During the annual State of the European Union address on 14 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shared her vision on the future of the EU, outlining the initiatives the Commission plans to take next year in key areas, including announcing 2023 as the European Year of Skills.
The #2023 European Year of Skills will focus on working together to promote concrete skills actions to boost the competitiveness of European companies, in particular SMEs, and to realise the full potential of the digital and green transformation in a socially fair and just manner. It should promote skills policies and investments to address labour shortages and build a better skilled and more adaptable workforce in the EU. The Year will also give a boost to the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan targets of a 78% employment rate and of 60% of adults participating in upskilling and reskilling each year by 2030.
Live high-level discussion on supporting Ukrainians in the EU through apprenticeships
EAfA will be hosting a live discussion on 27 October on how best to support Ukrainians in the EU through apprenticeships. The panel will examine how apprenticeships can further be utilised as a tool to support Ukrainians fleeing the war and address their educational, employment and social needs. With this live event, the alliance also seeks to encourage EAfA members to make a new pledge towards creating apprenticeships for Ukrainians in the EU.
The discussion will be held on 27 October at 14:00-15:30 CET.
European Commission adopts European Care Strategy, highlights need for new skills for caregivers
Care is a large economic sector, employing 9.1 million people across the Union. Driven by the needs of an ageing population, the sector has an untapped job creation potential that will further increase in the future. Skills requirements in the care sector are increasingly complex, with a strong need for soft skills, digital skills, and specific competences (for instance, knowledge of geriatric care or care for people with Alzheimer’s).
The European Care Strategy highlights how upskilling and reskilling opportunities will improve the attractiveness and quality of care work. EU-level supporting actions include ERASMUS+ support for early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff to continuously develop their professional competences, a skills partnership under the Pact for Skills for the long-term care sector, action on digital skills in the health and care sectors under the Digital Europe Programme, as well as gathering skills intelligence on current and future skills needs and trends in the long-term care sector.
The proposal for a Council recommendation on access to high-quality affordable long-term care invites Member States to address skills needs and worker shortages in long-term care, in collaboration with social partners. These include designing and improving initial and continuous education and training, as well as building career pathways in the long-term care sector through upskilling, reskilling, skills validation, and information and guidance services.
News from the EPALE Community of European VET practitioners
Looking for an interactive space for teachers, trainers, and in-company tutors to network, exchange practices and ideas, as well as keep up to date with VET policy and funding opportunities? Look no further than the online community of European VET practitioners in the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE). Set up by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion (DG EMPL) in 2020, the community allows you to access a wealth of information on VET policy as well as network, after first registering as an EPALE user and joining the Community of European VET Practitioners.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s available in the online community: discussions on micro-credentials, green skills, blended learning, testimonials from VET learners and teachers, Erasmus+ opportunities and project results. You’ll also find a handbook on networking, a guidebook on internationalisation strategy, learners’ tracking and other information on projects, as well as a survey for digital tools for VET teachers and trainers, which you can complete in just a few minutes.
Join the EPALE Community of VET Practitioners and discover other VET stakeholders and their work, while ensuring you don’t miss out on any VET news!
Sign up for the EPALE Community Conference 2022 - Imagine
On 18, 19 and 20 October 2022, EPALE, the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe, is hosting its annual online Community Conference.
Imagining means rethinking the present, unlocking new possibilities and creating new futures. With this in mind, the EPALE 2022 Community Conference wants to highlight the power of imagination and adult learning in shaping and enriching, sustainable, inclusive Europe.
The Conference revolves around four themes:
- Learning communities - 18 October (9.15-12.30 CEST)
- Young adults - 19 October (10.00-12.30 CEST)
- Innovative approaches for skills revolution - 19 October (15.00-17.30 CEST)
- Creativity and culture for social cohesion - 20 October (10.00-13.00 CEST)
The Conference will feature inspiring keynote speakers, thought-provoking panels and motivating EPALE talks, freely accessible online via EPALE, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Each thematic plenary session will be followed by a not-to-be-missed interactive workshop, with limited seats available. The online EPALE Community Conference also includes a series of national side events, organised by the National Support Services.
The 2022 Forum on Vocational Excellence will take place in San Sebastian, Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain, on 15 and 16 November.
