1. European Alliance for Apprenticeships: From Leipzig to Riga
NetWBL Regional conference - Budapest, 11 June 2015
Norbert Schöbel, European Commission DG EMPL

2. Youth (15-24) unemployment 22% 5 million young unemployed
1 in 3 long term unemployed
7.5 million young NEETs (neither in employment nor in education or training)
>40%
Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia
<10%
Germany, Austria, Netherlands
EU youth unemployment rate at 21.6 % (August 2014)
Special target groups: Early school leavers (ESL) and young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEETs)
The average share of ESLs: 12% (2013) – EU target: 10% by 2020
7.5 million young people = 13% were NEETs (2013)
Modernization of VET systems to improve the employability of young people helping to increase their chance to find a job e.g. by
improving flexibility and transparency in the transition between different levels and types of education
Moving towards skills, competences and learning outcomes responding to labour market needs
Extending and strengthening apprenticeship-type schemes
© Christophe Vander Eecken / EEA Grants

3. Overall policy framework
Vision and objectives of Bruges Communiqué valid until 2020
Part of ET2020 Strategic Framework
ET2020 Working Group on VET:
Support for companies, in particular SMEs, offering apprenticeships
Attractiveness and career guidance
National governance, regulatory framework and social partners' involvement
Quality assurance in work-based learning
22 June 2015 (Riga): Meetings of Ministers in charge of VET, EU level Social Partners and the Commission :
Adoption of 'Riga Conclusions' including new medium-term deliverables for the period
New deliverables part of ET 2020 Joint Report
Commission adoption (July/September 2015)
Council adoption (November 2015)

4. New medium-term deliverables
With a view to develop high quality, labour market relevant vocational skills and qualifications, based on the learning outcomes approach:
work-based learning in all its forms
quality assurance and feedback loops to Initial VET and Continuous VET
For people's informed choice of pathways and long-term employability and adaptability to evolving skills needs:
access to VET and qualifications for all
key competences in both initial and continuous CVET
In support of reforms to raise quality and efficiency of VET:
professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors

5. Apprenticeships lead to skills that lead to jobs
Work-based learning in VET
Apprenticeships lead to skills that lead to jobs
AT, DE, DK CZ NL
FI, LU, FR, UK
SK, HU
EE, EL, ES, IE, IT, PL, PT
MS with more work-based learning have less youth unemployment
VET graduates tend to find a job faster than those with general education*
Graduates of work-oriented programmes spend less time without work*
BE, SI, SE
Youth unemployment
Illustration based on a comparison of the level of youth unemployment (4th quarter 2011) in relation to the share of students participating in work based learning at ISCED 3 level programmes (Cedefop)
*Quotes from Cedefop publication "From education to working life", 2012

6. Work-based learning is still an exception
Proportion of VET students enrolled in combined work- and school-based VET, as a % of all students in upper secondary VET (2010)

7. Youth Employment Package
Background
European Alliance for Apprentice-ships
Quality Framework for Trainee-ships
Youth Guarantee
Part of the
Youth Employment Package
December 2012

8. European Alliance for Apprenticeships Multi-stakeholder initiative European Commission, EU presidency, Social Partners, VET providers, Chambers, Companies, Youth Organisations…
The European Council of 7-8 February 2013 confirmed that the highest priority should be given to promoting youth employment and invited the Commission to establish the Alliance. It also announced the creation of a dedicated Youth Employment Initiative, open to regions with high youth unemployment rates, with financial support of EUR 6 bn.
In the meantime the Commission has develop the content of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships.
What will the Alliance do?
Photo: European Commission

9. Supply Mobility Image Quality
European Alliance for Apprenticeships
Supply
Mobility
Image
Quality
Photo: World Skills Leipzig 2013

10. Focus areas
Strands of action
Targeted knowledge transfer and support for reform of apprenticeship systems
Promoting the benefits of apprenticeships
Making smart use of EU funding and resources

11. What is an apprenticeship?
Definition
What is an apprenticeship?
Learning in school
Training in company
Certified & recognised
Work contract (ideally)
Initial vocational education and training

