TION AND TE COUNTRIES ING AND EMPLOYMENT TIONAL EDUCA TRAIN SERVICES IN ESTONIA VOCA MONOGRAPHS CANDIDA TA-45-02-604-EN-C Publications.eu.int Publications Office THE EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATION IS THE EUROPEAN UNION’S CENTRE OF EXPERTISE SUPPORTING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING REFORM IN THIRD COUNTRIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EU EXTERNAL RELATIONS PROGRAMMES HOW TO CONTACT US Further information on our activities, calls for tender and job opportunities can be found on our web site: www.etf.eu.int For any additional information please contact: External Communication Unit European Training Foundation Villa Gualino Viale Settimio Severo 65 I – 10133 Torino T +39 011 630 2222 F +39 011 630 2200 E [email protected] VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN ESTONIA Prepared by Helmut Zelloth, country manager for Poland, Estonia and Latvia, ETF With contributions by: Haralabos Fragoulis, ETF Tiina Annus, VET expert, Estonia Martin Dodd, FAS, Ireland Raul Eamets, Euro-College, Tartu University, Estonia Katrin Jogi, Estonian Education Observatory Special thanks to: Maris Kask, Estonian Education Observatory the representatives of the Estonian ministries of Education and Social Affairs the representatives of the Estonian National Labour Market Board the School Network Administration Office December 2002 A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004. ISBN 92-9157-293-4 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Italy ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This monograph was prepared by Helmut Raul Eamets, national labour market Zelloth, team leader of the project, who expert, Estonia, vice-rector of the participated in three field visits (Tallinn, Euro-College at Tartu University, who Tartu, Ida-Virumaa) and drafted the final drafted the first version of the Public and version of the document. Private Employment Services chapter and participated in two field visits (Tallinn, The author is particularly grateful for the Ida-Virumaa); contributions from: Katrin Jogi, national VET expert, Estonia, Haralabos Fragoulis, deputy head of the team leader of the Estonian Education Enlargement and South Eastern Europe Observatory, who participated in two field Department, ETF, who contributed and visits (Tartu, Ida-Virumaa), commented on commented at different stages of the the final draft document and contributed to preparation of the document; information gathering. Tiina Annus, national VET expert, Estonia, Special thanks to: former head of the Estonian Education Observatory and advisor to the Ministry of Maris Kask, Estonian Education Education, who drafted the first version of Observatory, who facilitated the field visits the vocational and continuing training as well as the whole project; and the chapter and participated in two field visits representatives of the Estonian Ministry of (Tallinn, Ida-Virumaa); Education and Ministry of Social Affairs who provided comments on the final draft Martin Dodd, international expert, FAS, document, and the representatives of the Ireland, and long-term advisor on Phare Estonian National Labour Market Board VET Programmes in Estonia, who and the School Network Administration contributed to the draft versions from the Office. national experts and participated in two field visits (Tallinn, Tartu); 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 1. INTRODUCTION 27 1.1 Estonia’s employment policy priorities 27 2. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY 33 2.1 Overview of the education and training system 33 2.2 Responsiveness of the education and training system to the needs of the labour market and the individual 68 2.3 Contribution of the education and training system to promoting social and labour market inclusion 77 2.4 Contribution of the education and training system to promoting entrepreneurship 80 2.5 Contribution of the education and training system to promoting equal opportunities between men and women 81 3. CAPACITY OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE AIMS OF NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICIES 85 3.1 Organisational structure 85 3.2 Resource allocation to the public employment services 88 3.3 Coverage of public employment services 92 3.4 Range and quality of services 93 3.5 Role of private employment services 102 3.6 Reform of the public employment services 103 3.7 Support for implementing the European Employment Strategy 103 4. OVERALL CONCLUSIONS 105 4.1 Strengthening the quality of the entire education system, with particular attention to the implementation, consolidation (and ensuring sustainability) of the latest VET Reform and VET Action Plan 105 4.2 Further development of active labour market measures and public employment services’ capacity building 106 4.3 Promotion of continuing vocational training