Search results

This companion document updates the report 'Thirteen years of cooperation and reforms in vocational education and training in the acceding and candidate countries' (indexed at TD/IRD 88.256). In March 2000, the European Union (EU) made a commitment to the strategy of lifelong learning at the Lisbon summit. However, at the time there were wide gaps between the education and training systems of the acceding and candidate countries and those of the EU. In response, the European Commission asked the European Training Foundation (ETF) to undertake a detailed analysis of the situation in each of these countries in terms of the type of education and training on offer, particularly initial and continuing vocational training, and how employment offices contributed to the success of the strategies underway. Since the original report was published in November 2003, several studies and analyses of the situation in the countries involved (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey), have been produced. This work provides additional information, data analysis and evaluation, and makes it possible to identify any changes and current trends, and to reinforce or even modify the conclusions. This work relates only to certain parts of the original report so only those chapters and paragraphs requiring alterations or new explanations are included. The document presents 2002 data, and some 2003 data relating to unemployment, in the context of 2000 and 2001 data, so as to highlight the latest trends. The new information does not significantly alter the message of the original report. It reaffirms that, despite economic growth, the situation in the employment and training fields remains problematic for the majority of the candidate countries, with vocational training still disadvantaged among education and training systems. Over the past three years, the gap has grown between more advanced countries such as Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia and Estonia on the one hand, and on other, countries such as Bulgaria and Romania. Major structural problems continue to impede the majority of these countries in their move towards meeting the Lisbon objectives, in particular in the vocational education and training fields.