their IVET graduates to the labour market. VDAB and the...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
To prescribe the terms for certifying professional qualifications outside formal education.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
On the 26 April 2019, the Flemish Government approved a new Decree on common principles about the quality assurance of training (and validation) pathways outside the formal education system, leading to professional qualification, formally linked to the Flemish qualifications framework (Vlaamse kwalificatiestructuur). The decree prescribes the terms for certifying professional qualifications by regulating the conditions for quality control at the level of the provider and that of the training...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Flemish Ministry of Work and Social Economy
Agency for Higher Education, Adult Education, Qualifications and Study Allowances (AHOVOKS)
The government of Flanders aims to intensify and increase the share of work-based learning in higher education and formal adult education programmes to close the gap between education and the labour market.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In May 2018, the Flemish Parliament adopted the law to integrate higher profession-oriented education (formerly called HBO5 programmes) into a fully fledged component of higher education (as short-cycle programmes leading to an associate degree). To stress this difference, the name HBO5 was taken out and replaced by the associated degree programmes (HBO programmes). At least one third of the learning period in this type of programme has to be work-based, which is intended to attract adult...
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This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The dual learning system, which includes a large proportion of work-based learning, aims to close the gap between education and the labour market, and reduce early school leaving and youth unemployment.
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What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In April 2015, the Flemish government approved the resolution for implementing pilot projects on dual learning. Between 2015 and 2019, a series of pilot projects experimented with the concept of dual learning.
Dual learning is an integrated secondary education pathway that consists of general education, vocational training and work experience at the workplace and leads to a secondary education qualification. How many days a week are spent on the job depends on the field of study. In dual...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
