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This report is based on the ENQA workshop “Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: exchanging good practice”, which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on 9-10 February 2012 and presents articles on themes such as the state of development of qualifications frameworks, the role of agencies in the self-certification process, and the meaning of qualifications frameworks in external quality assurance. Download the report Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: Exchanging Good Practice.
Recognition of prior learning and the role of quality assurance agencies. Accreditation of prior learning in France as a case study, by Teresa Sánchez Chaparro, Programme Manager, Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur (CTI), France, p.30-35.
Introduction
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) implies the formal acknowledgement of learning acquired in a non-formal context (usually coming from experience unrelated to an academic context). This process is generally seen as an important tool for progressing in the fields of lifelong learning and continuing education, two preeminent objectives of the Lisbon agenda. RPL is normally conducted by educational institutions or professional certification bodies. In the case of certifications issued by educational institutions, this process provides recognition of a certain academic level (according to a national qualifications framework) in view of two main objectives: increasing labour market recognition and/or enabling access to a higher level of studies.
Because of its potential role in the fields of employment and social promotion, RPL practices are politically sensitive and are normally part of an explicit political agenda which responds to national objectives. This political dimension must be taken into account by quality assurance agencies as a starting point in order to develop quality assurance criteria in this field. The answer to the question: what makes a sound RPL process? is fundamentally dependent on the pursued goals and cannot in any way be affronted from an exclusively technical perspective.
An ENQA break-out group session devoted to this subject within the workshop on Quality assurance and qualifications frameworks has enabled to confront different national realities and policies regarding RPL and, in consequence, different quality assurance roles and practices among the different QAA represented. In this paper, the French experience in the field of prior learning recognition, or in French terms, validation des acquis de l’expérience (VAE), is presented as a case study which enables to illustrate some important general issues. After analysing this case, the last section of this paper tries to reproduce the main issues raised during the discussion held at ENQA’s workshop break-out session on recognition of prior learning, and draw some conclusions as to the possible role of quality assurance agencies.
Recognition of prior learning in France (validation des acquis de l’expérience- VAE)
National context
RPL processes, as they are practiced today in France, were established by the 2002 Law on social modernization with the name of VAE (validation des acquis de l’expérience - Law n° 2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale). This law establishes an individual right to the recognition of professional experience in the acquisition of an academic title or a diploma. This recognition device was established within the following context:
• The existence of a significant population sector with a low or inexistent graduation level (According to the 1995 INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques- National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies) employment survey, four out of ten workers in France didn’t have any formal qualification at the time). Regardless of their individual competences, this population sector was not recognised by the French labour market, and their professional and social ascension was, in practice, very difficult.
• Initial qualifications play a stronger role in France than in other countries (Anglo-Saxon countries, for example) in reference to social hierarchy. Some authors talk about a ‘French structural fondness for qualifications’ (TRYBY, Emmanuel; Accreditation of prior experiential learning and the development of higher education; European journal of vocational training, Nº 46- 2009/1-ISSN 1977-0219) or even about a ‘French dictatorship of qualifications’ (Méhaut Philippe, Lecourt Anne-Juliette (2007) ; The accreditation of prior learning experience in France : A good start, to be continued ; Discussion paper). A 2005 study shows that over 73% of job offers in France, regardless of the age of the candidate, mention the number of years of study and the qualification required (in Great Britain, this rate goes down to 27% - Marchal Emmanuelle, Rieucau Géraldine (2003) « Candidat de plus de 40 ans non diplômé ou débutant s’abstenir », Connaissance de l’emploi n°11, CEE). Different studies also show that the possession of a diploma enables a quicker and more stable access to the job market in France. The fact of having a diploma has also an impact on the stability of the contract (with a much higher rate of indefinite contracts for graduates). Finally, the possession of an initial academic qualification plays, at least since Napoleonic times, an important symbolic role in the meritocratic France, where initial qualifications are one of the axes for social differentiation.
• A dual training system which establishes a sharp distinction between initial training and continuous and vocational education training (CVET). As an example, only around 1,5 % of continuous education actions in 1996 resulted in an academic title or diploma (again from the studies by the CEREQ).
The new VAE system established by the 2002 law tries to profit from the major role played by initial diplomas in France in order to attain two main objectives:
• Facilitate social promotion and secure career paths
• Build a bridge between the CVET system and the initial training system.
