Brussels, 05/12/2006
“The key message from the ETUC is simple,” says Confederal Secretary Joël Decaillon, “The EU needs to invest more on education and training at national and European level. As there are 72 million non-qualified or low-skilled workers in Europe and new jobs will require higher qualifications than before, investment in education and training is a necessity, not a luxury.”
The meeting of ministers, the European Commission and social partners will adopt a Helsinki Communiqué, defining common vocational education and training objectives for the coming years within the Copenhagen Process - the framework for cooperation between Member States in this field.
On the European labour market there are 100 million workers who are at risk due to their level of qualifications, and 20 million unemployed. The ETUC will emphasise that enhancing their skills and qualifications is crucial for Europe's competitiveness.
The ETUC sees European cooperation through the Copenhagen process as an important way of encouraging national developments in vocational training. But most of the actions must be taken by Member States and other participating countries. Instead of new priorities, the ETUC calls for better dissemination and implementation of results already achieved.
New jobs in Europe will be filled by adults, so adult access to training is key to building a more highly skilled workforce. But at the same time basic skills like reading and writing are a prerequisite for participation in lifelong learning. Validation of non formal learning has to be the other cornerstone of vocational training policies.
The ETUC is calling for all Member States to draw up national lifelong learning strategies, and for companies also to shoulder their responsibilities in this area. The social partners must be involved in all these activities, with support for collective bargaining and higher priority for lifelong learning in collective agreements, including time off and funding from employers.