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The Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills is a new framework for strategic cooperation to address short and medium-term skills needs in a given economic sector. The publication outlines how stakeholders (businesses, trade unions, public authorities, research, education and training institutions etc.) can apply the framework to address sectoral challenges, illustrating the steps towards delivering sector-specific skills solutions through sectoral partnerships. The Blueprint currently focuses on six pilot sectors including: automotive; defence; maritime technology; space (geo-information); textile, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF); and tourism. It will be extended to additional sectors in the future.

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Almost 70 million people in Europe have trouble reading, writing, making simple calculations or using a computer. The new Upskilling Pathways initiative will provide a fresh start to people in need of basic skills development through tailored learning offers and skills assessments to help them acquire a minimum level of literacy, numeracy and digital skills and/or a broader set of skills. Learn more about the Upskilling Pathways in the leaflet and find out how you can get involved.

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This report sets out an analysis of the technical and conceptual characteristics of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) in their operational contexts, identifying key elements of comparability and similarities and differences in a mutually beneficial way. One of the objectives for putting in place qualifications frameworks is to facilitate recognition of qualifications to support mobility of learners and workers - both within and between countries. While this report does not reference the NZQF with European national qualifications frameworks, it is intended to be useful for people in the European Union seeking to understand New Zealand qualifications, their place in the New Zealand education and qualification system and the quality assurance system that underpins the NZQF; and vice versa for people in New Zealand to acquire better understanding of the EQF objectives and implementation and of qualifications referenced to the EQF through European national qualifications frameworks. The analysis is the product of a joint project completed by a technical working group formed between the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the EQF Advisory Group in 2014-15. The work on this report was completed in 2016.

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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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The European Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning is a regularly updated overview of validation practises and arrangements across Europe. It is compiled in cooperation with the European Commission. The Inventory was endorsed by the Council Recommendation of 2012 on validation and works together with the European guidelines as a tool to support countries to develop and implement validation arrangements.

The inventory reports are a source of information to encourage more dialogue between the different stakeholders in developing and implementing validation in Europe. [The 'European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning: 2016 update: synthesis report'] is accompanied by 36 country reports and four thematic reports. [The authors'] key objective is to support Member States so that more learners and workers acquire and make visible new skills to support their career and further learning and to enhance their quality of life. The 2016 update of the Inventory provides a unique record on how validation is being used at national, regional and local level in Europe. It contains a state-of-play and overview of developments for 33 European countries since the 2014 update and is illustrated by good practise examples. [The] four thematic reports relating to key issues in the design and implementation of validation initiatives. The Inventory is the end result of a two-year process and is based on the work of a large network of national experts, extensive review of documents and interviews with key stakeholders.

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The 36 country reports are: Austria / Karin Luomi-Messerer; Belgium-Flanders / Katleen De Rick; Belgium-French / Cecile Mathou; Bulgaria / Mariya Dzhengozova; Croatia / Marija Pavkov; Cyprus / Anna Manoudi; Czech Republic / Lubos Valenta; Denmark / Kirsten Aagaard; Estonia / Marin Johnson; Finland / Anni Karttunen; France / Cecile Mathou; Germany / Claudia Ball; Greece / Anna Manoudi; Hungary / Eva Tot; Iceland / Fjola Maria Larusdottir and Ingibjorg E. Guomundsdottir; Ireland / Ilona Murphy; Italy / Elisabetta Perulli; Latvia / Agnese Rusakova; Liechtenstein / Bianca Faragau-Tavares; Lithuania / Giedre Beleckiene; Luxembourg / Bianca Faragau-Tavares; Malta / Ilona Murphy; Netherlands / Ruud Duvekot; Norway / Camilla Alfsen; Poland / Aleksandra Duda; Portugal / Paula Guimaraes; Romania / Magda Balica; Slovakia / Juraj Vantuch; Slovenia / Katarina Kosmrlj; Spain / Luis Carro; Sweden / Fredrik Sandberg; Switzerland / Deli Salini and Janine Voit; Turkey / Fusun Akkok; UK, England and Northern Ireland / Jo Hawley; UK - Scotland / David Scott; UK - Wales / Jo Hawley.

The four thematic reports are: Funding validation: a thematic report for the 2016 update to the European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning / Jo Hawley; Validation in the care and youth work sectors: thematic report for the 2016 update of the European inventory on validation / Karin Luomi-Messerer; Monitoring the use of validation of non-formal and informal learning: thematic report for the 2016 update of the European inventory on validation / Claire Duchemin; Validation and open educational resources (OER): thematic report for the 2016 update of the European inventory on validation / Axelle Devaux and Manuel Souto-Otero. Show less