Brief description of the French VAE system
The VAE process enables an individual to get all or part of a certification (diploma or professional qualification certificate) based on his/her professional experience (salaried, non-salaried, or voluntary). This experience, which must be related to the intended certification, is validated by a panel. If the VAE process leads to an academic qualification, it is directly assessed and recognised by the higher education institution.
The diploma obtained has exactly the same validity as a diploma obtained by an ordinary study path. All diplomas, certificates, and professional qualifications are available through VAE. They are registered in a public registry (RNCP- National Register of Professional Certifications, http://www.rncp.cncp.gouv.fr/). Academic diplomas registered in RNCP cover a variety of levels, from secondary education to the masters level. All engineering degrees (masters level diplomas) are included by law in the RNCP and have thus the obligation of delivering their diplomas also through VAE.
The diagram below shows the main steps of the VAE process and the main actors involved. Several structures at the regional and national level have been put in place in order to provide general information on the procedure and to orientate candidates towards a suitable certification. Once the certification is chosen, a first check on the admissibility of the request (mainly the verification of the candidate having the three years of relevant experience required) is conducted. After passing the admissibility check, the candidate must prepare an application which will be finally examined by a mixed panel composed of academic and professional members. The panel may issue a full or a partial validation. In the latter case, the jury can propose the necessary pedagogical complements (courses, internships, and so on). There is no time limit for obtaining these additional competences.
The VAE process in engineering higher education in France: The role of CTI
The main mission of CTI is to conduct accreditation of engineering programmes in France. CTI supervises all paths for obtaining an engineering diploma, including VAE. All engineering institutions must include a specific section concerning VAE in their selfassessment report in view of programme accreditation (VAE procedures, number of accreditations issued, number of candidates, cost of the process, type of compensatory measures proposed, etc.).
CTI has developed a set of criteria regarding the way VAE procedures should be conducted. These criteria are gathered in the document Références et Orientations (References and Guidelines- available at www.cti-commission.fr). The quality criteria
applied are coherent with the political goals established at the national level. In consequence, the criteria have been developed under the assumption that VAE is basically a beneficial procedure, with a strong potential to boost employment and social advancement. Engineering institutions in France are sometimes accused of being elitists, and VAE is considered by CTI as one of the devices which can be employed to foster social diversity in this environment.
The legal obligation for all HEIs to establish VAE processes has also had some methodological benefits at the national level, in the sense that it has been a major driver to formalise the competence-based approach within French higher education institutions. Some engineering institutions in France are reluctant to deliver their diplomas through VAE, as they think that the educational value of the VAE is lower than a classical diploma and hence could degrade the value of their academic certificates. Being able to articulate a VAE procedure that ensures the same level of exigency as in the standard path is indeed a crucial issue for CTI.
At the other end of the spectrum, some higher education institutions could take this practice as a business opportunity. The fact that they can deliver a “partial validation” followed by a recommendation on pedagogical complementary elements could encourage engineering institutions to use VAE in order to fill their continuous education programmes. CTI is aware of this potential conflict of interest and tries to be vigilant in order to prevent abuse.
As far as accreditation is concerned, CTI has tried to adopt a balanced position, which respects the specific policies of each institution with regards to VAE but, at the same time, tries to ensure a fair implementation of these recognition processes. The main accreditation criteria applied by CTI are:
• Certification: the diploma delivered must be strictly the same as that delivered through other learning paths.
• Professional outcomes of the programme: engineering institutions must adequately formalise the outcomes of their programmes in a way that they can serve the certification of professional competences. These descriptions must be made public and transmitted to the National Registry of Professional Certifications.
• Evaluation procedures and criteria: the procedures and evaluation criteria must be clear and public. They must guarantee an equitable treatment of all candidates.
The evaluation criteria should be at the same exigency level than the ones used to attribute the diploma through other paths.
• Information and guidance to the candidate: institutions must be transparent and provide sufficient information to possible VAE candidates. They must put in place (or offer) guidance and counselling to the candidates throughout the process.
• Accreditation panel: the VAE panel must include academic and professional members (other than the external lecturers of the programme). It must include some members from the jury that delivers the ordinary diploma in order to ensure a same exigency level, but other than that, the composition must be substantially different and adapted to understand the specific challenges of this track.
