Further development of vocational education and training for the future

Permeability between vocational education and training and higher education has been an object of keen debate for some considerable time, the main aims being to improve equality of opportunity and to increase the attractiveness of VET. This topic is closely connected with the issue of flexibilisation of vocational education and training. Nevertheless, the practical relevance of this permeability has actually been very slow to materialise up until now. For this reason, possibilities which may be able to facilitate transition from vocational education and training to higher education and vice versa, e.g. standardisation of opportunities for transition and recognition and a curriculum which is more independent of learning venues and more modular, are currently being explored. The ultimate objective is to overcome existing structural hurdles and to seize permeability as a potential development route.