China has established the world's largest education system. The gross enrollment ratio of pre-primary education, completion rate for compulsory education, and gross enrollment ratio of senior secondary education all exceed 90%. The gross enrollment ratio of higher education exceeds 60%, which is universally recognized as a high rate of enrollment.…

Learning and skills contribute to economic growth both directly, by improving the skills base available to employers, and indirectly, by underpinning the five foundations of productivity identified by the government: ideas, people, infrastructure, business environment, and places. This is the case for all levels of learning from basic skills to…

Short-cycle higher education programs (SCPs), lasting two or three years, capture about a quarter of higher education enrollment in the world and can play a key role enhancing workforce skills. In this paper, we estimate the program-level contribution of SCPs to student academic and labor market outcomes, and study how and why these contributions…

Changes in the qualification profiles of workers is one indicator of changes in the supply and demand for education and training. Using Australian Census data on highest qualification held (which may understate the incidence of Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications if they were obtained after completing higher education) this…

Young people who are not studying, in training or working make up what is known as the 'NEET' group (not in education, employment or training). The NEET indicator has been regularly published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since the late 1990s, as NEET youth are considered to be "potentially at risk for…

In a rapidly changing 21st-century economy with growing competition from abroad, continuing to field a world-leading, skilled workforce is both more essential and more challenging than ever to the mission of delivering increasing prosperity for American families and preserving this nation's economic leadership. The US must therefore confront its…

Impressions are influential. Through more than 40,000 interviews of people aged 25 and over in the European Union (EU), Norway and Iceland, this survey explores people's impressions about adult learning and continuing vocational education and training (CVET), which are central to enabling adults acquire the knowledge, skills and competences they…

This report looks into the incidence of skills mismatches in the Republic of Serbia (hereafter referred to as Serbia). In 2017, the European Training Foundation (ETF) initiated a skills mismatch measurement project in the ETF partner countries with two objectives: (1) to identify regular data sources; and (2) to develop and test a series of…

Swiss society is ageing. At the same time, life expectancy is increasing. With most workers retiring around age 65, time in retirement is growing and the ratio of retirees to employees is set to soar. These developments bring a range of opportunities but will likely weigh on growth in GDP per capita and increase public spending. They may also…

The report looks into the incidence of skills mismatches in the Republic of Moldova (hereafter referred to as Moldova). In 2017, the European Training Foundation (ETF) initiated a mismatch measurement project in selected ETF partner countries with a view to showcasing gaps and shortages in skills utilisation on the labour market including aspects…

This report looks into the incidence of skills mismatches in the Republic of North Macedonia (hereinafter referred to as North Macedonia). In 2017, the European Training Foundation (ETF) initiated a skills mismatch measurement project in the ETF partner countries with two objectives: (1) to identify regular data sources; and (2) to develop and…

In 2017, the European Training Foundation (ETF) began a project on skills mismatch measurement in ETF partner countries. The project objectives were to identify regular data sources, and develop and test indicators that can capture various angles and implications of skills mismatch. In the first phase of the pilot project, four partner countries…

These Key Indicators on Education, Skills and Employment (KIESE) are a collection of statistics that are part of a broader set of indicators proposed by the ETF to enable an assessment of developments in the field of human capital in the partner countries. They include data on education, initial vocational education and training, lifelong…

This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Romania by providing an insight into its main features and highlighting system developments and current challenges. Romanian VET offers diverse paths for learners. It comprises professional and technological programmes, regularly updated to…

Much is expected of higher education in addressing the challenges facing policy makers in the countries of the European higher education Area. Higher education institutions are expected to equip their graduates with the competencies needed to successfully enter a volatile labour market, and more importantly to maintain their employability…