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This brief paper stresses that education and training are essential for economic development and civil society and must be central to the reconstruction process in South-Eastern Europe. It outlines the social and economic benefits of a commitment to human resource development (HRD) and outlines the main principles underpinning the European Training Foundation's HRD priorities. It provides a brief and broad overview of the transition process within South-Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Romania and discusses some of the challenges facing the countries that have been directly affected by the recent conflicts in South-Eastern Europe. The author stresses that while, at the macro level, South-Eastern Europe suffers from economic collapse and ethnic tension, at the micro level there are also many examples of economic development and cooperation. Ten key points are addressed in this paper, including the need for: a detailed national development plan for HRD; increased institution-building and staff development; clarity and streamlining of the legal, financial and institutional environment for HRD; provision of adult education for the economy of the region; ensuring the quality and content of training for both economic development and civil society; and increased coordination of donor interventions.

The full volume of papers is indexed at TD/INT 61.20. Show less

This report is one in a series that were prepared as part of an international research project on 'The assessment of management training needs at the achieved level of transition' in various Central and Eastern European countries. The project was implemented by the Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN) and was sponsored by the European Training Foundation (ETF). This report presents the results of the cross-country analysis based on the five country reports from the first phase of the research. These country reports covered selected enterprises in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, and Moscow and the Ural Region, and concentrated on the issue of management training needs in manufacturing and service sector industries. The research was based on questionnaires which were sent out to general, human resources and individual managers. The aim was to understand training processes, approaches and practice in order to evaluate how training had been used as a response to evolving business needs and how it could be further developed in the future. This comparative report aims to review the main issues related to management training needs in this region and to identify some general issues and recommendations.

The five country reports are indexed from TD/TNC 64.52 to TD/TNC 64.56. Show less

'Live and learn', the European Training Foundation (ETF) magazine, is a twice yearly publication which provides readers with an insight into the different areas of work of the ETF and the many topics it is involved in. This issue contains the following vocational education and training (VET) related articles: 'An advantage, not an obstacle' by Anne Jenson (p. 4-7); 'Everyone has a right to a better life: Italian minister Emma Bonino vists the ETF' (p. 8-9); 'Can VET institutions help to reduce poverty' by Eduarda Castel-Branco (p. 10-13); 'The new learning paradigm in Portugal: Novas Oportunidades' (p. 14-17); 'Involving ethnic groups in education' (p. 18-21); 'Understanding change' by Patrick Grabolle (p. 22-24); 'Dissecting the transition from education to work: highlights of a new ETF publication' (p. 25-27) [the full report is indexed at TD/TNC 91.249]; 'Annual Forum measures the progress of MEDA-ETE project in 2007' (p. 28-31); and 'The effect of ETF intervention' by Outi Karkainnen (p. 32-35). Show less

This report is one in a series prepared as part of an international research project on ‘The assessment of management training needs at the achieved level of transition’ in various Central and Eastern European countries. The project was implemented by the Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN) and was sponsored by the European Training Foundation (ETF). This report covers selected enterprises in the Slovenia and concentrates on the issue of management training needs in manufacturing and service sector industries. The study was carried out during 1998. The research was based on questionnaires, which were sent out to general, human resources and individual managers. The aim was to understand training processes, approaches and practice in order to evaluate how training has been used as a response to evolving business needs and how it can be further developed in the future. Show less

This European Training Foundation (ETF) study of the Moldovan vocational education and training (VET) system outlines the political and economic situation in the country and describes various aspects of the VET system such as the legal framework, demographic changes and their implications for the sector, enrolments, types of vocational schools, human resources and teacher training, financing, curriculum, standards, certification and assessment, and research. The study then examines labour market issues and their implications for VET. These include labour force characteristics, employment and unemployment, the work of employment services, and social dialogue mechanisms and the role of social partners. The study reveals that the Moldovan VET system is undergoing radical change and that there is still no firm basis for a system that meets the needs of the current economic and social situation in the country. Three issues are considered vital to the restructuring of the VET system: policy development; a mechanism to involve social partners; and raising the status and visibility of VET schools and the occupations for which they prepare their students. Based on the findings, the study recommends: the need for analysis to underpin policy; involvement of social partners at all levels, particularly in labour market analysis and standards development; reform of the financial system; separation of VET and secondary education; and priority for rural schools. Show less

This report is one in a series prepared as part of an international research project on ‘The assessment of management training needs at the achieved level of transition’ in various Central and Eastern European countries. The project was implemented by the Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN) and was sponsored by the European Training Foundation (ETF). This report covers selected enterprises in the Russian Federation and concentrates on the issue of management training needs in manufacturing and service sector industries. The study was carried out during 1998. The research was based on questionnaires, which were sent out to general, human resources and individual managers. The aim was to understand training processes, approaches and practice in order to evaluate how training has been used as a response to evolving business needs and how it can be further developed in the future. Show less

This report presents an assessment of the quality and the level of implementation of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) policy in the Western Balkans, comparing results with a previous assessment conducted in 2006 and published in 2007.The report covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo. The assessment framework is based on the European Charter for Small Enterprises (the Charter), a set of policy guidelines endorsed by the European Union Member States and a key component of the European Union Lisbon Agenda. The report covers the 10 policy dimensions included in the Charter. It applies a methodology known as the SME Policy Index, which makes it possible to quantify and compare qualitative policy features. The first part of the report reviews progress by policy dimension. The second part focuses on policies supporting high-growth SMEs. The intention is to provide a comprehensive review of good practices, introduce country assessment methods through two case studies (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) and open a debate on what is likely to be a key component of the SME agenda for the next few years. The third part of the report includes stocktaking and progress reviews for each of the seven Western Balkan economies. The key finding is that over the last two years there has been good progress in elaborating and implementing policies supporting small enterprises all across the Western Balkans and there is clear convergence towards the adoption of the policy guidelines set in the Charter. However, progress has been uneven across the 10 dimensions and the seven economies covered by the report.

Excerpts from publication reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This issue contains the following vocational education and training (VET) related articles: 'Cooperation on education - making a difference to ordinary people's lives: Europe's education Commissioner on qualifications frameworks' by Rebecca Warden (p. 4-6), Jan Figel, Europe's Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth talks to the [European Training Foundation] ETF about the advantages of the European Qualifications Framework [EQF] and why entrepreneurial learning will be important in 2009; 'New regulation: a historic day for the ETF' by Bent Sorensen (p. 7-8), on Tuesday 16 December 2008, the European Parliament adopted a regulation reforming the mandate and governance of ETF; 'Francesco Panzica - the changing role of the ETF in Serbia: fourteen years of service to VET and labour market reform' by Rebecca Warden (p. 9), the ETF's country manager for Serbia, Francesco Panzica, has the distinction of working for the ETF before it even existed; 'Serbia country focus: reforms begin in earnest in Serbia' by Rebecca Warden (p. 10-11), European Union cooperation with Serbia has taken on a fresh impetus since the new government assumed power in April 2008. After years of relative isolation, the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the [European Union] EU in April 2008 was a significant milestone. The agreement will strengthen trade and political links and paves the way for Serbia to be considered for EU accession at a later date; 'Education goes global with the ETF's contribution' by Fernando Heller (p. 12), the EQF was conceived as an instrument to promote internal mobility within the European single market. It is a common instrument which links national qualifications systems together, promoting worker mobility. ETF expert Vincent McBride tells 'Live and learn' why the EQF can be used as a 'link between local and global experiences' in education and training and why the European model can be a 'source of inspiration' for other countries; 'VET in Central Asia: the ETF as facilitator' by Fernando Heller (p. 13), VET has been marginalized for years in the debate on education reforms, but in recent times it has been back on government and donor reform agendas. To capitalize on its long experience in VET, the ETF is promoting an increased exchange of experience between the five Central Asian countries, looking at their challenges, plans and lessons learned in VET; 'Turin schools social inclusion: Balkan network studies Turin's drive for social inclusion' by Ard Jongsma (p. 14-15), a city with more than 100 different nationalities among its citizens, Turin has a lot of experience to share with its Balkan counterparts who are confronted with the dilemmas of social exclusion and the role that education and training can play in fighting it; 'MEDA-ETE dissemination days: MEDA-ETE - positive proof that countries can learn from each other' by Rebecca Warden (p. 16-17), after four years of hard work building regional cooperation, the MEDA Education and Training for Employment (MEDA-ETE) project is entering its final phase, that of publicising the results. Dissemination days have been held in nine participating countries, keeping the MEDA-ETE team constantly on the move from late October through to the last event in Ankara on 16 December last year; 'Enterprise spirit must break out of business schools: entrepreneurial learning - showing us how to get by in uncertain times' by Rebecca Warden (p. 18-19), the need for our education systems to teach people how to be entrepreneurial, take risks and seize new opportunities has been working its way up the political agenda for some time. The current economic crisis is only making this clearer as people realise that a range of new skills will be necessary if they are to weather the storm; and 'Is the new understanding of skills reflected in ways of measuring human capital?' by Siria Taurelli (p. 20-21), Siria Taurelli is ETF country manager for Moldova and project manager for knowledge management. She recently returned from a 13-month secondment to the World Bank in Washington where her work focused on how to measure human capital. While education policy thinking is constantly evolving, the same cannot be said for the ways of measuring human capital. In this article, Ms Taurelli looks at the mismatch in detail and explains why organisations such as the ETF should strive to back up their innovative policy thinking with equally innovative data, statistics and indicators. Show less