Conclusions
Recognition of prior learning is implemented at various levels and with various objectives in the different European countries. Whereas the RPL process in some countries (such as Ireland, Germany or the Netherlands) mainly
involves considering the learner’s prior formal or informal learning in order to gain entry to further study or to gain credit or exemption towards a degree, in other countries, such
as France, RPL is used as a major route to award an academic degree.
The case of France’s VAE is indeed an extreme case. VAE enables the acquisition of a complete academic degree through the exclusive validation of professional experience. The VAE legislation does not limit the number of certifications obtained by a particular person. In France, it is hence possible to get up to the master level without having any formal academic qualification. As an example, we can examine the case of a French citizen, who left school without his secondary education degree and was subsequently able to obtain 6 academic diplomas through VAE (including a bachelor in literary Arabic) up to the master level. This person is currently in charge of VAE processes at a prestigious engineering institution (http://orientactuel.centre-inffo.fr/Hassane-Akka-de-bac-3-a-bac-5-en.html).
The French approach to RPL raised some critical voices among QA colleagues during the ENQA workshop break-out group discussion. Whereas the break-out group participants could easily accept that one can arrive to the same level of professional competence through working experience as via an academic degree, it is more difficult to argue that this path could be equivalent in terms of methodological skills and analytic capacity. There is also an experiential dimension associated to formal higher education which definitely plays a role in building a competence profile.
The case of Hong Kong (http://www.hkqf.gov.hk/guie/HKQF_intro.asp) provides an example of how RPL processes can be established without mixing the notions of level and profile. In Hong Kong the recognition of professional competences is made by a number of specific agencies with close links to industry. Candidates obtain recognition of a certain academic level and the right to be admitted to a higher level of studies, but they do not obtain an academic degree.
However, the French VAE should be understood in the light of the French specific national context, namely a number of urgent structural problems which needed to be addressed in order to improve competitivity and social equity, and the special role played by initial qualifications.
RPL practices are indeed politically sensitive and highly dependent on the context. Agencies must explicitly assume this political dimension in order to define what role to play regarding RPL processes. The following questions should be posed:
• Is RPL an important issue in my specific national and political context? Is it being practiced at a significant level?
• Are there any risks of derive in the way HEIs are implementing these recognition processes?
Depending of the answer to these questions, the quality assurance agency may adopt a more or less active role. In the case of France, RPL practices are politically important and there are indeed certain risks - such as a general resistance of institutions to VAE; conflicts of interest to be avoided; and certain methodological aspects associated to the competences approaches - which justify, as we have seen, an active role from the national accreditation agency.
References
BESSON Eric (2008) ; Valoriser l’acquis de l’expérience : Une évaluation du dispositif de VAE ; Secrétariat d’état chargé de la prospective, de l’évaluation des politiques publiques et du développement de l’économie numérique. CEREQ (Centre d’Études et des Recherches sur les Qualifications - Center for the study and research on qualifications). (www.cereq.fr)
Délégation générale à l’emploi et à la formation professionnelle (DGEFP) (2007) ; La validation des acquis de l’expérience (VAE). Rapport au Parlement en application de l’article 146 de la Loi n°2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale. Law n° 2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000408905&dateTexte=)
MARCHAL Emmanuelle, RIEUCAU Géraldine (2003) « Candidat de plus de 40 ans non diplômé ou débutant s’abstenir », Connaissance de l’emploi n°11, CEE
MÉHAUT Philippe, LECOURT Anne-Juliette (2007) ; The accreditation of prior learning experience in France : A good start, to be continued ; Discussion paper. Portail national de la validation des acquis de l’expérience (http://www.vae.gouv.fr/)
TRYBY, Emmanuel (2009); Accreditation of prior experiential learning and the development of higher education; European journal of vocational training, Nº 46- 2009/1-ISSN 1977–0219

This report is based on the ENQA workshop “Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: exchanging good practice”, which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on 9-10 February 2012 and presents articles on themes such as the state of development of qualifications frameworks, the role of agencies in the self-certification process, and the meaning of qualifications frameworks in external quality assurance.
The theme of qualifications frameworks and their relation to quality assurance is gaining urgency in the European scene as more and more countries are completing their national qualifications frameworks and quality assurance agencies need to take important decisions on how to implement them. Some of the key features of the qualifications frameworks are the specification of learning outcomes, processes for assessing learners’ attainment of the expected outcomes, their relation to the ECTS, identification of transfer and progression routes, and recognition of prior learning. Download the report Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: Exchanging Good Practice.
Conclusions
Several current reforms in higher education are having a significant impact on quality assurance and the work of quality assurance agencies. Among these, the establishment and referencing to qualifications frameworks and the adoption of assessment methods focusing on student learning outcomes pose important challenges to the methods and processes used for internal and external quality assurance.
The ENQA 2012 workshop on Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: exchanging good practice and these articles covered a wide range of issues related to qualifications frameworks, such as the state of art in their development and adoption, the role of agencies in the self-certification process, and the impact of qualifications frameworks on external quality assurance. In addition, a view from the stakeholder community was presented through an article outlining the use and importance of qualifications frameworks to the labour market and employers. Recognition of prior learning, assessment of learning outcomes, and learning outcomes in programme oriented quality assurance were also discussed in smaller working groups during the workshop.
As the first article underlines, it is clear that while several changes have already taken place, we are still at the beginning of implementing qualifications frameworks. It is important to make sure that they are developed jointly with quality assurance, learning outcomes, and other recognition tools. At the same time, the article emphasises the importance of making sure that European, but especially national qualifications frameworks become more visible and better known, so as to bring real benefits to the end users, whether individuals, higher education institutions, academic staff, or employers.
In terms of self-certification, the second author underlines that verification by selfcertification is a process in which each QA agency has a significant and obligatory role to play. The role of quality assurance is to demonstrate that programmes are based on intended learning outcomes and that qualifications are awarded on basis of achievement of these outcomes. If, however, we are to realise the objectives of the QF-EHEA in relation to transparency, mobility, and recognition, self-certification is only the first step. The Swedish case example presents a recently adopted approach to quality assurance. In line with the Bologna Process and the goal of increased employability of students, qualification descriptors were introduced and have become the tool in quality assurance of higher education in Sweden. Continuous reviewing in the coming years will help to develop best practice in implementing the new approach, and will be able to provide informed answers to questions such as: Can results of an academic study programme be measured? If yes: how can that be done? And is this European quality assurance of the 21st century?
The system used in Denmark relies on the use of external examiners for the measurement of achieved learning outcomes. Discussions on the use of learning outcomes in programme based QA in the related working group brought up a number of different methods. A conclusion of the group’s work was that if the scale of the potential small revolution brought about by learning outcomes based assessment is to be investigated seriously, the answer lies perhaps not in better measurement, but instead in finding new ways of stimulating ownership of the concept of learning outcomes itself. The working group on recognition of prior learning discussed different ways in which prior learning is used for entry into further study, achievement of credits, or for the award of an entire degree. It became clear that recognition of prior learning practices is politically sensitive and highly dependent on the national context. It was felt thus that agencies must explicitly assume this political dimension in order to define what role to play regarding recognition of prior learning processes in their own frameworks.
The working group discussing the assessment of learning outcomes concluded that there is a need to analyse the assessment of learning outcomes paying attention to the legal framework and academic context. In addition, the maturity of the higher education system as a whole, and the degree of implementation of other ‘Bologna tools’, such as qualifications frameworks, play a significant role in the process. The group felt a need to focus on the quality assurance of the assessment procedures of learning outcomes through checking the assessment practices used by programmes to assess different learning outcomes. The participants agreed that the focus of such assessment should be on the programme learning outcomes, not on the achievement of individual student.
Overall, the main conclusion of the workshop and of this publication is that there is great benefit in sharing and comparing national practices, and learning from good practice at the level of quality assurance agencies. However, the national political and legal context, as well as the degree of implementation of the Bologna reforms, has a significant impact on the way in which agencies can and should react and relate to the implementation of qualifications frameworks. Coordinating efforts in developing and implementing qualifications frameworks and other Bologna reforms is important to ensure a successful consolidation of the European Higher Education Area. In addition, all relevant actors should make efforts to ensure that information on the role and purpose of qualifications frameworks and learning outcomes-based assessment is provided to all interested parties, including employers, so that student employability can be improved, mobility facilitated, and recognition of non-formal and informal learning further developed. Download the report Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: Exchanging Good Practice.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) for HEFCE means that we take account of the impacts of our activities on the environment, society and the economy.
Our CSR policy sets out our overall aims, key activities and targets in the areas of:‌
    business ethics
    managing our environmental impacts
    procurement‌
    our people
    activity in the community
    working with the sector.
HEFCE corporate social responsibility policy 2011-2015
Download the HEFCE CSR policy 11-15 as PDF (131 KB), as MS Word (73 KB).
Our CSR activities include:

• certification to ISO14001, an international environmental management system standard
• achievement of the Carbon Trust Standard
• publication of an annual CSR report (available to download below)
• regular benchmarking. We have used Universities that Count to benchmark our performance. In 2009-10 we achieved the Gold standard with a score of 90.8 per cent, an improvement on our score of 84.7 per cent and Silver standard in the previous year. In 2010-11 our results compared well with a higher education sector average of 75.3 per cent and a corporate average of 86.1 per cent
• a volunteering policy that enables our staff to flex their hours to undertake volunteer work
• an annual CSR event for staff
• we have adopted a sustainable procurement policy
• our People Strategy, which articulates our overarching principles in relation to people management
• our strategy for sustainable development in the HE sector.

HEFCE corporate social responsibility report 2011-12. Download the HEFCE CSR report 2011-12 as PDF.
HEFCE corporate social responsibility report 2010-11. Download the HEFCE CSR report 2010-11 as PDF.
Reports from earlier years are now available on the national web archive.
HEFCE corporate responsibility index feedback report 2009-10. Download the CSR index feedback 2010 as PDF.
HEFCE corporate responsibility index feedback report 2008-09. Download the CSR index feedback 2009 as PDF.
Further information
For further information about corporate social responsibility at HEFCE, contact Gordon Franks, tel 0117 931 7046, e-mail g.franks@hefce.ac.uk.

Institutional Management in Higher Education, Higher Education in Regional and City Development: Antioquia, Colombia 2012.
This publication explores a range of helpful policy measures and institutional reforms to mobilise higher education for regional development. It is part of the series of the OECD reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development. These reviews help mobilise higher education institutions for economic, social and cultural development of cities and regions. They analyse how the higher education system impacts upon regional and local development and bring together universities, other higher education institutions and public and private agencies to identify strategic goals and to work towards them.
Antioquia is one of Colombia’s economic engines, but suffers from low skills, poverty, inequity and poor labour market outcomes. How can Antioquia create a more inclusive labour market and education system? How can it improve the quality and relevance of education? How can it turn the potential of its universities into a more active asset for economic and social development?
See Higher Education in Regional and City Development: Antioquia, Colombia 2012.

Author: Sebastian Schulze-Marmeling. Data from the French Labour Force Survey was used to analyse the situation and evolution of new entrants to the labour market, focusing on level of educational attainment, employment rate, unemployment rate, working conditions and pay. Educational level and experience were the key determinants for explaining differences within the group of new entrants, as well as between them and the total workforce. Overall, the patterns identified are relatively stable over time.
Introduction
A study (in French, 401Kb PDF) published by the Ministry of Employment’s Office for Research, Studies and Statistics (Dares) in February 2012 used data from the French Labour Force Survey (LFS) carried out by National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) to analyse recent developments in the entry of young people into the labour market in terms of their level of educational attainment.
Educational attainment
Following a marked increase in the number of people undertaking higher education since the late 1970s, levels have been relatively stable since the mid-1990s. A comparison of the highest level of educational attainment attained in the periods 2002 to 2004 and 2007 to 2009 showed only marginal changes between the two periods (Table 1). However, more women (30%) obtained a university degree in the period 2007–2009 than men (22%). In addition, the proportion of men with no qualification has increased substantially. In 1978, the proportion of men and women without a diploma or certificate was equal, but by 2010, 70% of those without a qualification were male.
Employment and unemployment
Participation rate
Between 1975 and 2010, the participation rate of new entrants to the labour market (that is, those with between one and four years of experience) was relatively stable at around 90%. In 2010, the activity rate was at 89% (91% for men and 87% for women). This proportion increases with the highest level of diploma obtained (see figure below). Whereas 73% without a diploma/certificate degree were active in the labour market in 2010, this figure was 94% for those with a university degree. In addition, participation rates dropped for the low-skilled over the period but were relatively constant for people with higher levels of educational attainment.
The economic and financial crisis had relatively little effect on the participation rate of new labour market entrants. It has dropped slightly since the third quarter of 2008, mainly due to a more pronounced drop in the participation of the low-skilled.
Employment and unemployment rates
For new entrants to the labour market of all ages, the employment rate increased with experience (as measured by the length of time since finishing education) between the first quarter of 2006 and the fourth quarter of 2010 (Table 2). Moreover, higher levels of educational attainment lead to a faster convergence of the employment rate towards the overall level.
The employment level of new entrants is sensitive to the economic cycle. Employment rates for employees with little experience dropped below the average between 2008 and 2009, but recovered quicker in 2010.
Like the employment rate, the unemployment rate decreased significantly with increasing labour market experience between the first quarter of 2006 and the fourth quarter of 2010, and was lower the higher the educational level (Table 2). However, the initial differences in unemployment for different skill levels decreased with experience. The variations reported in the study are constant since 1975 when comparable data were first recorded.
Again like the employment rate, the unemployment rate of new labour market entrants is sensitive to economic conditions, particularly for the low-skilled. The increase in the unemployment rate of new labour market entrants exceeded the increase for the total workforce, but drops since 2009 were more substantial. In general, however, unemployment rates at all the times reported in the study and for almost all educational categories were higher for new entrants than for the overall labour force. Nevertheless, education is reported to be the key factor against unemployment even when controlling for economic volatility.
Working conditions
Part-time employment
Part-time employment per se was lower in 2010 for labour market entrants than for all employees (Table 3). However, this part-time employment was more often involuntary. Both voluntary and involuntary part-time contracts were more common among the low-skilled.
Temporary employment
All forms of atypical employment captured by the study decreased in 2010 with both experience on the job market and level of educational attainment (Table 4). Of note is that the use of permanent contracts is overall less pronounced in the public sector than in the private sector. This provides further evidence in the debate in France that the state is no longer being a ‘model employer’ and that working conditions in the public sector are often more precarious than in the private sector.
Wages and salaries
The wage gap between labour market entrants (that is, those with one to four years of experience) and those with at least 10 years of employment has remained relatively stable since the early 1990s at around 20%.
In 2010, the average new labour market entrant with a university degree earned a net monthly salary of €1,820, the average worker with a vocational diploma received €1,480 per month, employees with a high-school diploma had an average €1,280 per month (€1,200 if they had a vocational high-school diploma) and the average non-skilled worker with one to four years of experience earned €1,160 per month. These wage levels had been relatively stable since the 1990s with the exception of the highly-skilled group who experienced a substantial drop between 1990 and 1995.
The study found that wage–skill differentials had not changed significantly since the mid-1990s. Overall, wages for all groups showed significant resistance to the impact of the crisis.
Commentary
Most of the patterns identified by the Dares study are characterised by a high degree of stability. Contrary to all public discussion, obtaining a university degree remains the most significant predictor of being in employment, having stable working conditions and earning higher wages.
Probably the most interesting finding from this analysis is that working conditions in the public sector may be more precarious than in the private one. Unfortunately, the authors only provide information on employment contracts in the public and private sectors. It would of great interest to see how wages and working conditions for new labour market entrants differ more generally according to this distinction.
Reference
Lerhun, B. and Minni, C. (2012), Evolution récente de l’insertion des jeunes sur le marché du travail selon le niveau de diplôme (401Kb PDF), Dares Analyses, No. 13.
Sebastian Schulze-Marmeling, IRShare.

Eurofound publishes its Annual Update on working time developments in the European Union 2011: Gap between agreed and actual working time across the EU remains wide.
(DUBLIN, IRELAND) The actual working week for full time workers stood at 39.7 hours across the 27 EU Member States in 2011, according to Eurofound's latest annual update of working time developments, an average of 1.6 hours more than the agreed working hours. This comprises, nevertheless, a widening of the gap between agreed and actual working hours in the EU15, but a narrowing in the Member States that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. Men continue to work longer hours than women on paid work - on average 2.1 hours more per week. The difference between countries at either end of the spectrum of leave entitlements in the EU remains huge at almost two and a half working weeks.
Eurofound's annual update on working time developments looks at a number of issues related to the time spent at work across all Member States of the European Union and Norway. The report provides a comparative overview of the present state of play and recent developments. Collective bargaining continues to play an important role in determining the duration of working time in most of the EU27 countries, though to a lesser or sometimes negligible extent in some of the Member States that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (NMS). Collective agreements set the working time conditions for an average of three quarters of all workers across the European Union, with large differences between countries. The relationship between bargaining and legislative provisions on working time continues to vary between countries.
In 2011, average collective agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38.1 hours. The only reported changes in comparison to 2010 took place in Slovakia and Spain. France remains the country with the shortest average collectively agreed working week at 35.6 hours. The Nordic countries, together with the UK and the Netherlands, continued to register an average agreed normal working week below the EU15 average of 37.6 hours in 2011. In most of the NMS there is a uniform 40-hour working week, which corresponds in general to the statutory normal week in those countries. This is the case in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovenia.
The report also examines working time developments in detail in three sectors – chemicals, retail and civil service. The retail sector recorded the longest average agreed normal working week with 38.3 hours, followed by the chemicals sector with 37.9 hours and the civil service with 37.6 hours. The largest difference between the NMS and the EU15 countries can be found in the civil service sector, in which the normal agreed working week in the former group of countries is three hours longer than in the older Member States. The gap is 2.1 hours in the chemical and retail sectors.
In the EU27, the actual working week was 39.7 hours in 2011, 1.6 hours more than the agreed working hours. Across the 27 EU Member States, full-time employees in Romania worked the longest actual weekly hours in their main jobs in 2011 – 41.3 hours, the same as in 2010. They were followed by employees in Luxembourg (40.7), Germany (40.6), Estonia and the UK (both 40.5), Austria and Bulgaria (both 40.3), and the Czech Republic and Poland (both 40.2). Employees in Finland worked the shortest hours (37.8). This was 3.5 hours less than their counterparts in Romania or 4.5 weeks of work in Romania in a full year.
Actual weekly hours worked by full-time employees were longer than the average normal collectively agreed working week in 21 of the 28 countries covered in the report. The 2011 data shows a widening of the gap between agreed and actual hours in the EU15 countries, while it narrowed in the NMS.
Ten of the 12 NMS had actual weekly working hours at or above the EU27 average of 39.7 hours, compared with only seven of the EU15 countries. Only Slovakia and Malta had an actual working week that was slightly shorter than the EU27 average (39.6 hours). In the EU15, the longest actual full-time hours were worked in Luxembourg (40.7), Germany (40.6) and the UK (40.5), and the shortest in Finland (37.8), France (38.1) and Ireland (38.2).
In 2011, actual weekly hours worked by male full-time employees in their main jobs continued to exceed those of their female counterparts in all Member States. Across the EU27, men worked on average 2.1 hours more per week than women. The gap is wider in the EU15 than in the NMS. In the EU15, men work 2.3 hours more per week than women do; whereas, in the NMS, men work around 1.6 hours more.
The combined total of agreed annual leave and public holidays varied in the EU from 40 days in Germany to 27 days in Hungary and Romania – a difference of around 48% or 2.5 working weeks in a year. Other notably high-leave countries in 2011 included Italy and Denmark (with 39 leave days in total), while other notably low-leave countries included Estonia with 28 days, Poland with 29 days, and Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia with 30 days. The average figure for the EU27 was 34.2 days – 35.9 days in the EU15 and 29.4 days in the NMS.
The report is available at http://bit.ly/WTupd12.
For further information, contact Måns Mårtensson, media manager, on email: mma@eurofound.europa.eu, telephone: +353-1-2043124, or mobile: +353-876-593 507.
Notes to the editor Eurofound provides social partners, governments and EU decision makers with relevant, timely and unbiased research results so that the lives of European citizens can be improved.
The Annual Update on working time developments in the European Union 2011 report follows the previous edition in the method it uses for calculating averages for the groups of EU Member States (EU27, EU15 and NMS12). The average figures provided for these country groupings are weighted in order to reflect the relative country sizes in terms of persons aged 15 to 64 who are employed full time, according to the Eurostat’s Labour Force Survey (LFS).

25-29 September 2012, Hasselt, Belgium
The third international conference organized by the GINCO consortium will focus on the quality and variety of the Grundtvig course offer.
The conference targets actual Grundtvig in-service training course organisers, all adult education organizations willing/planning to organise such courses and all stakeholders in the field: LLP National Agencies, adult education policy makers, programme developers etc.
All themes will be explored in keynotes and workshops, relevant material will be presented, expertise will be exchanged, good practice will be highlighted. The conference also is the ideal place for networking, learning, creating useful contacts and giving weight to your voice in the debate on the Grundtvig IST action.
