The Inclusive PolicyNet working group on Vocational Education and Training (VET) identified policy recommendations 

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROVIDES JOBS

 

„Attractive Vocational Education and Training (VET) “is inclusive VET. Young people do not choose to engage in vocational education  to be socially  included - they engage to get a job and to remain in the labour market!“,  pointed out Ms Elizabeth Watters from European Training Foundation at the meeting of the Inclusive PolicyNet working group  on Vocational Education and Training.

Children should choose their future professions based on their abilities, needs and interests carefully blended with the market needs. Accordingly, the Inclusive PolicyNet working group recommended developing policy and practice that systematically foster a climate favourable to children to choose, to provide them career development, professional orientation and selection, a lot earlier. Community, especially parents, need to take more constructive and realistic part in the school and vice versa.

To prepare young professionals for regional labour market,it takes updating and aligning VET curricula across South East Europe. While, for VET that responds to market needs, school boards and employment offices need to increase collaboration at all levels.  Policy makers and authorities should be focused constantly on monitoring of implementation of cross-sectorial cooperation. There is continuous need to promote a common and wide understanding of what inclusive education really is.

These are recommendations for reforming inclusive practices in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) across South East Europe.

Based on research results and experiences of SchoolNet and TeacherNet, the Inclusive PolicyNet working group also recognised the important role of a principles and a need for constant   professionalization of this function. But they considered that teachers, too, need training in the inclusive education practices.

The thematic policy meeting of the Regional Inclusive PolicyNet took place at the headquarters of the European Training Foundation (ETF) in Turin, Italy on the 16th & 17th June 2014. It included members from 7 Beneficiaries of the Joint EU/CoE Project “Regional Support for Inclusive Education” in South East Europe.

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Interviews

LIDA KITA INTERVIEW

Lida Kita works as an operational officer at the European Training Foundation. She has two roles – she is country manager for Turkey & Israel and is a specialist in inclusion in education and training for the Western Balkans and Turkey. She is also on the Project’s steering board.

Her team was asked by DG Enlargement to mobilise the discussions in Western Balkans and Turkey to talk about social inclusion in education and training and her team designed the project. As a result she was asked to be a Steering Board member.

Ms Kita explains that a large amount of preparatory work was involved, so that, when the project was launched, it felt almost like bringing a child into the world.

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Lida Kita said she was really enthusiastic about the project and what it was doing

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Lida Kita of the European Training Foundation talking to David Addis

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