CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL of 15 June 1987 on the development of continuing vocational training for adult employees in undertakings (87/C 178/05)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 1. takes note of the Commission communication on the development of continuing training for employees in undertakings in the European Community; 2. recalls its resolution of 22 December 1986 on an action programme on employment growth (1), which states that the Community needs to have 'a labour force that has both the skills and the flexibility necessary to meet the changing requirements of industry and commerce' and that, in this context, the Council wishes 'to bring about . . . an increase in the levels of training and retraining opportunities available to adults'; 3. considers that, especially in view of the pace of technological change, the completion of the internal market and the achievement of technological progress in the Community call for a significant effort in the area of training for employers and employees with a view to more efficient management of human resources; 4. considers in addition that the adjustment of undertakings to the new economic environment concerns employees as well as employers and public authorities; that continuing vocational training is an instrument both for increasing employees' ability to meet changing professional requirements and for improving the productivity of the undertaking; 5. notes with interest the joint opinion adopted on 6 March 1987 in the context of the social dialogue, in which both sides of industry considered that 'in-service training should enable employees to adapt swiftly and continuously to structural changes in the firm';6. considers it desirable that continuing vocational training measures should be encouraged by both sides of industry and the public authorities and that both sides of industry should agree on needs and on the appropriate methods;7. notes that, after consulting the relevant bodies - in particular the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training - and both sides of industry, the Commission intends to propose shortly a Community action programme for the development of continuing vocational training which will, inter alia:(a) concentrate, in view of the existing programmes for young people, on adult employees in undertakings;also, as far as possible, enable those seeking work, including the unskilled, to be associated with it;(b)take account of the characteristics of small and medium-sized undertakings with a view to encouraging and raising the level of vocational qualifications in such undertakings;(c)take account of any special problems encountered by women in continuing vocational training;(d)promote, by the most appropriate means, an awareness among all the interested parties of the benefits and opportunities offered by continuing vocational training; in this connection, for example, take into consideration new teaching tools and methods, including new techniques such as open learning and distance learning, which should be actively circulated among the various participants in continuing vocational training;(e)take into consideration the importance of instructor training, the value of exchanges of instructors and the opportunities for technical assistance;(f)promote the acquisition of recognized vocational qualifications and of the skills necessary to practise a profession;(g)identify research topics of common interest and provide for an exchange of available research results;8. notes that, in the implementation of continuing vocational training, undertakings and employees are still encountering a variety of obstacles and constraints, particularly as regards the adjustment of working hours, and that the effectiveness of the investment required in continuing vocational training accordingly requires that Community work aimed at easing such obstacles and constraints should continue. (1) OJ No C 340, 31. 12. 1986, p. 2.