Findings - Vocation Education & Training Sector
Through EMPATIC’s validation process, the functions of Information Literacy in the vocational education and training sector have been determined:
- IL is essential for productivity and efficiency at work;
- IL is a main provision for personal and institutional development;
- IL is related to the concepts of ongoing education, lifelong learning and self-education;
- IL facilitates the adaptation of changes and/or development at work;
- IL provides a work force of high quality;
- IL supports economic growth.
Challenges and recommendations to the sector have been identified and include:
- lack of awareness of the importance of Information Literacy by decision makers and politicians. It is not yet fully recognised that people outside formal education can gain the competence of Information Literacy via VET;
- lack of awareness on the level of Society; they do not understand that many of the problems they face in utilizing information and communication technologies (ICTs) in social life are caused by a lack of Information Literacy;
- lack of recognition of the relationship between Vocational Education and Information Literacy. Information Literacy is or should be a key component of vocational education;
- lack of sufficient coordination and cooperation within and between related formal and civil institutions working in VET. This leads to unproductiveness and wastage in resources in VET activities;
- lack of national policies in the subject of Vocational Education means that VET activities cannot be determined at a national level; activities are often ad hoc and their consistency cannot be realized or maintained.
Examples of Best Practice
EMPATIC has identified a number of good practice examples in VET, to include:
- SEEKS - Adult Learners’ Information Seeking Strategies in the Information Society
- Szkolenia - the Polish Database of Training Opportunities, including Information Literacy)
- The work of UNESCO in Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
Download Summary Findings - Vocational Education and Training Sector
Translations of the summary findings are also available in Polish by clicking the language option at the top pf this page.