Skills for the Future

A meeting hosted by the European Parliament in Brussels on 10 April brought together vocational education teachers, policy makers, European parliamentarians and representatives from the world of business to discuss how young people can be better prepared for a changing European economy.
Addressing the meeting, Katarina Nevedalova, member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Slovakia, said that there was still work to be done on recognition of qualifications. This is critical for mobility of labour, she said.  Mary Honeyball MEP (United Kingdom) put strong case for a rethink on language teaching which she said was integral to a European labour market.
A high-level panel involving top European Commission officials from education and employment directorates, the ETF and business also shared their concerns and perspectives as to how Europe’s labour market can meet the challenges of the 21st century.
A recurrent issue throughout the debate was the disconnect between the skills that business need and what the schooling system is providing in terms of workplace preparation. This impacted on the perception and credibility of vocational education, said one participant at the meeting. Read more...