1. New Skills Agenda for Europe
Key actions
Martina Ní Cheallaigh
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
On 10th June the Commission adopted a new Skills Agenda for Europe

3. Education and Training Monitor 2016

4. Education and Training Monitor 2016

5. Challenges impacting on education

6. Underachievement in basic skills
15 year-olds (ET 2020)
age group 20-34
Numeracy: 14.3 %
Literacy: 11.5 %

7. Employment of recent graduates (age group 20-34)
76.9 % of recent graduates were employed in 2015, on the rise comparing to 2013 (75.4 %) and 2014 (76.1 %)
Pre-crisis level: 82% (2008)

8. Active citizenship (Paris Declaration)
National policies to ensure that children and young people acquire social, civic and intercultural skills.
Efforts to promote intercultural dialogue through national education policies DK IE LT ES DE LV AT BE EE FI LU IT CY NL FR
UK-WLS
UK-ENG PT IE IT LT LU DE ES LV AT CY BG BE EE SE FR
UK-NIR PT

9. School age population 2040 forecasts (age 5-18)
Changing demographic landscape in Europe
School age population 2040 forecasts (age 5-18)
Asylum applications
Increase LT 34 %
PT, EL, LV,
ES, SK 20
Decrease
BE, SE 72 LU
80 %
< 17 year-olds
< 34 year-olds
30 %
EU: -3%

10. Investing efficiently and effectively
In 2014 public expenditure on education in the EU started growing again, with an annual increase of 1.1 %
10 Member States (BE, EE, EL, HR, IT, CY, LT, AT, SI, FI) reduced their spending on education in 2014 compared to 2013

11. Policy Response: 1. Widening participation

12. Widening participation
(ECEC <3)

13. Widening participation (ECEC 4+)
Increased rate in EL, LT and PL. However, there are still 11 Member States with a participation rate below 90 % and 2 below 80 % (HR and SK)

14. Widening participation (preventing ESL)

15. 13 Member States met their national targets
Widening participation (preventing ESL)
17 MS recorded rates below 10 %; BE and DE were below 10 % in 2014 but are now just above (10.1 %)
13 Member States met their national targets

16. Foreign-born young people from outside the EU have higher ESL rate: 19
Foreign-born young people from outside the EU have higher ESL rate: 19.8% on average.
In IE and UK, native-born people have higher ESL rates than foreign-born
ESL rates for boys are twice as high as those of girls in CY, PL, LV, SI, LT, EE and DK.

17. Widening participation (tertiary attainment)

18. 12 Member States met their national targets
Widening participation (tertiary attainment)
17 MS recorded rates of 40 %: EL for the first time, LV reaching the target once again. AT slipped slightly below the target
12 Member States met their national targets

19. In DK, EE, IE, LV, LU, MT and UK: opposite trend
The gap between women and men increased from 2014 in 21 Member States and is highest in LV, SI, EE and LT
Tertiary attainment rate is 3% higher for native-born than for the foreign-born
In DK, EE, IE, LV, LU, MT and UK: opposite trend

20. Policy response: 2. Responsive education systems

21. Early on: quality ECEC
Starting age of legal entitlement to ECEC
Professionalisation of ECEC all along the cycle (teachers with tertiary qualifications, CPD a duty or necessary for promotion, curriculum guidelines)
Language support
Quality framework and development of indicators

22. Teachers: dealing with diversity
Collaboration within and outside schools
(among teachers, and whole school)
Guidance on underachievement in ITE
Dealing with diversity as PD topic
Teacher workforce

23. Social dimension of higher education

24. Adult learning BM not progressing, Gap of low-skilled is widening
Second chance education still minor
3.6%
Skills Guarantee under preparation

25. Europe vis-à-vis its competitors
Low literacy skills
Low numeracy skills
EU-17
EU-17
EU average
The very high number of European adults who struggle with literacy, numeracy
Graph 1 - Percentage of adults with low literacy skills
Graph 2 - Percentage of adults with low numeracy skills
Graph 3 - Percentage of adults with low literacy skills in EU countries
Source: PIAAC 2012

26. Low digital skills Even more struggle with digital skills.
EU average
EU average
Even more struggle with digital skills.
Graph 1 - Proficiency in problem solving in technology-rich environments among adults in %. PIAAC. In ES, FR, CY and IT this module was not applied.
Graph 2 - Digital skills of the EU population from Digital Agenda Scoreboard 2015 – Digital Inclusion and Skills
Source: PIAAC 2012, Digital Agenda Scoreboard 2015 Digital Inclusion and Skills

27. 44% Talent unnourished - Employees whose skills are lower than needed to achieve full productivity in the job and have potential to grow in the job.
25% Skill underuse - Highly qualified employees who are overqualified for their job.
27% Talent in dead end - Employees whose skills are higher than needed to do the job today and have limited potential to grow in the job.
33% Poor jobs - Jobs where adult employees need no or only basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills.
21% Skills gaps - Employees whose skills were lower than needed at the start of their first job.
22% Skill stagnancy - Employees who have not developed their skills. since starting their job.
Cedefop’s European skills and jobs (ESJ) survey provides insights into the match between the skills and jobs of adult workers in European countries. The ESJ survey, carried out in 2014 in all EU-28 Member States, is a state-of-the-art survey instrument that collected information on the match of the skills of about EU adult workers (aged 24 to 65) with the skill needs of their jobs. The data were collected using quota
sampling, following extensive testing, including a pilot survey in January The fieldwork (mixed mode, online plus telephone interviewing) was conducted from March to June 2014.
Source: Cedefop, European Skills and Jobs Survey

28. Employment rates by qualification level, EU-28
Insufficient levels of skills relevant for employability and the labour market and insufficient life skills needed for citizen's active engagement in changing workplaces and societies put Europeans at risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.
Source: EUROSTAT

29. % employers reporting difficulties in finding employees with the right skills
Difficulty in understanding and anticipating trends in skills requirements. Many people work in jobs that do not match their talents. At the same time, 40% of European employers have difficulty finding people with the skills they need to grow and innovate.
Source: European Company Survey 2013

30. 3 priority areas for a New Skills Agenda for Europe:
Improving the quality and relevance of skills formation
Making skills and qualifications more visible and comparable
Improving skills intelligence and information for better career choices

31. PRIORITY 1: IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND RELEVANCE OF SKILLS FORMATION
MAIN ACTIONS
(New) Council Recommendation on "Skills Guarantee" > June 2016
Revision of the Key Competences Framework > 2017
VET as a pathway to excellence > 2017
(New) Digital Skills for Europe > end 2016
Actions in June package are in bold

32. 64 million low-qualified adults
Source: Eurostat 2015

33. Participation of low -qualified adults in E&T
solution is evident (i.e. upskilling people who lack the basic skills to successfully enter or keep pace with the labour market),
the main obstacle is the limited participation of adults, especially low-qualified adults, in education and training.
LFS: only 4.3% of low-qualified adults had taken part in any kind of learning in 4 weeks before survey, cf target of 15% by 2020.
There is thus an issue of equal access to learning opportunities that needs to be tackled,
But why is participation so low?
limited participation is due to both structural and situational obstacles, which are closely interlinked.
see next slide
Source: Eurostat 2015, Labour Force Survey

34. literacy, numeracy, digital skills
A Skills Guarantee
Target group (defined by each MS):
adults without upper secondary education, not eligible for Youth Guarantee support
literacy, numeracy, digital skills
Guarantee is to support individuals who left the initial education and training system without an upper secondary qualification
- and who are not eligible for support under the Youth Guarantee -
to access upskilling opportunities for improving their literacy, numeracy and digital skills
or for acquiring a qualification at EQF level 4 or equivalent.
and/or
a wider set of skills & competences up to EQF level 4 qualification or equivalent

