Save the date! 18-19 October European Education and Training Forum 2012
The next European Education and Training Forum will take place on 18-19 October in Brussels. The aim of the Forum, entitled “Investing in skills for growth and jobs”, is to mobilise stakeholders and policy makers to modernise education and training systems through national and EU policies and instruments in order to enhance growth and jobs. This year’s Forum will have a double focus on 1) Education and training aspects of Europe 2020 and 2) the future Erasmus for All programme. Further information and invitations will come in September.
See previous editions of the Forum.
Parliament’s report on Erasmus for All: turning point for the Stakeholders’ Coalition
The next Coalition meeting will take place on the 24th of September, five days after the CULT committee meeting where MEP Doris Pack, chair of the Committee and rapporteur on Erasmus for All, will present her report about the future education, training, youth and sport EU funding programme. Stakeholders from the Coalition will then exchange their views on Mrs Pack’s report and discuss further steps on common actions.
/// NEWS FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ///
ESN SocialErasmus final conference, 24 September
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) organises the final conference of its 2012 flagship project Social Erasmus at the EESC in Brussels on the 24th of September. The aim of the project is encouraging international students to do volunteering in their host country so that they acquire formal and informal learning and cultural experiences and get closer to the local community.
7th EDEN Research Workshop “Learners in the Driving Seat”, 22-23 October, Leuven
The 2012 Research Workshop will continue the EDEN tradition of highlighting bi-annually e-learning research findings and innovative practices. This year’s Workshop scope compares students to “driving teachers” in the fields where new learning technologies play important role, as teachers and students roles have changed with new learning environments. Find out more on EDEN website.
Empowering young people: “Making capabilities work (WorkAble)” final conference, 30 October
The EU collaborative research project “Making capabilities work (WorkAble)” final conference will occur on 30th October 2012 in Brussels with the title: “Making capabilities work: New ways to tackle young Europeans’ transitions from school to work”. The project aimed to empower young people in their personal and professional life by strengthening adequate capabilities. The conference will be a unique opportunity to present the results from the case studies analysed during the project and to have a policy debate with a wide range of stakeholders.
Learning, innovation, quality at the centre of the LINQ 2012 conference, 23 October
The LINQ 2012 conference “Innovation and quality: how do they fit together?” will take place on 23rd October in Brussels and cover topics such as technology-enhanced learning, quality standards and certification in VET or human resources development. Registration for the event is open until 30th September.
/// INSTITUTIONAL NEWS ///
European Parliament releases its draft report on “Erasmus for All”
MEP Doris Pack, chair of the CULT Committee at the European Parliament, published its draft report on the European Commission’s « Erasmus for All » proposal. She will present it to the Committee on 19thSeptember. Mrs Pack decided to keep the former name of the programme (“Lifelong Learning Programme”) as well as of the sub-programmes (Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig). She also included operating grants for youth organisations. EUCIS-LLL and the Stakeholders’ Coalition will keep on advocating for an equivalent financial support for education and training organisations. Follow the latest press releases, position papers and amendments on our website.
27 validation systems by 2015? A Commission’s recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning
The Commission has issued a proposal for a recommendation urging Member States to implement viable validation systems by 2015 recognising skills and competences gained outside formal education. EUCIS-LLL particularly welcomes that the proposal calls for stakeholders involvement in the development of those systems, including civil society and education and tranining organisations. EUCIS-LLL had formulated policy recommendations for this Recommendation in its first LLL Magazine last June. You can also read the general report of our seminar on “Validation and recognition of learning in Europe: from rhetoric to practice” organised in December 2011.
“Literacy for All”: higher ambitions for Europe by 2020
Today one out of five 15 year olds and almost the same percentage of adults do not have sufficient reading and writing skills in Europe. These figures, among others, are included in the report presented by the High Level Committee on Literacy (set up by the Commission) at a two-day conference “Literacy for All” in Nicosia within the frame of the Cyprus EU Presidency. The Committee concludes that good literacy skills are essential for better lives but also the advancement of our knowledge and competitive societies. 15 year-old low achievers in reading, maths and science should be less than 15% by 2020 (ET2020 benchmark). The report provides general recommendations and specific objectives by target group. See also the dedicated webpage on literacy on the Commission’s website.
