How to attract potential apprentices?

142 Pages·2016·4.63 MB·English

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OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training
Seven Questions about
Apprenticeships
ANSWERS FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The
opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official
views of OECD member countries.
This document, as well as any data and any map included herein, are without prejudice
to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international
frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
Please cite this publication as:
OECD (2018), Seven Questions about Apprenticeships: Answers from International Experience, OECD
Reviews of Vocational Education and Training, OECD Publishing, Paris.
https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264306486-en
ISBN 978-92-64-30647-9 (print)
ISBN 978-92-64-30648-6 (pdf)
Series: OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training
ISSN 2077-7728 (print)
ISSN 2077-7736 (online)
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of
such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in
the West Bank under the terms of international law.
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© OECD 2018
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FOREWORD │ 3

Foreword
We live in a world where for too long, and in too many countries, vocational education
and training (VET) has been the poor cousin of national strategies to provide young
people and adults with the knowledge and skills they need – and employers demand. That
is why vocational education has often been seen as a provision fit only for ‘other people’s
children’ against the gold standard of academic routes culminating in university study.
But evidence from countries with high performing vocational systems tells us that they
provide a very effective means of integrating learners into the labour market and for
opening pathways for further learning and personal growth - and there are signs that
things are changing.
A new wave of interest has emerged in response to rising concerns over both stubbornly
high levels of youth unemployment and the unpredictability of the modern working
world. Increasingly diverse and interconnected populations, rapid technological change in
the workplace and in everyday life, and the instantaneous availability of vast amounts of
information mean that work that can be automated or digitised can now be done by the
most competitive individuals or enterprises, wherever on the globe they are located.
Knowledge and skills have become the global currency of the twenty-first century, with a
rising premium on those social and emotional skills that are best learnt at the workplace.
So across the globe, governments are turning afresh to VET and introduced programmes
aimed at enhancing its attractiveness. They aim to improve progression from VET into
either skilled employment or higher level learning by harnessing the unique capacity of
the workplace experience to develop skills of genuine value.
This new report builds upon landmark OECD studies into upper secondary VET
(Learning for Jobs, 2010) and post-secondary provision (Skills beyond School, 2014) to
focus attention on apprenticeships as a uniquely important form of work-based learning.
Rooted in real life workplaces, apprenticeships actively engage employers to ensure the
value of skills development, but more needs to be done to ensure high-quality
experiences. The aim of this report is to lift the bonnet on the design of effective
apprenticeship systems. Addressing fundamental questions like the duration of an
apprenticeship and how much an apprentice should be paid, the report provides a
framework for policy makers and practitioners working across the world. This synthesis
report follows six focused studies which were generously supported by Australia, Canada,
Germany, Norway, Scotland (United Kingdom), Switzerland, the United Kingdom
(Department for Education, England/UKCES, UK Commission for Employment and
Skills), and the United States and the European Commission.
This is an important time for vocational education. It is now widely accepted that the
skills that are easiest to teach and test are also the skills that are easiest to digitise,
automate and outsource. VET systems must rise to the challenge of this changing
landscape if they are to remain relevant to the needs of learners and employers. This
study furthers our ability to conceptualise and make sense of the changes now being
encountered, enabling confident responses to emerging challenges. Looking forward, new
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS © OECD 2018
4 │ FOREWORD

data, including further results from the OECD’s Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and
Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA), will help countries to compare
the extent to which they have succeeded in ensuring that VET emerges as an attractive
opportunity for all learners.

Andreas Schleicher,
Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the
Secretary-General
OECD
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS © OECD 2018
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS │ 5

Acknowledgements
Throughout this study, the OECD Secretariat has received essential guidance and support
from the Group of National Experts on Vocational Education and Training and Adult
Learning, with a particular debt to the chair, Stefan Wolter, and vice-chairs, Johan Uvin
and Katalin Zoltán.
The analytical work on individual modules leading to this report was funded through
voluntary contributions from Australia, Canada, Germany, Norway, Scotland
(United Kingdom), Switzerland, the United Kingdom (Department for Education,
England/UKCES, UK Commission for Employment and Skills), the United States and the
European Commission. Switzerland, Scotland (United Kingdom), the United Kingdom
and the United States hosted workshops, which provided valuable input into the work.
Particular thanks is owed to national co-ordinators, who commented on the draft working
papers and provided background information. These include: in Australia, Rochelle Ball,
Pat Donaldson and Juliet Zeiler; in Canada, Geneviève Babin, Marie Lavallée and
Marie-France Chouinard; at the European Commission, Sigve Bjorstad and Mantas
Sekmokas; in Germany, Oliver Diehl; in Norway, Benedicte Bergseng; in Scotland
(United Kingdom), Tony Coultas; in Switzerland, Laura Antonelli, Paolo Bernasconi,
Sarah Daepp, Marie-Laure Favre and Marlene Furrer; in the United Kingdom, Alison
Morris; and in the United States, Johan Uvin and Sharon Lee Miller.
Within the OECD, Anthony Mann supported the preparation of this report as head of the
Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Adult Learning team, with the OECD
Centre for Skills, overseeing the final draft. Support throughout the exercise was received
from Montserrat Gomendio as head of the Centre and from Deborah Roseveare and
subsequently Dirk van Damme as head of the Skills beyond School Division.
This report draws heavily on working papers authored by Viktória Kis, Małgorzata
Kuczera, Lucia Mýtna Kureková, Samuel Mühlemann, Pauline Musset and Hendrickje
Windisch. Viktória Kis drafted Chapters 1 to 6. Pauline Musset drafted Chapter 7.
Anthony Mann drafted the executive summary and overview. Tanja Bastianić provided
statistical support throughout the exercise. Liz Zachary provided editorial support.
Jennifer Cannon and Elisa Larrakoetxea prepared the text and steered the report to
publication.
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS © OECD 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS │ 7

