Vocational education faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries closed vocational education institutions for shorter periods than general education. Distance learning increased but was seen as less suitable than in-person learning. Fewer work-based learning opportunities were available and only 1/3 of vocational students participated in combined school and work programs. Support was provided for remote teaching and assessing learning losses. Looking forward, countries aim to strengthen resilience through flexible training, technology use, and focusing on future-proof jobs.

1. Vocational education in times of crisis
Andreas Schleicher

2. With the labour market undergoing rapid, fundamental change –
decision-making is more important, but also more difficult.
2

3. Mixed earnings outcomes in normal times
Relative earnings of adults with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education
compared to earnings of adults with below upper secondary education, (2018)
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
Czech
Republic
Brazil
United
States
Chile
Colombia
Costa
Rica
Israel
Austria
Germany
Hungary
Slovak
Republic
Turkey
Portugal
Korea
Italy
Switzerland
Canada
Mexico
Greece
OECD
average
Slovenia
Luxembourg
EU
average
Sweden
Spain
Poland
Netherlands
Norway
United
Kingdom
Lithuania
Belgium
New
Zealand
Denmark
Latvia
Australia
Estonia
France
Ireland
Finland
Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary - general
Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary - vocational

4. But good employment outcomes
Employment rates of 25-34 year-olds, by educational attainment and programme orientation (2019)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Luxembourg
Iceland
Sweden
Norway
Switzerland
Austria
Canada
Germany
Netherlands
Portugal
Slovenia
Russian
Federation
Denmark
United
Kingdom
Hungary
New
Zealand
Belgium
Czech
Republic
Australia
EU
average
OECD
average
Lithuania
Slovak
Republic
Israel
Estonia
Latvia
Poland
Finland
Chile
France
Mexico
Spain
Costa
Rica
Italy
Turkey
Greece
Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary (vocational orientation)
Below upper secondary
Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary (general orientation)
Tertiary
%

5. Work experience while studying increases employment prospects
Employment rate of 25-34 year-olds who attained vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary
education, by type of work experience while studying (2016)
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Switzerland
Austria
Norway
Latvia
Slovenia
Hungary
Belgium
Czech
Republic
Germany
Slovak
Republic
Netherlands
Sweden
Poland
Estonia
Average
Denmark
United
Kingdom
Portugal
Spain
Lithuania
Ireland
France
Italy
Greece
Finland
Turkey
Iceland
% No work experience Apprenticeship Mandatory traineeship Work outside the curriculum

6. However, only one in three VET students participate in combined school-
and work-based programmes on average
Distribution of upper secondary vocational students by type of vocational programme (2018)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Costa
Rica
Czech
Republic
Greece
Italy
Japan
Korea
Lithuania
Mexico
Brazil
Spain
Sweden
Belgium
Israel
Estonia
Chile
Slovak
Republic
Finland
Portugal
Poland
Luxembourg
France
Australia
Slovenia
OECD
average
EU
average
Austria
United
Kingdom
Iceland
Norway
Turkey
Germany
Switzerland
Netherlands
Denmark
Hungary
Ireland
Latvia
School-based programmes Combined school- and work-based programmes
%

7. In many countries, employers are providing fewer work-based opportunities
Figure 9
• Australia: apprenticeship and traineeship commencements 18.8%
lower in the twelve months ending 30 September 2020 than in the
year before
• Germany: number of apprenticeship contracts concluded dropped by
9.4% in 2020 compared to the previous year
• Slovenia: 22% of last year students in upper-secondary VET
programmes had no access to work-based learning in the first half of
the school year 2020/21.
• Some exceptions, e.g. Switzerland (stable) and France (increase)
Source: NCVER (2021)
 Countries changed the requirements for and organisation of work-based learning
 School-based alternatives were organised or expanded
 Financial incentives for employers to provide work-based learning were put in place

8. Closures

9. One third of countries had shorter closures in upper secondary VET
than in general education
Figure 1
Number of instruction days (excluding school holidays, public holidays and weekends) where upper-secondary
education institutions were fully closed in 2020, VET vs. general programmes
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

10. Full or partial closures of upper secondary VET institutions remained the norm in
early 2021
Figure 5
Status of education institution closure as of 1 February 2021, VET vs general education (% of countries)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

11. Remote learning

12. VET made ample use of distance learning solutions
Figure 2
Distance-learning solutions offered in participating countries during 2020 and/or 2021, VET (% of countries)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

13. • Many online and distance learning and other innovative approaches such as AR, VR and AI
were created, adapted and expanded.
New learning experiences
Image sources: Electude
Classroom and Labster Labs’
virtual labs; Oxford University’s
LIFE project, a smartphone-
based virtual learning platform

14. Learning analytics
• Learning analytics helps educators
personalise learning
• in real time
• as a reflective tool
• Data come from sensors, learning
management systems and digital activities
of learners
• When should you shift to a new activity?
• Are you losing the attention of learners?
• How do you struture instruction time
(lecture, small group, discussion,
assessment, practice, etc.)?
• Which students do you talk to and support
the most?