12. Benefits of apprenticeships
Skills
Pay and independence
Work experience
Shorter way to employment
Learners
Recruitment
Influence on curricula/skills
Contribution to production
New ideas and innovation
Reputation
Companies
More youth employment
Skills in line with labour market needs
Connecting education with work
Society

13. Milestones and achievements
Joint Declaration the European level social partners, the Commission and the Lithuanian Presidency ( )
Council Declaration on EAfA ( )
24 Member States have made individual commitments
47 pledges from social partners, chambers, companies, VET providers, regions and youth organisations
3rd EAfA stakeholder meetings (23 April 2015)
First on-line survey
Education and Culture

14. Online survey – results and next step
Replies:
56 replies – over half from direct members, incl. businesses (28), chambers (7), social partners (9), education and training providers (7), regional authorities (1), and other non-profit or youth organisations (4)
Results:
some concrete progress e.g. increase in supply since submitting pledge & expected increase for 2016
positive developments on quality and image of apprenticeships, additional theme mobility
showed valuable role/active commitment of EAfA stakeholders with diverse & complementary activities,
but some challenges remain: apprenticeship concept, impact evaluation, visibility…
Next step: Report on survey results
Why?
- Mapping stakeholders' activities and results in relation to EAfA goals and preparing for Riga event on 22 June
- Starting point for annual follow-up & monitoring
Who?
- some 60 EAfA members and ambassadors (businesses, social partners, chambers, education & training providers, regions, non-profit/youth organisations)
- around 130 firms "Nestlé needs YOUth Initiative" group pledge
What, When, How?
- 6 questions, March to April 2015, open and closed questions

15. Engaging with businesses/ SMEs
New boost to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships High Level Presidency event (Riga, 22 June 2015)
Engaging with businesses/ SMEs
Mobilise companies
SMEs and monitoring progress
Redesigned EAfA webpage
Kick-off event with exhibition space and networking
Real-time exchange of apprenticeship offers
New on-line platform
Common space for public and private stakeholders to advertise their offers
Tool for young people to find apprenticeship opportunities
Operating framework
Steering role of the Commission
Strengthened support by Cedefop
Enhanced involvement of social partners
Annual Presidency events
Review of support mechanism
Increased support of cooperation, partnerships and alliances at sectoral and at policy levels
Increased mobility of apprentices
Through ESF, EASI, Erasmus+, EIB loans

16. Next steps in 2015 NetWBL event (1-2 October, Vilnius)
Call for proposal on how to involve SMEs engaging in apprenticeships (tbc)
Cedefop country reviews, monitoring and matching conference (on SMEs (November)
Final outcome (guiding principles) of the ET2020 WG on VET on apprenticeships (November)
EC study to monitor EAfA progress (launched in late 2015)
… and there is more to come!

17. Erasmus+ Call for proposals 2014: National Authorities for Apprenticeships
First call for proposals under Erasmus+ (Key Activity 3 – Support for Policy Reform) particularly addressed to National Authorities in charge of apprenticeship systems
Overall objective: development of high-quality apprenticeship-type training and excellence in work-based learning in VET through partnerships between National Authorities and relevant stakeholders
10 projects selected (published on 17/10/2014) - starting as of November 2014
Lead applicant from RO, HU, IT, SK, AL, BE, EL, LV, PT and DK
Total budget: € 2,295,509.65
Maximum duration: 24 months – followed by an evaluation to decide on a possible second call for proposals in 2016

18. Partners by country in the 10 selected projects

19. Overview of the 10 selected project aims:
Introducing apprenticeships (RO) or dual VET systems (AL, SK)
Developing strategies for dual VET (PT, e.g. on the quality and the social reinforcement of the image) and reforming alternance schemes (BE, fr)
Implementing work-based learning (LV + EE, LT; 3 Baltic countries)
Improving the quality of apprenticeships at regional level in a specific sector (IT: Veneto region, food & hospitality sector)
Knowledge sharing (HU, e.g. with AT and CH)
Partnerships, e.g. with companies on an ICT based platform (EL + CY)°
Supporting the European Alliance for Apprenticeships through a structured and evidence-based approach (DK + AT, DK, DE, LU, CH)

20. European Alliance for Apprenticeships http://ec. europa