• Engagement of employers in the workplace is considered strong.

• The national qualification system is well established and recognized by busi­ness and industry.

• The VET system is flexible and allows for an equitable amount of local auton­omy and innovation to adapt learning to local conditions.

• Data and research on most VET issues are regarded as valid and reliable.

• The use of skills forecasting creates some degree of difficulties.

• There are some levels of weaknesses and gaps in the relevant data.

• Apprenticeship programs are rigid and seem to depend on duration rather than level of competence.

• Training package development and implementation processes are considered inefficient.

• The aging of the teacher labor force is perceived as a serious problem.

• The dual system has many commendable features, with well-structured appren­ticeship programs that integrate learning in schools and workplace training.

• Youth unemployment rates are low and the transition from education to the first job is smooth by international standards.

• The VET system caters to a broad range of needs, providing safety nets for those with weak school results or from disadvantaged backgrounds, but also offering five-year VET college programs providing a high level of technical training.

• The VET system offers different progress routes at various levels, avoiding dead ends and linking VET to general tertiary education through the Berufrseifepru-fung (professional baccalaureate).

• The current teacher workforce in VET schools seems to be well prepared, and industry experience is mandatory; many schools have flexible arrangements, with teachers working part-time in the business and industry.

• Completion rates in upper secondary education are considered high by inter­national standards.

• The VET system has a structured anomaly in the ninth grade, with a double tran­sition for apprentices and some students spending a year in an appropriate track.

• Some VET qualifications may be regarded as too narrow to provide an ade­quate foundation for a career as well as a first job.

• Quality assurance of apprenticeship training does not guarantee attainment of minimum standards.

• Workshop-based dual programs are perceived as costly and risky reducing the incentives for employers to provide apprenticeships.

• Quality career guidance based on labor market information is not adequately available to all VET students.

• Provision of basic literacy and numeracy skills to VET students seem to be lim­ited in the dual system.

• There is a good distribution of vocational options at different levels.

• The average performance of 15-year-olds in reading and mathematics is con­sidered very strong by international standards, as indicated by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

• A commitment to universal upper secondary education is embedded in com­pulsory education up to age 18, with the possibility of part-time education from age 16.

• The Flemish VET system gives commendable attention to the availability of entrepreneurial training.

• A proportion of students have demonstrated weak literacy and numeracy skills.

• Students are tracked at a young age (14, with institutional transition at age 12) and there are limited opportunities for upward progression between second­ary tracks.

• The share of unqualified students leaving school is high. In 2006, 4% of 18-to 24-year-olds did not have secondary qualification.

• The mix of provision is dominated by student preferences in school-based VET, with a limited mechanism to take labor market needs into account.

• The quality of career guidance provided in compulsory education, including collaboration between schools and pupil guidance centers, is variable. Sources of career information are likely to be fragmented.

• Society places a high value on education and training, with strong social demand for education and fast-increasing participation in post-compulsory education; upper secondary graduation rates are up from 46 percent in 1995 to 71 percent in 2007 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2009)

• Efforts for improving schooling quality may be paying off: the reading perfor­mance of students in PISA improved between 2000 and 2006 (OECD, 2007).

• The government's commitment to develop and reform the VET system is illus­trated by the recent work of the VET Commission and the creation of the National Council for VET.

• The various elements of the VET system are weakly connected to each other, both in institutional and curricular terms.

• The literacy and numeracy skills of 15-year-olds in Chile are not as strong as they should be, and this is likely to be a particular problem among those in vocational education and training programs.

• Workplace training, as part of vocational programs, is weakly developed.

• At upper secondary level, about half (as a matter of policy) enter upper secondary vocational schools, with more than 20 million students now in vocational schools.

• A strong and simple model for upper secondary vocational education involves a range of specialties, with a good percentage of general academic skills under­pinning all the programs, a commitment to workplace training, and close rela­tionships with employers.

• China established a 2009 initiative to make tuition free for upper secondary vocational school students.

