Over the past year, progress in developing and implementing national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) has allowed more countries to link these to the common reference framework for qualifications, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
How far each country has progressed along this road can now easily be seen by clicking on country chapters in Cedefop’s working paper, Analysis and overview of NQF developments in European countries, the fourth annual report Cedefop has prepared on this topic.
This linking process makes it easier for countries to understand one another’s qualifications. As a result, it also eases citizens’ lifelong transitions between learning and working, across sectors, and within the entire European labour market. Some countries also see qualifications frameworks as tools for education reform and institutional change. Full text of the press release. Read more...

The European Alliance for Apprenticeships was launched by Commissioners Androulla Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth) and László Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) at the 2013 WorldSkills competition in Leipzig, Germany. The Alliance will help to fight youth unemployment by improving the quality and supply of apprenticeships across the EU through a broad partnership of key employment and education stakeholders. It also seeks to change attitudes to apprenticeships. It will in particular identify the most successful apprenticeship schemes in the EU and apply appropriate solutions in each Member State.
Links

• Launch of European Alliance for Apprenticeships

To mark Croatia’s accession to the European Union (EU) on 1 July 2013, Cedefop has prepared a statistical overview on vocational education and training (VET) and lifelong learning in the country. Selected for their policy relevance and importance to achieving the Europe 2020 strategy’s objectives, the indicators quantify key aspects of VET and lifelong learning and relate Croatia’s performance to the EU average.
Key findings for Croatia
• Initial VET is well represented at upper secondary level, accounting for more than 70% of students enrolled at this level in 2011, well above the EU average of 50%.
• Participation in continuing vocational training (CVT) and adult learning is low compared to other European countries. In 2010, around 23% of employees participated in CVT courses, well below the EU average of 38%. However, a relatively high number of Croatian enterprises, around 57%, provided training in 2010.
• Participation by adults aged 24 to 64 in lifelong learning was at 2.4% in 2012, well below the EU average of 9%. The European target is an average of 15% by 2020.
• In 2012, the percentage of 30 to 34 year-olds with a university-level or equivalent vocational qualification was close to the EU average of 9%.
• In the same year, some 22% of 18 to 24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training, compared to the EU average of 17%.
• Latest data show that in Croatia some 24% of people aged 30 to 34 have at least a tertiary-level qualification, compared to 36% at the EU level. The trend, however, is clearly upward as the 24% rate in 2012 compares to just 16% ten years ago.
• In 2012, 55% of adults aged 20 to 64 were employed in Croatia (the lowest level in Europe together with Greece), compared to the EU average of 68%. However, fewer adults had low levels of education, around 21% of people aged 20 to 64, compared to the EU average of 26%. Read more...

Eurostat publishes two articles on youth unemployment and on youth participation in education and the labour market.
The article on youth unemployment explains how youth unemployment in the European Union (EU) is measured and how youth unemployment rates are affected by the transition of young adults from education to the labour market. The second one focuses on the complex interplay between education and labour market participation in the European Union (EU) and its Member States.
Links

• Participation of young people in education and the labour market
• Youth unemployment

Mobility is considered to be important for the personal development and employability of young people, as well as for intercultural dialogue, participation and active citizenship. Learning mobility in the youth field focuses on non-formal learning as a relevant part of youth work, with links to informal learning as well as to formal education. Different stakeholders at European level, particularly the Council of Europe and the European Commission, but also individual member states, foster programmes and strategies to enhance the mobility of young people, and particularly the learning dimension in mobility schemes.
This book on learning mobility is a joint Council of Europe and European Commission publication and provides texts of an academic, scientific, political and practical nature for all stakeholders in the youth field - youth leaders and youth workers, policy makers and researchers. It should contribute to dialogue and co-operation between relevant players and to discussion on the further development and purpose of youth mobility schemes and their outcomes for young people.
Links

• Learning mobility and non-formal learning in European contexts (online version)
• Learning mobility and non-formal learning in European contexts: Policies, approaches and examples

Bridging the gap between skills supply and demand was a clear focus of the second day of the Informal meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council in Vilnius, as EU research ministers discussed what skills are needed now and in the future to ensure EU competitiveness in the field of science and innovation.
Download Europe needs to bridge gap between education supply and labour market demand.

People, organisations and governments invest in vocational education and training (VET) because of its positive outcomes, such as higher wages, improved productivity and economic growth. But VET also brings non-economic benefits, such as lower absenteeism and less crime. Research on VET’s benefits has focused on specific relationships, such its impact on productivity or health. Insufficient attention has been given how VET’s benefits interact in organisations. VET contributes directly to higher productivity by increasing skill levels, but also indirectly by increasing job satisfaction and lowering absenteeism. Using existing and new research covering more European countries, Cedefop’s publication argues that some of VET’s most important benefits are difficult to express in monetary terms. Organisations, individuals and governments, consequently, may not take full account of VET’s benefits when deciding to invest in it. A better understanding all of its benefits may not only influence the likelihood of investing in VET, but is important for organisations competing on the basis of high quality goods and services where skills and attitudes need to combine to bring success. Download Benefits of vocational education and training in Europe for people, organisations and countries.

Cedefop’s conference on work-based learning (12-13 June 2013) gathered more than 150 experts on vocational education and training from around the world, policy-makers from the European Commission and Member States as well as social partners’ representatives.
Participants called for the implementation of European Union (EU) policy initiatives on developing apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning across Europe in order to address rising youth unemployment.
EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou opened the conference, while other high-level participants included German Parliamentary Secretary of State, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Thomas Rachel and Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris.
Watch the conference highlights here.
The Cedefop Times, the conference newspaper, explores further the issues debated by the participants.

In line with earlier forecasts, Cedefop’s projections for skill supply and demand in the European Union (EU) foresee a gradual return to job growth and an older, but better qualified workforce.
The latest forecast extends the time horizon from 2020 to 2025 and differs from its predecessors in seeing demand for high-level qualifications speeding up.
The forecasts consider three scenarios – baseline, optimistic and pessimistic – to show how different economic circumstances may influence the labour market from now until 2025. All three point to skill mismatches (skill shortages and overqualification) in the European labour market in the medium term.
Download the briefing note.