Ei-iE

Education International’s taskforce on vocational education and globalization met in Brussels on October 4 to discuss a draft report and recommendations for the Executive Board.

Established following the IVth World Congress in Porto Alegre in 2004, the taskforce was asked to explore the impact of globalization on vocational education and training, paying particular attention to the potential fallout from trade agreements like the GATS.

In their discussions, members of the taskforce noted the wide diversity of vocational education and training systems in different countries, but also highlighted a number of common challenges, including the lack of adequate public funding, the narrowing of the curriculum, and the increasing role of the private sector. The taskforce concluded that the GATS, if applied to education services, would lock-in and intensify these pressures.

The taskforce is comprised of representatives of EI affiliates from Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Norway, Quebec, Spain and the United Kingdom.