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What is it?
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA), jointly coordinated by DG Education and Culture and DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, aims to bring together public authorities, businesses, social partners, VET providers, youth representatives, and other key actors in order to promote apprenticeship schemes and initiatives across Europe. Although managed by the European Commission, the success of the initiative lies with the commitment of its partners, notably through the network of ambassadors and pledges.
Why is it needed?
Apprenticeships and work-based learning ease the transition from education and training to work, and evidence suggests that countries with a strong VET and apprenticeship system have lower levels of youth unemployment than countries without such systems. EAfA, in boosting the quality and supply of apprenticeships, intends to promote youth employment , supporting the aims of the Youth Guarantee , while simultaneously reducing the disparity between skills and labour demand.
What are the benefits?Companies that engage apprentices are likely to benefit from a net profit on their investment, either during the apprenticeship or soon after by employing a fully trained worker. At the same time, VET students and apprentices will be able to learn valuable workplace skills in a professional environment, ensuring a greater degree of future employability. In the long run, such schemes are likely to contribute to increased tax revenue, less welfare payments, and great levels of social inclusion for all.
What has been done so far?EAfA, in addition to establishing the Ambassador and Pledge schemes, has also supported the establishment of bilateral and national agreements, initiatives, and cooperation mechanisms, supported the reform of apprenticeship systems, and raised awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships, as well as contributing to the policy environment through studies and dialogue.
Pledges
EAfA welcomes commitments and pledges by organisations across Europe willing to contribute to strengthening access to, the supply of, and/or the quality of apprenticeships. Organisations interested in making a pledge should complete the Pledge application form(38 kB) and return it to the EAfA at: eafa@ec.europa.eu . Our current commitments and pledges include:

AmbassadorsHow is it funded?
The Ambassadors are a network of business professionals ready and willing to share knowledge and experiences with small and medium sized business (SMEs) to support the establishment of quality apprenticeships across Europe. To become an Ambassador, please complete the application form(41 kB) and return it to EAfA . To contact an Ambassador, please fill in the request form(43 kB) and return it to EAfA .
Find out more

• • News articles related to Vocational Education and Training
  • Council Declaration , 15 October 2013, on how high quality apprenticeships can contribute to combating youth unemployment and guiding principles for effective and attractive apprenticeship schemes
  • EU-Social Partners Joint Declaration principles and actions to strengthen the access to, supply, quality and attractiveness of apprenticeships
• Success stories
  • Read the stories of businesses and apprentices and what they gained from the experience in our "Success Stories(365 kB) " brochure. If you'd like to share a success story of your own, please do get in touch. EAFA can be contacted by email at: eafa@ec.europa.eu You can also join our discussion on twitter with the hashtag #EAFA
• FAQ
  • Find out more about the European Alliance for Apprenticeships in our list of Frequently Answered Questions(100 kB) .
• Reports

  Several reports demonstrate the value of apprenticeships and provide guidance on the implementation of apprenticeship schemes.

  • Policy guidance on work-based learning(391 kB)
  • Guidebook on apprenticeship and traineeship schemes(2.08 Mb) (and annexes(3.37 Mb) )
  • CEDEFOP publication on the labour market outcomes of vocational education and training

  • Workshop: SMEs involvement in apprenticeships/ work-based learning 5 March 2013 download documents. See more...

What is it?
The aim of the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is to:

• • ECVET – questions and answers
  • ECVET Toolkit – developed by the NetECVET network of National Agencies supporting ECVET in practice
  • ECVET projects
  • Necessary conditions for ECVET implementation May 2012
• EU legislation/initiatives
  • EU recommendation establishing the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)
  • Key competences for lifelong learning . See more...

What is the Commission doing?
The Commission is working with 32 countries to implement the European Agenda for Adult Learning . The Agenda highlights the need to increase participation in adult learning of all kinds (formal, non-formal and informal learning) whether to acquire new work skills, for active citizenship, or for personal development and fulfilment. For example, the Commission coordinates a network of national coordinators(123 kB) who promote adult learning in their countries, provide policy advice and support, and gather and disseminate best practices. The Commission also works with a range of European associations, networks, and labour organisations to promote adult learning.
Why is it needed?
More adult learning can help Europe overcome the economic crisis, meet the need for new skills, and keep its ageing workforce productive. Learning is also essential for social inclusion and active citizenship. These days, people cannot just rely on the skills they acquired at school to last them till the end of their working life. The participation of adults in learning varies significantly between EU countries: from 1.4% to 31.6% (2012 figures), and the overall trend is that numbers are stagnating. Participation rates are especially disappointing for low-skilled and older adults. Action at European level will increase knowledge about successful policies, provide support, and enable a better exchange of experiences between countries.
What has been done so far?
To support policy developments:

What is it?
The Bologna Process is a collective effort of public authorities, universities, teachers, and students, together with stakeholder associations, employers, quality assurance agencies, international organisations, and institutions, including the European Commission. The main focus is:

• the introduction of the three cycle system (bachelor/master/doctorate)
• strengthened quality assurance and
• easier recognition of qualifications and periods of study

Why is it needed?
Widely differing education and training systems in Europe have traditionally made it hard for Europeans to use qualifications from one country to apply for a job or a course in another. Increased compatibility between education systems makes it easier for students and job seekers to move within Europe. At the same time, the Bologna reforms help to make European universities and colleges more competitive and attractive to the rest of the world. The Bologna Process also supports the modernisation of education and training systems to make sure these meet the needs of a changing labour market. This is important as the proportion of jobs requiring high skills grows, and the demand for innovation and entrepreneurship increases.
What has been done so far?
A lot of progress has been made in implementing the reforms, as shown by the regular reports . In Bucharest in April 2012, the Education Ministers identified three key priorities for the future: mobility, employability, and quality.
Who are the members?
A list of the participating countries is available on the website of the EHEA. See more...