15. Distance learning is perceived as being less suitable for VET in few countries
Figure 3
Perceived validity of distance learning in upper secondary education (VET vs general), % of countries
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

16. Learning loss in hybrid teaching & learning mode (2020)
16
Source: http://www.nber.org/papers/w27431

17. Older VET teachers feel less confident using digital technologies in their teaching
Figure 10
Proportion of upper-secondary VET teachers who are (very) confident using digital technologies, by age
(average from respondents in OECD countries)
Source: SELFIE database (extraction October 2018-December 2020); Hippe, R., Pokropek, A. and P. Costa (2021[2]), Cross-country validation of the SELFIE tool for digital capacity building of Vocational
Education and Training schools, in preparation.

18. VET teachers received additional support for professional learning to use ICT tools
and remote/hybrid teaching more effectively
Figure 11
Different types of skills development support provided at the national level, VET (% of countries)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

19. Mitigating health risks

20. Strategies for a safe return to upper secondary VET institutions
Figure 6
Strategies for the re-opening of upper-secondary education institutions after the first period of closures in
2020, VET vs general education (% of countries)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

21. Only relatively few countries introduced remedial activities
for upper secondary VET students
Table 1
Countries introducing remedial measures with a special focus on students in programmes with a vocational
orientation
Yes No
Number of
countries
List of countries Number of
countries
List of countries
15 Austria, Belgium, Estonia,
Finland, France, Hungary, Israel,
Japan1, Korea, Lithuania, the
Netherlands, New Zealand,
Poland, Portugal, Spain
13 Canada, Chile, Colombia, England
(United Kingdom), Germany,
Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg,
Norway, Russian Federation,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

22. Steps taken to assess learning losses as a result of COVID related school closures
Table 2
Number of
countries
List of countries
Students were assessed in a
standardised way (at the sub-national
or national level)
9 Austria, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Ireland,
Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands and Poland
Students were not yet assessed but
there is a plan to assess them in a
standardised way
3 Belgium (Flemish), Colombia and Turkey
Students were assessed at the
classroom level (formative
assessment by teachers)
20 Austria, Belgium (Flemish), Belgium (French), Chile,
Costa Rica, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia,
France, Germany, Ireland, Japan1, Latvia, Lithuania,
Netherlands , Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and
Switzerland
There is no plan to assess students in
a standardised way
11 Chile, England (UK), Finland, Hungary, Korea,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zeeland, Slovak
Republic, Spain, and Sweden
Upper secondary vocational education
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

23. Examinations and assessments

24. National examinations in VET were adjusted
Figure 7
Changes to 2019-20 national examinations in upper-secondary education due to the pandemic (% of
countries, VET versus general education)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

25. A few countries had higher VET graduation rates than in previous years
Figure 8
Graduation ratios for students in the last year of upper-secondary VET (2019 and 2020)
Source: OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB Special Survey on COVID. March 2021.

26. It is the work-based component that increases
alignment between education and work, but
that the pandemic has put at stake

27. Incentives to encourage work-based learning
Figure 9
Financial incentives for employers to provide work-based learning (% of countries)
Source: OECD “Youth and COVID” policy questionnaire (May 2021)

28. It’s easier to recover learning losses than emotional needs​

29. Provide more flexible and resilient education
Increase use of technology in education
Focus more on future-proof sectors
and occupations
Enhance broader range of cognitive, social and
emotional skills
Looking forward

30. • Vocational education and training, including apprenticeships
• Allow training breaks, extensions and modularisation.
• Provide part-time, weekend or online courses and in-company training.
• Support employers that offer apprenticeships
• Fast-track licensing and recognition of prior learning
• Direct access to qualification exams
• Modular training to top-up partially missing skills
• Rapid retraining
• Essential jobs
• Targeting workers who already had some relevant skills helped to keep training times short.
• Short medical training to laid-off workers in the airline industry
• Retrain hospitality workers to care for the elderly
• Training while on reduced working hours
• Training while on short term work scheme to improve the viability of their current job or
improve the prospect of finding a new job
Strenthening resilience

31. Thank you
Find out more about our work at www.oecd.org/education
– All publications
– The complete micro-level database
Email: Andreas.Schleicher@OECD.org
Twitter: SchleicherOECD
Wechat: AndreasSchleicher