EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 5.10.2017 SWD(2017) 322 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document Proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships {COM(2017) 563 final}



The Recommendation aims to increase the employability and personal development of apprentices and to contribute to the development of a highly skilled and qualified workforce. It provides a coherent framework for what defines quality and effectiveness in apprenticeships, taking into account the diversity of vocational education and training (VET) systems in Member States. What are apprenticeships? Apprenticeships are formal vocational education and training schemes that combine substantial work-based learning in companies and other workplaces with learning based in education or training institutions, and that lead to nationally recognised qualifications. There should be a contractual relationship between the apprentice, the employer and/or the vocational education and training institution, and the apprentice should be paid and/or compensated for her/his work. Why are apprenticeships in focus? The economic crisis and high levels of youth unemployment in recent years led to an increased interest in apprenticeships, because well-designed apprenticeship schemes help young people into employment. The combination of learning in school and training in a workplace, can give young people the skills that make them attractive on the labour market. Apprenticeships can therefore provide benefits for learners, employers and society. What is the proposal? The European Commission is proposing a Council Recommendation establishing a set of criteria for quality and effectiveness in apprenticeships. The Recommendation includes seven criteria for the learning and working conditions at the level of apprenticeship schemes and seven criteria for the necessary framework conditions at system level. The proposal includes follow-up points for the Member States and the European Commission. The proposal builds on extensive work of European stakeholders on the issue of quality and effective apprenticeships, particularly European social partners, since the launch of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships in 2013 and largely builds on the tripartite opinion of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training adopted in 2016. What is the benefit of a framework? The Recommendation will contribute to improving ongoing or upcoming reforms in the Member States. By following the criteria for quality and effectiveness in apprenticeships, Member States can ensure that apprenticeship schemes are responsive to labour market needs, supportive of economic competitiveness and growth and providing quality learning pathways for the learners. 2Political context 2.1General background Member States and the Union are to work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change with a view to achieving the objectives of full employment and social progress set out in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union. In June 2016, the New Skills Agenda for Europe, the Commission declared its intention to support opportunities for more work-based learning, to develop a set of support services for knowledge sharing, networking and cooperation on apprenticeships, and to support European social partners in taking forward their joint work with a possible Framework on Apprenticeships. Through the recent Rome Declaration celebrating the 60th anniversary of European cooperation the European leaders pledged to work towards a "Union where young people receive the best education and training and can study and find jobs across the continent". Quality apprenticeships are an essential part of this pledge as they can offer high quality training helping both young and adults to access the labour market. The European Pillar of Social Rights, launched on 26 April 2017, sets out 20 key principles and rights to support fair and well-functioning labour markets and welfare systems, which are structured around three themes, all of which are relevant for providing quality and effective apprenticeships: 1) equal opportunities and access to the labour market; 2) fair working conditions; 3) social protection and inclusion. Of particular importance is the first one of the 20 principles, namely that everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and successfully manage transitions in the labour market. Providing people with quality education and facilitating their transition to employment are necessary also to reach the Europe 2020 headline target of 75% of 20-64 year-olds in employment by 2020. Guideline 6 for the employment policies of the Member States calls on Member States to "increase educational attainment, encourage work-based learning systems such as dual learning, upgrade professional training and increase opportunities for recognising and validating skills and competences acquired outside formal education" . 2.2EU Support to Youth Employment The economic crisis that hit Europe ten years ago had very negative consequences for the labour market, and in particular for the employment situation of young people. Youth unemployment grew in an unexpected manner, exceeding 40% in four Member States in 2013. Even if the youth unemployment rate in the European Union has dropped from a peak of 23.7% in 2013 to 16.9% in the May of 2017, almost 3.8 million young people are still unemployed. The youth unemployment rate is still double the overall unemployment rate in the European Union. In 2016, 11.5 % of 15 to 24 year olds were still neither in employment nor in any further education or training (NEET) and thus at risk of being excluded from the labour market. This comes with a high cost for young people, society and economy. It is estimated that NEETs cost the EU €162 billion (1.21% of GDP) a year - in benefits and foregone earnings and taxes . In recent years, various policy responses have been proposed at EU level to address the high level of youth unemployment, including a push to strengthen apprenticeship systems in Europe. In 2012, as part of the Youth Employment Package, the Commission proposed measures to help Member States tackle unacceptable levels of youth unemployment and social exclusion by giving young people offers of jobs, education and training. The proposed measures included a recommendation to Member States on introducing the Youth Guarantee, it proposed the European Alliance for Apprenticeships to support apprenticeship reforms, as well as launched a consultation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships in 2014 for a better regulation of traineeships. These reforms have helped to better align young people's skills with labour market needs and strengthen business community engagement . Youth Guarantee

The Youth Guarantee was adopted in 2013 through the Council Recommendation of 22 April 2013. The Recommendation requests that Member States ensure that all young people up to the age of 25 years receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. Three years into its implementation, it can be noted that the "Youth Guarantee has been a key driver of improvement, promoting effective action by Member States, improving coordination among different actors and facilitating structural reform and innovation in policy design. In 2015 alone, 5.5 million young people entered Youth Guarantee schemes and 3.5 million took up an offer of employment, apprenticeship, traineeship or continued education" . Although apprenticeships are one of the four types of offers to be made under the Youth Guarantee and despite their positive outcomes in terms of labour market integration, according to the 2016 report “The Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative three years on” , apprenticeships represent only around 4% of all offers (2015). Based on available data from the Member States, since January 2014 around 390,000 young people aged 15-24 took up an apprenticeships offer under the Youth Guarantee. These figures however need to be interpreted with caution and they should not be used as an indicator for the overall take up of apprenticeships across the EU, given the focus in the Youth Guarantee on offers targeting NEETS. In most countries apprenticeships are part of the initial or continuing education and training system and as such they may be less used as active labour market policies. The issue of the quality of offers has arisen in the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, among others as there is no common definition of what constitutes a “good quality offer”. In 2015 a report on the Youth Guarantee, the EU Court of Auditors recommended that the "Commission should promote a set of qualitative attributes that should be fulfilled for jobs, traineeships and apprenticeships to be supported from the EU budget" and pointed to the need for a definition of what constitutes a “good quality apprenticeship” offer. In April 2015 the European Commission issued guidance according to which a “good quality” offer under the Youth Guarantee is one that results in the sustainable integration into the labour market. In the case of apprenticeships, transition rates of sustainable integration into the labour market would therefore guide the evaluation whether an apprenticeship offer can be considered of “good quality”. The 8 December 2016 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council Conclusions on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative called on Member States to ensure that all offers provided in the framework of the Youth Guarantee contribute to the sustainable labour market attachment of young people, and, where relevant, the validation of their skills. They also called upon the Employment Committee (EMCO) of the Council to "explore the possibility of discussing standards for quality criteria under [the] Indicator Framework". After that, in its Special Report on the Youth Guarantee published on 4 April 2017, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) recommended that "the Commission should, together with EMCO, develop and propose standards for quality criteria for offers to be made under the Youth Guarantee" and that "Member States should ensure that offers are only considered to be of good quality if they match the participant’s profile and labour market demand and lead to sustainable integration in the labour market". The point has also arisen in EMCO’s own multilateral surveillance of the Youth Guarantee. The European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships will therefore provide the basis for a common understanding of what constitutes good quality apprenticeships also in the context of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. EU Funding The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of the EU's main financial instruments for supporting vocational education and training reforms and the development of work-based learning systems, including dual-learning systems and apprenticeship schemes. Considerable financial allocations from the ESF 2014-2020 support VET reforms as well as the increase of both the supply and quality of apprenticeships across the EU. Under investment priority 10iv actions can be supported to improve the labour market relevance of education and training systems, facilitate the transition from education to work, and strengthen vocational education and training systems and their quality, including through mechanisms for skills anticipation, adaptation of curricula and the establishment and development of work-based learning systems, including dual-learning systems and apprenticeship schemes. The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) complements the ESF actions addressing youth unemployment. Under the investment priority 8ii support is envisaged for the sustainable integration into the labour market of young people, in particular those not in employment, education or training (NEETs), including young people at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee.. It supports in particular regions where youth unemployment is higher than 25%. This €6.4 billion targeted financial source mobilised at EU level has provided direct support to over 1.4 million young NEETs living in those regions most in need. In addition to the measures financed by the ESF, European Regional Development Fund measures within the existing operational programmes for 2014-2020 can support investment in vocational education and training and skills and lifelong learning (investment priority 10). The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions. EaSI is managed directly by the European Commission, and its main objective is to strengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion. EaSI could be an instrument to provide financing for the apprenticeship support services, announced in the New Skills Agenda. The Erasmus+ programme offers support to a broad range of young people, including apprentices in the field of vocational education and training, volunteering and youth exchanges. In addition, targeted support under Erasmus+ is provided for countries and stakeholders to work together in the field of apprenticeships. For instance, a Work-Based Learning Toolkit, was developed by the NetWBL , a European Thematic Network for work-based learning, formed by the 29 Lifelong Learning Programme (now Erasmus+) National Agencies and coordinated by the German National Agency at BiBB. The Toolkit provides a single platform for the promotion of identified products, approaches and tools in addition to confirming the reach, users, benefits and state-of-play of work-based learning in Europe. In 2014, through a specific call, 10 projects were selected in which National Authorities cooperate on apprenticeship reforms. One example of these projects is a Danish-led project in which 5 leading apprenticeship countries in Europe are producing a resource base for approaches to dual vocational education and training, including a digital toolbox. In 2015, a new Erasmus+ call was launched, targeted at strengthening support structures for SMEs engaging in apprenticeships. 12 projects were selected for building partnerships (between, for instance, businesses, VET providers and intermediary organisations) with the aim of getting more SMEs involved in apprenticeships, and 4 projects of European level networks / organisations were selected to support SMEs through their national members or affiliates. These projects will run from 2016 to 2018. The latest specific call was launched at the end of 2016 for projects on partnerships between business and providers of vocational training. These projects will run from 2017 to 2019. In response to the calls of the European Parliament to increase the quality and attractiveness of apprentices' mobility, the Erasmus + programme will embed a new dedicated activity ErasmusPro for supporting long duration mobility of VET learners and apprentices for work placements abroad. A strong supporting framework, which will include thorough preparation, structured implementation and appropriate follow-up, will ensure the impact and quality of the mobility experience. Quality Framework for Traineeships To facilitate school-to-work-transitions, the Youth Employment Package also launched a consultation of European social partners on a Quality Framework for Traineeships so as to enable young trainees to acquire high-quality work experience under safe and fair conditions, and to increase their chances of finding a good quality job. This was a response to concerns about the quality of traineeships, in particular with regard to insufficient learning content and substandard working conditions. The subsequent Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships was adopted on 10 March 2014 and has been instrumental in supporting the provision of quality traineeship offers within the Youth Guarantee. It aims to enhance the quality of traineeships offered within active labour market policies, as well as the open-market traineeships outside formal education or training through 22 quality elements that are directly transposable into national legislation or social partner agreements. They relate in particular to learning content, working conditions, as well as transparency regarding financial conditions and hiring practices. The Recommendation calls on Member States to ensure that national law or practice respects the principles set out in the guidelines, and to adapt their legislation where necessary. It should be highlighted that the Quality Framework for Traineeships does not cover traineeships that are part of the curricula of formal education nor vocational education and training (VET), neither does it cover traineeships whose completion is mandatory in order to access a specific profession (e.g. teaching, medicine, architecture, etc.). On-the-job learning in an education and training context is covered by the quality assurance arrangements provided by national legislation and or the educational institutions or professional organisations involved. According to the Commission's report 'Applying the Quality Framework for Traineeships' half of the Member States have undertaken legal changes that strengthened the alignment of national legal frameworks with the Council Recommendation since its adoption in 2014, or report plans to do so. The extent to which new legislation and social partner agreements are respected in practice needs to be seen. This Quality Framework for Apprenticeships will complement the Quality Framework for Traineeships by focussing on those forms of work-based learning not covered by the latter. The European Pact for Youth

