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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

This report sets out steps to be taken without delay to get young people back into work, education or training. These steps cover: the implementation of the Youth Guarantee; investment in young people through the European Social Fund; the front-loading of the Youth Employment Initiative; support for intra-[European Union] EU labour mobility with EURES; steps to ease the transition from education to work by boosting the supply of high quality apprenticeships and traineeships and addressing skills shortages; an acceleration of reforms to deliver a genuine EU labour market in the longer run; and measures to support job creation in the immediate term, especially by [small and medium-sized] SMEs, and to incentivise the hiring of young people.

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This publication has been produced in response to the plan for Objective 3 in the United Kingdom. Chapter 1 provides a summary of the main features of the labour market over recent years and current trends; the results of the monitoring and evaluation exercise for Objective 3 and 4 in the previous period, and a prior appraisal of the UK plan. Chapter 2 gives an outline of the strategic approach, discusses the priorities for European Social Fund (ESF) support, and the nature of the measures within each ESF supported priority. It also presents the indicators against which the ESF contribution will be assessed. Chapter 3 looks at the financing plan by priority, the explanation of additionality, how it will be measured, the additionality table, and the explanation of concentration and the concentration table. Chapter 4 describes the committee structure for the administration of the program, the method to be applied in the UK for monitoring and evaluating ESF, an outline of the criteria for selecting projects, the approach to multiannual approvals and the Commission standard clauses on administration of ESF in Member States. Show less

This Communique, which follows the Copenhagen Declaration (2002) and Maastricht Communique (2004) sets the priorities and strategies for the European cooperation in vocational education and training [VET] for the next two years. The Communique is based on the Council Conclusions adopted on 14 November 2006 and the background document prepared by the Finnish Presidency. Its aim is to communicate European policy strategies in the area to all stakeholders, including VET providers/institutions, teachers, trainers and learners.

The Communique has four parts: (1) Europe needs investments in VET - this part addresses the challenges for the European VET policies; (2) Making it happen - The Copenhagen process delivering reforms - this part describes the role of the Copenhagen process in responding to the European challenges and outlines the main strategies for continuations of the process; (3) Reviewed priorities - this part describes the four priorities for the next period; and (4) Implementation and reporting - guidelines for the implementation.

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This report responds to the challenges associated with the provision of language skills for the European labour market. It calls for a sharpened focus on employment-related aspects of language learning. The aim is to provide input for the current discussions at national and European levels on modernising education systems and quality assurance built on learning outcomes. The main challenge is for language teaching to become learner-focused, and better geared to professional contexts and the needs of the jobs market. This, in turn, will improve learner motivation and the successful taking up and use of available opportunities. This will benefit not only learners but those seeking to employ people who are well-trained and properly qualified to assume their professional responsibilities.

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In light of the growing negative impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] Covid-19 pandemic on national labour markets and people's lives and livelihoods, the role of career guidance has become ever more important to individuals, families, communities, the workforce, employers and society. This report is based on a flash joint international survey, designed to provide a snapshot of how career guidance policies, systems and services were adapting and coping, following the declaration of the world Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. The survey, launched on 8 June 2020 and closed on 3 August 2020, included an exploration of these policies, systems and practices (focusing on remote and ICT-based delivery) in the context of the early phase of government reactions to the pandemic, the extent to which the pandemic and its social consequences triggered a debate on career guidance reform, and the role for career guidance in pandemic recovery measures. It also considered the support role of international and donor bodies.

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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

Professional mobility is viewed as a key component of Europe's competitiveness. The current system for the recognition of professional qualifications has been identified as a barrier to cross-border labour mobility, and it needs to be modernised. Easier labour mobility would also assist in the challenge of filling high-skill jobs. Professional qualifications obtained outside the European Union would be more easily recognised and these people could help to alleviate the projected skills shortages, particularly in the health professions. This paper contends that it is essential for the Professional Qualifications Directive to set out clear and simple rules for the recognition of qualifications. 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.

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Economic restructuring requires a flexible workforce with a range of transferable skills. This publication analyses the role of such skills in career pathways and the labour market, and levels of skill transferability across sectors in the current context and during the years leading up to 2020. It also looks at the roles of actors involved in promoting transferability and methods for enhancing job mobility, before making final recommendations. The appendices contain the following information: the [European Union] EU survey; good practice examples; EU workshops; knowledge and skills’ transferability in 2020; definitions of basic terms; importance of human capital stock during economic recession; methodological background of skills transferability analysis; outputs of skills transferability analysis; extended information on players and tools; and extended information on recommendations.

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