EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 26.8.2015 SWD(2015) 161 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Draft 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020)



New priorities for European cooperation in education and training {COM(2015) 408 final}



Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE ET 2020 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS: IMPLEMENTATION AND ORIENTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE 2.1. Making Lifelong learning and mobility a reality 2.1.1. Lifelong learning strategies 2.1.2. Adult learning 2.1.3. European transparency and recognition tools 2.1.4. Learning mobility 2.2. Quality and efficiency in education and training 2.2.1. Basic skills (literacy, mathematics, science and technology), languages 2.2.2. Professional development of teachers, trainers and school leaders 2.2.3. Modernising higher education and increasing tertiary attainment levels 2.2.4. Attractiveness and relevance of VET 2.2.5. Efficient funding and evaluation 2.3 Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship 2.3.1. Early school leaving 2.3.2. Early childhood education and care 2.3.3. Equity and diversity

2.4. Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training 2.4.1. Building partnerships between education, business and civil society to promote entrepreneurship education and employability 2.4.2. Transversal key competences, entrepreneurship education, e-literacy, media literacy, innovative learning environments 2.4.3. An agenda for digital learning 3. Governance of the ET 2020 strategic framework 3.1. ET 2020 Governance 3.1.1. Making the most of the formal governance structure 3.1.2. Bridging ET 2020 formal and informal governance 3.1.3. Improving the transparency of ET 2020 governance 3.2. The ET 2020 tool box 3.2.1. A third generation of ET 2020 Working Groups 3.2.2. ET 2020 Peer Reviews 3.2.3. Improved ET 2020 peer learning activities, including peer counselling 3.2.4. Better dissemination, knowledge and transfer exchange 3.2.5. Cooperation with the stakeholders 3.3. Strengthening the evidence base of ET 2020 3.3.1. European benchmarks to support evidence-based policy-making 3.3.2. The Education and Training Monitor 3.3.3. Streamlining, optimising and rationalising reporting 3.3.4. The Standing Group of Indicators and Benchmarks and Indicator Expert Groups under ET 2020

3.4. Funding instruments in support of ET 2020 3.4.1. The LLL Programme 3.4.2. The new Erasmus+ programme for 2014-20 3.4.3. Cohesion Policy to support education and training between 2017-13 3.4.4. The Investment Plan for Europe Annexes Annex 1: Synthesis of the National Contributions from the EEA and Candidate Countries Annex 2: Independent interim evaluation Annex 3: Riga Conclusions on a new set of medium-term deliverables in the field of VET for 2015-2020 1. INTRODUCTION The ET 2020 Joint Report Established through the Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009, the ET 2020 strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training provides for the adoption of a Joint Report by the Council and the Commission at the end of each 3-year work cycle. The Joint Report looks at the main achievements of the past work cycle, determines the main remaining challenges and identifies the priority areas for the next work cycle. To thoroughly prepare this Joint Report, the Commission has conducted a mid-term stocktaking of ET 2020. Preparing the 2015 Joint Report was not a routine exercise. In February 2014, the Education Council made clear that: - Member States and Commission should try to “increase the added value and optimise the effectiveness of the ET 2020 strategic framework and its underlying governance and working arrangements”; and that - the purpose of the mid-term stocktaking was “to help prepare the next draft Joint Report, with a more forward-looking focus which identifies key priority areas and concrete issues for future work”. Contributing elements to the mid-term stocktaking The key findings of the ET 2020 mid-term stocktaking draw on a variety of contributions, including: ET 2020 National Reports in which the Member States elaborate on progress during the past work cycle, remaining challenges and needs for future cooperation at EU-level;

Senior officials' input: In the spring 2014, the ET 2020 Directors General (DG) meetings (for schools; higher education; VET) and the High Level Group (HLG) each held a discussion on the overall ET 2020 framework and its working methods. In the autumn 2014, the DG meetings each held a discussion on their sectoral priorities. In December 2014, the HLG discussed the overall orientations of the Joint Report; The independent interim evaluation of ET 2020 by contractor Ecorys was submitted on 3 November 2014 and includes recommendations for ET 2020’s improvement; The annual Education, Training and Youth Forum (9-10 October 2014) was specifically devoted to input by stakeholders, civil society and NGOs in the ET 2020 stocktaking; Input by the European social partners: On 5 June and 13 November 2014, the European social partners provided input in the ET 2020 stocktaking on the occasion of meetings with EAC. On 6 November, the European sectoral social dialogue committee in education also discussed the ET 2020 priorities. ET 2020: the value of an integrated strategic framework The ET 2020 strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training was launched by the Council in May 2009. It is designed to cover learning in all contexts — whether formal, non-formal or informal — and at all levels: from early childhood education and schools through to higher education, vocational education and training and adult learning. During the ET 2020 mid-term stocktaking, there was a general consensus among stakeholders about the great value of having such an integrated strategic framework covering education and training in all its contexts, levels and dimensions. Input from the stakeholders emphasised that such an integrated approach is necessary: To ensure the coherence and permeability between the various education and training sectors and to bridge the gaps between formal, informal and non-formal learning (which is instrumental in making lifelong learning operational); To bring the necessary broader transversal context to the sectoral agendas (stakeholders generally agreed that in education and training a sectoral silo approach can only lead to sub-optimal results); and To effectively weigh on the EU’s overall political agenda, in particular in the context of the reviewed Europe 2020 and the European Semester. Several reasons plead for a coherently integrated policy framework in education and training, also reflected in the integrated nature of the new Erasmus+ programme: Lifelong learning: in the modern economy, learning has become a necessary and enriching activity during the various stages of life. Since the Lisbon Strategy, European cooperation on education and training has been underpinned by the principle of lifelong learning from early childhood to adult learning. Requests by stakeholders, including by learners, providers and employers, for a simpler, more user-friendly and more flexible approach to implementing the lifelong learning paradigm plead for an enhanced coordination between the various education and training sectors and for a strongly integrated overall policy framework. Permeability: European cooperation in education and training has fostered a world of learning that is increasingly characterised by permeability between education and training contexts, sectors and levels. With a view to reducing the skills gap and improving employability, such permeability is essential to allow learners, providers and employers to fully benefit from education and training opportunities. However, in order to work in practice, permeability needs to go hand in hand with policy coherence, which at this moment is ensured through the mechanisms of the ET 2020 strategic framework. Qualification and competences: A key element of permeability is improved transparency and recognition of qualifications and competences and extended acceptance of European transparency and recognition tools. This is essential to the development of quality education and training, and to facilitate mobility for both lifelong learning and occupational purposes throughout Europe, between countries as well as across sectors. To be beneficial to learners, graduates, providers and employers, the further development of transparency and recognition of qualifications and competences is necessarily a cross-sectoral activity that requires coherence and coordination of education and training as a whole, whether formal, non-formal or informal. This can also help to better use the skills of those having acquired qualifications outside of the EU. Communication: The integrated ET 2020 framework allows for greater efficiency in linking with the public and with the education and training stakeholders than a compartmentalised approach. This is important since the effectiveness of European activities in education and training depends to a large extent on reaching the stakeholders, including at regional and local levels.