The European Pact for Youth, promoted by CSR Europe, was launched on 17 November 2015 with the support of Commissioner Thyssen and several CEOs of major European companies and other supporting organisations. In a context of young people needing to have the skills for today's labour market, the Pact proposes to create 10,000 quality business-education partnerships and 100,000 new, good-quality apprenticeships, traineeships, or entry-level jobs. The objectives are to be achieved through 28 Member State national action plans implemented by CSR Europe's national partner organisations, and through broader awareness-raising activities. The Pact commits to action in the following areas: 1) to boost the number and quality of business-education partnerships for youth employability and inclusion, 2) to reduce the skills gap, and 3) to contribute to EU and national policies on skills for competitiveness and employability. The results of the Pact will be showcased at the first European Enterprise-Education Summit on 23 November 2017. Together with partners such as the European Youth Forum and with the support from the Commission, the CSR Europe is working on an on-line self-assessment tool for small and medium-sized companies to allow them to identify to what extent they have sufficient processes/measures in place to assure the quality and effectiveness of their internship/apprenticeship schemes. The proposed Framework will reinforce the actions taken under the European Pact for Youth, as crucial point of convergence between the urgent need for action on the supply side and the interests of learners and businesses to create quality apprenticeships. Quality apprenticeships make a difference in the career path of learners and increase benefits for host companies and economic sectors by strengthening the relevance of the learning experience. European Employment Services (EURES) Set up in 1993, EURES is a co-operation network between the European Commission and the Public Employment Services of the EEA Member States (The EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and other partner organisations. Switzerland also takes part in EURES co-operation. The network provides information, guidance and recruitment services to help workers find a job in another EU country. It supports the freedom of movement for workers by ensuring transparency on job vacancies across the Union, making them available on the EURES portal . The European Council Conclusions of June 2012 invited the Member States and the Commission to further develop the EURES portal and in particular to examine the possibility of extending it to apprenticeships and traineeships. In 2016, Regulation (EU) 2016/589 came into force laying down a comprehensive regulatory framework for the cooperation and information exchange under EURES . The Regulation also introduces new obligations on Member States relating to the transparency of apprenticeship and traineeship offers across the Union, making the sharing of publicly available offers which are subject to an employment relationship compulsory as of May 2018. The EURES portal is to become the first "show-window" displaying apprenticeship opportunities at Union level for mobility purposes. Ensuring an appropriate volume of high quality offers will facilitate activities to match candidates from other countries with offers for which there are national shortages and at the same time encourage cooperation in developing projects to secure apprentice mobility in the Union beyond the situations supported under Erasmus+. A working group composed of representatives of the Member States and the Commission will support implementation of the Regulation as regards the roll out of obligations to share apprenticeship and traineeship offers on the EURES portal. One of the first tasks of the working group will be to examine the issue of quality standards. This includes identifying minimum conditions on sharing data on apprenticeship offers and determining how to handle the processes related to the presentation of offers to candidates, given the diversity of regulatory frameworks and recruitment practices in Member States. In the absence of "hard legal" requirements, minimum conditions on how to share the data and the code of conduct on handling would provide some quality assurance for the EURES portal as only offers considered appropriate according to agreed standards would be published at European level. The EURES portal will provide for two different ways to share apprenticeship offers EU-wide: 1) through the existing channels, coordinated by the Public Employment Services, for EURES member organisations and 2) for organisations outside the network, through a self-service function, allowing the uploading of the offers directly, after the creation of an account for the organisation concerned. The quality standards should apply to both ways of sharing the data. The second method allows in particular the organisations which have made pledges under the Alliance for Apprenticeships to share their concrete offers for apprenticeship places on a European site. The European Quality Framework for Apprenticeships would provide a good basis for defining the key elements that should underpin a good quality apprenticeship offer to be included under the EURES portal. 2.3Apprenticeships – pathways to employability Evidence shows that high quality vocational education and training, and in particular apprenticeships, yield positive employment outcomes in that they facilitate young people's transition to the labour market and hence improve their employability . Work-experience matters; there is evidence that graduates of VET programmes with workplace content have higher employment rates than those without workplace content. It seems that absence of work-experience has a particularly negative impact on the ability of medium-level graduates to find work. Graduates of work-oriented programmes spend less time without work. In addition, the transition of VET graduates to the labour market is generally faster and they generally stay longer in their jobs than those graduated from general programmes. During the crisis, well-developed vocational training and in particular apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning proved to be one of the most effective ways to keep youth unemployment in check or prevent it. These forms of learning proved particularly effective in providing the combination of technical, transversal and soft skills that are relevant for the labour market, and therefore increase the employability of young people. A long-standing and robust body of evidence has consistently shown that countries with good quality apprenticeship schemes, such as, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, are the most successful in terms of facilitating school-to-work transitions. In these countries, vocational pathways are an attractive choice, rewarding vocational learners with good career and life prospects. For example data from Austria show that graduates from a dual-track apprenticeship have a much higher probability of employment 18 months after graduation compared with graduates of VET schools and vocational colleges. While the value of quality apprenticeships for youth employability is strongly in the political spotlight, they are also valuable learning pathways for adults. Both the Bruges communiqué (2010) and the renewed European agenda for adult learning (2011) include developing work-based learning for adults as a major objective for continuing vocational education and training (C-VET). The Bruges communiqué highlights work-based learning as a source of professional and personal development and social cohesion, and identifies it as one of the areas that require more attention and strategic action, whereas the renewed European agenda for adult learning calls for promoting different forms of work-based learning, also in combination with other learning modes, to support flexible provision and inclusion. Work-based learning in C-VET has a key contributing role in reaching the Education and Training 2020 target of a 15% average rate of adult participation in lifelong learning by 2020. In addition to preparing for employment, apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning contribute also to the personal development of an individual and increase social inclusion. Out of the four possible offers under the Youth Guarantee, apprenticeships showed the best results in terms of preventing people from returning to NEET status.