• China has strong arrangements to ensure that teachers in vocational schools remain abreast of the requirements of modern industry and the global economy.

• There are few quality standards for workplace training and few regional, sec­toral or national bodies to engage employers and link them to VET system.

• There are few clear and precise minimum standards for vocational schools in terms of equipment.

• Data on labor market demands are often lacking and fragmented.

• The average academic level of students 15 years of age as measured by PISA is good.

• The majority of students complete their upper secondary studies; the dropout rate from this level of education is below OECD average.

• Impressive database on labor market outcomes of education is evident.

• The performance of students and the quality of teaching in apprenticeship pro­grams is low in comparison to general and technical programs.

• Initial and in-service education training of upper secondary school counselors focuses more on pedagogical and psychological counseling than on career guidance.

• Career guidance is under the responsibility of two different ministries.

Workplace training is considered mandatory, well-structured, and has specific learning goals and objectives

• Effective measures guide students through programs and support them in seeking to update and improve their skills.

• The social partners are fully engaged in the system through robust institutional structures and guidelines.

• There is a level of uncertainty over the role of research in postsecondary VET institutions in Denmark, with pressure from selected quarters for a more active research role, particularly in University College.

  
  

• There is a challenge in ensuring that postsecondary vocational teachers and trainers maintain and develop their experience and knowledge of modern industry in the face of rapid technological change in the global workplace.

• The conscious attempt to engage and network with employers is considered commendable.

• VET policy making in England and Wales is self-evidently dynamic and robust.

• The system is flexible and supports tailor-made training solutions for employers.

• Policy structures are both more complex and more unstable than in most OECD countries, thus inhibiting employer engagement.

  
  

• While there is a substantial base of data and analysis, it remains fragmented, with inadequate attention, especially to international experience.

• Vocational education and training is deeply embedded and widely respected in German society and worldwide.

• The dual system is especially well-developed in Germany, integrating work-based and school-based learning to prepare apprentices for a successful transi­tion to full-time and stable employment.

• A major strength of the dual system is the high degree of engagement and ownership on the part of employers, stakeholders, and other social partners.

• Despite the very substantial resources devoted to the system, too few program participants are able to make a successful transition into the regular VET system.

  
  

• Some students leave compulsory school with weak and marginal core aca­demic skills.

• It has implemented major reforms since 1989 to improve the ability of VET to meet labor market needs and standards.

• The Hungarian VET system can rely on a strong national qualifications frame­work to guide potential productive outcomes.

• Policy makers' strong commitment to reform shows Hungary's will and tenacity to address the challenges faced by VET.

• The current VET system is strongly school-based with relatively few links and networking opportunities with the labor market.

• VET is perceived to have relatively low status and many students are likely to be oriented to VET because of poor academic performance.

• Hungary's employment rate is low by international standards. Compared to other European countries, the economic inactivity rate among young people appears to be particularly high.

• There is a good range of provision of different types of VET at the postsecond­ary level, targeted at a wide range of different client groups.

• Collaboration with social partners is well established and takes place at most relevant levels.

• The apprenticeship system is well structured with a systematic blend of on-and off-the-job elements

• Workplace training is insufficiently used in many vocational programs.

• Weak literacy and numeracy are serious problems among many learners, but problems are often identified in time and adequately addressed.

• A diverse range of different postsecondary options offer up salable occupa­tional skills and opportunities for most groups in most circumstances.

• There is an active framework of government-led reform; both employers and unions are very keen to engage more fully with the vocational education and training system.

• Although data remain a challenge, research and analysis are well developed by international standards, and is essential for program evaluations

• The main programs are managed and delivered without the extensive involve­ment of stakeholders or social partners; employers and unions have now pro­posed a public council on VET.

• Workplace training plays a limited role in postsecondary programs, despite its outstanding attractions as a learning method.