What is it?
The European Union helps to develop tools which make it easier to understand the working of higher education systems in the EU countries and so to make it easier for people to move from one country to another to study.
Why is it needed?
Greater transparency makes it easier for students and researchers to choose where to study and work. For institutions, offering more accessible and comparable information helps them to better position themselves and improve their development strategies, quality and performances. More transparency also supports policy-makers in their strategic choices on the reform of higher education systems.
What has been done so far?
The European Union supports a series of practical tools to enhance transparency in higher education. These include:

What is it?
The way higher education systems are organised and governed and the way they are funded have an important impact on their overall effectiveness. The EU's Europe 2020 strategy stresses that:

What is it?
The contribution of higher education to jobs and growth, and its international attractiveness, can be enhanced through close, effective links between education , research , and business – the three sides of the ‘knowledge triangle’. The recent shift towards open innovation has resulted in increased flows of knowledge and new types of cooperation between education institutions, research organisations and business.
What is being done?
The European Commission supports investment in innovation and the knowledge triangle through:

What is it?
"Learning mobility" consists of going abroad to study or undertake training. EU Ministers have agreed to double the proportion of higher education students completing a study or training period abroad to 20% by 2020 and support for mobility is a core focus of the EU programme for education and training; Erasmus+ .
Why is it needed?
Going abroad to study or train helps people develop their professional, social and intercultural skills and increase their employability. The recognition of academic qualifications gained abroad, however, is still too difficult; the portability of grants and loans is restricted and obstacles hinder the free movement of researchers within the EU. Developing new forms of cross-border cooperation will also help to improve the quality of higher education.
What has been done so far?
The European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process)  has brought about far-reaching changes which make it easier to study and train abroad: the bachelor-master-doctorate structure and advances in quality assurance have facilitated student and staff mobility and strengthened institutions and systems. In parallel to setting the 20% mobility target, in 2011, EU education ministers adopted a Council Recommendation on promoting learning mobility , in which they committed to creating a more positive environment for learning mobility. This Recommendation seeks to improve the provision of information and guidance about mobility, increase the recognition of academic qualifications, and improve the portability of student support. The use of European mobility and quality assurance tools such as ECTS, the Diploma Supplement and the European Quality Assurance Register  facilitates mutual trust, academic recognition, and mobility. The Erasmus+ programme provides direct support to people wishing to study or train abroad and to projects which support cross-border cooperation between higher education institutions. See more...

What is it?
High quality and relevant higher education is able to equip students with the knowledge, skills and core transferable competences they need to succeed after graduation, within a high quality learning environment which recognises and supports good teaching. Quality assurance allows people to have confidence in the quality of higher education. Every higher education institution should have a rigorous system of internal quality assurance, assessed by Quality Assurance Agencies which make external checks.
Why is it needed?
While higher education graduates are more likely to find employment than people with lower levels of qualifications, higher education curricula are often slow to respond to changing needs in the wider economy, and fail to anticipate or help shape the careers of tomorrow. The European Commission supports EU countries and higher education institutions in modernising education programmes to provide graduates with high-level, employable skills, as well as the transferable skills that equip graduates for a fast-changing labour market. There is a strong need for flexible, innovative learning approaches and delivery methods to improve quality and relevance while expanding student numbers. One key way of achieving this, in line with the EU policy paper on Rethinking Education , is to exploit the transformational benefits of ICTs and other new technologies to enrich teaching, improve learning experiences and support personalised learning. The reform and modernisation of Europe’s higher education depends on the competence and motivation of teachers and researchers, yet staffing levels have often not kept pace with expanding student numbers, putting further pressure on already strained capacities. Better working conditions, including transparent and fair recruitment procedures, better initial and continuing professional development, and better recognition and reward of teaching and research excellence, are essential to ensure that Europe produces, attracts, and retains the high quality academic staff it needs.
What has been done so far?
The High-level Group on the modernisation of higher education has recently produced a report with key recommendations on improving the quality of teaching and learning in higher education in Europe. In 2006 the European Parliament and Council adopted the Recommendation on further European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education which promoted the use of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG). The recommendation encouraged EU countries to set up the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) for higher education. EQAR is an independent organisation which manages the register of quality assurance agencies in higher education that can operate across national borders, helping to develop a European dimension to quality assurance. These quality assurance agencies need to comply with the principles of the ESG in order to be registered in EQAR. The European Commission publishes progress reports on developments in quality assurance at European level. See more...

What is it?
As part of the Europe 2020 strategy , EU leaders have agreed a target that 40% of those aged 30-34 should have a higher education or equivalent qualification by 2020. In order to achieve this EU-level "headline" target, EU countries have set their own national attainment targets to be reached by 2020. These targets are measured by eight headline indicators, which contribute to the development of evidence based policies.
Why is it needed?
Low tertiary or equivalent education attainment levels, in particular in comparison with international levels (comparable data for the number of tertiary education graduates show that the US, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Australia out-perform Europe), can hinder competitiveness and undermine Europe’s potential to generate smart growth. While European labour market projections indicate that around 35 % of all jobs will require tertiary graduate-level qualifications by 2020, only 27.6 % of the EU’s labour force (aged 25-64) was qualified at this level in 2012.
What has been done so far?
EU countries have set national targets for higher education attainment and each year they report on the actions they have taken to meet these targets as part of a yearly cycle of economic policy coordination called the European Semester . As part of this process, the European Commission undertakes a detailed analysis of EU countries' programmes of economic and structural reforms and, where necessary, provides them with recommendations for the next 12-18 months. In general, EU countries face three main challenges in raising higher education attainment levels: