Learning for employment vocational education and training policy in Europe Spain

Learning for employment: second policy report aims to contribute to and stimulate debate on the development of vocational education and training policy in the EU looks and the development and results of vocational education and training policy in the EU, in the light of the Lisbon strategic goal to make the EU the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010

Lisbon employment targets for 2010 Linked to the strategic goal is a more employment intensive economy and targets set to: raise average employment rate to 70% (currently 61%) increase number of women in employment to over 60% (currently 52%) raise average employment rate of people aged 55-64 to 50% (currently 40%)

Some key vocational education and training benchmarks: by 2010 an EU average of no more than 10% early school leavers; EU average participation in lifelong learning should be at least 12.5% of the 25 to 64 age group; at least 85% of 22 years old in the EU should have completed upper secondary education; increase by at least 15% the number of graduates in mathematics, science, technology in the EU, while at the same time the gender imbalance should decrease

Employment rate projections -Spain Forecast is that Spain will meet the overall employment rate target However, the task is not an easy one Now look at Spain’s performance in relation to the other benchmarks

Early school leavers, 2002 Considerable work needs to be done to reduce early school-leavers in Spain 10% benchmark

Adult participation in lifelong learning, 2002 12.5% benchmark Participation in continuing training is low

Educational attainment 22 year olds, 2002 85% benchmark Levels of educational attainment in Spain are just below the EU average, this reflects a dramatic increase levels of educational attainment among young people over the last few years.

Science and technology graduates, 2001 The aim is to increase the overall numbers of students in science and technology by 15 % by 2010 Overall Spain is up to the EU average, however, the graph does not show the gender imbalance In maths and science, more women than men are enrolled in Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. However, in computing, men make up around 80% or more of students in the EU as a whole and in Spain

European vocational education and training policy framework Following Lisbon the EU established a policy to achieve the benchmarks comprising: developing lifelong learning implementing agreed objectives for education and training systems developing e-learning promoting mobility cooperation Copenhagen process

Conclusions of second policy report achievement of Lisbon targets for Spain depends particularly on increasing participation of women in the labour force participation in the labour force is strongly influenced by levels of education and training However, for each Member state the policy priorities are different

Employment rates by gender, 2002 Spain has one of the lowest employment rates for women in the EU.

Proportion of women aged 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 with upper secondary and tertiary education, 2001 Also levels of education for older women are also low

Proportion of men aged 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 with upper secondary and tertiary education, 2001 Although they are higher for men, for older men in particular they are below the EU average

Educational attainment EU new Member States, 2002 Educational attainment among population aged 25-64 in candidate countries, 2002 % population 25-64 NB: MT no data 100 100 Tertiary education 90 Upper secondary education 90 80 80 70 70 60 60 50 50 40 40 30 This graph illustrates that although levels of educational attainment in the EU have risen, the average is still below that of some of the new Member States 30 20 20 10 10 BG CY CZ EE HU LT LV PL RO SI SK CC11 EU15

Projected growth of employment divided by educational attainment level, 2001-2010 This graph looks at the projected changes up to 2010, including the projected growth in the employment rate, given employment growth over the period 1995-2001. It shows the importance of increasing overall levels of educational attainment

Conclusions of second policy report To achieve the benchmarks: reforms underway in Member States, but need to be speeded up achievement of Lisbon target depends on employment among four key sections of the population: women of prime working age, young people, older workers, and disadvantaged groups continuation of current trends means a significant number of new jobs will be in occupations requiring high levels of education, and in traditionally low-skill jobs

Copenhagen declaration on enhanced European cooperation, November 2002 strengthening European dimension single transparency framework common credit transfer system for VET quality assurance, common criteria and principles for quality in VET development of sectoral qualifications strengthening information, guidance and counselling validation of non-formal & informal learning learning needs of teachers and trainers in VET Some reforms being taken forward in the context of the Bruges-Copenhagen process

Cedefop - supporting developments Cedefop’s added-value collating and analysis of research, developments and best practice timely provision to our stakeholders laying the foundation for effective and productive policy development Cedefop is supporting the cooperation process by providing information on and analyses of developments in vocational education and training systems, policy, research and practice. We look to provide accurate and timely information to a diverse audience of policy-makers, researchers and practitioners. With our information we also support policy development.

Cedefop - supporting developments the European Training Village (ETV) www.trainingvillage.gr - some 35,000 residents the Cedefop website www.cedefop.eu.int available in the 11 official EU languages the library and documentation service - more than 43,000 VET references virtual communities to support cooperation process, with more than 2000 experts reports on policy and research building up a European Knowledge Management System (KMS)

For further information: P.O. Box 22427 GR-55102 Thessaloniki Greece Tel.: (30) 23 10 49 01 11 Fax: (30) 23 10 49 01 02 E-mail: info@cedefop.eu.int Web sites: www.cedefop.eu.int www.trainingvillage.gr Brussels Office: 20, avenue d’Auderghem B-1040 Brussels Tel.: (32-2) 230 19 78 Fax: (32-2) 230 58 24 E-mail: info.be@cedefop.eu.int