Table of contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 5
Executive summary ............................................................................................................................. 11
Key findings ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Key messages ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Note .................................................................................................................................................... 14
Overview: Making apprenticeships work ......................................................................................... 15
Why look at apprenticeships? ............................................................................................................ 15
Background to this report................................................................................................................... 15
How this report is organised .............................................................................................................. 16
Summary of policy messages............................................................................................................. 17
References .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 1. Can apprenticeships provide a useful contribution in every country?........................ 27
Issues and challenges ......................................................................................................................... 28
The challenges arising with apprenticeship implementation depend on contextual factors .............. 30
The design of apprenticeship schemes can be adapted to suit different contexts .............................. 34
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Note .................................................................................................................................................... 40
References .......................................................................................................................................... 40
Chapter 2. Should employers receive financial incentives to provide apprenticeships?............... 43
Issues and challenges ......................................................................................................................... 44
Financial incentives to encourage employers to take on apprentices should be used with caution ... 47
To encourage employers, governments should aim to improve the apprenticeship cost-benefit
balance through system design, support and capacity building ......................................................... 51
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 55
References .......................................................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 3. What is the right wage for apprentices? ........................................................................ 59
Issues and challenges ......................................................................................................................... 60
Apprentice wages should reflect the cost-benefit balance of different apprenticeships .................... 61
Apprentice wages should also reflect the characteristics of apprentices and policy priorities .......... 64
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 69
References .......................................................................................................................................... 70
Chapter 4. How long should an apprenticeship last? ....................................................................... 73
Issues and challenges ......................................................................................................................... 74
Apprenticeship duration should reflect the targeted occupation ........................................................ 75
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS © OECD 2018
8 │ TABLE OF CONTENTS

Some flexibility in duration should be allowed to accommodate for different starting points and
learning speeds of apprentices ........................................................................................................... 80
Allow access to the final qualifying examination of an apprenticeship............................................. 84
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 87
Note .................................................................................................................................................... 88
References .......................................................................................................................................... 88
Chapter 5. How to ensure a good learning experience at work?..................................................... 91
Issues and challenges ......................................................................................................................... 92
The training capacity of employers must be built and supported ...................................................... 94
Apprenticeship assessments must be rigorous ................................................................................... 98
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 103
References ........................................................................................................................................ 104
Chapter 6. How to make apprenticeships work for youth at risk? ............................................... 107
Issues and challenges ....................................................................................................................... 108
Apprenticeship schemes need to be designed in ways that address the needs of youth at risk,
while remaining attractive to employers .......................................................................................... 109
Youth at risk often need preparatory programmes to get them ready for apprenticeships .............. 113
Youth at risk often require additional support over the duration of the apprenticeship ................... 115
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 118
References ........................................................................................................................................ 119
Chapter 7. How to attract potential apprentices? .......................................................................... 123
Issues and challenges ....................................................................................................................... 124
Quality matters in making apprenticeships attractive ...................................................................... 127
Career guidance is an essential feature of apprenticeship policy ..................................................... 128
Strategic use of career guidance will broaden aspirations and challenge stereotypes ..................... 129
Effective career guidance strategies demand close co-operation between schools and the world of
work ................................................................................................................................................. 132
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 134
Notes ................................................................................................................................................ 135
References ........................................................................................................................................ 135
Annex A. Apprentices and apprenticeship graduates in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) ... 137
Current apprentices .......................................................................................................................... 137
Apprenticeship graduates ................................................................................................................. 137
Reference ......................................................................................................................................... 137

Tables
Table 1. Published policy papers that feed into this report ................................................................... 17
Table 1.1. Types of costs and benefits to firms ..................................................................................... 36
Table 2.1. Financial incentives designed to encourage employers to offer apprenticeships ................. 46
Table 3.1. Apprentice wages in selected OECD countries .................................................................... 60
Table 3.2. How the minimum apprentice wage is determined .............................................................. 61
Table 4.1. Apprenticeship duration ....................................................................................................... 79
Table 5.1. How do apprentices spend their time? .................................................................................. 92
Table 6.1. Pre-apprenticeship programmes in selected OECD countries ............................................ 114
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS © OECD 2018