The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has embarked on a monumental 10-year+ project about Vocational Education and Training (VET).
The new project, which is the first international large-scale assessment (LSA) about professional skills of learners in VET, is divided into three phases:
- The Development Phase (2023-2026) witnesses methodological studies in four countries, focusing on five occupational areas (Automotive Technician, Electrician, Business and Administration, Health Care, Tourism and Hospitality). The assessment also evaluates learners’ employability skills, including literacy, problem solving, task performance (conscientiousness), and collaboration with others.
- In the Pilot Phase (2026-2030), field trials and main surveys will be conducted in 10-15 countries, paving the way for international comparisons .
- Finally, in the LSA Phase (2030-2034), the project will expand its scope, incorporating additional occupational areas, conducting field trials and main surveys in 15-25 countries, and ensuring ongoing international assessments in 3-4-year cycles.
The recently released assessment and analytical framework delineates the content knowledge and skills that learners need to acquire, assessment methodologies, and application contexts for each domain. Additionally, the publication presents the frameworks for the questionnaires distributed to students, VET institution principals, teachers and trainers, and for the system-level data questionnaire for participating countries, emphasizing a holistic approach to vocational education assessment.