22.9.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 228/9

1.1

Drawn up in response to a request by the Czech presidency to the EESC, this exploratory opinion focuses on relations between employers and education establishments, and sets out recommendations for businesses, business associations, the wide variety of education establishments, and the EU; it also explores possible approaches to social dialogue and civic dialogue with all stakeholder institutions and bodies.

1.2

The opinion takes the following aspects into account:

1.3

The opinion highlights various priorities:

Against the backdrop of competition, the overall approach is to promote cooperation between all stakeholders involved.

1.4

The EESC suggests building a new framework for partnership between education establishments and businesses at European level, with a view to capitalising on the benefits offered by a European dimension and to securing social progress. The EESC recommends launching a European process, possibly called the Prague process in reference to the Conference on the Partnership between Education and Training Institutions and Employers for Lifelong Learning due to be held in that city on 6 and 7 April at the initiative of the Czech presidency. This process could take the form of a fairly broad European reference framework enabling grassroots operators to put innovative measures in place at local and national level:

1.5

The EESC suggests that this process could be funded up till 2013 by the European Structural Funds and under existing programmes (Leonardo, Grundtvig, Erasmus for students, apprentices and entrepreneurs, etc.), with adaptations where necessary. For example, the ESF could be used to support basic training. A specific top-up programme could be proposed for the period after 2013.

2.1

Throughout Europe, development and quality of life are determined largely by cultural and scientific standards, which are in turn dependent on the quality of education systems. It should be emphasised that in Europe partnership between business and education is facing a number of major challenges due to the following factors:

Partnership must also take account of the following:

2.2

Traditionally, Europe has relied on long term skills forecasting. However, in a rapidly changing global economy, there is a requirement for education and business to work more closely together on immediate and near future requirements of the economy and particularly SMEs.

2.3

For many years, the technical, secondary and tertiary education sectors have benefited greatly from their experience of partnerships. Through these, the sectors concerned are able to ‘link in’ with the overall economic environment under a range of formal and informal agreements between education establishments and businesses. In addition to the best practices which to some extent may be found everywhere, there is strong determination to create long-lasting partnerships, with due respect for the different roles of all involved – especially education establishments, and their complete independence in awarding qualifications – in a bid to generate synergies, join forces and harness talent so as to work together to meet economic and social needs.

Obviously, businesses and education establishments pursue different goals, but by developing channels for the exchange of information, partnerships and joint projects, they can gain a great deal and thus fulfil their respective roles more effectively. For years, indeed centuries, there have been examples in many Member States of alternate education and training systems where learning takes place at school and in the company (dual system in Germany, apprentissage in France, apprenticeships UK, etc.). Alternate education has proved the high value added of permanent, structured and integrated partnerships.

2.4

In an ideal situation, businesses can offer their knowledge of market needs, both immediate and forecasted, thus enabling education and training to be more effectively targeted. They are repositories of knowledge, professional skills and technological resources.

2.5

In the same way, education establishments have assets in terms of technical and scientific know-how that could be put to practical use, for example in preparing people for the world of work and developing new training possibilities and pathways.

3.1

Despite many positive experiences, the number of partnerships between education establishments and employers remains limited, with many confined to technical and vocational education. As the recession bites, it is vital to rekindle the potential of such partnerships, given that any successful economic recovery is contingent on education and training that is more suited to the needs of the labour market and on businesses making better use of skills and human resources.

3.2

The framework for such new European partnerships must of course be multifaceted. It must involve the various players concerned in differing ways:

3.3

Education and business establishments share a duty to propose joint training pathways and options, not least by means of their representative organisations.

3.4

Businesses need to equip themselves with highly varied skills at various different levels; these skills determine how companies are organised, their operations and economic activities in terms of technological development, internationalisation and new technologies. What businesses need is, firstly to locate the requisite skills on the labour market, and secondly to train employees, managers and future managers to deal with the demands of their jobs. As for employees, they face the corresponding necessity of developing their employability in their professions, and of having their qualifications validated with diplomas of recognised value both within the company and externally on the labour market.