35. A Skills Guarantee Cooperation and Partnership
Skills assessment
Tailored E&T offer
Validation and recognition
Outreach, Guidance and Support Measures
To help low-qualified people acquire a minimum level of literacy, numeracy and digital skills and - when possible - an upper secondary education qualification (EQF 4).
Monitoring and Evaluation

36. Key Competence Framework
8 Competences…
Communication in Mother Tongue
Communication in Foreign Language
Mathematical and Science Competences
Digital competences
Learning to learn
Social and civil competences
Sense of initiative/entrepreneurship
Cultural awareness/expression
… To be better implemented
The question of the core set of skills that everyone should have acquired at the end of compulsory education and training, and developed and updated throughout life, has been addressed through the concept of eight key competences, formulated as a Council Recommendation in 2006.
This Recommendation has been put forward without a mechanism for policy implementation: lack of inclusion of transversal skills (critical thiking, team work, etc.) in the curricula.
In 2017, the Commission will propose a revision of the Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning and the accompanying European Reference Frameworks. The objectives are to develop a commonly shared and more detailed understanding of such skills, foster reforms in education and training curricula, and more broadly provide better systemic support for the development, assessment, validation and comparability of these skills.

37. VET as a pathway to excellence
VET Skills
Week
Revision of ECVET and EQAVET
Streamlining governance for cooperation
on VET
Define a
target for VET learners (WBL)
…and boost mobility
VET is valued for fostering job-specific and transversal skills, facilitating the transition into employment and maintaining and updating the skills of the workforce.
For too many young people and their parents, VET remains a second choice and co-ordination between labour market actors and education and training providers is too often a challenge.
VET needs to increase its attractiveness through quality provision, flexible organisation, and closer connections with business, higher education and research.
Actions:
1. Making data available on labour market outcomes of VET and increasing flexibility for VET learners will be pursued through proposed revision of the existing instruments for quality assurance and credit, in line with the revised EQF Recommendation.
2. Streamlined governance for European cooperation on VET will be pursued, with a more explicit coordination role for the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training.
3. The Commission will work together with Member States and stakeholders to define a target to ensure that a higher number of learners have the opportunity to undertake a work-based learning experience as part of their studies.
4. To showcase vocational studies as a first class option, the Commission will organise a first VET Skills Week in 2016 in co-operation with Member States, social partners and education and training providers.

38. Digital Skills for Europe
Pledges to provide training to individuals
National Digital Skills Coalition
The digital transformation of the economy means that almost all jobs now require some level of digital skills, and so does participation in society at large.
Yet digital skills are lacking in Europe at all levels: almost half the population lacks basic digital skills.
Building on the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs, the Commission is launching "Digital Skills for Europe" aiming at:
supporting the creation of national digital skills coalitions among education, employment and industry stakeholders including actions to bring computing to all schools in Europe and train teachers accordingly;
attracting pledges from a broad range of stakeholders from ICT and ICT-using sectors, including social partners, to provide training to individuals.

39. PRIORITY 2: MAKING SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS VISIBLE AND COMPARABLE
MAIN ACTIONS
5. Revision of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) > June (New) Skills Tool Kit for Third Country Nationals > June 2016
Actions in June package are in bold

40. EQF Revision Encourage use of EQF
Commitment to regular update of referencing of NQFs
Common principles for quality assurance and credit systems
Coordination with Third Countries
When applying for a job or going into education and training, people usually need to present their qualifications.
If these have been acquired in another EU Member State, differences between national systems mean that people often find it difficult to have their qualifications understood and valued by their prospective employer or education institution.
The European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) was created in 2008 to make it easier to understand and compare what people have actually learned ("learning outcomes") while gaining their qualification.
However, in its current setting, the benefits of EQF have not yet reached individuals and it cannot yet meaningfully support daily decisions on recruitments or access to learning.
Also, a revised EQF would help better understanding of qualifications acquired abroad, and facilitate labour market integration of migrants, both new arrivals and those already residing in the EU.
The revision will:
seek commitment to a regular update of the comparison of national qualifications systems;
ensure that qualifications with an EQF level are underpinned by common principles for quality assurance and that credit systems related to national qualifications frameworks are also supported by common principles;
encourage the use of EQF by social partners, public employment services, education providers and public authorities to support transparency and comparison of qualifications;
over time and in accordance with EU international agreements, foster comparability of qualifications between the EU and Neighbourhood Countries and countries with mature qualifications frameworks.

