Rapporteur: Anne RUDISUHLI (FR/Renew Europe) Member of the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

I.   INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

1.

recalls that the aim of the European Year of Skills is to provide means to take advantage of the new opportunities arising from the green and digital transitions, to support innovation and competitiveness, to address skills shortages in the EU and to foster a mindset of upskilling (1) and lifelong learning; expects that this will allow local and regional authorities to be supported in their efforts to implement appropriate employment and education policies;

2.

points out that persistent socioeconomic inequalities in the EU have a negative impact on the economy, on social cohesion and on the political stability of the EU and its Member States;

3.

stresses that more than three-quarters of EU companies report difficulties in finding workers with the necessary skills, while only 37 % of adults regularly attend training (2);

4.

stresses the importance of lifelong learning, training and skills development for the European population, and the urgent need to strengthen the careers guidance provided to them, their employability, their resilience and their social engagement in order to meet the EU’s strategic objectives;

5.

points out that the Member States have committed themselves to introducing innovative and inclusive policies, entailing recognition of formal and informal skills, to foster lifelong education, training and learning, and to providing needs-based support to improve employment prospects (3);

6.

warns of territorial disparities in employment and skills mismatches in the EU, particularly among young people, with some regions and cities having higher than average unemployment rates and/or suffering considerable brain drain;

II.   MENTORING: A POWERFUL TOOL FOR TACKLING INEQUALITY

7.

notes that mentoring is generally seen as an interpersonal relationship of guidance and support based on mutual learning aimed to foster the mentee’s autonomy through goals that are adapted to their needs, thus enabling them to acquire skills and knowledge, and to enhance their prospects;

8.

draws attention to its positive effects in terms of personal and professional empowerment and civic engagement (including for marginalised individuals and communities) which are key factors for social cohesion, promoting social mobility and levelling the playing field;

9.

welcomes the fact that, in France, mentoring has reduced the risk of dropping out in the first year of tertiary education by 30 % and increased the chances of finding a job six months after completing studies by 18 % (4); points out that the creation of a national group of mentoring associations has made it possible to increase the number of mentor/mentee pairs from 30 000 to 200 000 in two years;

10.

welcomes both the French Government’s decision to make mentoring one of their main national priorities, and the organisation of the European Mentoring Summit in Paris in 2024;

11.

welcomes the regional initiative of the Government of Navarra in Spain to support the social and solidarity economy through a mentoring scheme for social entrepreneurs; stresses that this plan contributes to the consolidation, transformation and growth of companies that have an impact on society and the environment;

12.

notes that in Italy a study has shown that young professionals who have benefited from mentoring have a higher success rate in their careers and are more likely to obtain a position of responsibility than those who have not received such support (5);

13.

argues that, overall, mentoring is an effective tool to enhance people’s skills, self-confidence and motivation, and helps to break down barriers to employment, professional success and integration;

14.

points out that the use of mentoring remains too fragmented in the European Union, with significant disparities between countries and regions;

15.

stresses that while mentoring arrangements can vary across countries and cultures across Europe, the aim is to improve skills and to combat social and economic inequalities, as well as inequalities related to birth, region, ethnicity, gender and others; stresses the need to create an encompassing European definition and framework for mentoring;

16.

supports the idea of standardising practices in order to ensure high-quality mentoring in regions and cities, with the aim of making it more widespread throughout the European Union;

17.

stresses that support for mentoring organisations and associations is necessary for a European mentoring culture to develop;

III.   POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

A)    General points

18.

proposes the following general definition of mentoring: ‘mentoring is a process that involves the transfer of knowledge, skills and wisdom that supports individual, educational and professional development, and promotes social inclusion, solidarity and tolerance. It plays an essential role in establishing links between cultures, generations and societies, creating a platform for intergenerational and intercultural exchange. It enables mentors to develop formal and informal skills and strengthens their civic commitment. Participants in a mentoring relationship have the opportunity to exchange knowledge, experiences and perspectives, creating a dynamic and enriching learning environment for all involved. The mentor, who has already travelled a similar path, provides recognition, role modelling, encouragement and personal attention to the personal, professional or academic aspirations of the mentee’;

19.

argues that mentoring works in a comparable way for different subjects, target groups, objectives and organisations despite differences in cultural, traditional and legal context between Member States;

20.

recognises that mentoring programmes contribute to the objectives of the European Union, such as involvement in democratic life, the achievement of a more competitive and sustainable economy and a more inclusive society, and the fight against social and economic inequalities;

21.

calls for mentoring programmes to be integrated into education and training programmes, and for them to be promoted through European and national initiatives to improve their accessibility and relevance;

22.

calls also for recognition and support for mentoring programmes that reach people currently not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and those in prison or who are otherwise vulnerable, in order to help them (re)integrate into the labour market;

23.

argues for the creation of a European mentoring network responsible for organising meetings, conferences, workshops and online training courses, to allow the exchange of best practices;

24.

advocates creating a quality label for mentoring which ensures the professionalism, performance and effectiveness of programmes across the European Union, in accordance with the legal rules in force, and urges the European Commission to establish a public register of mentoring initiatives that have been awarded the European label, thus giving greater visibility and recognition to quality mentoring programmes in Europe;

25.

