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In 2009, the Council endorsed the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), known in short as the [European Union] EU Youth Strategy. Its objectives are to: (1) create more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market; and (2) promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people. This Staff working document supports the Commission Communication which presents the draft joint report on the EU Youth Report to the Council. Summarising the results of the first cycle (2010-2012), it presents the actions taken at EU-level and in Member States, as well as initiatives taken by young people themselves. Separate chapters report on achievements in all eight 'fields of action' of the strategy, the general organisation and approach to youth policy, and the structured dialogue between young people and policy-makers. The references made to Member States' activities are based on national youth reports submitted by them. Young people are represented in the report by the European Youth Forum, which is an umbrella organisation of approximately 40 National Youth Councils and more than 60 international non-governmental youth organisations in Europe.

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Language competences are a key dimension of modernising European education systems, and this staff working document [SWD] is part of a larger policy initiative contributing to Europe 2020. It offers analysis and insight to support the Commission communication on 'Re-thinking Education: a blueprint to invest in the skills of the future for better economic and social outcomes'. Raising the language competences of children, young people and adults will foster the mobility of workers and students and improve the employability of the European workforce. Therefore, improved language competences will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy of growth and jobs. This SWD presents ground-breaking evidence. It draws on the new European Survey on Language Competences (ESLC), which assesses pupils' knowledge of the first and second foreign languages at the end of lower secondary education. Show less

Since 2008 the European crisis has been having a severe and increasing impact on young people, with the youth unemployment rate in 2012 being twice that of the adult unemployment rate. Problems with the education systems and the labour market have been making the transition from education to work difficult and placing young people at risk of future unemployment, poverty and exclusion. The European Commission adopted a Youth Opportunities Initiative (YOI) to improve youth employment. This communication presents the actions taken by the European Union (EU) and its member states to implement this initiative and outlines further action to be taken. Show less

The [Erasmus Mundus] EM II (2009-2013) programme aims to enhance the quality of European higher education, to help improve the career prospects of students and to promote dialogue and understanding between peoples and cultures through international cooperation and to contribute to the sustainable development of third countries in the field of higher education, in accordance with [European Union] EU external policy objectives. [This report] draws on the findings of the interim evaluation of EM II regarding the results achieved and on the qualitative aspects of the implementation of the programme. It puts forward the European Commission's position on the main conclusions and recommendations of the interim evaluation. These conclusions and recommendations are based on extensive surveys and interviews of EM participants and key stakeholders.

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The 'Rethinking education' communication aims to help Member States by setting out a range of fields in which the efficiency of education and training systems can be improved. This document highlights the evidence base for the policy proposals outlined in the 'Rethinking education' communication on key competences. Its findings are based on analyses, coordinated by the Commission in cooperation with Member States, of best policy practice across the [European Union] EU and beyond, and on comparative data and current research. The focus of this document is on assessment of individual learners rather than evaluation of programs, institutions or systems. Section one, 'The key competences for European citizens in the knowledge society', provides a summary of what key competences are and which competences are currently being assessed. Section two, 'Strengthening assessment of all key competences: lessons from members states', illustrates how Member States have specified key competences in learning outcomes and how they have developed assessment for summative and formative purposes. It continues with implementation of assessment reforms and presents the other policy areas that need to be addressed to make reforms successful. Appendix one describes the key competences set out in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (the 'Key competences for lifelong learning - the European framework').

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The present survey analysis summarises the findings of 93 interviews conducted among large European enterprises (81) and a number of labour- and business associations (12) on challenges and practices related to competence development. The survey is a key part of the preparations for the first upcoming European Business Forum on Vocational Training and services the following purposes: a knowledge base for drawing up the agenda and identifying suitable speakers; a basis for identifying workshop topics; input for the background notes that will help steer the debate on the most important issues related to competence development in workshops; and together with the Forum conclusions, it will provide input for a final assessment of challenges, trends, solutions and best practices in the area of competence development in large European enterprises.

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The 'Rethinking education' communication supports the Member States by identifying a range of issues relevant for improving the efficiency of education and training systems. This document highlights the evidence base for the policy proposals outlined in the 'Rethinking education' communication on vocational education and training (VET) and vocational skills. The Bruges Communique of December 2010, which defines the European VET strategy up to 2020, calls for an active policy to enhance the potential of VET to support smart and sustainable growth, and to turn VET across the [European Union] EU into a highly attractive learning choice. This document responds to this demand, helping Member States and other stakeholders put into practice the reforms needed to exploit the potential of VET for growth. Its findings are based on analyses, coordinated by the European Commission in cooperation with Member States, of best policy practice across the EU and beyond, and on comparative data and current research. It summarises key results of exploratory work by the Commission involving experts representing key VET stakeholders. It highlights the unexploited potential of VET to support economic development, notably by better integrating VET in economic growth strategies at local, regional and national levels. Furthermore, it identifies for policy makers concrete steps which can facilitate this kind of development. It also attributes specific attention to issues of sustainable development, which will be one of the key drivers of change to be reflected in VET policies and practices.

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In 2009, the Council endorsed the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), known in short as the [European Union] EU Youth Strategy. Its objectives are to: (1) create more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market, and (2) promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people. The period covered by the EU Youth Strategy is divided into three-year cycles, with the requirement to produce an EU youth report at the end of each cycle, the first of which will be drawn up in 2012. This Staff working document supports the Commission Communication which presents the draft EU youth report to the Council. It provides a comprehensive picture of the situation of young people in Europe based on the latest available data, statistics and research. It portrays trends and developments in young people's conditions in different areas, corresponding to the 'fields of action'. It builds on the dashboard of EU youth indicators, which is an overview of 41 indicators that measure the most crucial aspects of the lives of young people in Europe.

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In 2009, the Council endorsed a renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), based on the Communication 'EU Youth Strategy: Investing and Empowering'. By reinforcing cooperation and sharing good practices, the renewed framework's two overall objectives are to: (1) create more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market, and (2) promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people. This 2012 [European Union] EU youth report summarises the results of the first work cycle of the EU Youth Strategy (2010-2012) and establishes employment, social inclusion and health and well-being as new priorities in the youth field for the next three years. The report presents a comprehensive statistical analysis on the situation of young people in the EU under the eight fields of action of the EU Youth Strategy: education and training; employment entrepreneurship; social inclusion; health and wellbeing; participation; culture and creativity; voluntary activities; and youth and the world. It also summarises the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy at national and EU level 2010-2012 and presents comparative assessments and good practice examples from national reports submitted by all 27 EU Member States plus Croatia, Montenegro, Norway and Switzerland. In addition, it summarises action taken by young people themselves. The report also includes an assessment of the first cycles of the structured dialogue with young people.

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At the heart of our social fabric, culture shapes our identities, aspirations and relations to others and the world. It also shapes the places and landscapes where we live, the lifestyles we develop. Heritage, visual and performing arts, cinema, music, publishing, fashion or design manifest themselves strongly in daily life but the contribution that cultural and creative sectors can bring to social and economic development in the [European Union] EU is still not fully recognised. Furthermore, major challenges are brought about by globalisation and the digital shift but the necessary adaptations are yet to be promoted to allow these sectors to realise their full potential and Europe’s long-standing excellence to be better valorised as a comparative advantage on the world scene. This paper proposes a strategy to exploit further the potential of these sectors in the EU to contribute to growth and jobs.

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