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This report presents information on jobseekers' perceptions of the value of education and training and their motivation to participate in education and training whilst receiving the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Under the JSA regulations jobseekers can undertake education and training courses provided they do not interfere with their availability and search for work. Jobseekers' awareness and understanding of the education and training regulations under the JSA are explored. This is followed by an evaluation of the Workskill pilot. The Workskill pilot was introduced to test more flexible rules that would allow jobseekers to attend either part-time or full-time courses. The impact of the relaxed training requirements was considered and differences between part-time and full-time pilot areas were explored. Reasons for the lower than expected take-up of places are set out as are the issues that should be considered when designing and implementing future education and training-related activities. Show less

‘Education and Training 2010’ is a long-term project governed by the European Commission which aims to contribute to the Lisbon Strategy in the area of education and training. The goal of the project is to see Europe recognised by 2010 as the world leader in terms of the quality of its education and training systems. The Copenhagen declaration in November 2002 is a related policy which set out a strategy for improving the overall performance, quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe. Transfer and recognition of qualifications and competences is an increasingly important aspect of education and training systems, and refers to the ability to carry qualifications between different contexts, levels and settings of education and training. It is the aim of the Technical Working Group (TWG) to investigate options for the development of a system of credit transfer in VET at a European level, while also looking at common reference levels for qualifications and competences, and common principles for certification. This report updates on progress made in this area during the period of November 2002 - October 2003, with a final report to the European Commission, outlining a basis for concrete action in this field, planned for release at an unspecified future date. The TWG concludes with a summary of their main achievements thus far, which include: the identification of key issues and concepts at stake in the development of a European credit system for VET (referred to as ECVET); the formulation of a strategy for the development and implementation of ECVET; and the initiation of further research and consultation with stakeholders concerning the key issues.

Selected documents relating to ‘Education and Training 2010’ are indexed from TD/TNC 80.530 to TD/TNC 80.541. Show less

The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic has led to deep shocks and scars to the economy and societies throughout the world. To mitigate and address these shocks and scars, as well as the wider impacts of the pandemic, many countries put in place recovery plans that may now be threatened by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the associated rises in energy prices and cost of living, and its consequences on the global economy. At the same time, countries are also mobilising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and widespread environmental degradation, working to adjust to the diffusion of new digital technologies (including generative artificial intelligence systems), and putting in place strategies to reduce the economic and societal effects related to increased poverty and shares of marginalised population.

Overall, countries look increasingly vulnerable, with risks of profound economic and societal upheavals. In this context, skills development and lifelong learning play a fundamental role, now more than ever before. Skills are essential to ensure that individuals and societies are able to navigate and integrate into a rapidly changing world of work. Learning from the past three years is critical to strengthen the resilience of lifelong learning systems to future and ongoing shocks.

This brief focuses on the resilience of skill systems, which is key to promote resilient labour markets and societies. It reviews what policy responses can promote labour market integration and skills development, with a view to build resilient systems. It draws lessons from recent episodes of economic downturn, for example the COVID-19 pandemic - an economic crisis for which both shock and recovery are currently observable - as well as the cost-of-living crisis, that many countries have recently experienced as a consequence of rising prices, in particular for energy.

The brief first summarises evidence on the effect of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis on labour markets and skills over 2020-2023, flagging their most important lessons. It then proceeds to describe a set of policies that have recently been implemented around the world to foster skill resilient systems in the face of external shocks - such as the pandemic crisis or the energy crisis, by classifying them in policies to enhance absorption, adaptation, and anticipation.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

The European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe, promoting the mobility of workers and learners between countries and facilitating their lifelong learning. The EQF will relate national qualifications systems to a common European reference framework. Individuals and employers will be able to use the EQF to better understand and compare the qualifications levels of different countries and different education and training systems. The EQF was adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 23 April 2008. The EQF encourages countries to relate their qualifications systems or frameworks to the EQF by 2010 and to ensure that all new qualifications issued from 2012 carry a reference to the appropriate EQF level. The core of the EQF are eight reference levels describing what a learner knows, understands and is able to do, i.e. learning outcomes. Levels of national qualifications will be placed at one of the central reference levels, ranging from basic (Level 1) to advanced (Level 8). It will therefore enable much easier comparison between national qualifications and should also mean that people do not have to repeat learning if they move to another country. The EQF applies to all types of education, training and qualifications, from school education to academic, professional and vocational education. The system shifts the focus from the traditional approach which emphasises 'learning inputs' such as the length of a learning experience, or type of institution. It also encourages lifelong learning by promoting the validation of non-formal and informal learning.