The Forum will discuss the latest developments on the European initiative on Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). The event is jointly organised by the European Commission and the Basque government, with the support of the European Training Foundation (ETF), Cedefop and EACEA, as well as the Community of Practice on CoVEs, and Katapult. It will include the participation of the partners of ongoing CoVE projects, as well as other Vocational Excellence initiatives currently being developed in Europe and beyond, that form part of wider partnerships and networks in Vocational Education and Training (VET).
The event will also benefit from high-level political representatives, including national governments (from EU and ETF partner countries), social partners and their European level representatives, VET provider associations, regional authorities, International organisations, as well as European institutions and agencies.
The meeting will have the following objectives:
The event will be hybrid, with a physical presence in San Sebastian, and with all the plenary sessions, including some parallel sessions, being streamed online. Pre-registrations for both the attendance in San Sebastian as well as for the online participation, are open until 14 October 2022.
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) is hosting its third podcast episode featuring social partners from both European and national levels discussing how they can contribute to achieving high-quality and effective apprenticeships.
The episode will provide a platform to share best practices and discuss key challenges from a social partner’s perspective. It also aims to shed light on the role of international standard-setting for quality apprenticeships.
You can find all of EAfA’s podcast episodes on Soundcloud and Spotify.
EAfA continues its series of online training modules designed to provide insight into apprenticeship systems in the EU with its ninth module this October. Featuring an array of practical tips on how best to successfully communicate apprenticeships to young and adult learners as well as to companies, you will learn how to create key messages for each of these target groups and design an effective communication strategy. The module will also feature good practice examples from across the EU.
The module is open to anyone interested in promoting apprenticeships, such as policymakers, VET providers, social partners, schools, employers and youth/parents’ organisations, among others.
Don’t miss several exciting skills events and workshops taking place during #EURegionsWeek 2022, this year under the theme of ‘New Challenges for Europe’s Cohesion’ 10-13 October in Brussels and online.
The 20th #EURegionsWeek will focus on the green transition, territorial cohesion, the digital transition and youth empowerment.
Attendance is free and open to all. Check out the wide selection of skills events, such as Pact of Skills: Enabling the green transition in automotive regions and Increasing the involvement of women in the VET sector at regional and local level, among other VET-centred events.
Spreading the word on the importance of VET, our National Contact Point for Italy for the #2022 European Vocational Skills Week, Giorgio Sbrissa, spoke to Il Sole 24Ore’s Gianni Rusconi on 12 September.
Mr Sbrissa, who serves as managing director of ENAIP Veneto and president of Forma Veneto and also heads the European Vocational Training Association EVTA, told Italy’s national daily business newspaper how important VET is in helping people stay competitive in the labour market, upskilling or reskilling, especially after the impact of Covid-19, among other key points.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to discover your own NCP.
How to reach Generation Z: DG EMPL holds successful webinar on youth outreach for VET providers
Use live events and other social media happenings to reach Generation Z. That was just one golden nugget of advice dispensed to participants across Europe who joined DG EMPL’s third tailored Info Day online webinar for VET providers, this time focused on the theme of ‘How to promote your VET course to youth: tools, techniques and channels’.
Online leaflet Through the Years: the VET Excellence Awards (2016-2022) now available in German and French
If you haven’t yet checked out the commemorative online album celebrating all the years of the VET Excellence Awards in English, published in September, it is now also available in German and French for you to read and share.
Don’t forget to link your VET event or activity to #EUVocationalSkills Week 2022 (the Week), as long as it takes place within this calendar year. Join the hundreds of VET events now linked to the Week and cross promote your VET event or activity. We will provide you with a myriad of resources and information to help you promote your happening.
Discover exciting VET events to upskill and reskill in line with the twin green and digital transition and other areas of VET – all focused on helping you achieve your goals.
Don’t wait!
Check out VET events around Europe and neighbouring countries
National Contact Points (#NCPs) have been instrumental in the success of the #EUVocationalSkills Week! They have pulled out all the stops getting people on board and have truly supported local VET event organisers to get their message out and gain publicity for their events.
Inspire others to discover their passion or calling in life by posting your unique VET story. Help others follow in your footsteps.
#EUVocationalSkills | #DiscoverYourTalent.
Explore our wonderful library of engaging VET stories on the 2022 European Vocational Skills website
Get networking on the European Vocational Skills Week’s networking tool. Here’s your chance to forge new links and create new initiatives with like-minded VET partners.