and lifelong learning 106 5 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN ESTONIA ANNEXES 109 List of tables and graphs 109 List of tables and figures in the annexes 110 Annex 1: Population of Estonia 111 Annex 2: Further studies of graduates of basic school, gymnasium and vocational education institution 112 Annex 3: VET schools and teachers 113 Annex 4: Estonian education system in 2002 117 Annex 5: Employment and unemployment 118 BIBLIOGRAPHY 123 LIST OF ACRONYMS 129 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The country monograph on vocational peak of 10.6% in 1997. After the Asian and education and training (VET) and Russian crises a negative growth rate employment services provides baseline appeared again (-1.1% in 1999). However, information and analysis to help assess the the economy has been recovering since progress made in implementing the 2000, with high growth rates in 2000 (7.1%) priorities identified in the Joint Assessment and 2001 (5.0%) resulting in optimistic Paper (JAP) on employment policy agreed forecasts2. between the Government of the Republic of Estonia (Ministry of Social Affairs) and According to the Joint Assessment Paper the European Commission. Current EU (JAP) on economic policy priorities, the policies based on the Lisbon conclusions, target is to achieve sustainable such as the Lifelong Learning Initiative, and medium-term economic growth of about the European Employment Strategy set the 5.2%. It is assumed that economic growth framework for the analysis1. will result primarily from the growth of exports3. THE CONTEXT GDP per capita increased from 5,600 (in PPS euro) in 1995 (32% of the EU Economic development average) to 9,200 (40%) in 2001, compared to the EU average of 23,2004. Estonia experienced unstable and fluctuating growth rates in the last decade, The shares of different sectors in GDP suffering a deep fall in GDP up to the mid changed between 1995 and 2001 in favour 1990s (-6.5% in 1990, -14.2% in 1992, of services and at the expense of industry, -9.0% in 1993), as a result of several agriculture, and construction5. Employment shocks and radical liberalisation of the in agriculture decreased from 10% of GDP economy. Between 1995 and 1998, GDP (1997) to 7% (2001), compared to 4% growth was 4 to 5%, with an exceptional (2001) in the EU6. 1 As part of the methodology, three field visits took place in Estonia (Tallinn, Tartu and South Estonia, Ida-Virumaa) in June and August 2001 and February 2002. The analysis is based on information available in 2002. 2 National Observatory of Estonia, Key indicators, Statistical Office of Estonia, 2001; forecast in the Employment Action Plan 2002 shows 5.7% for 2002 and 6.0% for 2003; Eurostat forecast data show 5.0% for 2002 and 2003. 3 European Commission / Government of the Republic of Estonia, Joint assessment of the economic policy priorities of the Republic of Estonia, concluded in March 2000 between the Government of Estonia and the European Commission, DG for Economic and Financial Affairs. 4 Eurostat, Statistics in focus, Theme 2, 8/2003, Luxembourg, 2003; Eurostat, Quarterly accounts – the GDP of the candidate countries. 5 Measured as share in gross value added; Eurostat, Statistics in focus, Theme 2, 41/2002, Luxembourg, 2002; Eurostat, Statistical yearbook on candidate countries, 2001. 6 Employment in Europe, 2001 and 2002; Eurostat, Statistics in focus, Theme 3, 10/2001, Luxembourg, 2001. 7 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN ESTONIA Table 1: Structure of Estonia’s GDP (%) In absolute terms, unemployment – 1995 and 2001 increased by 24,000 between 1997 and 2000 (from 65,800 to 89,900 people, only 1995 2001 about half of whom were registered) and decreased to 83,100 in 2001 and 72,600 Services 60.3 65.5 in the first quarter of 20029. The share of Industry 24.6 22.7 long-term unemployed decreased after Construction 6.4 5.9 1996 (55% of all those unemployed) to Agriculture 8.7 5.8 46% in 1999 and 45% in 2000, but and forestry increased slightly again in 2001 to almost 47%. Key employment and labour market developments Unemployment rates were consistently considerably higher for non-Estonians10 As a result of the restructuring of the (by around 6 to 7%) than for Estonians economy, Estonia had two major rises in between 1995 and 2001. unemployment in the 1990s, from 2% (1991) to 10% (1995), remaining at this In the period 1998-2001, the youth level until 1998. Because of the economic unemployment rate grew most of all. crisis, the unemployment rate grew to Almost a quarter of the labour force aged 12% (1999), reaching almost 14% in 2000 15 to 24 was unemployed in 2001 and since then slightly recovering to (20% Estonians, 31% non-Estonians). The 13% in 2001 and around 11% in the first unemployment rate of graduates (one year quarter of 2002, with a tendency to after completion of school) increased decrease7.