/// RESEARCH & INNOVATION ///
ESNSurvey 2011 Report is out!
The ESNSurvey 2011 Report “Exchange, employment and added value” has been published. Every year from 2005, ESN launches a survey on academic and non-academic mobility aimed at current and former students. The survey, which has reached more than 21 000 students, aimed to investigate employability and the impact student exchanges has on it. One of the main recommendations of the report is to promote mobility as early as possible. In this line, ESN will intensify its Erasmus in Schools project that brings international students into local schools to talk about their country, culture and language. TheESNSurvey2012 “Exchange: Creating Ideas, Opportunities and Identity” is still online and can be filled out until the 30th of September.
New Commission report: conceiving and implementing the Digital Competence in Europe
Digital Competence has been acknowledged as one of the eight key competences of the European framework. This report contributes to better understand and develop Digital Competence in Europe. In particular, it maps and analyses case studies where Digital Competence is being developed, acquired, and assessed or certified.
Eurydice’s report on “National Student Fee and Support Systems” 2011/12
Eurydice published a report on “National Student Fee and Support Systems”. It contains an overview of the public fee and support systems (grants, loans, tax benefits for student’s parents and family allowances) in place in Europe for public or government-dependent private higher education institutions and their national characteristics as well as planned reforms in a comparative perspective.
Young job seekers, low skilled and older workers, the European Social Fund and lifelong learning
The European Commission has published a report on the “Evaluation of the ESF support to Lifelong Learning” that targets in particular young job seekers, low skilled and older workers and focuses on the programming periods 2000-2006 and 2007-2013. The report concludes that the ESF has been a major funder of LLL across the EU with great variations between Member States in the choice of target groups (most of them have focused on young people), the choice of measures or the way to monitor progress.
OECD’s 2012 indicators “Education at a glance” are out
OECD’s “Education at a glance” is the publication of reference for data on the current state of play of education, its structure, finances and performance in OECD countries and others. Indicators are structured according to educational actors, learning outcomes and policy issues. This year’s edition focuses on skills for inclusive growth and jobs and presents new indicators on education for economic growth, educational mobility and early childhood education, reflecting some of the key European priorities. Check also the OECD’s blog on the new indicators.
/// EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ///
Analysis of the Continuing Vocational Training and Adult Education Surveys
The objective of this call for tenders is to analyse the extent, access, patterns, structure, governance, outcomes and financing of job-related learning and continuing vocational training in enterprises and among the adult population. Apply before 24th of September.
The EESC launches for the fifth time the EESC Civil Society Prize.
The EESC Civil Society Prize 2012 will reward civil society projects which have proved that innovative initiatives in sustainable production and/or consumption have led to the creation of green jobs in Europe. The deadline for submitting applications is 30 September 2012.
Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) 2013 call for proposals
The Commission has published the general call for proposals for 2013 for participation in the last year of the Lifelong Learning Programme. Deadline varies depending on the part of the programme.
Operating grants for European youth organisations
The call for “Support for bodies active at European level in the field of youth” (Action 4.1 of Youth in Action) is out to support the activities European youth organisations that encourage young people to participate as citizens in society and in the development of European cooperation actions in the field of youth. Deadline is on 15th November.
Operating grants for European think tanks and civil society organisations
The EACEA has published the call “Operating grants – Action 2, Measures 1 and 2: Structural support for European public policy research organisations (think tanks) and for civil society organisations at European level”, which concern both the call for the annual grant 2013 and transitional grants 2013 (for multiannual partnerships). The deadline for submitting the proposals is 15 November 2012.
/// PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ///
Commission Consultation on education and new technologies
The EC launched a public Consultation named “Opening up Education – a proposal for a European Initiative to enhance education and skills development through new technologies” which objective is to explore the perceived need – mainly but not exclusively among education and training stakeholders – for EU action to promote the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and of ICT in education. The consultation is open till the 13rd of November 2012.
/// AGENDA ///
September 2012
24: Stakeholders’ Coalition on the Erasmus for All, Brussels
October 2012
17: EUCIS-LLL Working Group on EU2020, Brussels
18-19: European Education and Training Forum: Investing in Skills for Growth and Jobs, Brussels
More events on our website!
