1. European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA)
EFFAT – FoodService Europe
Social Dialogue Committee - EU Contract Catering Sector
Brussels, 12 September 2017
Norbert Schöbel, Team Leader, European Commission, DG EMPL

2. What are apprenticeships?
What is an apprenticeship?
Learning in school
Training in company
Certified & recognised
Work contract (ideally)
Vocational education and training

3. Supply Quality Mobility Image
What is the European Alliance for Apprenticeships?
A multi-stakeholder platform, supporting its members through:
Networking Network of apprenticeship experts
Learning Sharing experiences and best practices
Tools Guidelines, practical tools and resources
Information News, reports, events and funding
Visibility Focus on apprenticeships
Supply
Quality
Focus on:
Mobility
Image
UNIEP EAFA pledge
EU sectoral social partner construction pledge ( FIEC/EFBWW )
Around 1/5 EAFA pledges are in construction (approx 45) and it is the strongest sector in the EAFA.  Many of those are from Germany, but not only, including examples of SMEs.  This is mostly due to the DG GROW construction sector campaign (see also info about workshop attached)
Example for mobility cooperation in the construction sector between DE and BG (Bulgarian Construction Chamber and the German educational provider in the field of construction in the regions Hessen and Thüringen, including involvement in MobiPro) and  mobility from Spain
Example of construction sector pledges on specific topics, e.g. the integration of refugees (Denmark), improved energy efficiency and environmental considerations (Germany)
Since 2013
35 national commitments
210 Pledges
724,000 offers pledge 3

4. Action Plan 2017-18 10 working areas 1. Support services
2. European Qualifications
3. Mobility
4. New challenges
5. Quality & cost-effectiveness
6. Access to funding
7.Attractiveness & pledges
8. Benchmark
9. Apprentices
10. International cooperation
10 working areas
Overview the Alliance :
10 working areas with the first 3 as our priorities.
Support services – 3 pillars (knowledge, networking, supporting actions):
Knowledge sharing – bring together key toolkits, guidelines, studies etc that can serve for knowledge clustering (eg Aprenticeship Toolbox, Netwbl);
Networking and develop communities of pratice between stakeholders with similar interests, challenges and actions
Supporting actions – demand driven support through expert advice, mutual learning and funding (benchlearning, matching etc)
European qualitfications: Joint European VET/ apprenticeship qualifications including a new Erasmus+ call (KA3), including higher VET
Link to Sector Skills Alliances, Blueprint and existing cross-border projects
Mobility: - Boost apprenticeship mobility; Launch 2nd pilot projects on long-term mobility
Work with EAfA members on removing obstacles; Work to strengthen Erasmus+ support
Transparency of offers through EURES & Drop'pin
New challenges: Integration of migrants into VET, Digitalisation, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Higher VET, Evidence-based approach
Quality/cost-effectiveness: Follow-up of EU social partners' joint statement and the ACVT opinion; Follow-up of OECD project on cost and benefits
Funding: current new KA 3 call and new next year, improve info on funding
Benchmark: Explore possibility of WBL benchmark, Work with Eurostat, Cooperate with MS, social partners, Cedefop and ETF
Apprentices: develop an EU network for apprentices, cooperate EYF, Obessu
International: Continue cooperation with ILO, OECD, GAN and EU-U.S. dialogue

5. European Alliance for Apprenticeships The timeline
New and Coming up
2017/2018
ErasmusPro
Council Recommendation
Support services
5Th anniversary of EAFA
Viva EAfA in Valletta
2017
4 years of the EAfA
Celebrating success and looking ahead
New Skills Agenda for Europe
2016
Re-boost in Riga
VET as 1st choice
Work-based learning
Business-education
2015
Riga objectives
Work-based learning & apprenticeships
Launch in Leipzig
2013
Youth Employment Package
WorldSkills competitions
Joint Declaration -18 pledges
2012 5

6. Mobilised through EAfA
35 countries
215 pledges
>700,000 offers

7. Strong involvement of Social Partners
EU Social Partners – Cross-industry level (BUSINESSEUROPE, UAEPME, CEEP and ETUC)
EAfA Joint Declaration (2013)
projects on cost-effectiveness (employers) and on a quality framework on apprenticeships (trade unions) followed by a Joint Statement "Towards a Shared Vision of Apprenticeships" (June 2016)
5 joint pledges from EU Social partners at sectoral level – as of today they will be 6…!
Education (ETUCE, EFEE)
Chemical industry (IndustriAll, ECEG)
Construction (EFBWW, FIEC)
Commerce (UNI Europa, EuroCommerce)
Food & Drink (EFFAT, FoodDrinkEurope)
30 pledges form social partners at national level (almost all trade unions)
- Pact for Youth: initiated by businesses active in CSR Europe and supported by the Commission; aim promote youth employability and inclusion by fostering in particular business-education partnerships -