Increased productivity is a precondition for economic growth. Quality apprenticeships bring direct productivity benefits for companies, as well as reduced recruitment costs. Apprenticeships also provide excellent recruitment possibilities for employers, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises. Hosting or recruiting apprentices is one of the ways that enterprises can make the necessary transition into learning-rich work environments, promoting a learning attitude among all its workers, which is important for developing a highly skilled and qualified workforce. However, apprenticeships should not replace or displace jobs. Apprenticeships are first and foremost a learning experience, allowing young and adults to obtain a qualification which has value on the labour market. 2.4Apprenticeships in political spotlight – the European Alliance for Apprenticeships Through the Communication on Rethinking Education, the Commission committed to accelerate improvements in work-based learning in particular by establishing an EU-level Alliance for Apprenticeships. The following year, through the Youth Employment Package, the European Council of 7-8 February 2013 invited the Commission to establish a European Alliance for Apprenticeships as part of measures to tackle youth unemployment. Furthermore, the Alliance was a key element of the Commission's Communication on 'Working together for Europe's young people' of 19 June 2013, and the 27-28 June 2013 European Council Conclusions referred to the promotion of high quality apprenticeships and work-based learning, notably through the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, as a key element of supporting youth employment. The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) was launched in June 2013 in the context of the Leipzig WorldSkills competitions. It brings together public authorities at national and regional level, social partners, businesses, intermediary bodies such as chambers of industry, commerce and crafts, professional and sectoral organisation, vocational education and training providers, youth and parent organisations, and other key actors in order to improve the quality, the supply and the image of apprenticeships in Europe. More recently, increasing mobility for apprentices has also emerged as an important topic in the Alliance. Under this initiative, national authorities and other stakeholders are encouraged to get involved: countries in the form of commitments and other stakeholders in the form of pledges to show their engagement to improving in particular these four objectives of the EAfA. The European Alliance for Apprenticeships was launched through a joint Declaration between the Commission, the European social partners (ETUC, BusinessEurope, UEAPME and CEEP) and the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. This was followed by a Council Declaration on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, adopted on 15 October 2013, in which Member States noted that high-quality apprenticeships and other work-based learning schemes are effective instruments to improve sustainable transitions from school to work, notably by fostering skills that are relevant to the labour market and improving skill matches. They also agreed that, where appropriate and according to national circumstances, the effectiveness and attractiveness of apprenticeship schemes should be encouraged by their adherence to several common guiding principles. The Alliance was given a new boost at the Meeting of Ministers in charge of vocational training in Riga on 22 June 2015, and at a high-level meeting in Valletta on 30-31 May 2017 – as a part of celebrations of the two and four years of the Alliance. The importance of apprenticeships and work-based learning were highlighted in the 22 June 2015 "Riga Conclusions on a new set of medium-term deliverables in the field of VET for the period 2015-2020". The first of the five priorities set out in these Conclusions is the promotion of "work-based learning in all its forms, with special attention to apprenticeships, by involving social partners, companies, chambers and VET providers, as well as by stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship". The Riga Conclusions fall under the Bruges Communiqué which, in 2010, set out long-term strategic objectives for the European cooperation in VET for the period 2011-2020, and called on Member States to support the development of apprenticeship schemes. The communication on the New Skills Agenda invites to include a strong work-based dimension in vocational training, and thus to increase the attractiveness of vocational training and making it a first choice. After the arrival of new members at the high-level event in Malta on 30-31 May 2017, the European Alliance for Apprenticeships has 27 Member States, 3 EFTA countries and 5 EU candidate countries as members with commitments to take forward reforms for strengthening apprenticeship quality, supply, image and mobility. In addition, 208 pledges have been made by apprenticeship stakeholders from the following categories: Chart 1: Number of pledges per stakeholder group The pledges can focus on one or several of the four objectives. Most of them focus on quality, as the figure below shows, but also supply and image are considered highly important.



Chart 2: No. of pledges per EAfA objective (most pledges target more than one objective) The Alliance has achieved significant results in its four years of existence: §Supply: The national commitments and pledges have helped to increase the supply of apprenticeship places: by 2016, the European Commission estimated that the pledge holders had committed to create 250,000 new apprenticeship places in total; To date, it is estimated that over 700,000 training and first-job opportunities have been created through the Alliance; §Quality: The commitments and pledges have helped to enhance the quality of apprenticeships, e.g. by ensuring they respond to skills needs according to labour market requirements, developing a regulatory framework; promoting employers' participation in funding apprenticeships, etc.;

§Image: The commitments and pledges have helped to improve the image and attractiveness of apprenticeships: numerous image campaigns targeting learners, parents, employers were carried out. Moreover, governments and stakeholders have implemented reforms to improve the image of apprenticeships, e.g. updating existing and/or preparing new training programmes to ensure the quality of the qualifications gained through apprenticeships, improving working conditions for apprentices etc.; §Mobility: The commitments and pledges have helped to raise awareness for VET mobility, e.g. by providing more or better information about learner mobility and improving services for learners and VET providers to find places/partners abroad. They have also contributed to improving the quality of VET mobility, e.g. by ensuring the recognition of learning outcomes gained through learner mobility. At a national level, both the adoption of the Youth Guarantee and the launch of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships in 2013 have put more policy focus on apprenticeships as a measure to facilitate school-to-work transitions. Significant action has been taken in order to improve in particular the quality, supply, and attractiveness of apprenticeships, in the spirit of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. Almost all Member States have put in place measures to strengthen their apprenticeship system. In a number of countries, structural reforms have been carried out to existing apprenticeship systems (e.g. BE, FR, UK), while in others apprenticeship systems have been created, where they previously did not exist or existed at a very small scale (e.g. ES, LV, LT, SK) . The Commission will also develop demand driven apprenticeship support services, as announced in the New Skills Agenda for Europe from June 2016 and further outlined in the Commission Communication on Investing in Europe's Youth from December 2016. The support services will focus on knowledge sharing, networking and bench-learning. The bench-learning will take inspiration from a similar action implemented by the European network of Public Employment Services, but will be specifically designed to support apprenticeship stakeholders. It will provide a structured process and approach to contribute to the introduction, reform and/or improvement of apprenticeship systems. The European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships could provide the criteria for the bench-learning process. All in all, there is currently a strong momentum and political interest for reinforcing apprenticeships, as well as strengthening their quality and supply. Within the European Semester, country-specific recommendations have been issued in recent years for some countries to reform apprenticeship systems. Apprenticeship reforms have been proposed as one of the measures addressing the labour market relevance of vocational training, such as the recommendation for Estonia in 2015 or the one for France in 2016. The recommendation for the United Kingdom in 2016 explicitly mentions strengthening the quality of apprenticeships as a measure to address skills mismatches and to provide for skills progression. Many Member States are now acting on these recommendations and reforms are taking place in this field. The effectiveness of apprenticeships in preparing people for an active life as workers and citizens depends very much on their quality in terms of learning content and working conditions. Agreement on certain quality criteria could help Member States, vocational training providers, companies and all relevant stakeholders to provide young people with good quality apprenticeships. Therefore such quality criteria should contribute to increasing the employability and personal development of apprentices. Increasing the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships through a coherent framework will also increase the attractiveness of this training pathway, which was also one of the aims of the communication on the New Skills Agenda for Europe from June 2016. The proposed European Framework will clarify the criteria for learning and working conditions and for framework conditions that should be applied to apprenticeships throughout Europe, taking into account the diversity of vocational education and training (VET) systems in Member States. 2.5Working towards a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships Under the priority "A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment", the Commission Work Programme 2017 outlines a Youth Initiative to ensure that "every young person should have real prospects for education, training and employment". One of its measures is the development of a quality framework for apprenticeships as a follow-up to the New Skills Agenda for Europe. Further details are outlined the Investing in Europe's Youth initiative from December 2016: "To advance the quality, supply, attractiveness and inclusiveness of apprenticeships and work-based learning in vocational education and training, the Commission will propose a Quality Framework for Apprenticeships, setting out key principles for the design and delivery of apprenticeships at all levels, with sufficient flexibility to apply to very different Member State systems. The Quality Framework could underpin the quality of apprenticeships supported through EU programmes (Youth Guarantee, YEI, European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+, and European Social Fund)." 2.5.1Milestones in improving the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships Quality of apprenticeships has been the topic of extensive work at EU, at national and at international level in recent years. In Europe, in particular the European Alliance for Apprenticeships and the Youth Guarantee have contributed to structure Member States’ action to improve apprenticeships. In addition to these instruments, the European Commission as well as other stakeholders have worked on different tools and guidance aiming at raising the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships in the context of VET reforms. This chapter presents the main milestones of this work. European level The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) established in 2008 improves the transparency, comparability and portability of citizens' qualifications, including apprentices. The core of the EQF concerns eight reference levels describing what a learner knows, understands and is able to do. Apprenticeships leading to a nationally recognised qualification need to be referenced to EQF levels, thus enabling a much easier comparison between national qualifications. It will also ease the access to other learning opportunities, including at higher education and training levels, and help to promote the mobility across the Member States. The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (EQAVET) established in 2009 is a European tool to support the development of national systems for quality assurance in VET providing a common set of principles to guide countries’ quality assurance systems and also to support transparency of quality assurance systems in a European context. Countries can use EQAVET to make changes to their quality assurance systems but they can also use it to present their existing quality assurance systems in a common manner. EQAVET comprises a quality assurance and improvement cycle (planning, implementation, evaluation/assessment and review/revision) based on a selection of quality criteria, descriptors and indicators applicable to quality management at both VET-system and VET-provider levels. The aim of EQAVET is not to introduce new standards, but to support Member States’ efforts in developing quality assurance, whilst preserving the diversity of their approaches. The EQAVET Framework applies to both school-based as well as work-based learning provision. Specific guidance on quality assurance of work-based learning has been elaborated in the framework of a dedicated working group which developed 6 building blocks. The building blocks propose guidance on designing work-based learning, improving the quality, responding to learners' needs, communicating, training the staff and assessing the learners. The EQAVET Framework is limited to quality assurance of the training provision while the proposed Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships focuses on the key elements that define quality of apprenticeships. EQAVET could be used as a quality assurance tool for countries' apprenticeships systems and measures. In June 2013, the Commission published guidance on work-based learning in the document 'Work-Based Learning in Europe - Practices and Policy Pointers'. The publication analyses successful work-based learning models, encourages more and better work-based learning (including apprenticeships), and is intended as a tool for policymakers and practitioners working on modernising and reforming vocational education and training systems. The Council Declaration on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, adopted on 15 October 2013, particularly highlights 10 common guiding principles which increase the effectiveness and attractiveness of apprenticeship schemes. The Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships builds on these principles. The working groups on Vocational Education and Training, operating in the framework of the "Education and Training 2020", composed of the representatives of Member States, Candidate Countries, EFTA countries and social partners, and supported by Cedefop and ETF, provide peer advice to countries in introducing and reforming apprenticeship systems. In 2015, such a working group produced the report "High-Performance Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning: 20 Guiding Principles", which is based on four enablers, namely National governance and social partner involvement; Support for companies, in particular SMEs; Attractiveness and improved career guidance; as well as Quality assurance in apprenticeships. It also offers a large number of real-life examples from the participating countries. This guidance is targeted at governments, businesses, social partners, VET providers and other relevant stakeholders looking for inspiration on how to develop and reform work-based learning and apprenticeship systems. A new working group is currently working on VET teachers and trainers in work-based learning and in apprenticeships and developing policy pointers on this issue. With financial support from the Commission the cross-industry European social partners worked on the quality (ETUC) and cost-effectiveness (led by BusinessEurope on behalf of the EU cross-industry employers' organisations) of apprenticeships. ETUC worked on "A European Quality Framework for Apprenticeships – a European Trade Union proposal". In their part of the project, the employers' organisations BusinessEurope, UEAPME and CEEP concentrated on the cost-effectiveness of apprenticeships. European Social Partners agreed on the joint statement Towards a Shared Vision of Apprenticeships (June 2016). On the initiative of European social partners, the joint statement was followed by a tripartite Opinion by the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) on A Shared Vision for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and Work-based Learning which was unanimously adopted in December 2016. Its annex includes 12 elements on apprenticeships and on partnership approach. The proposal for a Recommendation on quality and effective apprenticeships will reflect this ACVT Opinion. Cedefop, in cooperation with the Commission, is supporting individual countries in improving the setting up or modernising their apprenticeship systems/schemes or improving their quality in line with EU policies and contributes to increasing the EU evidence base which can support policy- and decision-making on apprenticeships at the EU and national levels. Through the Thematic Country Reviews on Apprenticeships Cedefop interacts with individual countries who voluntarily express their interest in undergoing the review based on an analytical framework of 10 thematic areas; this includes characteristic features that are present, to varying extent and in different combinations, in existing (well-functioning) apprenticeship systems.

International level An important contribution to the theme is the 2017 OECD study "Costs and benefits of apprenticeships", carried out with the support from Erasmus+. The study contributes to the existing stock of evidence on the costs and benefits of apprenticeships by presenting a new analysis of international data on apprenticeships from the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and by establishing and discussing in detail links between various elements of apprenticeship design (such as apprentice wage, duration of work placements, apprentice status) and the distribution of the costs and benefits of apprenticeships. The ILO, with support of the Commission, is working with countries in order to modernise apprenticeship systems and/or schemes. ILO has recently worked on Latvia, Spain and Portugal as part of an 18-month project to enhance national capabilities to assess and improve Youth Guarantee schemes, including through policy support on apprenticeship systems. The action aimed to strengthen national capacity for the implementation, monitoring of performance and assessment of results of gender-sensitive youth employment policies that are part of the Youth Guarantee schemes. On apprenticeships, the action applied an approach to quality apprenticeships and developed a toolkit to establish apprenticeship systems and programmes with tripartite participation. In addition, ILO is producing a logbook for Quality Apprenticeships, based on the achievements, the services and products delivered through the project. It will serve as a step-by-step guide to design and to improve quality apprenticeship systems in the three target countries. The Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) was established by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) with the support of the ILO. The network shares best practices in apprenticeships, internships, mentoring and on-the-job training. It encourages partnerships and national networks of committed companies and also aims to scale up international cooperation in the field. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET), led by UNESCO since 2008, aims to ensure a good coordination of activities by the key international organisations involved in the delivery of policy advice, programmes and research on TVET. The working group on work-based learning has recently developed a leaflet called "Investing in Work-Based Learning" containing key information on work-based learning and how it is tackled at international level. The G20 Task Force on Employment considers quality apprenticeships as one of the key policy tools to promote effective school-to-work transitions, enhance workers skills shortages, address skills mismatches and reduce youth unemployment. In that context, and given the differences in apprenticeships and taking into consideration the diversity of national contexts in the G20 countries, it defined, in September 2012, a list of characteristics as key elements that apprenticeship schemes may include in their design and implementation. They mainly help defining apprenticeships, but touch also the rights of apprentices, their remuneration, the apprenticeship funding arrangements, entry requirements and access to higher qualifications, the role of business and labour organisations, as well as career guidance. These characteristics link the quality of apprenticeship programmes to their labour market relevance, and point out, for example, that qualifications and skills provided should match the evolving labour market demands, encourage continuous training, and highlight the provision of skills that facilitate occupational mobility of apprentices as well as the quality of trainers. The European Training Foundation (ETF) helps partner countries harness human capital by reforming education, training and labour market systems. It also supports EU institutions to design, monitor and evaluation EU human capital assistance. Many countries face similar challenges in transforming vocational education and training. Improving cooperation between vocational education and training and business is especially important and many countries have taken measures to align learning to workplace needs. Through their Torino Process, the ETF also monitors the EU Candidate Countries' implementation of the Riga deliverables, of which the one on work-based learning and apprenticeships is considered number one priority by these counters. 2.5.2Views of relevant stakeholders Many stakeholders were consulted in the preparation phase of the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. This paragraph outlines the results of the consultation of the social partners, including their earlier work on the issue, the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training as well as the stakeholders of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. 2.5.2.1ACVT opinion At the meeting of the tri-partite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) in June 2016, European Social partners proposed to adopt an ACVT Opinion on the topic of apprenticeships as a follow up to their projects 'A European quality framework for apprenticeships' and 'Cost effectiveness of apprenticeship schemes' and their subsequent joint statement on 30 May 2016. In its meeting in November 2016, the ACVT discussed a draft Opinion on quality and effective apprenticeships and work-based learning. A revised version of the Opinion on a Shared Vision on Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and Work-based Learning was adopted unanimously through a written procedure on 2 December 2016 by Member States and social partners' representatives. Also EFTA and candidate countries showed their agreement with the text. Even though the Opinion acknowledges the efforts made by governments, social partners and other stakeholders, it points out to the need to step up reforms and implementation for quality and effective apprenticeships and work-based learning, and to improve the coordination of and support for the various stakeholder actions. The Opinion outlines a shared vision for apprenticeships and agrees on key elements of apprenticeships, work-based learning and priority areas for action. The Opinion represents an important call from governments, trade unions and employers' organisations from EU Member States and partner countries to further strengthen efforts to increase quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships and work-based learning. The Opinion is a significant contribution from EU VET stakeholders on initiatives announced in the Commission Work Programme 2017 , particularly on the proposal to establish a European Quality Framework on Apprenticeships. The Opinion further calls on the Commission to develop a set of support services for knowledge sharing, networking and cooperation to assist where needed apprenticeship and work-based learning reforms at national level as well as promote higher levels of mobility of apprentices across Europe. Further views of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) On 20-21 April, the tripartite Advisory Committee on VET (ACVT) discussed, inter alia, the proposed initiative of a European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. Social partners asked that the proposal follows very closely the ACVT "Opinion on a Shared Vision on Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and Work-based Learning" from 2 December 2016, and in particular the Annex on Elements on apprenticeships and the partnership approach. Governmental members were concerned about the wide scope of the quality criteria and governance issues outlined It was mentioned that Member States are already engaged in the issue of quality through i.e. the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, EQAVET and EURES. Therefore, it should be made clear how the proposal links to these platforms and initiatives. Several governmental members argued that a European framework should take an inclusive approach, encompassing also other forms of work-based learning and not just apprenticeships.

Some trade unions argued that the framework should focus on apprenticeships in the strict sense, meaning where learners also take a productive role in the workplace. They saw a need to make it clear what the proposal will cover, i.e. apprenticeships in a strict sense or also other forms of work-based learning. While some governmental members stressed that the responsibility of employers and apprentices should be added to that of the Member States, others were worried about the potential additional burden for companies. On their side, the employers underlined that a European framework should stress the effectiveness of apprenticeships, and it was proposed to add 'effectiveness' to the title of the proposal. The Commission supported the proposal from the Lithuanian Trade Union to formulate the title as follows: "European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships". The trade unions said that mobility should be one of the quality criteria for apprenticeships while the employers said that it can be a quality element but that it is not a prerequisite for quality apprenticeships. The Commission stressed that the proposal for a European framework would build on the thorough work of European social partners and on the ACVT Opinion, but highlighted that it would have a different form as it will be addressed to Member States. The Commission also emphasised that Member States will not be bound by the ACVT Opinion when discussions take place in the Council. The key to such a European framework will be to have content that is clear, relevant, and makes a difference for Member States and stakeholders. As a follow-up to the meeting, ACVT members, in coordination with DGVT members, were invited to provide written comments by 28 April. Governmental representatives from Italy (and Norway) provided further comments, both of which were supportive of the proposal to adopt a quality framework on apprenticeships, but asked to clarify the overlap and the synergies with EQAVET. In addition, the Italian contribution highlighted the importance of defining its scope as well as the responsibilities of social partners in the implementation of apprenticeships. Italy also expressed its concerns about how binding the recommendation would be, in particular as regards to including of the recommendation with in the European Semester process and in the National Reform Plan. On the other hand Italy was in favour of the approach to encourage the use of EU funding for the implementation of the framework, according to the model of the Quality framework for Traineeships. 2.5.2.2European social partners' work on apprenticeships The European social partners have been a strong driving force pushing for a European framework in the area of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships have been a key topic under the social partners Framework of Actions on Youth Employment since 2013. While the trade unions have focussed their efforts in particular on the quality dimension, the employer organisations have worked on the issue of cost-effectiveness. In 2015, through its “New Path for Europe”, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urged to include work-based and workplace learning as one of the "top priorities for European countries, in order to facilitate the transfer of young people between education and training and the labour market, and to ensure that workers have access to continuing training so as to retain their jobs and improve their skills and careers". ETUC considers the quality of apprenticeship and traineeship schemes as a key element in this process, and makes a call in particular to improve training outcomes, working conditions and labour protection. Against this background, ETUC strongly supports the implementation of a wide-ranging European quality framework apprenticeship, with a common basis of quality standards. Consequently, ETUC agreed to cooperate with BusinessEurope, UEAPME and CEEP, and to launch related projects to contribute to the implementation of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. ETUC worked on "A European Quality Framework for Apprenticeships – a European Trade Union proposal". The proposal consists of twenty quality standards for apprenticeships as well as a series of quality criteria that enable these standards to be measured in a readily understandable way, supported by a series of examples of best practice to illustrate the different aspects of quality standards. In their part of the project, the employers' organisations BusinessEurope, UEAPME and CEEP concentrated on the cost-effectiveness of apprenticeships. Their starting point was that when apprenticeship schemes are designed around the real needs of the labour market, they contribute to the increased productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, which fosters job creation and supports youth employment . Employers consider that the involvement of companies and employers' organisations in apprenticeship schemes is an effective way of identifying and meeting skills needs in the labour market. However, in some countries employers are reluctant to engage in apprenticeships because of the high costs of training . All in all, well-functioning apprenticeship schemes help enterprises to meet their skills needs and are cost-effective, which is why employers call for a clear legal framework and a governance system for apprenticeships in which employers are in a central role in decision making, delivering training and in the selection/recruitment procedures. The project identified the potential reforms that are needed to make apprenticeship systems more cost-effective to increase employer engagement. Both the employers and the trade unions highlight the importance for the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships of the involvement of social partners in their delivery. These two projects, which were finalised in 2016, led to a joint statement of the European social partners "Towards a Shared Vision of Apprenticeships" on 30 May 2016. In this statement, the European social partners called for a wider debate, with the European institutions and the Member States, in the framework of the tripartite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT), on the policy priorities for supporting the provision, effectiveness and quality of apprenticeships. Hearings with social partners at European level The Commission has organised two rounds of hearings with social partners at European level in the process of developing its proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. In the first hearing on 30 March 2017, the process for developing the Council Recommendation was clarified. The Commission clarified that there was no legal requirement for formal consultation of the European social partners, but that the meeting was organised to ensure an open and close cooperation on an issue where they play a key role. The Commission also offered to organise a 2nd hearing meeting before it would finalise its proposal. On content, the Trade Unions stressed the importance of quality standards for apprenticeships in order to establish a common understanding across Member States, and argued for a strict focus on apprenticeships, according to the dual principle. On their side, the employers stressed that the framework should ensure cost-effectiveness for companies, and the role of small and medium-sized companies as apprenticeship providers was highlighted. While trade unions wanted mobility to one of the quality criteria, the employers argued that mobility could contribute to quality but that it should not be considered a pre-requisite for quality. The 2nd hearing was organised on 7 June 2017, in which the Commission presented an outline of the main elements that it was considering as criteria for quality and effectiveness in its upcoming proposal. Overall, there was a positive reaction from both the trade unions and the employers to the elements presented by the Commission. Both the employers and the trade unions expressed their willingness to be strongly associated in the implementation of the Framework, including through the ACVT. Once again, it was emphasised from the social partners that the proposal from the Commission should build closely on the ACVT Opinion. The Commission reiterated its intention to do so, while also explaining that a proposal for a Council Recommendation would have to be different in form. 2.5.2.3Stakeholders' survey of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships During 2016-2017, the Commission carried out a study on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. As part of this study, the Commission enquired to which extent stakeholders from the European Alliance for Apprenticeships support the idea of proposing a ‘quality framework for apprenticeships’. The following question was included in the online survey which formed a part of the study:

Would you be in favour of EU-wide quality standards, guidance or framework for apprenticeships? The majority of survey respondents stated that they would be in favour of an EU-wide quality standards, guidance or framework for apprenticeships (58%), with only one fifth not being in favour of this approach (16%). Reasons in support of quality standards include: §The different legal frameworks, schemes and arrangements for apprenticeships across European countries hinder opportunities for the mobility of apprentices. §EU guidelines or any other harmonisation initiative would be useful and would guarantee a degree of quality across countries. Few respondents highlighted that, although useful, such guidelines should nevertheless be sufficiently flexible in order to respect existing differences in apprenticeship systems. 2.5.2.4European Network of Apprentices In 2012, the European Youth Forum, with the support of several Members of the European Parliament and companies, developed a European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships in order to establish minimum standards for interns and apprentices across Europe. The Charter highlights that internships and apprenticeships must be an educational experience and accessible to all young people. In addition, the Charter establishes criteria that internships and apprenticeships should meet, such as the existence of a contract, the right to reimbursement of costs incurred, as well as clear evaluation criteria, including complaints channels. In the context of a renewed participation of civil society in shaping the future of apprenticeships, the European Youth Forum and the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), with the support of the European Commission, have jointly launched on 31 May 2017 a network of apprentices at European level to make sure that the voices of young apprentices are heard in discussions on VET and apprenticeships in Europe. This network promotes quality apprenticeships that put the learner at the centre and respect the rights of young people as students and as workers. Involving young people in decisions that affect them is crucial, this is why the European Apprentices Network works to ensure that apprentices are represented in the set-up, design and implementation of apprenticeship programmes. The network members will act as ambassadors for apprenticeships, to promote them as worthwhile career choice. The network chose 7 key priorities to work upon during 2017-2018 (Quality education and Quality assurance, Rights and protection, legally binding agreements, Representation, Promoting apprenticeships, Anti-discrimination and Accessible information), most of which are also reflected in the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. 3State of play on apprenticeships across Member States 3.1Definition of apprenticeships / work-based learning Work-based learning (WBL), a key aspect of VET, is directly linked to its goal of helping learners acquire the knowledge, skills and competences with direct relevance for the labour market. There are broadly three main forms of WBL: Apprenticeships, School-based VET with on-the-job training, Work-based learning in school. Hence, apprenticeship is considered to be one form of work-based learning. Apprenticeships formally combine and alternate company-based training (periods of practical work experience at a workplace) with school-based education (periods of theoretical/practical education followed in a school or training centre), and lead to nationally recognised qualification upon successful completion. Most often there is a contractual relationship between the employer and the apprentice, with the apprentice being paid for his/her work. Although some of the criteria may be relevant for all forms of work-based learning, the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships is targeting especially the first two forms of work-based learning, namely apprenticeships and school-based VET with on-the-job training. Given the lack of work-based learning, the framework does not address work-based learning in school. To clarify, for the purposes of the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships, apprenticeships are understood as: formal vocational education and training schemes that combine substantial workbased learning in companies and other workplaces with learning based in education or training institutions, that lead to nationally recognised qualifications. In most cases, these are characterised by a contractual relationship between the apprentice, the employer and/or the vocational education and training institution, with the apprentice being paid or compensated for her/his work. There is very little comparable data available on apprenticeships mainly due to the different understanding of the term "apprenticeships". Eurostat collects and publishes data on "combined school- and work-based programmes" in VET. According to Eurostat definition programmes are classified as:

"combined school- and work-based if less than 75 per cent of the curriculum is presented in the school environment or through distance education. The 75 per cent cut-off point should be regarded as a general guideline that may need to be operationalized differently across countries. These programmes include: ·apprenticeship programmes organised in conjunction with educational authorities or educational institutions that involve concurrent school-based and work-based training; and ·programmes organised in conjunction with educational authorities or educational institutions that involve alternating intervals of attendance at educational institutions and participation in work-based training (programmes of training in alternation, sometimes referred to as “sandwich” programmes). The Eurostat statistics presented in the following chapter are based on this definition. 3.2Overview of apprenticeships and work-based learning systems across the EU Apprenticeship systems currently present in Member States take very different forms. This diversity is reflected in the variety of definitions of apprenticeships that are used even within the European Union. Often a distinction is made between apprenticeship schemes and school-based vocational programmes with placements in the company. In most Member States there is a generally or formally recognised definition for apprenticeships. According to a study that identified the key success factors for apprenticeships and traineeships, apprenticeships are usually characterised by: 1.A component of a formal education and training programme; 2.combine practical work-related training at the workplace with theoretical education in an educational institution; 3.all aspects of apprenticeships (e.g. occupational profile duration, skills and competences to be acquired, etc) are often defined in the apprenticeship contract; 4.apprentices typically have the status of an employee and receive remuneration; 5.successfully completion leads to an accredited qualification, qualifying them to work in a specific occupation; 6.tight regulation and monitoring; 7.extensive involvement of social partners. However, the way in which these elements are implemented in national contexts varies considerably, and significant reforms are taking place in many EU Member States. For example, according to a study from 2012, 24 Member States have apprenticeship schemes which could be characterized as mainly company-based, at least on a small scale, meaning that in these schemes more than 50% of training activities take place in a work setting. However, the distribution of company- and school-based training in main national schemes varies greatly: from 66-90% of company-based training in Denmark and 60% in Germany, to only 20-30% in Spain. In 18 countries (including the Netherlands, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom), predominantly school-based programmes co-exist with work-based programmes. A more recent mapping carried out by Cedefop has identified a total of 38 mainstream/system level apprenticeship schemes with stable/valid legal basis in 24 countries. In addition, two countries have adopted a legal framework but implementation of apprenticeship schemes occurs through pilot projects (LT, SK), and, according to this mapping, in four countries (BG, CZ, MT, SI) there is no apprenticeship scheme or the legal basis was being introduced or reformed at the moment of the data collection . These 38 schemes are considered as being “apprenticeship” in the national context. In order to understand their commonalities and differences, they were analysed against a number of common criteria. The following two criteria were considered for the purpose of this overview: 1.the level of education and type of qualification the apprenticeship scheme leads to; 2.the presence of a contract between the learner and the firm and remuneration or allowance paid by the firm. The analysis of the 38 apprenticeship schemes against the first criterion shows that the large majority (33 schemes) of the schemes lead to formal education qualifications (i.e. qualifications included in the National Qualification Frameworks); 31 apprenticeship schemes are at upper secondary level (6 out of these 31 schemes are also offered at higher educational levels); while 2 are at higher educational levels only. Five apprenticeship schemes are organised at sectoral level or outside formal VET system. In terms of country distribution of the 38 schemes, all 24 countries, except for LV, have at least 1 apprenticeship scheme leading to a formal educational qualification.

Analysis of the 38 apprenticeship schemes against the second criterion shows that most schemes (29 schemes) foresee a contract and remuneration. In terms of geographical distribution, all 24 countries, except for PT, have at least 1 scheme that foresees a contract between the learner and the firm and remuneration paid by the firm.



Table 1: The 38 apprenticeship schemes distributed in 6 groups Formal educational qualifications (33) Only qualifications outside formal education Total Upper secondary Post-secondary/higher level Contract and remuneration Group A 24 Group C 1 Group E 4 29 No contract or remuneration Group B 7 Group D 1 Group F 1 9 The above analysis shows that the existence of contract and remuneration is what the vast majority of schemes have in common, with most apprenticeship schemes existing at upper secondary level in the formal VET system. However, first insights from the analysis of the Group A schemes suggest that there are differences in the approaches to the organisation of these schemes. They can be organised in two main different ways: A1) apprenticeships as a type of VET or VET programme, e.g, AT (Dual apprenticeship), CY, DE, DK, IE, HR, NL, NO or A2) as a mode of training/learning, e.g. FI, FR (Apprenticeship contract), HU, LU, UK (England). In the first sub-group, there is a clear-cut distinction between apprenticeship programmes and school-based programmes with or without placements in the company. The apprenticeship schemes correspond to specific programmes and curricula, have dedicated governance structures, definite entry requirements, and necessitate placements for all learners enrolled in the scheme (safety nets are foreseen in case placements are not found). They normally lead to apprenticeship specific qualifications. Apprentices have a clear identity among their VET or general education peers. In the second sub-group, apprenticeship schemes are offered as an alternative way (alongside school-based VET) or complementary way (in combination with school-based VET) of organising the VET programmes (or their practical component) and allowing learners to achieve the VET qualifications. Learners may attend the whole programme or only part of the programme in an apprenticeship scheme (the other part is attended in a school-based scheme). Any VET programme may be organised fully or partially as an apprenticeship scheme as long as the school and/or learner finds a suitable placement. Programme details and curricula are specified by the education and training authorities. It is possible to distinguish two types of contract the learners sign with the company: ·education contract or apprenticeship contract (education paradigm); or ·employment contract/full time job (employment paradigm). The first sub-group may be viewed as an approach to the organisation of VET (specific apprenticeship programmes, curricula, governance structures) which often relies on equal footing partnership between education and labour market actors at all levels (as part of good governance). The second sub-group may be viewed as an approach to training delivery (the same VET programme may be delivered both as school-based and in alternance in the form of apprenticeship), and within this type, there is quite a diversity in the way the different schemes are organised. The leading role is often taken over by the education and training authorities. As it can be seen, apprenticeship schemes exist in almost all countries. But according to EUROSTAT statistics, in 2015, only 2.809.101 students, (i.e. around a quarter / in average 28%, of the over 10 million VET students in the EU) were in vocational programmes combining school and enterprise-based learning, where 25% or more of the curriculum takes place outside school. There are great variations between countries; for example, in Latvia and Denmark, where around 42% of upper secondary students are in initial VET, and in Hungary where this figure is only 23.2% and almost all of them are in some form of combined school and work-based learning. In Germany the proportion is also very high, 86%, in the United Kingdom 54.1% and in Austria just under 47%. France with around a quarter of its initial VET students combining school and work-based learning is close to the European average. In the Czech Republic, despite having a high proportion of vocational students, less than 9% of these combine school and work-based learning.