• For the workforce of teachers and trainers, there are challenges in maintaining up-to-date industry knowledge, and in replacing an anticipated wave of retirements

• Workplace learning appears to be a positive development for VET stakeholders.

• Implementation of an independent certification system with positive support from stakeholders.

• Efforts to improve teacher training through establishment of the National Cen­ter of Excellence.

• Coordination between VET schools and employers could be better.

• Strengthening of assessment and certification processes in VET would be bene­ficial.

• Education is highly valued in Korean society. While this has some drawbacks, it has also contributed to the rise in upper secondary enrollment rates. Korean students have high educational aspirations, and a high proportion of young people progress into tertiary education (OECD, 2011).

• Entrants to postsecondary programs have strong literacy and numeracy skills, as indicated by PISA results. Korea also performs very well in terms of educa­tional equity (OECD, 2010).

• There is a good research base on postsecondary vocational education and training (VET). The Korean Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) conducts research that supports the development and imple­mentation of VET policies.

• Various indicators suggest that there is a mismatch in terms of skills and educa­tion between postsecondary VET provision and labor market needs. While some of the origins of mismatch are rooted in culture and tradition, some features of the Korean education and training system also contribute to the challenge.

• Links between the VET system and industry and business are generally weak, including at the national policy-making level. This makes it harder to develop policies that help the VET system to meet rapidly changing labor market needs.

• VET in Mexico plays an important social role by providing learning opportuni­ties to students at risk of dropping out.

• Encouraging measures have been taken to integrate VET into a broad frame­work of lifelong learning.

• Many VET teachers and trainers have work experience in their field and often continue to work in industry part-time, which should help to keep their voca­tional skills up-to-date.

• Effective coordination and coherence within upper secondary VET remains a challenge. The subsystems of upper secondary VET sometimes have divergent interests, hindering effective policy development.

• Linkages between the VET system and employers are relatively weak, illus­trated by the low level of involvement of employers in VET policy development.

• The VET system is supported by a high level of trust among stakeholders.

• By international standards, the system is relatively inclusive and not much stigma is attached to VET tracks in upper secondary education.

• The literacy level of the adult population is high by international standards.

• PISA results indicate that the basic skills of those entering the VET system are relatively weak.

• The pedagogical preparation of some VET teachers and trainers is insufficient.

• The social partners are well engaged in the VET system. This takes place through the National Commission on VET, which aims to build consensus among the national and autonomous community governments, and employ­ers and unions, on VET policy. Locally, employers are engaged in the system particularly through the provision of workplace training.

• Reform has been pursued systematically in recent years, while a substantial degree of consensus has been maintained through consultation with different levels of government and the social partners. This is a real strength, and there remains a need to sustain and develop this consensus among national government, autono­mous communities in the regions of Spain, employers and unions on VET policy.

• There is no requirement for VET teachers and trainers to have worked in their vocational field, although they do need to be qualified in that field and often spend periods of training in companies. This is a particular challenge in a sys­tem that relies extensively on school-based workshops to develop practical vocational skills. Current budgetary pressures are putting particular strain on Spain's school-based model of vocational training. Retiring teachers are not being replaced, aging the workforce and perhaps distancing it further from industry, while postponing the replacement of obsolete training equipment.

• Upper secondary vocational education training (VET) in Sweden builds on strong compulsory school performance by international standards at age 15.

• Sweden's upper secondary VET displays a moderate rate of dropout.

• Sweden's upper secondary VET allows room for local innovation.

• Youth unemployment in Sweden is considered to be relatively high.

• The separation of school-based VET from a fast-changing and technology-driven workplace makes it hard to keep up with labor market needs.

• Data on labor market outcomes of VET are inadequately exploited—e.g., to provide better information to students when choosing courses.

• Employers and professional associations are engaged with and actively con­tribute to professional education and training (PET). The system is highly responsive to labor market needs.

• Work-based learning is generally well integrated into PET programs, with work linked to study for part-time students and substantial internships for full-time students.

• The PET system is well articulated with upper secondary VET, offering a wide range of progression opportunities for graduate apprentices.

