Education and training - Discover the EU's role

What is the Directorate General for Education and Culture?
The Directorate General for Education and Culture, or DG EAC, is the branch of the European Commission charged with Education, Training, Youth , Sport , Languages , and Culture . Its activities, as concerns education and training, are framed by the Education and Training 2020 strategy (ET2020), a part of the Europe 2020 strategy , designed to promote growth and jobs in Europe, as well as contributing to the development of skills for the labour market.
What does it do?
In the field of education and training, DG EAC, is responsible for the development of evidence-based policy and the management of initiatives in support of education and training across Europe, most notably the Erasmus+ programme . As the executive arm of the European Union, the European Commission is held accountable to the European Parliament, namely, in the case of DG EAC, the Education and Culture Committee .
What are its responsibilities?
The main responsibility of DG EAC in the field of education and training policy is to support Member States in developing coherent policies for:

• schools,
• vocational education and training,
• higher education,
• adult education;

It is also responsible for developing policies and instruments for skills and qualifications supply and recognition, as well as supporting international cooperation and policy dialogue. DG EAC is also responsible for managing education, training, and research opportunities under Erasmus+.
What has been done so far?
Since 2010, with the approval of the Europe 2020 strategy, a variety of flagship initiatives have been launched, including:

• Youth on the Move (YotM), whose aim is to help better equip young people for the job market – which includes boosting the literacy of the less skilled – and to improve their education and training levels.
• The Agenda for new skills and jobs , which includes literacy as an important part of the right mix of skills needed for success in the future labour market.
• The Digital Agenda for Europe , which recognises the role of digital literacy for empowerment and participation in the digital era.
• The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion , which proposes the development of innovative education for deprived communities to help lift them out of poverty and social exclusion.

These have resulted in the following actions:

• The Rethinking Education initiative ;
• The establishment of the Alliance of Apprenticeships;
• The communication on modernisation of higher education ;
• The Opening up Education initiative;
• The Education and training monitor and cooperation with surveys such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

What are the next steps?
ET2020 outlines the aims and expected outcomes of its operations over the present decade and is the main guide for the DG's activities. In addition to the aforementioned activities, DG EAC will also focus on:

• Increasing the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications;
• Promoting social inclusion through education and training;
• Promoting new education technologies, notably through the Opening up Europe initiative;
• Supporting the work of the Marie Curie Actions ;
• Supporting the work of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology in the framework of the Horizon 2020 initiative. See more...