Recent studies have examined the changing relationship between general and vocational education across a range of European societies (Lasonen & Young 1998; Lasonen & Manning 2001; Manning 2002; Spours et al. 2000, Stenstrom and Lasonen 2000). These studies identify a general trend towards the 'unification' of post-compulsory education and training systems (Raffe 2002). This trend partly reflects common economic and social pressures, but like other 'global' pressures these are mediated by the culture, institutions and political processes within each country (Green et al. 1999). Countries have different strategies for bringing general and vocational education closer together, and their strategies do not necessarily translate unproblematically into the systems described in their 'blueprints'. The studies described above have developed several conceptual and theoretical frameworks for analysing the different strategies for unification, but so far it has been easier to study the strategies and goals of the reforms than to analyse their impact in practice. Since 1999 the Higher Still reforms have been introducing a 'unified system' of post-compulsory education and training in Scotland (Lasonen & Young 1998; Spours et al. 2000). This paper reports on a project, funded by the UK Economic and Social Reearch Council, which aims to identify the kind of system which is emerging in practice from these reforms. The project aims to:· examine the emerging model of a unified system and how this model is shaped during the implementation process; · analyse the policy process and consider whether this is distinctive for policies to introduce a unified system;· examine the role of institutions (schools and colleges) in shaping the reform· explore the articulation of the unified system with work-based provision and higher education, including the role of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, a looser but broader type of unified system which embraces Higher Still along with other sub-frameworks.The research involves: surveys of all secondary schools, colleges and local authorities in Scotland; analyses of official data on school and college provision; case studies of six institutions; and interviews with key informants.The project started in 2000 and the final report is due in January 2004. By September 2003 we will have completed data-collection but not the analysis. It will still be too early to reach definitive conclusions about the impact of Higher Still, but the project has already identified issues raised by the reform process. These include: the uneven spread of the reform across different parts of the system, the tension between flexible pathways and flexible delivery, differences between institutions, the continuing difference in status between general and vocational education, the difficulties in realising a 'climbing frame' model of progression and, more broadly, the political tensions in introducing a unified system (see IUS Working Papers on www.ed.ac.uk/ces/IUS/iusindex.htm). In this presentation we will summarise the main themes that have emerged from the experience of Higher Still so far. ReferencesGreen, A., Wolf, A. & Leney, T. (1999). Convergence and Divergence in European Education and Training Systems. Bedford Way Papers. University of London Institute of Education. Lasonen, J. & Young, M. (1998). Strategies for Achieving Parity of Esteem in European Upper Secondary Education. Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä.Lasonen, J. and Manning, S. (2001). How to improve the standing of vocational compared to general education. A collaborative investigation of strategies and qualifications across Europe. In Descy, P. and Tessaring, M. (Eds) Training in Europe. Second Report on vocational training research in Europe 2000: Background Report. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Manning, S. (2002) What can we learn from the use of qualifications with a dual orientation across Europe? European Journal Vocational Training, 23, 45-51.Raffe, D. (2002). 'Bringing academic and vocational education closer together'. IUS Workinng Paper 6, CES, University of Edinburgh. Forthcoming in J Oelkers (ed) Futures of Education: Arbeit Bildung und Beruf (provisional title), Peter Lang, Frankfurt.Spours, K., Young, M., Howieson, C. and Raffe, D. (2000). Unifying academic and vocational education in England, Wales and Scotland. In F. Coffield (Ed.) Differing Visions of a Learning Society: Research Findings Volume 1. Bristol: Policy Press. Stenström, M-L. and Lasonen, J. (Eds.) (2000). Strategies for Reforming Initial Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä