Contribution of education and training to economic recovery and growth

Ministers attending the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (Council of the EU) at the end of last month adopted conclusions on the contribution of education and training to economic recovery, growth and jobs which it said “seek not simply to underline but also to strengthen the key role of education and training in Europe 2020 Strategy”.
At national level, member states are for example encouraged to include more work-based elements in education and training programmes, particularly in the field of VET; promote flexible pathways between VET and higher education in the context of national qualifications frameworks; provide better targeted student support and guidance, with a view to helping students to complete a higher education degree in the time foreseen. At European level, they encourage the education and training sector to play a more prominent role in implementing the education and training aspects of Europe 2020, by ensuring that education ministers regularly debate European Semester-related issues and by promoting cooperation between the Education Committee and the Employment Committee and other relevant committees. More information is available here.
Validation of non-formal and informal learning (p.12)
The Council reached political agreement regarding a recommendation on the validation of nonformal and informal learning1, also one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency. It invites member states to put in place arrangements for validating these types of learning no later than 2018 - in accordance with national circumstances and specificities - and seeks to define which principles and components should be taken into account for a validation process to be effective.
Whilst acknowledging that the primary focus of the education system should remain on formal education and on endeavouring to ensure high quality learning outcomes for all pupils and students, the Presidency underlined that in today's situation of rising unemployment and lack of economic growth, making use of new learning opportunities and making the most of knowledge, skills and competences acquired outside formal education could play an important role in enhancing employability and mobility, as well as providing more motivation for lifelong learning, particularly in the case of the socio-economically disadvantaged or low-qualified groups. Some member states indicated that they already had arrangements in place for validating learning outcomes, while others were preparing such arrangements.
The Commission underlined the importance of the validation of formal and non/informal learning, especially in the current difficult unemployment situation facing many young people. Whilst considering that the deadline for implementation of the recommendation was not sufficiently ambitious - and indicating that it would attach a statement to this effect to the Council minutes - , the Commission nevertheless regarded the agreement reached as a solid achievement.
1 Non-formal learning concerns learning that takes place through planned activities where some form of learning support is present (e.g. student-teacher relationships).Very common cases of non-formal learning include in-company training, structured on-line learning (e.g. by making use of open educational resources), and courses organised by civil society organisations.
Informal learning is learning or skills resulting from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. Examples are project management skills or ICT skills acquired at work; languages learned and intercultural skills acquired during a stay in another country; ICT skills acquired outside work, skills acquired through volunteering, cultural activities, sports, youth work and through activities at home (e.g. taking care of a child).
"ERASMUS FOR ALL" (p.9)
In public deliberation, the Council took note of an oral report by the Presidency on the state of play concerning the new "ERASMUS FOR ALL" programme for the period 2014-2020 (17188/11). At their previous meeting in May, EU education ministers had adopted a partial general approach on the proposal, i.e. a preliminary agreement on the whole text, with the exception of any provisions with budgetary implications(9873/12). The outstanding provisions concern the total budget for the Programme, the breakdown between the various sectors and the proposed new Master's student loan guarantee facility aimed at promoting mobility for students taking their Master's degree in another member state.
On this last issue, the Presidency reported that, in addition to following the developments in the European Parliament, it had conducted a detailed technical examination of the proposal for a Master's student loan facility and its implications1, partly in preparation for the future negotiations with the Parliament, and partly in readiness for an overall agreement on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Further work on the proposal would be carried out after the EYCS Council, in the light of the amendments adopted by the Parliament's CULT Committee, following its vote today . The Presidency indicated that despite some divergences, the respective positions of the Parliament and the Council appeared relatively close in many areas, and that it hoped to ensure that the future Irish Presidency had a good basis on which to finalise an agreement with the European Parliament in the first half of next year.
Commissioner Vassiliou recalled that the main features of the new "Erasmus for All" were EU added value, flexibility and streamlined procedures. She also underlined the importance of keeping the widely known ERASMUS brand name, and disagreed with the Parliament's suggestion for a new name.
Regarding the Master's student loan guarantee scheme in particular, Commissioner Vassiliou indicated that she would soon be sending an explanatory letter to ministers on this issue. Lastly, she called on member states to ensure that the new programme received the level of financing it needed, given what it represented for young Europeans and its potential to boost growth and jobs.