The GINCO network has carried out a statistical analysis of the Training Database. Also the West Of Scotland Colleges' Partnership' has carried out a study on offer and impact of the Grundtvig IST action. These analyses will be the basis for discussion and further development of tools and policy recommendations. The main objective of the conference is to improve this course offer in terms of quality and relevance.
The GINCO AWARD selection - a quality label for Grundtvig courses - has been carried out by the GINCO network in 2012 in cooperation with the National Agencies. The award winners in the 3 categories: ICT use, quality care and validation of learning outcomes will receive their award. These courses will be presented as examples of good practice in the workshop sessions.
All relevant material, developed in the 3 year life span of the network will be presented.
More information on the programme of the conference in the GINCO website.
GINCO: Grundtvig International Network of Course Organisers is a consortium of 21 partners funded under the Grundtvig networks action. Learn more in the dedicated section of the EAEA website.

La formation professionnelle continue concerne les étudiants ayant interrompu leurs études depuis plus de deux ans. Elle s’adresse généralement à des salariés, à des personnes en congé individuel de formation ou en recherche d’emploi.
Droit Economie Gestion et Tourisme.
Arts Lettres Langues Sciences Humaines et Métiers de la Formation.
Sciences et Techniques.
Santé Sport et Social.
Vous pouvez soit bénéficier d’un contrat de professionnalisation:
Ce contrat s’adresse aux jeunes âgés de 16 à 25 ans révolus, aux demandeurs d’emploi âgés de 26 ans et plus et aux bénéficiaires de certaines allocations ou contrats.
Son objectif est de leur permettre d’acquérir une qualification professionnelle et de favoriser leur insertion ou réinsertion professionnelle.
Les bénéficiaires âgés de 16 à 25 ans révolus sont rémunérés en pourcentage du SMIC selon leur âge et leur niveau de formation, les salariés âgés de 26 ans et plus perçoivent une rémunération qui ne peut être ni inférieure au SMIC ni à 85% du salaire minimum conventionnel.
Ce contrat ouvre droit pour l’employeur, pour certaines embauches et dans certaines limites, à une exonération de cotisations patronales de sécurité sociale.
Ce dispositif a été ouvert à de nouvelles catégories de bénéficiaires par la loi du 24 novembre 2009.
Les employeurs qui embauchent et forment un demandeur d’emploi, âgé de 26 ans et plus, dans le cadre d’un contrat de professionnalisation peuvent, sous certaines conditions, bénéficier d’une aide spécifique.
Vous pouvez également bénéficier de la formation professionnelle continue pour adultes:
La formation professionnelle continue pour adultes a pour objet de:
-favoriser l’insertion ou la réinsertion professionnelle des travailleurs,
-de permettre le maintien dans l’emploi,
-de favoriser le développement de leurs compétences et l’accès aux différents niveaux de la qualification professionnelle,
-de contribuer au développement économique et culturel et à leur promotion sociale.
D’autre part la VAE (Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience) est une mesure permettant à des salariés de faire reconnaître leur expérience professionnelle et de la transformer en un diplôme, un titre ou un certificat de qualification professionnelle. La VAP (Validation des Acquis Professionnelles) permet de poursuivre des études dans l’enseignement supérieur sans avoir les titres ou diplômes requis.
Droit Economie Gestion et Tourisme.
Arts Lettres Langues Sciences Humaines et Métiers de la Formation.
Sciences et Techniques.
Santé Sport et Social.
Autres liens utiles: http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/.

Travail temporaire : Adecco signe ses premiers contrats d’apprentissage
Ainsi, le groupe Adecco a signé ses premiers contrats d'apprentissage du travail temporaire au début du mois de juillet. Ces premiers contrats donnent suite quelques semaines à l'issue de la publication du décret d'application du 11 avril 2012 de la loi dite « Cherpion ». L'intérim proposait déjà l'alternance. Le groupe Adecco a ainsi réalisé en 2011 plus de 40% de contrats d'alternance, mais ce groupe n'avait pas la possibilité de proposer des contrats d'apprentissage.
Pour en savoir plus, consulter le décret sur le site de Legifrance (consulté le 9 août 2012), Journal officiel de la République française, n°0088, 13 avril 2012, page 6805. texte n° 18.