For the last two decades PISA tests have helped drive educational policy reform across the world by allowing countries to compare the skills of 15-year-olds in maths, reading and science. Now, inspired by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a new international assessment is being developed by the OECD to measure the skills of learners completing vocational education and training (VET). PISA-VET will be the first attempt to measure and internationally compare the abilities of students gearing up to be business workers, electricians, hotel receptionists, car mechanics and nursing assistants. This groundbreaking initiative will redefine how we measure professional skills and give countries the opportunity to learn from each other’s VET programmes and fine-tune their education policies.
At the heart of PISA-VET is a new framework, launched 19th March, that will act as a roadmap for the assessment. It sets out guidelines for test design and data analysis, and defines the knowledge and skills required for vocational occupations and how they will be assessed. The test design builds on the experiences of successful professional skills assessments such as the ASCOT research programme in Germany and WorldSkills. It also makes the most of recent technological advances in assessment methods, such as the use of digital simulation to assess practical skills in the workplace.
This will enable PISA-VET to achieve its primary goal: to strengthen country skills systems by developing an internationally standardised assessment. The project aims to collect timely data on the quality and effectiveness of vocational programmes, contributing to their ongoing improvement and attractiveness. Regular data collection, akin to the PISA model, will enable the observation of trends and the impact of reforms and facilitate peer learning. Policymakers, employers, students, and social partners will benefit from invaluable insights, enhancing the quality, relevance, equity and effectiveness of VET programmes.
