Proposal for a Council Decision on the promotion of European pathways for work-linked training, including apprenticeship (98/C 67/05) (Text with EEA relevance) COM(97) 572 final - 97/0321(SYN)

(Submitted by the Commission on 9 January 1998)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 127 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Treaty in cooperation with the European Parliament,

1. Whereas the Treaty gives the Community the task of implementing a vocational training policy to support and supplement the action of Member States while fully respecting their responsibility in particular by promoting the mobility of persons in training, especially young people, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States;

2. Whereas the Council, by Decision 63/266/EEC (1), established the general principles for implementing a common vocational training policy, notably by the second principle; whereas by Decision 94/819/EC (2), it adopted the Leonardo da Vinci programme for implementing a Community vocational training policy;

3. Whereas the Florence European Council stressed the importance of apprenticeship for the creation of jobs, a sentiment echoed by the Commission in its communication 'Promoting apprenticeship in Europe` (3);

4. Whereas the Council Resolution of 18 December 1979 (4) on work-linked training advocated that the Member States should encourage the development of effective links between training and work experience; whereas that commitment is reiterated in the Council resolution of 5 December 1994 (5) on the quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training which stresses the importance of work-linked training and the need to step up periods of vocational training in other Member States and to integrate those periods into national vocational training programmes;

5. Whereas the Commission's White Paper 'Teaching and learning: towards the learning society` (6) stresses the need for cooperation between schools and the business sector;

6. Whereas training establishments and the business sector are complementary forums for the acquisition of general, technical and social knowledge and skills; whereas in this connection, work-linked training, including apprenticeship, makes a significant contribution to more effective social and occupational integration of young people in jobs and on the employment market and can bring benefits to various target publics and to various levels of teaching and training, including higher education where students have a contract of paid employment;

7. Whereas individual transnational mobility aid for young people in work-linked training, including apprenticeship, provided for by Community programmes and initiatives, particularly the Leonardo da Vinci programme, should be complemented by specific resources assembled, in cooperation with Member States, to implement a system of mutual information and coordination for the implementation of 'European pathways`;

8. Whereas, in order to ensure quality training which can cater simultaneously for the requirements of individuals, large enterprises and SMEs, and society in general, it is important for work-linked training, including apprenticeship, to comply with common approaches, particularly with regard to teaching, organisation and follow-up, and with regard to relations between the training establishment and the company; whereas in this connection, where Member States' systems envisage an element of mobility within a period of work-linked training, they should lay down appropriate measures so that those concerned can benefit from a common system of recognition for the completion of that period of training;

9. Whereas it is important to ensure the quality of such periods of transnational mobility and Member States have a particular responsibility in this area; whereas, moreover, in view of the Commission's communication 'Incorporating equal opportunities for women and men into all Community policies and actions` (7), it is important to make sure that due account is taken of equal opportunities in the participation in 'European pathways` and appropriate measures must be taken to that end;

10. Whereas the Commission, in cooperation with the relevant bodies in the Member States, has the task of ensuring overall consistency in the implementation of this Decision with Community programmes and initiatives in education and vocational training; whereas it is necessary to monitor the implementation of this Decision on a permanent basis;

11. Whereas in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and the principle of proportionality as set out in Article 3b of the Treaty, the objectives of the action envisaged for the promotion of the European pathways for work-linked training, including apprenticeship, cannot be sufficiently implemented by the Member States in so far as such promotion and the setting up of a Community information document require coordinated action at Community level on the basis of common content and can therefore best be implemented at Community level because of the extreme diversity of training systems and structures in the Member States; whereas this Decision is limited to the minimum requirements to achieve those objectives and does not go beyond what is necessary to that end,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Objectives

1. This Decision sets out the content and the common principles applying to the implementation of 'European pathways for work-linked training, including apprenticeship` ('European pathways`).

2. This Decision establishes certification known as 'Europass-training` to attest at Community level to the period or periods of training followed by a person undergoing work-linked training, including apprenticeship, in a Member State other than that in which he or she is being trained.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Decision, and taking account of the differences which exist between the systems and provisions for work-linked training, including apprenticeship, in the Member States, the following definitions shall apply:

1. European pathway means any period of vocation training training pursued by a person in a Member State (host Member State) other than the one (Member State of provenance) where the person is following his or her work-linked training in the context of the said training;

2. person in work-linked training means any person in vocational training, irrespective of level and including higher education, leading to a diploma or a qualification recognised by the competent authorities of the Member State concerned, and involving structured periods of work-linked training in a training establishment and in a company as separate and complementary places of training whatever the person's status as regards work contract, apprenticeship contract, school or student status;

3. teaching mentor means any person in a company or a training establishment, who, for the purposes of work-linked training, has the task of assisting, informing, guiding and providing effective monitoring of people in training during their period in the company during the 'European pathways`;

4. significant duration means a duration of work-linked training completed in another Member State and considered jointly by the parties concerned to contribute to the overall, high-quality, training pathway;

5. Europass-training means a document establishing that the holder has completed one or more periods of work-linked training, including apprenticeship, in another Member State under the conditions defined in this Decision;

6. host partner is the organisation responsible for the 'European pathway` in the host Member State (enterprise, training establishment or centre, etc.).

