Vocational Education in G-7 Countries: Profiles and Data. Research and Development Report.

Overview & Synopsis

This report examines data and data quality on vocational education and training available from the seven highly developed countries that make up the G-7: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Following an introduction, chapter 2 describes the nature of vocational education and training opportunities at the upper secondary level and beyond in each country, emphasizing programs that fall under the jurisdictions of education ministries. One-page descriptions of the vocational education systems in each country are followed by extensive narratives for each vocational education system that focus on these areas: school-based vocational preparation and training, what the vocational system looked like during the most recent year for which data are available, and the most common ways of obtaining vocational skills. Chapter 3 describes the following: international comparisons of data on vocational education; contextual and programmatic differences; key indicators that one would want to compare across vocational systems; data that international organizations have compiled regarding these indicators; degree to which these key comparisons can be made using existing data; and data improvements necessary to prepare all these key indicators. Appendixes include the following: a description of surveys and studies in each G-7 country that contain information pertinent to assessments of vocational education and training programs, and a vocational education data information sources contact list. Contains 118 references. (YLB)