This report describes a study designed to identify opportunities within Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, for improving the support available for management and entrepreneurial development in order to stimulate the growth of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The focus of the study is on the supply or provider side of management development support but also considers the demand for such support from SMEs and the role of intermediaries in assisting enterprises to access this support. The study includes individual entrepreneurs, micro enterprises (those with up to four employees) and SMEs (those employing between five and 49 people). Management development support is defined as any type of intervention used to help SMEs survive and grow, including all forms of management and entrepreneurial training and other types of support such as information, advice and guidance. The report is divided into two sections. The first provides a cross-country analysis of the current situation in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt and attempts to identify some common trends in management development support for SMEs in these three countries. The second part provides an individual country analysis of the situation in each country. Each country analysis includes the following sections: (1) an overview of the socioeconomic context; (2) a summary of the situation in regard to SMEs, the environment within which they operate and their potential for growth; (3) a critical overview of the training and support currently available to managers and entrepreneurs in SMEs; (4) an overview of the support and the impact created by donors’ interventions; and (5) recommendations on how to improve this training and support. Where relevant, case studies in a box format provide illustrative examples of how concepts have been put into practice. Show less

In June 2000, the Human Resources Development Working Group of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe identified employment and skills as a priority area for development in the international community’s support for the reconstruction of the Balkans region. The Group commissioned the European Training Foundation (ETF) to develop proposals for strategically addressing employment and manpower issues in the region. As a consequence, a meeting of experts was held in Tirana in November 2000 to discuss training issues for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region. This report addresses the issues raised by one workshop from the meeting on employment and skills for SMEs in the construction sector. The working group concluded that the region’s construction industries require trade and management skills to meet the demands of the infrastructure improvements to be supported by the international community. The working group proposed three specific measures: (1) regional and national training centres for construction trade skills; (2) regional and national training centres for management disciplines; and (3) on-the-job training in trade and management skills for SMEs providing services on large infrastructure projects. The report contains the following chapters: Background; Manpower, small and medium-sized enterprises and the construction sector; The construction skills’ workshop; Results of workshop: practical training projects; Issues for construction skills development in South Eastern Europe; Conclusions and recommendations. Show less