Transforming Practice

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Transforming Practice - The Policy Context
David Hughes Cabinet of Commissioner Figel,
European Commission
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It started with VET..

• Article 128, Treaty of RomeCouncil empowered
  to lay down general principles for implementing
  a common vocational training policy capable of
  contributing to the harmonious development both
  of the national economies and of the common
  market
• Free movement of Workers - Case law of ECJ,
  Professional Qualifications

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EU Competence in Education and Training Articles
149 and 150 TEC

• Community shall contribute to quality education
  and implement a vocational training policy
• In practise very similar develop European
  dimension, mobility, cooperation, exchanges of
  information and best practice, with third
  countries, adaptation to industrial change.
• Community can spend money (programmes) and adopt
  Recommendations. No harmonisation.

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Higher Education 3 Processes

• Bologna process (1999)governments and higher
  education, Commission
• Copenhagen process (2002) governments and
  Vocational training, Commission, social
  partners
• Lisbon Strategy (2000) EU context, based on OMC
  Education and Training 2010 Work Programme

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Bologna Process - Stocktaking
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Top universities worldwide

• A study carried out by Shanghai University in
  2005 identified 53 US universities in the top 100
  worldwide, compared to 30 in the EU (of which 11
  in the UK, 5 in Germany, 4 in France and in
  Sweden, 2 in the Netherlands and 1 in Italy,
  Denmark, Austria and in Finland). Source
  Academic Ranking of World Universities 2005,
  Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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Higher Education Investment Gap
Most of this gap consists of private investment
Source Education and Training 2010, Draft Joint
Report, COM (2005) 549
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Five European Benchmarks in Education and Training

• By 2010, an EU average rate of no more than 10
  early school leavers should be attained.
• The percentage of low-achieving 15-year-olds in
  reading literacy in the European Union should
  have decreased by at least 20 compared to the
  year 2000.
• At least 85 of 22-year-olds in the European
  Union should have completed upper-secondary
  education.
• The total number of graduates in mathematics,
  science and technology in the European Union
  should increase by at least 15, while at the
  same time the level of gender imbalance should
  decrease.
• The European Union average level of participation
  in lifelong learning should be at least 12.5 of
  the adult working age population (25-64 age
  group).

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PROGRESS IN THE 5 BENCHMARKS
Change in series (especially in 2003 for LLL)
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Skills and Jobs of the Future

• At present 80 million EU citizens are low skilled
  32 of the workforce
• by 2010 only 15  of jobs will be for those with
  basic schooling.
• Opportunities to participate in training are six
  times lower for workers with lower education
  attainment.

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Responding to the Challenge

• Lifelong Learning Paradigm
• Equity and efficiency
• Governance systems, learning partnerships
• Quality, effectiveness
• Task is primarily for Member States
• But EU level action brings added value

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New Lifelong Learning Programme

• To replace Socrates and Leonardo programmes
• 2007-2013, tripling of current budget (to 13bn)
• Heavy emphasis on mobility, but also on
  supporting networks, quality and reform at all
  levels of the system
• 1st reading EP complete. Political agreement in
  Council except for budget!

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ANNEX
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Key Competences

• communication in the mother tongue
• communication in foreign languages
• maths, science and technology skills
• digital competence
• learning to learn
• interpersonal, intercultural and social skills,
  and civic competence
• entrepreneurship
• cultural expression

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Country A
Country B