ABSTRACT
Vocational education and training are of increasing concern and importance to all European governments, which share pressures generated by increasing participation rates in education and declining demand for unskilled labour. High levels of unemployment, a growing conviction that these are endemic in the current economic structure and worries about Europe's competitiveness in the world economy have led all governments to look to education and training as one of the key policy instruments at their disposal. In developing their policies there is, inevitably, a focus on assessment and qualifications. These are the currency which translate the achievements of formal education and training into labour market signals, and also channel information about labour market requirements back to teachers and candidates alike.