41. Skills Tool for Third Country Nationals
To support early profiling of skills, accelerate integration
Many migrants already residing in the EU, as well as a certain proportion of those recently arrived as asylum seekers, lack basic skills and have only poor knowledge of the host country language.
Among those with high skills, around two-thirds are inactive, unemployed or over-qualified for their jobs.
An early identification of migrants' skills can help determine the first steps needed for their integration into host societies and labour markets, whether by making a referral to the right training opportunity or to employment services.
To accelerate the integration of asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants, the Commission is proposing a "Skills Tool for Third Country Nationals". The kit will support early profiling of their skills and qualifications.

42. PRIORITY 3: IMPROVING SKILLS INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION FOR BETTER CAREER CHOICES
MAIN ACTIONS
7. Revision of Europass > late Sharing best practices on addressing brain drain > (New) Blueprint for Sectorial Cooperation on Skills > June (New) Initiative on graduate tracking > 2017
Actions in June package are in bold

43. Revision of Europass
Information on skills and qualifications, including skills trends, guidance, recognition practices and information on career opportunities
Tools for documenting personal information in a variety of formats + self-assessment
The challenge for individuals is how to access and make sense of available skills intelligence in order to make more informed career choices. Equally, employers and other organisations would benefit from more efficient and effective ways of identifying and recruiting people with the right skills.
Existing EU tools for skills documentation (e.g. Europass) will be improved by being connected with available information on cross-border recognition practices, linkages of national qualifications with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), learning and career opportunities at home and abroad and on current job vacancies (EURES).
To help people make informed career and learning choices, the Commission is proposing a revision of the Europass Framework, setting up an intuitive and seamless online service platform. It will provide web-based tools for documenting and sharing information on skills and qualifications, as well as free self-assessment tools.
3 main elements:
- Web tools
- Information
- Open standards
Open standards

44. Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills
Selection of sector
Set-up EU platform
Set-up national platforms
Objective: develop European skills strategies in key economic sectors, in a consistent and systemic way. First pilots in automotive, defence, maritime technology, space, textile and tourism
Selection of sector:
Political priority
Clear sectoral strategy
Stakeholder commitment
Set-up platforms:
Translate sectoral strategy into forecasts actions for skills and jobs
Promote relevant sectoral qualifications and certifications and their recognition
Set-up national platforms:
Fine-tune results at national/regional level
Promote business-education-research partnerships on the ground
Scale up successful practices, including use of EU funding
EU funding
(E+ Sector Skills Alliances and sectoral programmes) to support EU platforms for the first 2-3 years. After, they should become self-sustainable.

45. DELIVERING THE AGENDA
Joint agenda for the EU, the Member States and stakeholders. Social partners: central role to play
European Semester
OECD-EU support for national skills strategies
EU funding

46. EU Funding
A closer dialogue will also be carried out between the Commission and Member States on how to best use the opportunities and flexibility offered by available funding programmes to meet the objectives of this Agenda:
principally the European Social Fund (ESF), for the period , more than €27 billion of the ESF have been allocated to "education, training and vocational training for skills and life-long learning". This represents a third of ESF resources.
the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF),
the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)
and Erasmus +.
Full use should also be made of the potential offered by the EIB and other financial actors and products, including the European Fund for Strategic Investments, to boost private sector investment in skills development.

47. Thank you