CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS FOR EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 14 December 1989 on technical and vocational education and initial training (90/C 27/03)

THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS FOREDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, Convinced that the scale of technological change, developments in vocational qualifications and acute employment problems place technical and vocational education and training at the centre of the Member States' education policies; Aware that the completion of the internal market as a result of the Single Act signed in 1986 will inevitably accentuate the interdependence of the Member States' economies and increase the need for young people with high-quality vocational training who are capable of meeting developments on the labour market; Concerned to encourage professional success, to assist the integration of young people into society and to promote genuinely equal opportunities for students of both sexes in vocational training and employment; Persuaded that better quality technical and vocational education in the Member States will help to reduce regional disparities in the European Community; Observing that to meet common concerns such as the place to be given to general training in technical and vocational education, the need to provide all young people of a given age-group with a minimum of qualifications required for entry into working life, the necessity for broad-based training to encourage professional mobility among young people, and the desire to strengthen links between teaching establishments and companies, the Member States have drawn up national policies suited to their individual education systems; Aware that existing Community programmes do not necessarily provide all forms of mobility which would be sufficient to take account of the specific situation and requirements of young people in technical and vocational education and training; Convinced that, while respecting the cultural and linguistic diversities of each Member State and on the basis of the principle of the subsidiary nature of European Community action, Community cooperation can help the Member States to adapt technical and vocational education and training to new economic, social and cultural challenges; Having taken note of the Commission communication on guidelines for the medium term (1989 to 1992), and in particular sections II (initial and continuing vocational training) and IV (education and training for technological change); Having, at their meeting on 6 October 1989, held a first exchange of views, I. STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUES AT STAKE IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN LEVEL On the eve of the completion of the internal market, in the context of their respective educational and training policies and their constitutional structures, the Member States are pursuing the following common objectives:- to provide each individual with a basic qualification giving him or her an entry into the world of work,-to provide all young people who so wish with one or, if possible, two years or more of vocational training in addition to their compulsory full-time schooling,-to ensure that education and training systems are constantly kept up to date so as to prepare young people for tomorrow's occupations,-to ensure that these new skills confer on the future protagonists in the economy a polyvalence which will facilitate their professional adaptation, whatever their level of responsibility in the firm or whatever their sector of activity (goods, services, administration, industry),-to prepare the wage-earners of the future for greater mobility within companies, between companies, between countries. Examination of the policies adopted by the Member States highlights the diversity of the methods of action which may be employed:-the establishment of pre-apprenticeship measures or additional schemes for solving the difficulties impeding entry into working life, -the implementation of training strategies enabling the level of qualification to be raised and the degree of adaptability to future developments to be increased, and preparing individuals to 'learn how to learn',-the quest for a close link between initial and continuing training notably as regards content, establishments, persons trained (young people and adults), teachers and instructors,-the strengthening of collaboration between teachers, instructors, parents and local authorities and the development of a genuine partnership with technical and vocational training institutions, and employers' and trade-union bodies. For its part, the Community, in cooperation with the various competent national bodies, has for some years been implementing cooperation on technical and vocational education. This cooperation took more substantial shape with the programme on the transition of young people from school to working life, the main achievement of which was to set up pilot projects on topics connected with vocational training, co-financed by the Community. It was supplemented by programmes such as Petra, Arion, Eurotechnet and Iris on vocational training. The Comett and Lingua programmes also enable exchanges to be financed in technical and vocational education. Finally, for its part, Cedefop is organizing study visits for specialists in vocational training. Nonetheless, although much has been done, cooperation still requires further development. It does not genuinely promote the mobility of a large section of young people in technical and vocational education and training. In particular, measures could be proposed by the Commission in an endeavour to increase the mobility of young people who:- are in initial training,-are receiving technical and vocational training in a specialized branch,-are following a course of study in a teaching establishment and/or with a company. II. THEREFORE ASK THE COMMISSION TO PROPOSE WAYS IN WHICH COOPERATION CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THIS AREA The Commission should as soon as possible make an inventory evaluating all current Community programmes with a direct or indirect bearing on technical and vocational education and training. On the basis of that evaluation, and respecting the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission is asked to prepare proposals within the budgetary resources of the Community for measures to adapt and reinforce existing programmes and in the light of the results of the evaluation to implement a package of specific measures. These new forms of closer cooperation should rely on the support of networks of establishments in the different Member States which, in collaboration with the various partners involved, would determine the practical shape of their cooperation, which could be geared to different groups or institutions: (a) Young peopleThey could be given the opportunity to acquire practical experience in other Member States through:- promotion of training periods abroad during which young people would attend an establishment of an equivalent level in another Member State,-organization of periods of employment with other young people in the same field for the purposes of studying specific topics or carrying out joint technical projects,-inclusion in their training of industrial and commercial training courses in foreign firms. (b)Teachers and instructorsTheir expectations in initial and continuing training could be met by organizing:-scientific and technical training courses,-teacher-training schemes,-exchanges of experience. (c)Educational administratorsCooperation activities could:-promote better knowledge of education systems and of current major reforms by means of study trips, exchanges of experience, drafting of joint discussion papers, assessment of experimental projects carried out jointly or the production and distribution of teaching materials, -develop at European level existing national cooperation between management and labour and research bodies,-organize joint campaigns to promote technical and vocational education channels, in particular to achieve better treatment for female students. (d)Training establishments and management and labour and trade-union bodiesTo enable them to play their full part in such cooperation,-links could be facilitated between establishments or between establishments and firms at European level by drawing up and circulating clear information concerning training and qualifications,-encouragement could be given to the setting-up of European technological transfer networks between teaching establishments and firms with a view to developing the regional and European economy. By promoting in this way mutual information on the various education systems, by facilitating comparability of qualifications and better mutual knowledge of professional qualifications while respecting the individuality of each country, by developing contacts between the various partners in the education system, by promoting a Europe with geographical and professional mobility, these measures could help prepare future workers, employees, technicians and managerial staff for the new requirements of the Europe of 1993.