British universities have long been world leaders in research and teaching and the last decade has seen them rise to the challenges and opportunities of the knowledge economy.
Analysis of the latest data on interactions between universities and business (the Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey) shows the value placed on the knowledge and expertise of the UK’s publicly-funded universities and colleges. The total knowledge exchange investment has risen from £3.4 billion in 2011-12 to £3.6 billion in 2012-13, an increase of five per cent. More...

1. This letter sets out the allocation of capital funding for learning and teaching infrastructure in those further education colleges (FECs) funded directly by HEFCE, for the financial year 2014-15. No action is required in response.
2. A total of £7.74 million is available to fund activity undertaken from April 2014 until March 2015. These funds will be paid automatically in three instalments, in August 2014, November 2014 and February 2015.
Purpose of the funds
3. These allocations of capital funding are to enhance the learning experience of higher education (HE) students at FECs, by helping raise the quality of their HE learning and teaching facilities. We expect colleges to use the funds in ways that will most effectively support their strategy for HE. More...

 Minister of Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo and Cedefop Director James Calleja launched the thematic country review on apprenticeships for Malta at the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry in Valetta on 30 May.
In his speech, Minister Bartolo referred to apprenticeships as an excellent link between the world of education and the world of employment. He said that apprenticeships are learning processes ideal for learners who wish to embark on various levels of qualifications even as low as level one so that they serve as an incentive for further qualifications.
The Minister stressed that apprenticeships should be the product of solid partnerships between vocational education and training (VET) institutions, industry and employee representatives as well as civil society. Minister Bartolo believes that, because of the size of industries in Malta, rotating apprenticeships could be more attractive to young learners. More...

 At the invitation of the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Dr Dainius Pavalkis, Cedefop will be conducting an in-depth review of the apprenticeship schemes in Lithuania between now and the second quarter of 2015.
The review aims at providing the Lithuanian government with a roadmap of quality apprenticeships, which can be implemented in the coming years to combat youth unemployment, attract more young and old learners to vocational training and work-based learning and increase skills and competences for employability. More...

A new Cedefop project, which will look into the apprenticeship systems of Lithuania and Malta, has been launched. The project, to be completed in 2015, is in support of the European alliance for apprenticeships and will involve government ministries, vocational education and training (VET) institutions, social partners and other stakeholders in both countries.
In Lithuania, Cedefop will be conducting an in-depth review of the apprenticeship schemes at the invitation of the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Dr Dainius Pavalkis. The review aims at providing the Lithuanian government with a proposed roadmap of quality apprenticeships to combat youth unemployment, attract more young and old learners to vocational training and work-based learning, and increase skills and competences for employability. More...

Qualifications that correspond to level 5 of the European qualifications framework (EQF) appeal to learners as they open up prospects on several fronts - immediate employment, career advancement, and further learning.
At the same time, their focus on advanced technical and managerial skills makes them valuable to employers. These qualifications are typically associated with short-cycle higher education programmes. Yet about 50% of qualifications at EQF level 5 are found elsewhere: in initial and continuing vocational education and training, in general education, or even entirely outside the formal education and training system. The close examination provided in Cedefop’s recent publication Qualifications at level 5: progressing in a career or to higher education indicates the true weight of these qualifications in the labour market. It also demonstrates how policy-makers can use the EQF to improve education and training subsystems, and strengthens links between them. In particular, it can help policy-makers determine whether their own qualifications landscape lacks options which combine labour-market and higher education appeal. They can thus use level 5 as a platform for developing new qualifications, as is already happening in several European countries.
More in the Cedefop briefing note The hidden potential of level 5 qualifications. More...

By Agne Narusk. Estonia now has a new lifelong learning strategy, where three out of the five important points are directly related to adult education. The state means business: at the beginning of this year the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research divided the department of vocational and adult education into two independent units – the ministry now includes a department, which only deals with topics related to the education of adults.
This strategy for the years 2014– 2020, which consists of five important points, was put together for five years. It involved a large number of people from very different organisations, including outside the education system, such as representatives of employers. More...

Spain's Education, Professional Training and Universities Minister has cited the United Kingdom as an example to follow in higher education funding and is considering following its example of replacing grants with student loans.
Speaking at a Forum Europa breakfast held at the Valencia campus of the Menéndez Pelayo International University, Montserrat Gomendio asked if Spain should continue with its current grants system or adopt a UK-style system. More...