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Following the publication of ‘A memorandum of lifelong learning’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.400) 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. Feedback from the Europe-wide consultation was then used to develop the analysis and proposals in the Communication on ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.264). National reports were submitted by each Member State as well as by candidate countries and Iceland and Norway. This document is the national report from Lithuania. It outlines the consultation process, discusses the six key messages in the Memorandum, makes suggestions for developing a consequent strategy for lifelong learning and for action at the European level, lists the indicators used for monitoring the Lithuanian education system and concludes that the consultation process encouraged and strengthened cooperation between different institutions and other partners involved in human resource development and lifelong learning.

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

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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Since 2008 Europe has been suffering the effects of the most severe economic crisis it has seen in 50 years: for the first time in Europe there are over 25 million unemployed and in the majority of Member States small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have not yet been able to bounce back to their pre-crisis levels. To bring Europe back to growth and higher levels of employment, Europe needs more entrepreneurs. As a follow up to the Small Business Act review of April 2011 and of the Industrial policy communication adopted last October, the proposed action plan sets out a renewed vision and a number of actions to be taken at both [European Union] EU and Member States' level to support entrepreneurship in Europe. It is based on three pillars: developing entrepreneurial education and training; creating the right business environment; role models and reaching out to specific groups.

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The establishment of systems for the recognition and validation of all forms of learning has become one of the central themes in all sectors of education and training. This evolution reflects various societal changes, in particular the shift from the 'job for life' culture to the expectation of a succession of jobs throughout a career, often in different occupational areas. It is also closely related to the need for all active citizens who wish to secure their employment and employability in a fast-evolving technology-rich environment to constantly develop their knowledge and skills through learning activities which may, or may not, be explicitly designed as formal learning. In this context, it has become necessary to enable all those involved in lifelong learning - regardless of where it takes place - to have their learning achievements recognised and validated.

The document is divided into four sections. The first section looks at the recognition of prior learning as one of the main forms of alternative access routes into higher education. It is followed by a section that provides information on whether students can use the process as a mean of progression in their studies, i.e. to gain credits towards a qualification and/or exemptions from some program requirements. The third section evaluates the overall level of development and implementation of recognition practices across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), while the fourth examines whether and how such recognition practice is addressed in legal frameworks covering the higher education sector. The document concludes with a look at other developments in the area of higher education that could have an impact on the recognition of prior non-formal and informal learning, and issues that could be considered for future policy development.

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Volunteering is a creator of human and social capital. It is a pathway to integration and employment and a key factor for improving social cohesion. Above all, volunteering translates the fundamental values of justice, solidarity, inclusion and citizenship upon which Europe is founded into action. Volunteers help shape European society, and volunteers who work outside of their home countries are actively helping to build a Citizens' Europe. Indeed, volunteering activities are implicitly linked with many European Union policy areas - such as lifelong learning, rural development and sport - where they add a valuable dimension to European Union programs. For all these reasons and more, the year 2011 has been designated as the European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting Active Citizenship. The European Year gives the European Commission the opportunity to take stock of volunteering in the European Union and its contribution to society. It also allows the Commission to evaluate what the European Union and Member States can do to facilitate and promote volunteering, notably in cross-border situations.

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In December 2004, the Education Ministers of 32 European countries and representatives from the European Commission (EC) and the European Training Foundation (ETF) met in Maastricht to take stock of European cooperation in the field of vocational education and training (VET) following the Copenhagen declaration (indexed at TD/IRD 88.258). The intention of the Copenhagen declaration was to: improve the image and attractiveness of VET and learning; achieve high levels of quality and innovation in VET systems; link VET with new labour market requirements resulting from the knowledge society and demographic change; and improve social cohesion and labour market participation. This document sets out the progress made since, and describes the new strategies and priorities of the European countries on education and training for the next two years. Among the priorities are: continuing to set up common reference instruments to accentuate transparency (of the Europass variety); facilitating private and public investment; breathing new life into the role of teachers and trainers; and putting together reliable and relevant statistics. Show less

In this paper, the author argues that the obsolescence of human capital, or the deterioration of the skills workers have acquired in the past, is central to the key challenge for western economies to achieve a knowledge-based society through lifelong learning. The first section outlines a typology of the various possible causes of human capital obsolescence, in which five different kinds of human capital obsolescence are identified: the wear of skills due to ageing, or illness that may be related to working conditions; the atrophy of skills due to insufficient use; job-specific obsolescence due to technological and organisational change; sector-specific obsolescence due to shifts in employment; and firm-specific skills obsolescence due to displacement. This is followed by a discussion of the different ways in which the obsolescence of human capital can be measured: (1) objective method: testing; (2) subjective method: asking workers or their employers; (3) workers' wages; and (4) the probability of losing their jobs. The next section reviews the evidence on skills obsolescence that exists in the literature. An example of some empirical indicators of the potential risks of human capital obsolescence for workers in the various sectors of industry in the Netherlands is presented. The discussion then moves to what kinds of learning or training activities could be remedies for the different kinds of human capital obsolescence and some empirical evidence on training participation in the various sectors of industry in the Netherlands is presented. Training participation in the various sectors of industry in relation to the specific potential risks of human capital obsolescence in each sector is discussed, with particular reference to older workers. The author concludes with some policy issues.

Selected papers from the conference are indexed from TD/TNC 87.81 to TD/TNC 87.84. Show less

The 'Rethinking education' communication aims to help Member States by setting out a range of fields in which the efficiency of education and training systems can be improved. This document highlights the evidence base for the policy proposals outlined in the 'Rethinking education' communication on key competences. Its findings are based on analyses, coordinated by the Commission in cooperation with Member States, of best policy practice across the [European Union] EU and beyond, and on comparative data and current research. The focus of this document is on assessment of individual learners rather than evaluation of programs, institutions or systems. Section one, 'The key competences for European citizens in the knowledge society', provides a summary of what key competences are and which competences are currently being assessed. Section two, 'Strengthening assessment of all key competences: lessons from members states', illustrates how Member States have specified key competences in learning outcomes and how they have developed assessment for summative and formative purposes. It continues with implementation of assessment reforms and presents the other policy areas that need to be addressed to make reforms successful. Appendix one describes the key competences set out in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (the 'Key competences for lifelong learning - the European framework').

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Currently, more than five million young people in the European Union (EU) are unemployed. It is becoming harder for young people to find work and some are deciding to either prolong their studies or going back to study. This could be a positive move for the future if the right skills are acquired. However, a large number of young people are neither working nor studying. The European Commission is proposing a Youth Opportunities Initiative to target those young people not in employment, education or training. Although most of the work will need to be done by the Member States, the EU can provide a supporting role through review of policies and performance and by providing financial support to national and cross-border initiatives. This report outlines the initiative's first steps in supporting skills development and school-to-work transitions. Show less

Following the publication of ‘A memorandum of lifelong learning’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.400) 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. Feedback from the Europe-wide consultation was then used to develop the analysis and proposals in the Communication on ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.264). National reports were submitted by each Member State as well as by candidate countries and Iceland and Norway. This document is the national report from the UK. It highlights the UK’s approach to lifelong learning against the six key messages of the Memorandum.

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