Excerpt from European Commission website. Show less

This report provides a statistical representation of the 80 million young people (50 million aged between 15 and 24; 80 million including 25 to 29 year olds) living in the Member States of the European Union (EU) at the time of the study. It describes the major trends, similarities and contrasts between Member States in the areas of education, training, transition to the labour market, family life and living conditions. Two major themes emerge from the study: (1) the percentage of young people in the population is gradually declining in every Member State of the EU; and (2) the characteristic stages in the transition from full-time education to employment are slowing down, i.e. young people are staying in education longer, taking more time to move from education to work, and starting families later in their lives. Although these trends are common, national characteristics and policies influence the stages of transition to adult life. The report contains the following chapters: Introduction; Education is taking longer; A longer transition between education and work; Putting off starting a family; Living conditions, health, ideals … are young adults very different from their elders? Show less

This Staff Working Document accompanies the Commission Communication proposing the draft 2012 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020). ET 2020 The Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training adopted by the Council in May 2009 sets out four long-term strategic objectives that should guide European cooperation in the period up to 2020: (1) making lifelong learning and mobility a reality; (2) improving the quality and efficiency of education and training; (3) promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; (4) enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training. In order to focus the work under ET 2020 on the most relevant key issues, the Council also identified, for each of the four strategic objectives, a number of mid-term priority areas, the first ones covering the years 2009 - 2011. The 2012 Joint Report will report on the progress made during this first ET 2020 cycle.

Excerpt from introduction. Show less

This volume presents the proceedings from an international conference on labour markets which was organised by the Ministries of Labour and Finance in Finland with the support of the OECD and the European Commission. It puts forward thinking on new policy measures focusing on the specific experiences of the United States, Japan, Finland and Denmark. The volume includes highlights from the conference and most of the interventions. The papers, presented by politicians, high level officials from the European Commission and the OECD Secretariat, social partners and academics, are divided into six parts. Part one, 'Opening session' contains: A comprehensive strategy works: Finland's experience in the 1990s / Paavo Lipponen; Europe's employment and social challenge: competitiveness and cohesion / Anna Diamantopoulou. Part two, 'Assessing international strategies' contains: Putting Europe to work / Allan Larsson; Implementing the OECD jobs strategy: assessing performance and policy / Jorgen Elmeskov; A comment / Edmond Malinvaud. Part three, 'Experiences in selected countries' contains: Neither too hot nor too cold: the U.S. economy in the 1990s / Robert J. Gordon; The Japanese employment system in the 1990s / Tsutomu Tanaka; The Finnish experiences in the 1990s / Oertti Sorsa. Part four, 'Making work pay' contains: Tax policy, unemployment benefits and structural unemployment / Martii Hetemaki; A comment / Jan Horst Schmidt; Employment promotion and transfer payments / Georg Fischer and Manuel Sanchis i Marco; What do we know about policies to make work pay? An overview / Mark Pearson and Stefano Scarpetta; A comment / Tor Eriksson. Part five, 'Preventive approaches against labour market exclusion' contains: Removing barriers to employment for groups at the margin of the labour market / Markku Lehto; Active and preventive approaches: a note based on the recent Danish experience / Per Callesen; A comment / David Stanton. Part six, 'Active labour market policies' contains: Active labour market policies: continuity and change / Juhani Lonnroth; What works among active labour market policies: evidence from OECD countries' experiences / John Martin. Show less

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) program was introduced to improve the supply of intermediate level of skills in the United Kingdom (UK). The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) commissioned a study in 1998 to evaluate employers' views and experiences of MAs. This study set out to: (1) evaluate the impact MAs are having on the quantity and quality of work-based training for young people; (2) determine the extent to which the MA program has been effective in overcoming skill shortages and in improving skill levels; (3) assess whether the program provided value for money; and (4) provide some guidance in delivering and maintaining high quality training. The study, based on interviews with employers, found that while there was room for some improvements, overall, the MAs were meeting the needs and expectations of both employers and apprentices. Show less

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) provide people aged between 16 and 24 with work-based training which leads to qualifications at National Vocational Qualification level three (NVQ3) or above. This report provides a profile of non-completers and examines how trainees came to start the MA program, their understanding of the process at the start of the training, their training experience and the range of reasons for not completing the MA program. More specifically, it investigates why some leavers from MAs do not attain a NVQ3 and some attain a level three but do not complete the whole training, and why some leavers do not complete their MA in spite of remaining with the employer, in some cases still receiving training. The report also examines what non-completers do after the MA and ways of improving attainment. Information was obtained from recent non-completers, training providers and employers. The five sectors covered in this study are: Care, Hospitality, Retail, Motor and Electrotechnical. Some key issues to emerge from this research include: (1) despite non-completion, most participants felt they had benefited from the program; (2) most employers were generally positive about MAs and very few planned to discontinue their involvement with MA training; (3) most trainees started their training without being fully aware of what the training involved or how long it would take; (4) a large number of employers lack information and knowledge about MAs; (5) there appears to be no one stage of the training program where non-completion is more likely to take place; and (6) Key Skills was one of the key factors identified as leading to non-completion. Show less

Previous research has shown that basic numeracy and literacy skills have important positive effects on individuals' labour market outcomes. However, the impact of 'soft skills' were not taken into account. There is concern that if individuals with better basic skills also have better 'soft skills', then some of the benefits of literacy and numeracy that were identified in earlier research may be attributable to individuals having better soft skills. A second area of concern is that previous research did not directly investigate whether improving adults' basic skills would also improve their labour market outcomes. The study aims to investigate whether the literacy and numeracy test scores in the National Child Development Study (NCDS) are correlated with 'soft skills' that were excluded from previous research but which also have a positive impact on individuals' labour market outcomes, and whether individuals who have measurably improved their basic skills since the age of 16 earn more because of their higher skills. Show less