Changing vocational education and training in Ukraine

The concluding conference of the European twinning project "Modernisation of legislative standards and principles of education and training in line with the EU Policy for Lifelong Learning" took place in Kiev in the spring of this year. Over the course of the two-year project period

• a new Ukrainian law on vocational education and training was developed and passed by the Ukrainian parliament,
• a Ukrainian qualification framework was outlined and
• the development of occupational standards was supported.

The project was supervised by METROPOL/National Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (Denmark) and the co-operation partners were AarhusTech (Denmark) and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). The Ukrainian Ministry for Education and Science was the local twinning partner.

In its capacity as 'junior project manager', the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) was involved in steering the overall project and in co-ordinating the work regarding the qualification framework. The project work carried out by the BIBB included also issues of governance and the development of standards. The BIBB launched a series of workshops on topics pertaining to vocational education and training in co-operation with colleagues from the Institute for Vocational Education and Training at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. The BIBB moreover organised and supervised two study visits to Germany.

The project work was supported by national working groups. In addition, workshops, advanced training courses and study visits to Germany took place, involving more than 1,000 vocational education and training experts (vocational college headmasters, teachers, trainers, industry representatives, education researchers). A total of more than 20 peer-learning and advanced training courses were offered over the course of the project period.

The changes to the Ukrainian vocational education and training system

The Ukrainian-Danish-German co-operation project aimed at making a contribution towards reforming the vocational education and training system and, in particular, at supporting the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science in the development and implementation of national legislation and a qualification framework as well as in the development of modern occupational standards. The project goals were achieved in spite of the difficult political situation.

The new law defines altered responsibilities regarding the various stakeholders of vocational education and training. For the first time, it introduces devolution in decision-making and stipulates responsibilities regarding all issues pertaining to vocational education and training. The law moreover includes provisions regarding the co-operation of all relevant stakeholders (government authorities, company representatives, union representatives and vocational colleges).

In order to define the outlines of the Ukrainian qualification framework, a methodology for the future allocation of existing and new qualifications was developed.

And lastly, five vocational education and training standards were developed in the context of this project, structured into modules and focusing on the learning outcome. The modernisation of more than 300 occupational standards is pending.

Stakeholders of vocational education and training in Ukraine support development

The examples and experiences from the German and Danish vocational education and training systems have helped to create awareness amongst the stakeholders of vocational education and training in Ukraine, who now realise that vocational education and training relies on the co-operative effort of all stakeholders (government authorities, company representatives, union representatives and vocational colleges). The provision of vocational training at the business as a learning venue now is regarded as a means for increasing the quality of vocational education and training.

The Ukrainian Deputy Education Minister, Pavlo Polianskyi, called the project the currently most important project in the Ukrainian vocational education and training sector and said it had a good chance of contributing to sustainable change in the Ukrainian vocational education and training system. He added that sustainability can be measured not only on the basis of the newly created legal framework conditions, but also and in particular with regards to the changed perception of vocational education and training amongst the various stakeholders in Ukraine.

Rodion Kolyshko, the representative of the Confederation of Employers in Ukraine, thanked his colleagues and the European experts for the positive effect the project had on involving the industry organisations. In particular, he said, the role of industry organisations has been strengthened and the alignment of qualifications to focus on the learning outcome has been increased.

The industry associations declared their willingness to continue in their support for the project and to fulfil their responsibilities in organising the vocational education and training system, especially with regards to the development of training standards. In this regard, the twinning project was an instructive exercise.

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In the wake of the twinning project, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science has launched a pilot project for the introduction of dual system vocational education and training, which will be implemented in one sector each in three pilot regions (Zaporoshe, Lviv and Kiev). This pilot project aims at the concrete testing and continuation of the twinning project results.

Project results

The project has contributed to the following legislative and methodological instruments:

Ukrainian legal framework conditions for modernising vocational education and training

• Ukrainian Vocational Education and Training Act
• Section on vocational education and training in the Ukrainian Education Act
• Ukrainian cabinet decisions regarding apprenticeship placements, vocational education and training programmes at vocational colleges, the list of occupations requiring formal training and vocational education and training qualifications
• Resolution by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science regarding the organisation of vocational education and training programmes at vocational colleges
• Revision of legal provisions governing vocational education and training in Ukraine
• Process for the validation of knowledge, skills and capabilities of learners in the admission to retraining and advanced training courses
• Process for the advanced training provision to teaching and training staff

Strategy for implementing the Ukrainian qualification framework

• Guidelines for referencing qualifications in the national qualification framework
• Resolution by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science regarding the process for developing vocational education and training standards for select occupations (competence orientation, training modules, occupational profiles)
• Introduction of the national qualification framework into the Vocational Education and Training Act

Quality of vocational education and training in Ukraine

• Development of national vocational education and training standards in select occupations requiring formal training
• Development of five vocational education and training standards
• Recommendations for the establishment of national and local vocational education and training committees involving the social partners
• Development of quality assurance indicators for vocational education and training
• Initiative for the training of skilled labour according to the dual model of vocational education and training