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The European Union (EU) hopes to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economic area in the world by 2010 and making lifelong learning a reality for all citizens is the guiding principle for meeting this goal. This booklet contains the initial highlights of the Eurobarometer survey, which directly asks citizens their opinion of lifelong learning, and includes a brief country profile of Greece, the EU Presidency country at the time of publication. Findings of the survey include: nine in 10 European citizens think lifelong learning is important, at least to some extent; the majority of citizens think they learn best in informal settings; and social and personal reasons for learning outweigh work-related motives. Policy implications of these findings are also discussed. The contents are: Creating one world of lifelong learning - an integrated approach for an inclusive society; Skills for a Europe of knowledge; Lifewide learning and the diversity of learning; Incentives, motivations and intentions; Citizens’ views on lifelong learning in Greece. Show less

Cedefop is the European Union's (EU's) agency to support the development of vocational education and training (VET) policies. Cedefop's work programme for 2011 is grouped around the following priorities: (1) informing European VET policies; (2) interpreting European trends in and challenges for skills, competences and learning; (3) assesing VET's benefits; and (4) raising the profile of VET. Show less

This publication is Cedefop's concise guide to national qualifications framework developments in 38 European countries (27 EU Member States as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Kosovo, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey) in 2020.

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This Cedefop handbook is addressed to individuals and institutions actively involved in defining and writing learning outcomes in education and training. Its ambition is to act as a reference point for cooperation in this area. It offers concrete examples of the use of learning outcomes and provides an overview of existing guidance and research material supporting the definition and writing of learning outcomes. The handbook also aims to promote dialogue between education and training and labour market stakeholders by building on material from different parts of the education and training system, and bridging the gap between institutions and sectors.

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The information and communications technology (ICT) industry in Europe is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled personnel. The Career Space consortium believe that the way in which engineering and computer studies students are educated should change to meet the needs of the ICT industry in the 21st century, and offers information and suggestions about the needs of the ICT sector and ways in which the skills gap might be narrowed. The purpose of the curriculum development guidelines is to assist the development of courses, which will cover the whole range of needs in particular fields. It is hoped that these guidelines will assist universities in designing courses whose content will emphasise a balance between technical skills and knowledge, behavioural skills, industrial placements and project work. Show less

Many European countries are trying to improve coordination and coherence in policies and systems for career guidance provision. Formation of national forums and similar policy coordination mechanisms is an important feature of these efforts, bringing together actors and stakeholders in guidance on a shared platform. In this manual, the roles, functions, structures and operations of national forums are discussed and illustrated with examples of practice drawn from experience to date across Europe. Finally, 10 key messages derived from these experiences are outlined.

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These guiding principles are a contribution of the European Commission, Cedefop and the thematic working group on professional development of trainers in vocational education and training (VET) to the objective set in the Bruges communique of collecting good practice and developing guiding principles on the changing roles, competences and professional development of VET teachers and trainers. The objectives of the paper are firstly, to attract attention to and increase knowledge of what these key agents between the worlds of education and work are and what makes them 'trainers', and secondly, to discuss existing practice and provide suggestions on how to support in-company trainers so they have opportunities to update their competences throughout their careers. After presenting the general context, the paper discusses the diversity of situations, titles, functions and roles of in-company trainers across member states [of the European Union] and focuses on two groups of specialists who provide training in companies: trainers who perform training tasks as the major part of their occupational role and employees whose occupational role includes a particular training-related function (for example, owners, general managers, supervisors and skilled workers). It also points out the common understanding that at least four groups of competences are important to a different extent for trainers in VET, including those who train in companies: technical/subject-related; company-specific; pedagogical-didactical; and transversal. The paper then identifies examples, areas and approaches in which interventions, or lack of such, have significant influence on in-company trainers so that stakeholders across companies, sectors and countries have reference points to look for further actions. Examples of competence requirements and profiles of VET trainers from Belgium, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands are presented in detail in the annex.

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The study visits programme for education and vocational training specialists, part of the lifelong learning programme 2007-13 (LLP), is an initiative of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture. Its objective is to support policy development and cooperation at European level in lifelong learning, notably in the context of the Lisbon process and the education and training agenda 2020 (ET 2020), as well as the Bologna and Copenhagen processes and their successors. This publication presents a list of study visits that will take place between September 2011 and June 2012 and brief summaries of the thematic categories under which they are grouped.

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Quality in education and training has been given new impetus in the past few decades. This is mainly due to expansion of the education and training offer and rising demand for it, which have brought up the issues of transparency and effectiveness. In addition, over the past 10 years, European Union policies on education and training, particularly in higher education with the Bologna process and vocational education and training (VET) with the Copenhagen process, have raised public awareness of the importance of quality for modern, relevant, attractive and permeable learning paths. Despite implementation by Member States being voluntary, European political priorities certainly provide a common area and foster cooperation on quality in education and training. The present glossary of terms on quality in education and training is meant to promote communication and understanding. It is intended for researchers, experts and all those involved in improving the quality of learning curricula, learning providers and education and training systems. It does not represent an exhaustive inventory of the terminology used by specialists.

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Guiding principles point to the key role of trainers (tutors, instructors, mentors) in companies who ensure high quality work-based learning and the link between education and real working life. The stronger the link, the easier is job-seeking and skill matching to the needs of companies. Competent trainers also contribute to ensuring that students will stay in education, that young and older, employed and unemployed, will come back to learning. Trainers in companies should be supported in order to acquire new competences and develop the existing ones. At least four groups of competences are identified as necessary: technical/subject-related; company-specific; pedagogical-didactical and transversal.

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