30 de Junho de 2024 às 13:35

PISA-VET: The first international large-scale assessment of the professional skills of learners in VET

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), known worldwide for measuring the achievement of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science, is expanding its reach. The new initiative, called PISA-VET, marks the first large-scale international assessment focused specifically on Vocational and Technological Education (VET). 

Promoted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), PISA-VET aims to support countries in providing high quality professional skills. The proposal is to develop and apply an internationally standardized evaluation that allows the analysis of the results of VET programs, subsidizing public policies aimed at improving the quality, equity, relevance and effectiveness of vocational training. 

A New Approach to Professional Assessment 

Inspired by the structure of traditional PISA, PISA-VET adopts its own methodology, adapted to the specificities of VET. The aim of this assessment is to fill an important gap: the currently available data on VET — such as enrollment and insertion in the labor market — does not allow international comparisons on the actual results of the programs. 

The scope of the assessment includes five strategic areas: 
 

These areas were chosen based on criteria such as economic and social relevance, number of students, international comparability, and connection to digital and green transitions. 

In addition to specific technical competencies, the PISA-VET also assesses cross-cutting skills essential for employability, such as collaboration, problem solving, literacy, and social-emotional skills. 

Innovative Instruments 

The assessment will be applied directly in VET institutions and will use a combination of instruments: 

• Objective online tests 

• Practical tests with simulations of professional challenges 

• Interactive digital simulations 

• Contextual questionnaires 

• Institutional and systemic data collection 

The results will be presented on proficiency scales, with databases and reports similar to those used in assessments such as SENAI's SAEP and ENEM. 

Brazil and SENAI: Important contributions in the Development Phase 

Since 2022, the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI)  has made important contributions in the development phase of PISA-VET. Representing Brazil togueter with the Ministry of Education (MEC) and INEP, SENAI contributed to the construction of the evaluation framework, based on its consolidated experience in the Professional Education Evaluation System (SAEP). 

In 2025, SENAI will participate in testing of the instruments in its schools, as part of the data collection stage of the Development Phase. This participation acts as a pre-test and does not bind Brazil to participate in the next phases but offers important subsidies for future decisions. 

Brazil is the seventh country to join this phase, with testing of instruments in their schools, alongside Australia, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates. 

Next Steps 

PISA-VET will be implemented in three phases: 

 Source: OECD (2024) 

SENAI's participation, from the initial stages, reinforces the commitment of the institution and Brazil to improving professional and technological education and positions the country as an international reference in the subject. 

To find out more informations about this initiative, it is worth reading the PISA VET Assessment and Analytical Framework, published by the OECD: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-vocational-education-and-training-vet_b0d5aaf9-en/full-report.html