Power and influence within the changing process of the Norwegian VET structure

Abstract

The article is about changes in the design and structure in vocational education, and about which actors have exerted influence in this process, seen in the light of the ILO Convention of 1975. Under the convention, member states commit to formulate policies, guidelines and measures in vocational training in cooperation with partners in the workplace, so that needs of the professional communities and industries are able to be expressed and their interests are also safeguarded.

Results from previous research, and the authors’ experiences that the key actors in vocational education are not systematically involved in the reform processes form the basis of the study. We will look at how structural change takes place and what affects such processes in their movement towards a final structure.

The research methods include the analysis of both previous research and documents that are utilised within formal change processes, as well as interviews with representatives of national academic councils. The professional councils represent tripartite cooperation on professional quality in vocational education.

The results show that there are significant differences in how the academic communities have exerted influence in the change process and that this process has not followed a predetermined path. The partners, represented by their professional councils, have also had different degrees of influence on the change process. Some of the representatives in the professional councils are employed in one of their party's organizations and are therefore not active participants in their professional disciplines. National authorities also exhibit a tendency to disregard a binding tripartite partnership in decision-making on many occasions, contrary to the ILO Convention.