8. European Apprentices Network
Strengthen
Supply
Image
Mobility
Quality 8
Photo: World Skills Leipzig 2013

9. Follow-up Input Criteria
European Framework for
Quality and Effective Apprenticeships
Follow-up
Criteria for learning and working conditions
Criteria for framework conditions
EU Social partners – studies & hearings
ACVT opinion
Quality Framework Traineeships
EAfA Council Declaration
Support services,
Awareness raising, EU funding, Monitoring, Reporting
Input
Criteria
Proposal for a Council Recommendation to be adopted on 10 October 2017 (tbc)
EFQEA - The conceptual challenges
How to build on the work of EU social partners (without simply replicating it), and design an instrument that "adds value" for Quality Apprenticeships?
How to respond to Member States concerns as expressed in the ACVT:
diversity of systems in Europe: School based or employment based, Apprenticeship-WBL, etc.
avoid administrative burden (monitoring and reporting): link with Riga and European Semester
How to combine the new elements with numerous existing guidelines, tools and instruments, and create a consolidated, and coherent framework?
What have we learnt from the Quality Framework for Traineeships?
Criteria for learning and working conditions
Written contract
Pay/ compensation
Learning outcomes
Social protection
Pedagogical support
Working conditions
Workplace component
Criteria for framework conditions
Regulatory frameworks
Flexible pathways
Partnership approach and involvement of social partner
Career guidance and awareness raising
Support for companies
Transparency and mobility
Quality assurance 9

10. Apprenticeship Support Services
Learn
"Knowledge Hub"
Bring together key toolkits, guidelines, studies, best practices, etc. that can serve for knowledge clustering at the European level
Connect
"Networking Hub"
Facilitate networking and develop communities of practice between stakeholders with similar interests, challenges and actions
Act
"Bench-learning"
Demand driven support through expert advice and enhanced mutual learning 10

11. Erasmus+ VET Mobility (Key Action)
Demand for VET mobility is much higher than the current Erasmus+ budget can support.
Only 40% of the VET KA1 eligible applications were satisfied in 2016.
Duration of mobility Registered participants (Erasmus+ VET KA )
Duration
Number of mobilities %
Less than 1 month
71,5%
1 to 3 months
60.476
21,6%
3 to 6 months
16.893
6,0%
6 months and more
2.276
0,8%
Total
Average duration of VET learner mobility is 32 days (compared to 139 days in HE).
The median (and mode) age of VET learners in mobility is 18 (HE mode = 21) 11

12. 3 to 12 months with work-placements abroad
ErasmusPRO proposal
To present at E+ Committee on 27/06/2017
Long-duration VET mobility
3 to 12 months with work-placements abroad
Under Erasmus+ VET Key Action 1 - Not a new programme
All new VET funding from 2018, prioritised for ErasmusPRO
VET learners, Apprentices and recent VET graduates (<12 months)
Today
(Erasmus+ VET KA )
Average duration:
1 month
Over 3 months:
< 7%
Median age:
18 years
Fostering demand for "ErasmusPRO" Mobilising work-placements:
Companies – EU initiatives & networks (e.g. EAfA, Pact for Youth, VET Skills Week)
VET providers – expert network (VET4EU2)
Other stakeholders - E+ NAs, ESF Managing authorities, Sector Skills Alliances 12

13. European Vocational Skills Week 2017
20 to 24 November (local events from September to December)
Going local! 'Only' 2 days of events in Brussels (plus closing)
Mobility, Partnerships, Sector approach to skills
VET Awards
Ambassadors
Targets:
People involved:
Number of events/activities:
Participations in EU events in Brussels:

14. Erasmus+ Funding
Call for Proposals under Key Action 3 (Support for Policy Reform):
2015: Support for SMEs engaging in apprenticeships (€ 8.3m). 15 projects
2016: VET-Business partnerships on improving WBL/Apprenticeships (€ 6m). Call closed and projects selected
2017: Joint qualifications on apprenticeships, including higher VET
Other funding resources:
ESF, YEI, EaSI, EURES, Your First Eures Job, EIB, European Regional Funds

15. More information
European Alliance for Apprenticeships European Vocational Skills Week Erasmus+ Contact: