Council conclusions of 26 May 1987 on vocational training for women



Official Journal C 178 , 07/07/1987 P. 0003 - 0003



COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS of 26 May 1987 on vocational training for women (87/C 178/03) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 1. notes the Commission communication on vocational training for women which is part of the medium-term Community programme 'Equal opportunities for women (1986 to 1990)' and in line with several Council resolutions on reducing unemployment or on employment policy; 2. recognizes that, in particular because of vocational training handicaps, women continue to experience particular difficulties on the labour market; for example, they are less inclined to enter occupations of the future, fill many jobs which often require a change in skill profiles because of the progressive introduction of new technology, and do not yet have satisfactory promotion prospects; 3. hopes that the supply of continuous training can be adapted to meet the needs of women, including those seeking work; 4. shares the Commission's opinion that the specific efforts and measures already undertaken in the Member States should be in keeping with the scale of the vocational training needs of women; 5. stresses the positive influence in the Member States of the measures already taken at Community level;6. notes the Commission's intention of subsequently recommending, within the context of the medium-term Community programme 'Equal opportunities for women (1986 to 1990)', guidelines for action on vocational training for women and of developing exchanges of information and experience at Community level; 7. stresses that close cooperation should be instituted between training bodies and the employment market in order to ensure the vocational training of women; 8. in that connection, points out that it is necessary to continue to try to ensure that specific equal-opportunity measures are consistent with overall economic and social policy, at both Community and national level; 9. considers that vocational training for women should be improved, taking into account employment prospects in small and medium-sized undertakings and in self-employed activities; 10. stresses that it is important for women seeking vocational training, as it is for instructors and both sides of industry, to realize the importance of equality of opportunity between men and women so that vocational training may lead to actual employment; 11. stresses its interest in guidelines for action concerning:(a) the setting-up, operation and equipping of training, guidance and placement services;(b)participation by all interested parties - and in particular both sides of industry - in the vocational training processes of women;(c)desirable reforms in or adjustments to higher education and periods of vocational training immediately following compulsory schooling;(d)the specific needs of underprivileged women and their integration into vocational training;(e)encouraging women to enter occupations and professions other than those which are traditional, particularly in the scientific and technical fields, with a view to obtaining posts of responsibility, and the importance of integration into their professions;(f)encouraging undertakings to adopt active policies in connection with continuous training and greater participation by women in continuous training;(g)measures to assist women in returning to work, in particular those who left work for family reasons;(h)the provision of vocational training for women who have stopped working, to facilitate their return to work later;(i)measures for women without vocational training who are unemployed or likely to become unemployed;(j)training of instructors;(k)positive action measures;(l)Community back-up and support measures, including the setting-up of a network of demonstration projects.