Chart 3: Share of students in combined work and school based upper secondary programmes out of total upper secondary VET students, 2015.

As for enterprises providing initial vocational training, according to Eurostat, around one quarter (24.0%) of enterprises in the EU-28 in 2010 with 10 or more persons employed provided initial vocational training, although the proportion varies greatly between EU Member States. Only 5 of the 27 Member States for which data are available reported a proportion that was substantially above the EU-28 average, with around a third of enterprises in Italy and the Netherlands, around one half in Austria and Denmark, and more than three fifths in Germany. By contrast, less than 1 in 10 enterprises provided I-VET in 12 of the Member States, mainly those Member States that joined the EU in 2004 or 2007 , but also in Greece, Spain and Sweden.

A recent study has made the following observation: "In countries with mainly micro businesses and SMEs (e.g. EL, EE and LV) – particularly when there is a school-based VET system – the establishment of apprenticeship systems face a number of difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, in countries with well-established apprenticeship systems (e.g. Switzerland) it is the attitude and realism of the small arts and crafts businesses that creates success. The personal relationship between the ‘master’ and the ‘learner’ is a key aspect of success". 3.3Current challenges The diversity of apprenticeships and work-based learning systems across Member states show us a fragmented policy landscape with some common features and challenges to address. Despite the very strong political push at European and national levels for strengthening or setting up apprenticeships schemes, a number of challenges still exist, as detailed below. §As the European Semester and the national commitments on apprenticeship show, most Member States are reforming their work-based learning and apprenticeship systems. With a strong push to boost the apprenticeship supply, the OECD has warned that high quality standards are needed to avoid that apprenticeships are geared towards low-skilled jobs. OECD also notes that the positive effects of apprenticeships on labour market conditions depend on their quality, and that even a small proportion of low-quality offers can damage their overall reputation. Even in Germany , known for its quality apprenticeships, reports on apprenticeships have pointed to unsatisfactory learning and working conditions. E.g. 1 in 3 apprentices work overtime, and 1 in 3 lack a proper training plan, meaning that they are not informed of the content of their apprenticeship. A recent report from the European Parliament addresses the need to clarify the issues of an employment contract and remuneration in apprenticeships, and also the tripartite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) has made a call for action. §Although the active participation of companies in apprenticeships is crucial, some of them consider that they require costs in terms of resources (both financial and human). Implementing apprenticeships can be a particular challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises, which have more difficulties in dealing with recruitment and administrative procedures. Therefore, for SMEs, support systems for apprenticeships (consultancy, handling paper work, targeted supporting courses, and training networks) are often necessary. In addition, especially employers call for effective apprenticeships in which the wage or compensation is set at a rate that makes it possible for the enterprise to see a return on its investment, so as to encourage and foster the supply of apprenticeship places. §Significant investments are made with EU and national resources in apprenticeship schemes, either as part of the education and training systems or linked to the implementation of the Youth Guarantee (Erasmus+, ESF, ERDF, YEI). The European Court of Auditors pointed in two of its reports the need to underpin these investments by qualitative attributes that need to be fulfilled by the various offers under the Youth Guarantee, including apprenticeships. The European Framework for Quality and Effective apprenticeships would therefore provide the orientation for designing and implementing financing programmes which support quality apprenticeships, enhancing thus the quality and efficiency of public spending. §There is scope to improve the professional position of teachers and trainers (i.e. their skills competences as well as their overall professional standing and status) in almost every country, even those with well-developed apprenticeship systems. There is a need to develop initial training, continuing professional development opportunities and qualification frameworks. The position of in-company trainers is in particular need of attention. The necessary developments are likely to require substantial investment by public authorities. §Trade Unions have also evoked the under-representation of young women and young people from ethnic minorities in apprenticeships, and the mismatch of supply and demand, completion/premature termination and retention (transition to work) rates. §While apprenticeships contribute to social inclusion by integrating disadvantaged learners and people with a migrant background into the labour market, there is also evidence showing that children of immigrants rarely have the same chances to access good training places in the apprenticeship system, partly because places are attributed through parental networks, of which immigrants have fewer. In countries without an apprenticeship system, the same applies to different types of workplace training within the school system. In addition, a specific issue facing children of immigrants in their school-to-work transition is discrimination. § Apprenticeships have also the potential to cater for the needs of older workers who are affected by restructuring processes. They can be an excellent means for re-skilling workers to re-enter the labour market. In this respect, the provision of guidance and support and follow-up services to apprentices during and after their apprenticeships needs to be significantly strengthened. It could be particularly beneficial to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. §Additionally, young people in general lack opportunities for mobility due to various barriers (e.g. language, support infrastructure, insufficient funding and information and guidance), and the mobility of apprentices in Europe is still an exception, rather than a rule. In order to step up the quality of mobility, the Erasmus+ VET Mobility Charter and the Mobility Scoreboard have been developed. In addition, the EURES regulation provides that as of 2018, offers for apprenticeships based on an employment contract should also be advertised. Having regard to the benefits of a mobility period during a learning experience (e.g. improved foreign language skills, greater awareness of another culture, a greater ability to adapt to new situations, new professional skills, better interpersonal skills, better opportunities for subsequent employment or better academic knowledge), mobility should be an integral part of apprenticeship courses. Unified quality standards in apprenticeships would also help implementing mobility in that it would increase the trust of the quality in learning abroad and therefore improve the transferability of mobility periods carried out abroad during apprenticeships. On the one hand, the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships introduces strong elements directly supporting transnational mobility of apprentices, for example including it as a component of apprenticeship qualification. On the other hand, a clear European Framework introducing quality criteria is a crucial tool to support young learners engaged in apprenticeships abroad, usually more vulnerable to variations of quality and effectiveness if compared with apprentices working within their national borders. §Initial VET, including apprenticeships, is still perceived as a second choice by potential learners, families and the society as a whole. The bad image of some apprenticeship schemes, or simply the lack of awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships contribute to this negative perception towards apprenticeships as a whole. The esteem and attractiveness of apprenticeships for learners depends, to a large extent, on the quality of VET systems. Excellence programmes can help improve the motivation of learners to undertake an apprenticeship. The fact that some companies report difficulty in attracting motivated students with appropriate basic skills illustrates the need to improve the image of apprenticeships in society. Therefore, enhanced quality, and better communication on it, will have a positive impact on the attractiveness of apprenticeships. This was also called for in the communication on the New Skills Agenda from summer 2016. Promoting a European common understanding of the key features that define a quality apprenticeships, backed up by awareness raising measures such as the European Vocational Skills Week, will help improve the image of apprenticeships and overcome the perception of potential learners. §Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the various apprenticeship schemes also tends to be a neglected area. Yet, in terms of quality, monitoring and evaluation are essential components of apprenticeship systems that provide feedback on what works effectively and what does not. 3.4Conclusion The above illustrates that the strong push to boost the apprenticeship supply across Europe, needs to be accompanied with measures that ensure quality and effectiveness. Quality, effectiveness and supply of apprenticeships are connected dimensions that should be addressed through a comprehensive framework. While fully respecting the diversity of national systems, common criteria are needed to ensure quality and effective provisions of apprenticeships across Europe. The Commission will monitor the implementation of the European framework with the support of Cedefop and the tripartite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training, based on national monitoring efforts and evaluations and by using a set of indicators to be developed for its assessment. (See draft proposal under Annex 2) The Commission will report to the Council within three years from the date of its adoption, on progress made towards raising the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships and its implications for the future. 4Key elements of the Proposal for a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships

The evidence described in the previous chapters highlights how the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships is coherent with other EU initiatives to tackle youth unemployment and support a highly skilled and qualified workforce. Moreover, the previous overview of apprenticeship schemes in Europe identifies two conclusions: apprenticeship schemes are present in virtually all the Member States; however, the fragmented policy landscape in Europe and the high diversity among national systems makes a common framework for quality and effective apprenticeships relevant and necessary to sustain youth employment and personal development in Europe, while respecting the diversity of national systems. The present chapter details each of the criteria for quality and effective apprenticeships and provides concrete examples of how these could be put in place, based on practices from across the Member States. 4.1Criteria for quality and effective apprenticeships The European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships addresses in particular two levels: §At the level of apprenticeship schemes, the Recommendation includes 7 criteria for quality and effective apprenticeships; and §At system level it proposes another 7 criteria for framework conditions that support the set up and implementation of quality and effective apprenticeships. These criteria have been developed taking into account the extensive pool of evidence, studies already available, particularly the key reference documents mentioned in annex 3 (See overview table). 4.1.1Criteria for learning and working conditions 4.1.1.1Written contract Written contracts between employers and learners (or their legal representatives), and even schools, are important to make clear the expectations and responsibilities of the different parties involved. For apprentices to be regarded as employees, these agreements need to take the form of contracts and to set out clearly what the workplace component comprises. This can also be – and frequently is – reflected in contracts in terms of their right to protection by relevant legislation related to health and safety in the workplace and social welfare (see also criteria 6 and 7 below). State of play and good practices Overall it can be stated that contracts are stumbling blocks to the development of apprenticeships in some countries. More generally, the pay and conditions of apprentices can be challenging issues to resolve. This includes issues such as the relationship to minimum wage legislation and apprentices' status compared to regular employees (in respect of welfare benefits, etc.) since these involve costs to the state and employers. This makes it challenging, but important, to arrive at arrangements that are fair to both employers and apprentices. There is variation in whether apprenticeships are defined in national legislation and the nature of the definition. In Italy, a regular employment relationship is specified but not all national definitions specify the requirement for a contract to exist between the employer and the apprentice. In the French-speaking region of Belgium, the Cooperation Agreement on Dual Training Act (amended in 2015) provides a new definition of apprenticeships outlining what the contract should contain: ‘vocational training which combines practical training at the workplace with training in a training institution in general and vocational subjects; it is based on a contract which is signed by a training institution, the apprentice and an employer and which stipulates the length of time to be spent in the workplace and in the training institution, the qualification obtained, entry requirements, mentoring, remuneration, and rights and obligations.’ Some countries also specify what is to be taught and by whom and in which learning setting: in Luxembourg, it is specified that an apprenticeship includes: practical training under the guidance of a supervisor; and scientific, moral and social general training, obtained at a technical high school. 4.1.1.2 Learning outcomes A set of comprehensive learning outcomes should be defined for the apprentice in which specific job-related and key competences are balanced and support both the personal development and career opportunities of apprentices. This would address the criticism that is raised against apprenticeships as fostering only the development of job specific skills and not addressing transversal skills. State of play and good practices The apprenticeship modernisation process in Greece foresaw (in 2015) defining the learning outcomes expected to be achieved in the workplace for each specialities. In Italy, the Law 78/2014 foresees an Individual Training Plan setting the learning outcomes for the apprentice that needs to be attached to the contract. Specification of learning outcomes: Austria and Estonia In Austria, each occupation has a binding training regulation which sets out a profile of competences (or learning outcomes) as well as: a job profile which specifies the professional competences that the apprentice must be taught; and an in-company curriculum. School-based training is regulated by an occupation-specific and nation-wide framework curriculum. In Estonia, VET curricula are developed on the basis of professional standards and associated descriptions of the competences required by professions. The curricula include expected learning outcomes, defined for Levels 2-5 of the Estonian Qualification Framework (Vocational Education Institution Act, 2013). The achievement of learning outcomes is assessed by a professional examination, according to the Vocational Education Standard.

4.1.1.3Pedagogical support Teachers and trainers play an indispensable role in high quality apprenticeships. In-company trainers should be designated for apprenticeships, and they should be supported appropriately in this task. They should cooperate closely with vocational education and training providers and teachers to guide apprentices. A particularly important question surrounds the development of pedagogical skills for in-company trainers, although actions taken by Member States also demonstrate that also teachers may need support in order to be adequately equipped for new or expanded roles in respect of apprenticeships. Continuing professional development, however, often seems to be a neglected area for both teachers and in-company trainers. This area may be the greatest challenge for quality in apprenticeships in terms of the cost for both public sector and enterprises of ensuring the supply of sufficiently competent teachers and trainers. In some countries having pedagogically skilled in-company trainers is linked to accreditation. This cooperation should furthermore be supported by mutual and regular feed-back mechanisms. Monitoring how the learning outcomes are reached should take place through continued monitoring systems, in which both teachers and in-company trainers cooperate. In particular, the assessment of apprentices during their time in the workplace should not be neglected even in school-based systems. In many countries teachers and schools have been given a role in overseeing workplace assessment practices, but this task could also be assigned to the workplace. This suggests that the issue of assessment should be thoroughly reflected. Support during and after apprenticeships can be key especially for people facing disadvantage, and some examples of such support exist, e.g. in form of counsellors and mentors. However, such provision may have some major cost implications. State of play and good practices The quality of teachers is covered by (often long-standing) school legislation which sets down various requirements in terms of qualifications etc. Indeed, since teachers are regarded as the experts in pedagogy, they can be given responsibility for the quality of work-based learning (as in the Czech Republic) and vocational education and training providers can be responsible for the preparation of in-company trainers (as in Estonia for example). That said, it has also been recognised that teachers may need to develop their competences in respect of apprenticeships. For example, reforms in 2014/15 in Denmark sought to improve teachers’ competences through short placements in companies to strengthen the connection to the world of work. Sweden - Incentives for workplace training of teachers §In Sweden, financial incentives for teachers to undertake workplace training are available through the National Agency for Education. The fund is addressed at schools and makes available 22 million Swedish crowns (2.4 million €) to partly-compensate schools for costs emerging from teachers’ workplace training. The fund can partly cover costs such as supply teachers, accommodation and travel costs, safety equipment and other materials needed for teachers. §Workplace training for VET teachers in Sweden should be of at least 2 weeks and aims to further develop teachers' practical competences in their subject of teaching. At the same time, the training supports the mutual understanding of teachers and trainers and their roles in providing high-quality VET. §Take-up of the fund is currently lower than expected due to a number of reasons including the fact that (i) teachers do not find the time to take part in work-based training, (ii) schools have to fund 50% of the work placement and (iii) administrative obstacles exist, such as the duration of application procedures. In the Netherlands, the teachers in VET schools have broad responsibilities and play an important role also when it comes to work-place training. Netherlands - Teachers as ‘jack of all trades’ §Teachers at VET schools in the Netherlands have wide reaching roles and responsibilities. They are involved in the development and delivery of educational programmes, as well as the coordination of teaching activities. §This includes the introduction of innovations and quality assurance responsibilities. Further, they provide study and career guidance, mentoring and supervision during work-place training. §Beyond their responsibility towards the learners, teachers are responsible for their own professional development and the development of the educational team they are working in. The cooperation between the teachers in VET schools and in-company tutors is important, and Portugal has put in place a system for this. Portugal - Cooperation between VET training institutions and in-company tutors §In Portugal, cooperation on the assessment of learning outcomes takes place between the training coordinator based in the VET training institution and the tutor, based in a company. §As per the legislation on apprenticeship courses, regular contacts between the VET training institution and the tutor are obligatory and the tutor is to be involved in the final assessment of learning outcomes of the student.

§It is good practice that tutors are involved in the pedagogical teams of the VET institutions. In reality, communication often takes place virtually rather than in person due to time constraints. In contrast, the regulation of in-company trainers is subject to far greater variation across Europe. In some countries, the roles of in-company trainers are defined in some detail. Italy - Defining the role of the in-company trainer In Italy, to guarantee the quality of training provided by enterprises, there must be a tutor with sufficient training and competence, established by collective bargaining, to monitor apprentices’ progress within companies. The main tasks of the enterprise tutor are defined as follows: §managing reception and insertion of young apprentices in the company; §planning and supporting learning and in-service socialisation pathways, thus facilitating the acquisition of skills and competencies; §conducting relations with the training centres, to enable positive integration between formal training and on the job experience; §monitoring and assessing progress results achieved by the apprentices. In terms of competences, in-company trainers can be required to have expertise in both their subjects and vocational pedagogy, e.g. in Austria, Germany, Slovakia. In other countries, e.g. the United Kingdom, there are no such mandatory requirements. Countries seeking to enhance and expand their apprenticeship provision may take steps to enhance the skills of in-company trainers. For example, in Sweden, an online course has been launched for supervisors in the workplace, and in 2008 Luxembourg launched a three-day train-the-trainer course. In Wallonia, Belgium, in 2015 an institute was established which, inter alia, accredits in-company tutors. One area of general weakness in current provision for both teachers and trainers is in relation to continuing professional