• Introduction
• Lifelong Learning
• Reform of VET systems
• Continuing/adult training
• Measures to promote inclusion
• Initial training
• Qualifications
• Financing
• Institutional and organisational changes
• Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Internationalisation

• As might be expected, the welcome given to European Union level initiatives such as the Commission’s Communication on eLearning and the Memorandum on Lifelong Learning and the agreement by the Council on future policy objectives for education and vocational training system, are, at least to an extent, reflected in activities in many member states. Similarly one find strong echoes in relation to the implementation of the common employment strategy. Reports on activities by member states in relation to the implementation of the objectives of the European Year of Languages and on the results of, and follow up to, projects carried out within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme, are also being received. Similarly the work on the transparency of qualifications at EU level is now being reflected in initiatives in member states, while one could say that conversely the initiative at EU level to establish a forum on VET quality is a reflection and natural development of concern expressed at national level about how to ensure VET quality.

• The German Education Minister launched a "Lifelong learning for all" action programme with an emphasis (funded by Euros 76.7 million) on making further training more attractive. The programme combines research, development and pilot projects and has, among its priorities, making vocational qualifications, including those obtained informally, more transparent.



• Practical initiatives to implement the lifelong learning agenda in the United Kingdom continue with, for example, a system of Individual Learning Accounts being introduced nation-wide, to provide financial incentives for adult learners not already benefiting from publicly funded education or training. Also in the UK, the Union Learning Fund established to involve the trade union movement in lifelong learning is now firmly in place and the Government has recently proposed formal recognition for workplace learning representatives. A 9% increase was recently announced in the funding for adult education for 2002-2003.. The money will be allocated to local education authorities to increase the range and quality of community learning opportunities available to adults, in particular to help those in disadvantaged communities to get back into learning and improve their literacy and numeracy skills.



• The first "Adult Learner’s Week" in the Netherlands was organised in September as part of a large publicity campaign to stress the importance of learning. This touched about 5 million people. "Lifelong learning in the Netherlands, the state of the art in 2000", which is the result of research, which was partly funded by Cedefop, suggests that the interest of the Dutch government in lifelong learning derives primarily from economic motives, with employability as a key concept. Attention needs to shift from initial to continuing education and training, while the understanding of lifelong learning needs to be broadened with more attention being given to informal learning.



• A report on lifelong learning in Flanders, published in September 2000 has learning in the workplace and the transformation of the latter into learning organisations as its central themes. It emphasised the role of the social partners in this and suggests that hitherto there has been too much emphasis on initial qualifications. It called for the modularization of training. Many of these proposals were taken up in a recent note from the Minister for Employment to the Flemish government. This cited the Scandinavian countries as models. It suggests financial support for career breaks and training.

• In the Netherlands, two major policy-oriented documents on the future shape of the education and VET systems have been published, one entitled "Education in place: power and creativity for the knowledge society" by the Ministry of Education, the other ("Education in the 21^st century,; give way to diversity", a chapter in "Trends, dilemmas and policy. Long-term development essays") by the Social and Cultural Planning office. The latter indicates that it is essential to have a modern approach to equal opportunities, to clarify, due to institutions becoming ever more autonomous, the distribution of administrative responsibilities and to debate a realistic ratio of public and private funding.



• The national assembly in France in January agreed to a first reading of a draft law on social modernisation, which includes elements which initiate the reform of VET. In particular it provides for a right to have knowledge acquired by experience validated with a view to acquiring a diploma or a vocational qualification. To implement this, juries will be created as will a national catalogue of vocational qualifications, which will be registered on the advice of a national commission for vocational qualifications. The law also contains measures to strengthen apprenticeship Since December 2000 a series of negotiations between the social partners has been taking place with a view to restructuring VET systems. The January meeting received a key discussion report on the issues at stake and future prospects in the recasting of continuing vocational training.



• In Norway, more than one million adults participate in adult education every year. Since autumn 2000, all adults born before 1 January 1978, who have not previously completed upper secondary education, have a statutory right to enter upper secondary education. In Luxembourg, pathways leading to initial vocational training qualifications have also, this school year, being opened to adults whether they are employed or unemployed. They have the same contract as young people and receive a training allowance from the company, where they receive their training. This is topped up to the level of the minimum social salary by the labour administration



• In Portugal reform of the VET system is being pursued within the framework of the third (1999 to 2001) Community support programme and the European employment strategy. Accordingly the activities of the IEFP (the National Institute for Training and Employment) are being extended and 63 new training pathways have been established.



• SAF, the Swedish employers’ organisation has published a report (Education for Future Growth and Development – are Sweden and the regions keeping up?), which compares the Swedish education and training system with other countries and comes to some quite critical conclusions, for example in relation to the supply of graduates in general, but particularly of those with science and engineering background. It favours greater competition in the education and training system as a means of fostering quality and innovation, and calls for more emphasis on entrepreneurship and for closer links between schools/universities and industry.

• According to a CEREQ (Centre for Studies and Research on Employment and Qualifications) report published in February, in France between January 1999 and February 2000, nine million people (or 28% of the population aged less than 65, who had left the education system) participated in at least one training activity. A recent report on in-company (particularly companies with less than 250 employees) training in Ireland found that although there had been a dramatic increase in training, the balancing of the needs of the employers with those of the individual and the public good has become an important issue. Problems relating to older members of the work force with low literacy and numeracy skills, particularly in relation to the acquisition of IT skills, remain. The cost, quality and availability of relevant training are still problems for companies. However, within the framework of the Operational Programme for Employment and Human Resources Development (2000-2006), the focus of the entrepreneurship pillar will be on promoting in-company training, for example through social partner-led projects, funded through the National Training Fund, which is now being established and will be financed by a levy on employers.



• A third tripartite agreement on continuing training has recently been approved by the government and the social partners in Spain. This provides continuity with the earlier agreements in force since 1992 and will last until 31 December 2004. New measures and structures, particularly in relation to decisions on funding, will be introduced, while activities to implement the European employment strategy will be given a priority.



• BIBB (the German Federal Institute for Vocational training) has for the second time launched an invitation to apply for a prize in further training innovation with the aim of modernising training provision.

• Statistics released in January show that in England and Wales the New Deal for Young People has succeeded in moving 269 200 young people from welfare to work. New Deal for Lone Parents and New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People are now fully operational providing training and employment advice and support tailored to the respective client groups. New Deal for the Disabled is exploring new approaches to supporting the employment of disabled people. Figures released in the autumn for the New Deal in Scotland showed that participation rates by both employers and unemployed young people in the Scottish New Deal programmes were proportionately higher than the corresponding rates for the UK overall. The UK Secretary of State for Education and Employment has also just launched Skills for life to combat a situation in which 7 million adults were found to be unable to read and write at the level normally expected of an 11-year old. This is a comprehensive national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills and will include high quality training and support for teachers, consistent national standards, a common core curriculum and new national tests, which will be the benchmark for all literacy and numeracy achievement.



• In Portugal there is continuing concern about raising the educational and vocational skills level of poorly qualified adults and this has resulted in new carefully targeted measures by the Ministries of Education and Labour and Solidarity establishing adult education and training programmes. Assessment is on the basis of continuous monitoring and the levels of the certificate of adult education and training awarded are related to the three cycles of primary education and levels I and II of vocational training.



• INEM, the National Institute for Employment in Spain continues to fund development activities by local or municipal authorities, aimed at identifying new insertion pathways for the unemployed. These include development of IT tools or virtual simulators to develop IT literacy programmes.

• Due to constructive co-operation between the government and social partners, the number of places in initial training has increased in Germany. 25 000 new training contracts (an increase of 45%) were signed in the IT and media occupations. Nevertheless at the end of 2000, 11 300 young people were still seeking training places. The German trade unions emphasised the unsatisfactory position in the eastern part of the country, where only 60% of those seeking training found places. To rectify this, 110 million Euros will be available for the state funding of training places in 2001 and the apprenticeship places development programme will be extended to 2003.



• Additional financial incentives have been introduced in Denmark to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. These provide for 100% compensation for trainee allowances when apprentices are attending schools and funds for developing new forms of partnership between highly specialised companies. The number of training places rose from 30 980 in 1999 to 31 700 in 2000. The target for 2004 is 34 000.



• A recent report by a working group which included the social partners, to the Swedish Ministry of Education and Science, presented a number of comprehensive and detailed proposals on new ways of linking schools and working life in order to improve initial vocational training. In Flanders the present school year has seen the launching of a number of modularization projects in the framework of vocational secondary education. The objective is to up-grade technical and vocational education and to reduce early school leaving.

• The British Government has set out proposals to provide an option for young people in England and Wales to choose, from 2002, a predominantly vocational programme of study from age 14, including progression to an apprenticeship at age 16. Consultation is taking place on freeing up the curriculum for 14- and 15-year-olds in order to introduce vocational GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), to run parallel with the existing academic GCSE programmes which are currently the normal route for 14 to 16 year-olds. In Scotland new National Qualifications introduced in 1999 are continuing to be phased in (until 2003). They bring academic and vocational qualifications together into a single coherent system.



• The recently published annual review of the qualifications structure in the Netherlands focused on the general conceptual framework for a qualification structure, which, through its creation, implementation and assessment, connects the various levels of training. It deals with the question of core competencies and the case for accreditation of prior learning.



• In Germany, the federal and state authorities together with the social partners are working on ways through which part-qualifications can be made available, particularly to those who drop out from training programmes.



• In Belgium (Wallonia), the government has decided on the extension of the network of competence centres (centres de compétence), which represent a public-private partnership involving the most modern training methods in well-equipped centres and catering for a wide range of users (employees, unemployed, workers, trainers teachers and students). The centres work in network arrangements with the education system and the objective is to maximise use of available resources.

• How to identify the fairest and most efficient means of financing the education and training of individuals is a continuing priority theme. Several countries (e.g. Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom – see para 3 above) have taken further steps towards the implementation of individual learning accounts. The Swedish measures will be based on a December 2000 report to the government which proposes that one million individuals should receive a government support of 290 Euros, if they fulfil certain conditions, such as starting saving themselves during the period 2002 and 2004. It is expected that the Riksdag will make a decision this autumn and that a specifically designated board for administering the scheme will be in place by January 2002. The Italian parliament approved in the 2000-2001 financial law a measure for offering citizens an opportunity to discover the new technologies by creating a credit card for use in purchasing ICT skills. Since 1 January 2001, anybody over 18 years of age can apply for this card when purchasing goods and services in the ICT sector or following distance-learning courses, to a maximum of Euro 5 164. This is in effect a loan guaranteed by the state, as the individual will be required to repay the sum without interest.



• In Finland the third phrase of the training guarantee scheme was introduced in January 2001. This is part of the adult training reforms agreed (in 1995-9) on a tripartite basis and provides financial support, in proportion to their income, to adults entering full time vocational education or training programmes, for a total of up to 1.5 years, in one or more blocks, during their working life. By compensating workers for loss of earnings, it is hoped to increase motivation to participate in lifelong learning. In Austria announced measures which will result in student fees at universities and other higher education institutions being introduced in the autumn. An objective of this is to reduce the number of drop-outs. A recent (February) report in Ireland also expresses concern about the rising number of drop outs from university and the cost of this.

• The work of the Dutch Education Council which through its research, analytical and dissemination activities, is the main advisory body on education policy, is to be re-organised, so that it provides advice in the early stages of policy development and focuses more on the relationship between the demand and existing supply of educational provision.



• VOX is the name of the new Norwegian institute of adult education which has been established since 1 January 2001 and results from a merger of the State Institution for Distance Education, the Institute of Adult Education and the Adult Education Centre. VOX will initiate and organise VET research and development projects and will also be in charge of the development of provision of competence development programmes and the building of networks between different organisations and institutions. In September 2000, the Norwegian Board of Education was established to take over the work of the National Centre for Educational Resources and the National Examination Board, as well as some of the tasks, such as the production of national curricula, of the Ministry of Education Research and Church Affairs. Within this ministry a new Department for Policy Analysis and International Affairs has been established in order to focus on overall analysis and policy and to co-ordinate work on international education and research policy.

• An On-line University is being prepared in Portugal and should be functioning by the end of 2001. It will be the product of co-operation between public and private bodies and will award first degrees in a wide range of subjects. It will require a restructuring of the system of recruitment of teaching staff and students. In Spain, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports has, in the framework of its new information and communication technology programme, introduced a system of distance adult education to foster the general and vocational skills of adults and their employability.



• FAS, the Irish Training and Employment authority is now mainstreaming a (Interreg) pilot project which determined the feasibility of delivering training online. FAS Net College, established in June 2000 is now offering a range of courses to those with Internet access, irrespective of their employment status and location. Learners wishing to obtain a qualification take their exam on-line in an accredited test centre. In Austria, the Federal Ministry for science and Education has launched a number of projects in response to the eLearning initiatives at EU level. eLearning Austria is concerned with the development of an efficient and systematic use of modern ICT technologies in the areas of education, science and culture on the basis of a public-private partnership. Eight main lines of development are proposed for the 2001 to 2003 period. These include an initial and continuing training offensive. In November 2001, an on-line degree course in Italian language and culture will be available to those not residing in Italy, as a result of the work of a consortium (ICON - Italian Culture On the Net) grouping 20 Italian universities. In Greece as part of the measures to upgrade the quality of training a register of trainers is being established – all trainers will be required to have a European Commuter Driving Licence.

• Increasingly there are reports relating to the results of projects financed under the Leonard da Vinci programme. In Austria for example 6 new occupations in the Information Technology area have been introduced, partly as a result of the joint Futureprof project with 6 other countries. An annual international fair concerned with the development of practice firms, taking place this year in Salzburg (Austria) in March, placed its emphasis on foreign language learning in a practical setting with the motto Communication around the world



• A joint German-French initiative has been launched to study each other’s measures to deal with youth unemployment. The German side, for example, were interested in the French Trace programme and the French side in the German emergency programme. The purpose is to identify together successful practices which could then be implemented elsewhere



• A database with information on training opportunities for women who are re-entering the labour market is the result of a Leonardo da Vinci project involving Germany, Austria and France. Guidance, vocational preparation and above all office IT programmes are on offer.



• The education ministry in Germany has emphasised the importance of languages as a key competence and has in particular called for more learning of the languages of Germany’s direct neighbours.