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This document explains how the [European Union] EU and its partners are improving vocational education and training (VET) to make them relevant to current and future labour markets. Work-based learning, access to VET, ongoing training for teachers and recognition of skills and qualifications are expected to help drive jobs and growth. The New Skills Agenda for Europe and the Riga Conclusions lay the foundations for this process. Progress in achieving the goals set out will be monitored by CEDEFOP and the [European Training Foundation] ETF.

The key deliverables outlined in the document are: (1) promote work-based learning in all its forms, with a special focus on apprenticeships, by involving social partners, companies, chambers and VET providers, and by stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship; (2) further develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET in line with the [European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training] EQAVET Recommendation and, as part of quality assurance systems, establish continuous information and feedback loops in [initial] I-VET and [continuing] C-VET systems based on learning outcomes; (3) improve access to VET and qualifications for everyone through more flexible and open systems, notably by offering efficient and comprehensive guidance services and validating nonformal and informal learning; (4) provide an added boost to key competences in VET curricula and offer more effective opportunities to acquire or develop these skills through I-VET and C-VET; and (5) introduce systematic approaches to, and opportunities for, initial and continual professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors in both education and work-based settings.

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The Joint Employment Report (JER) is a key input to EU economic governance, providing an annual overview of key employment and social developments in Europe as well as Member States' reform actions in line with the Guidelines for the Employment Policies of the Member States and Annual Growth Survey (AGS) priorities. Key indications are that: (1) the economic expansion, which now has reached all Member States, is accompanied by steady improvements in the labour market and social situation supported by the reform efforts made by Member States; (2) job creation has picked up and employment continues to expand at a firm pace; (3) the main labour market indicators have strengthened across the board; (4) while all Member States show improvements, very substantial differences can be observed; (5) underutilisation of the labour force is falling but remains sizeable even in countries where unemployment is low; (6) despite the improvements in the labour market, wage growth remains subdued in most countries; (7) several Member States have taken steps to enhance the predictability of the wage setting system, with the involvement of social partners; (8) in line with the labour market upturn there is a general improvement in the financial situation of households; (9) increasing labour market participation, employment rates, and productivity is an imperative in view of demographic change; (10) recent gains in employment have not been evenly distributed among different population groups; (11) while the employment rate of women reached another record high, they continue to be underrepresented in the labour market and face a significant pay differential; (12) in addition, more part-time work combined with shorter and more discontinuous careers often translates into lower pensions for women.

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Based on an assessment of progress made in key policy areas in the last three years, this draft Joint Report proposes new working priorities for the period 2012-2014 geared to mobilise education and training to support Europe 2020. The draft Joint Report also sets out a number of options to adjust the governance of ET 2020 to ensure that it contributes to Europe 2020. The Communication is underpinned by two Staff Working Documents. They take stock of the situation in individual countries and key thematic areas and draw on National Reports provided by Member States as well as other information and data.

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As Europe goes through its green and digital transformations, high-quality vocational education and training (VET) is key to ensuring people have the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow. The Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, adopted in November 2020, sets out the EU's comprehensive vision and strategic objectives for the future of VET. This publication outlines this vision and the importance of VET reforms at national level, including key principles and actions to support these reforms. It also looks at the EU initiatives leading the way and the assistance available to Member States in this area.

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The Joint Employment Report (JER) is a key input to EU economic governance, providing an annual overview of key employment and social developments in Europe as well as Member States' reform actions in line with the Guidelines for the Employment Policies of the Member States and Annual Growth Survey (AGS) priorities. Key indications are that: (1) the employment and social situation is improving in a context of moderate economic recovery; (2) most labour market indicators saw an improvement in 2015 and 2016; (3) high inequality levels can reduce the output of the economy and the potential for sustainable growth; (4) reforms promoting resilient and inclusive labour markets must continue, stimulating job creation and labour market participation while properly combining flexibility and adequate security; (5) tax systems should better support job creation and address inequalities; (6) nominal wages have increased only moderately in a low inflation environment, while several Member States have reformed their wage setting frameworks in cooperation with social partners; (7) the involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of reforms is uneven across the EU; (8) Member States have continued to modernise their education and training systems to improve the skills needed to adapt to labour market needs, and to contribute to social inclusion and to the development of engaged and active citizens; (9) youth unemployment and the numbers of those not in employment, education or training (NEET) continue to decline, though they remain very high in some Member States; (10) tackling long-term unemployment remains a priority; (11) women continue to be underrepresented in the labour market and face an important pay differential; (12) efforts have continued to modernise social protection systems to improve coverage and adequacy of benefits, access, quality and responsiveness of services and actively encourage labour market participation; and (13) in recent years, the EU has experienced an unprecedented inflow of refugees.

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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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Following the publication of ‘A memorandum of lifelong learning’ in October 2000, the European Commission invited Member States to launch a consultation process to collect together all views on how best to make progress in implementing lifelong learning. Cedefop was asked to undertake a review of the Memorandum consultation reports received from the Member States and the European Economic Area (EEA) countries. The outcome of that review is presented in this document which then fed into the Communication on ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’. This document is presented in three main sections: the first section provides an overview of the main trends in the reports; section two contains thematic analyses for each of the Memorandum’s six key messages; and the final section is an epilogue on some issues that might have been addressed more fully, either in the Memorandum or in the reports prepared in response, in the interests of contributing to further discussion.

Documents from ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’ are indexed from TD/TNC 77.521 to TD/TNC 77.539. Show less

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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This document provides the analytical basis for the draft 2015 joint report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020). It offers insight into the developments recorded over the period 2012-2014 and aims to: review progress made at national level towards the ET 2020 objectives and take stock of the developments at European level within the ET 2020 strategic framework implementing the open method of coordination in the field of education and training.

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The comprehensive mid-term stocktaking of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) carried out in 2014, involving Member States and key stakeholders, and providing the basis for this report, led to three main policy conclusions: (1) The great value of an integrated framework covering education and training at all levels was confirmed. Today's need for flexibility and permeability between learning experiences requires policy coherence from early childhood education and schools through to higher education, vocational education and training and adult learning; (2) The ET 2020's four strategic objectives (and current European Union (EU) benchmarks) remain valid as they were formulated in a comprehensive and forward-looking manner in the ET 2020 Council conclusions of 2009, providing a solid basis for ET 2020 activities up to 2020. However, the policy focus needs to be re-calibrated to include both the pressing economic and employment challenges and the role of education in promoting equity and non-discrimination and in imparting fundamental values, intercultural competences and active citizenship; and (3) The role of ET 2020 as contributor to the overall EU agenda for jobs, growth and investment, including the European Semester, needs to be further deepened. This implies strengthening evidence building and mutual learning around reform challenges as well as increasing the country specific relevance of the framework.

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