A report for the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, by SKOPE and the Edge Foundation.
Authors: Susan James Relly, James Robson, Kat Emms, Andrea Laczik, Ashmita Randhawa, Ikuya Aizawa, Laura Dong, Sejin Hwang, Vania Pinto, and Lena Zlock
Evidence shows that world-class skills systems, underpinned by robust standards, drive economic growth through improved productivity and inward investment. The technical and vocational education and training (TVET) route is starting to receive increasing government attention in the UK; the government’s recent Skills for Jobs White Paper for England underlines policymakers’ recognition of ensuring skills development is front and centre in education and training policy and economic strategy. However, around the world, the most successful skills systems are underpinned by a well-supported, respected, and trained technical teaching workforce with structures in place to ensure the delivery of world-class technical education and training.
This research analysed how seven different countries drive technical excellence both in terms of policy and practice. Although each of the seven countries (Austria, Brazil, France, Hungary, India, Japan, and South Korea) differed in their approach and had very different systems, there were clear similarities:
- World-class technical skills and skills systems were seen across all countries as vital for the economy and successful skills economies rely on partnerships to embed excellence at all levels.
- Battling for prestige against more academic routes, or demonstrating relevance to industry and the economy, are frustrations not unique to UK skills systems. However, the report found that high standards and employer involvement can help tackle low prestige for TVET.
- The report also identified how WorldSkills can help national skills systems promote excellence by being a ‘third space’ away from the constraints of a formal education or workplace setting. This ‘third space’ gives teachers and students the freedom to experiment and innovate where mistakes are not costly. It also allows new ways of training to be developed and benchmarked to meet changing global industry standards.
Drawing on the findings from the seven research countries, the report concludes with a number of recommendations and lessons for the UK.