3.5

Two phenomena are to a large extent the driving force behind developments in European education: the advent of ‘mass’ education on the one hand, and the diversification of what is taught on the other. Rapid growth over the past few decades in the number of pupils and students has simultaneously brought about significant diversification in the population in terms, among other things, of age structure, previous education and social background.

3.6

Despite the current difficulties, there is enormous potential for cooperation here, and stronger action is needed in three areas in relation to this aspect of the problem:

A particularly useful approach would be to involve employers more closely in training teachers involved in developing professional skills. It would also be useful to train mediators to stimulate partnerships and make them work.

4.2.1

The creation of a European Higher Education Area, launched in 1999 as the ‘Bologna process’ by education ministers and university representatives from 29 countries, has resulted in a major reform, officially involving 46 countries which are members of the Council of Europe.

4.2.2

The aim of the process is to create a European Education Area, largely by harmonising the various stages of university education in Europe (B.A./M.A./Ph.D.), not least to make it easier to compare degree courses and thus facilitate the free movement of students and promote mobility. All of these measures are conducive to ensuring greater transparency, removing barriers and improving cooperation between academia and business.

4.2.3

However, it must be noted that:

4.3.1

Launched in 2002, the objective of this EU process is to enable vocational education and training (VET) systems to become a quality reference. Actions similar to the Bologna process but tailored to the field of vocational education and training have been strongly encouraged.

4.3.2

The Leonardo programme facilitates mobility for people wishing to obtain professional experience in Europe together and fosters the exchange of best practices between training stakeholders. The Grundtvig programme seeks to enhance quality and strengthen the European dimension of adult education and to offer Europeans more opportunities for lifelong learning. However, participation in both of these programmes is still too limited, and they have not achieved the critical mass which would enable objectives to flourish. Without wishing to question the practical arrangements for these programmes, steps should in future be taken to reinforce the course of action open to them.

4.3.3

The communiqué issued by the Bordeaux Council (26 November 2008) ties in with the Copenhagen process as regards enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training. It also reiterates the need to harness appropriate public- and private-sector funding, through instruments such as the ESF, the ERDF, and EIB loans.

With regard to skills shortages and the action required to respond to future needs, the Bordeaux communiqué recommends that vocational training components be developed on as broad a scale as possible, with the involvement of the Member States, the Commission and the social partners.

5.1

According to the latest progress report on the Education & Training 2010 programme, the European Union cannot overlook the fact that it is lagging behind in the field of education (3), or the difficulty in providing companies with people who have basic training and sufficient specialised skills to meet today’s technological challenges and cope with globalisation. Mobility between European countries is vital here, as is foreign-language learning within the ambit of the European strategy for multilingualism. A joint approach to the subject of relations between business and education establishments must be seen as an essential element in dealing with the issues at hand, and also, above all, as a means of decompartmentalising national education policies and unlocking, at last, the human potential of European integration.

5.2

More help must be given to schools and universities seeking to provide not just basic training, but continuing training as well. For instance, with the exception of a few Member States, education establishments are not eligible to receive financial assistance under structural programmes for the development of human resources. However, experience in countries where this is possible shows that such initiatives can make a significant contribution to building up stronger ties with companies, while also enhancing the overall standard of education and training on offer.

5.3

There is recognition that the main problem with European programmes is their lack of ambition owing to tight budgets. Therefore, rather than recommending yet another European programme with a small target group and affecting only a very narrow and elite section of the public, it would surely be more worthwhile to adopt a systemic approach based on mechanisms that are both simpler (not bureaucratic like many European programmes all too often are) and more ambitious, involving:

5.4

European integration offers substantial added value in terms of sharing experience and broadening the scope for giving wider, more intensive, support to our education establishments, and of providing businesses with an internal market that unlocks the potential for development. The Prague process, which refers to the Conference on the Partnership between Education and Training Institutions and Employers for Lifelong Learning to be held in that city on 6 and 7 April at the initiative of the Czech presidency, could provide a political impetus and an operational roadmap for these developments.