• Teachers and trainers in professional colleges are well prepared both in their field and in pedagogy.

• Globalization is putting a number of different pressures on the Swiss PET sys­tem, intensifying the need for international recognition of Swiss PET qualifica­tions and demanding new higher-level and sometimes globally defined competencies as part of many jobs.

• Numeracy and literacy are of increasing importance in professional occupa­tions and the PET system, alongside other parts of the Swiss education system need to address them effectively.

1. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of a period when the free-market economy was the only mind-set left. Microsoft released Windows 3.0, the first version of Windows to make com­puting really attractive to the average user. This resulted in a com­puter-purchasing explosion.

2. Netscape went public in 1995. The personal computer became even more useful, in turn causing an explosion in demand for all things digital and sparking the Internet boom. This resulted in communica­tion between more people than ever before in human history.

3. Workflow software (free), a communication program, became available to provide communication with other software. This allowed knowledge to be broken down, disseminated, and then reassembled by the most efficient producer in each step. Most important of all, workflow soft­ware created a platform for a global workforce of people and computers.

4. Open sourcing via the Internet browser Firefox enabled thousands of people worldwide to come together to create what they wanted in a browser rather than depending on a corporation(s) to provide the service. This resulted in a free product for worldwide use.

5. The Y2K problem loomed large and required a great deal of inexpen­sive brainpower to fix. This is where India came into play and marked the beginning of mass-scale outsourcing. Y2K was followed by the downfall of the dot-coms. As a result, we have become inter­dependent with India in an effort to save operating costs.

6. Offshoring refers to the process whereby entire companies began relo­cating outside of America. This meant that the developed world would move away from making anything labor intensive and toward more highly skilled occupations. However, it stimulated American production, and companies ended up exporting to themselves.

7. Supply chaining forced the adoption of common standards between companies, thereby encouraging global collaboration. Walmart set the standard for supply chaining

8. Insourcing is a partnership between companies, in which a partner company comes into another company, learns their processes, improves them, and then executes these procedures on that com­pany’s behalf. This allows small companies to act big and the big to act small. For example, United Parcel Service, the premier pioneer of insourcing, worked with Toshiba to reduce the time required to turn service work around to the customer. This concept set the stage for other companies to develop the same services. This type of insourc­ing has worked so well that more than 60 major US companies now have moved their operations closer to the Louisville UPS hub.

9. In-forming is the individual’s personal analog to open sourcing, insourcing, supply chaining, and offshoring—the ability to build and deploy one’s own personal supply chain of information, knowledge, and entertainment. In-forming enabled people to become their own self-directed and self-empowered researchers, editors, and selectors of entertainment, without having to go to the library or the movie theater. In-forming is searching for knowledge, seeking like-minded people and communities. Google’s phenomenal global popularity shows how hungry people are for this form of self-collaboration. As a result of in-forming (using search engines), today’s consumers are much more efficient and can find information, products, and ser­vices faster than through traditional means. People are better informed about issues related to work, health, leisure, and all aspects of global society.

10. The steroids are what Friedman refers to as items embraced globally (such as iPods, iPads and other tablet-type devices, Burger King, smartphones, laptop computers, and all things digital, mobile, per­sonal, and virtual) that amplify and turbocharge all the other flatteners.

3. Corporations became addicted to India’s less expensive workforce and began outsourcing to them at a rapidly increasing rate.

Globalization 1.0 was about countries and muscles. That is, in Glo­balization 1.0, the key agent of change, the dynamic force driving the process of global integration, was how much braw—how much mus­cle, how much horsepower, wind power, or, later, steam power— your country had and how creatively you could deploy it. In this era, countries and governments (often inspired by religion or imperialismor a combination of both) led the way in breaking down walls and knitting the world together, driving global integration or a combination of both) led the way in breaking down walls and knitting the world together, driving global integration

• making innovative use of knowledge, information and opportunities, and