Article 3

Content and common principles

1. Where Member States provide in their vocational training system for work-linked training including an element of mobility in another Member State, they shall adopt the necessary measures so that those persons in training concerned can benefit from 'European pathways`.

2. The 'European pathways` shall be an integral part of the training followed in the Member State of provenance.

3. A partnership between the organisation responsible for the training in the Member State of provenance and the host partner in the other Member State shall define the content, the objectives in terms of competences, the duration as well as the practicalities of monitoring the 'European pathways`.

4. The 'European pathways` shall be monitored and supervised by a teaching mentor in the host partner, account being taken in this regard of the capacity of SMEs and crafts to provide such monitoring.

5. The 'European pathways` shall be of significant duration.

6. The 'European pathways` shall be certified as such by the organisation responsible for the training in the Member State of provenance in accordance with Article 4.

Article 4

'Europass-training`

1. A record of achievement 'Europass-training`, shall be issued to all persons completing a 'European pathway`. It shall have the form of a Community information document, the contents and presentation of which are described in the Annex.

2. Europass-training shall:

(a) set out precisely the type of vocational training followed within which the 'European pathway` was completed as well as the final qualification or diploma according to the rules and arrangements in force in the Member State of provenance;

(b) specify that the said 'European pathway` is an integral part of the training undertaken in the Member State of provenance;

(c) show the content of the 'European pathway` specifying the skills acquired during the work experience or training;

(d) indicate the duration of the 'European pathway` organised by the host partner during the work experience or training;

(e) identify the host partner;

(f) indicate the qualifications of the teaching mentor;

(g) be issued by the body responsible for the vocational training followed by the person concerned in the Member State of provenance; it shall also be signed by that Member State, the host partner and by the person concerned.

3. The provisions concerning 'Europass-training` shall also apply when the 'European pathway` includes a series of training periods in several Member States.

Article 5

Consistency and complementarity

The Commission, in compliance with the procedures and resources of the Community programmes and initiatives in education and vocational training, shall ensure overall consistency between the implementation of this Decision and those programmes and initiatives.

Article 6

Support and accompanying measures

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the production, and appropriate diffusion and monitoring of the 'Europass-training` in close cooperation with the Member States. To this end, each Member State shall designate a body for coordination and implementation at national level in close cooperation with the social partners as well as representative organisations for work-linked training.

2. Each Member State shall make the necessary arrangements and take the necessary measures to:

(a) allow quality control as well as qualitative evaluation of the actions implemented,

and

(b) facilitate equal opportunities, in particular by raising the awareness of the mentors in that respect.

3. In close cooperation with the Member States, the Commission shall set up a mutual coordination and information system.

Article 7

Financing

The resources needed to implement Article 6(1) and (3) shall be covered by the general budget of the European Union within its financial perspective.

Article 8

Applicability

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2000.

Article 9

Addressees

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

(1) OJ 63, 20.4.1963, p. 1338/63.

(2) OJ L 340, 29.12.1994, p. 8.

(3) COM(97) 300 final.

(4) OJ C 1, 3.1.1980, p. 1.

(5) OJ C 374, 30.12.1994. p. 1.

(6) COM(95) 590 final.

(7) COM(96) 67 final.

ANNEX

'Europass-training`

Description of the document:

The document is in the form of a report book (format A5).

It consists of six sheets in addition to the cover sheet.

On the front cover will appear:

- the term 'Europass-training`,

- the logo of the European Community.

Inside front cover:

General description of the 'Europass-training` record of achievement (in the language of the holder).

This Community information document known as 'Europass-training` is established in accordance with Decision 98/. . ./CE concerning the implementation of 'European pathways for work-linked training and apprenticeship`.

Its purpose (in accordance with Article 2 of the Decision) is to stand as a record of achievement during the period(s) of training completed by a young person in work-linked training and/or apprenticeship in a Member State other than the one in which he/she is undertaking his training;

Page 1, side 1:

Particulars of the holder (in the holder's language).

The different headings will be given in the other Community languages on the inside back cover page.

Page 1, side 2:

European pathway 1

(language of the original establishment)

(a) vocational training followed and qualification of diploma to which it gives rise;

(b) this 'European pathway` is an integral part of the training followed;

(c) content of the 'European pathway` and skills acquired during the work experience or training;

(d) duration of the 'European pathway`;

(e) details of the host partner (training centre and/or company);

(f) qualifications of the teaching mentor;

(g) joint signature of the original training body, the host partner and the person concerned.

Page 2, side 1:

European pathway 1

repeat of the details given on page 1, side 2, in the language of the host partner.

Page 2, side 2:

European pathway 1

repeat of the details given on page 1, side 2, in the language of the holder if different from that used on page 1.

Page 3, sides 1 and 2, page 4, side 1:

European pathway 2 (if appropriate).

Page 4, side 2, page 5, sides 1 and 2:

European pathway 3 (if appropriate).