calls for a European mentoring label, to be created, contributing to the establishment of quality standards, based on transparency and adherence to a code of ethics, in order to strengthen the trust of beneficiaries and potential partners in the process, based on the following criteria: — the experience, training and skills of mentors; — the compatibility of the mentoring relationship; — transparency; — adherence to ethical guidelines; — programme planning; — regular attendance; — confidentiality; — impact assessment;

26.

calls for encouragement of training and apprenticeship organisations, including universities and universities of applied sciences, to recognise the role of mentors in facilitating the delivery of university curricula and creating a supportive environment for students’ personal and professional growth;

27.

calls for the acknowledgement and recognition of formal, informal and cross-cutting skills acquired by mentors, such as communication, problem-solving, collaboration and empathy, including in companies;

28.

stresses the importance of ensuring the continuity of European, state, local and regional authority funding through multiannual agreements, in order to ensure the development and effective management of mentoring programmes. It is crucial that funding and ‘ownership’ of mentoring programmes be anchored locally (when possible), to avoid rupture of programmes in case external funding is stopped;

29.

recommends that existing EU funds, such as the European Social Fund (ESF), be used strategically to support mentoring initiatives, focusing on regions and disadvantaged groups that could benefit most from this practice;

30.

encourages companies and other private entities to enable a supportive mentorship ecosystem through sponsorship programmes, mentoring communities and networks to permit the emergence of mentors among their employees;

31.

welcomes all the support voiced by members of the European Parliament. Calls at the same time for concrete initiatives by the European Parliament to strengthen the recognition of mentoring as a means to create systemic change and a more inclusive society and stands ready to contribute with experience from the ground;

B)    Local and regional perspectives for developing mentoring

32.

stresses the central role of cities and regions in steering mentoring programmes, ensuring implementation adapted to the local needs of the population and responding adequately to local demands and specific situations;

33.

calls on local and regional authorities to establish an inclusive, equitable and accessible mentoring network and mentoring opportunities;

34.

calls on European regions to cooperate and exchange experiences and knowledge on mentoring, encouraging the creation of transnational partnerships to foster mutual learning and the dissemination of best practices;

35.

suggests that local and regional authorities establish partnerships with universities, schools, mentoring organisations, businesses and other entities to create a collaborative and supportive ecosystem that promotes the benefits of mentoring and encourages its widespread implementation in the local context;

C)    Recommendations to the Member States

36.

calls on the Member States to establish national policies to promote effective, accessible and inclusive mentoring programmes; notes that the aim of these programmes must be to improve access to the skills, resources and networks needed to succeed in the key stages of people’s development, including training programmes for mentors and mentees, and encouraging the participation of various sectors of society;

37.

calls on the Member States to earmark funding from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) programme to support mentoring programmes that have demonstrated their capacity to meet the needs of local communities and vulnerable groups and make them easily accessible to local and regional authorities;

D)    Recommendations to the European Commission

38.

invites the European Commission to rethink and actively promote the existing Europass CV so that it becomes better known among citizens in the Member States and puts a greater emphasis on volunteering and civic engagement experience, particularly experience gained through mentoring; stresses the need for close collaboration with the national public employment services and ad hoc private entities to ensure that it is actually taken into account in recruitment processes;

39.

calls on the European Commission to work closely with local, regional, state and European-level partners to develop a common framework for the development of quality mentoring in the EU;

40.

recommends that the European Commission support the creation of cross-border mentoring programmes for citizens by highlighting the social and economic benefits for those who participate in them;

41.

calls on the Commission to support local and regional authorities, public and private bodies and also associations so that they have the necessary financial and human resources and tools to manage mentoring programmes effectively;

42.

calls on the European Commission to facilitate access to financial resources for organisations and mentoring initiatives in Europe by simplifying administrative procedures, providing information and advice on available funding sources, and encouraging the sharing of best practices in the area of mentoring funding;

43.

encourages the European Commission to establish a European mentoring label to recognise mentoring initiatives that meet pre-established quality criteria, thereby fostering trust and excellence in mentoring in Europe;

44.

calls on the European Commission to explore innovative financing mechanisms, such as social impact partnerships, impact investment funds or crowdfunding initiatives, to support mentoring projects and ensure their long-term sustainability;

45.

agrees with the assessment that the ‘EU budget is no longer sufficient to address the most urgent challenges that the EU is facing, let alone possible future needs in the coming years’ (6), insists therefore on the need to increase the funds reserved for the ESF+;

46.

calls on the European Commission to draw up a report on the impact of mentoring and research into this practice so that it can serve as a basis for the development of policies and concrete measures to strengthen and promote this public policy tool in Europe, by supporting, in particular, the development of mentors’ formal and informal skills and encouraging the introduction of mentoring programmes in different fields and sectors;

47.

urges the Commission to consider developing the mentoring facet of the Erasmus+ Programme and consider including it as part of programmes, directly managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA);

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(1)  European Commission (n. d.), European Year of Skills 2023. commission.europa.eu. Accessed 11 March 2023. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-year-skills-2023_en.

(2)  European Commission (n. d.), European Year of Skills 2023. commission.europa.eu. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-year-skills-2023_en.

(3)  Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) (2021/C 66/01).

(4)  Information Report of the Senate (France) No 848 (2020-2021), filed on 23 September 2021.

(5)  Research report, Meyer and Associates, 2012.

(6)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 — 2027, p. 13.