ET 2020 strategic objectives: preserving the stability The large majority of Member States and most other stakeholders have indicated a clear preference for stability in ET 2020’s four strategic objectives as formulated by the Council in 2009, which guide ET 2020’s overall activities: 1. Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality; 2. Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training; 3. Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; 4. Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training. Arguments for stability of the strategic objectives include: The current strategic objectives still reflect a large consensus among the Member States. A reopening of the strategic objectives might lead to a lengthy negotiation for rather limited results; The strategic objectives are sufficiently broad to encompass new concerns and new agendas: for example, they emphasise the importance of education in promoting intercultural competences, democratic values and non-discrimination. They underline the importance of “the use of new teaching and learning technologies” and of “digital competence”. The key issue with ET 2020 is not the formulation of the strategic objectives, but the weaknesses in its operational nature. Enhancing the operational nature of ET 2020 is what the Joint Report should concentrate on. ET 2020 priority areas: making the strategic framework more operational The stock-taking indicated a preference for the stability of the four strategic objectives but at the same time called for ET 2020 to be more focused and more operational. The difference between the ET 2020 strategic objectives and the current priority areas is viewed as minimal and does not provide strong enough guidelines for implementation. Thus far, priority areas have hardly served as tools that help focus European cooperation on a limited number of key questions or on achieving particular outcomes. In this context, Member States and stakeholders generally expressed a willingness to make the future priorities more concrete and operational. Several Member States also underlined the need to reduce the number of priorities and deliverables. In February 2014, the Council has underlined that the mid-term stocktaking is “to help prepare the next draft Joint Report, with a more forward-looking focus which identifies key priority areas and concrete issues for future work”. In this context, the independent evaluation recommended that a more tightly focused set of objectives should be linked to concrete and clear intended outcomes which can be systematically monitored (recommendation 2). The evaluation report went on to propose that a work programme should be added to ET 2020 which sets out a coherent package of activities to be undertaken at European level and with milestones and goals for Member States in order to be able to better measure progress (recommendation 3). It is proposed to have in Annex 1 of the Joint Report the list of priority areas (reduced from 13 to 6) and to define for each priority area a set of concrete issues to be taken forward in the ET 2020 Working Groups or in any other ET 2020 instrument. These issues: - represent a common challenge for the Member States; - show a clear added value in tackling them at European level. These concrete issues will be followed on by the Working Groups, as made explicit in their mandates. They will be monitored by the informal groups of senior officials.

ET 2020 is firmly anchored in the EU’s broader political agenda ET 2020 contributes to the implementation of the Union’s overall political priorities and is the key European tool in providing support to Member States in the modernisation of their education and training systems. ET 2020 contributes in the first place to the EU’s priority of boosting jobs, growth and investment, which requires investing in education and training with the aim of improving educational outcomes, overcoming skills gaps, enhancing employability and social inclusion, and boosting innovation and competitiveness. To be effective in these areas, our education systems must be modernised. Commissioner Navracsics’ mission letter explicitly states that “The European Semester should be the vehicle for pursuing the modernisation of education systems”. ET 2020 is crucial in this context, but needs further sharpening of the focus on assisting clusters of Member States that face issues identified in the CSRs, notably via peer learning activities, conducted both within and outside the ET 2020 Working Groups (see chart below). An equally important role of education and training lies in preventing and tackling radicalisation, racism, fanaticism and violence. As follow-up to the Paris declaration of 17 March 2015 a new strand of activities could be identified under ET 2020’s third strategic objective, aimed at embedding democratic values and respect for fundamental rights, combatting racism and discrimination and promoting social cohesion and intercultural competences. In addition, ET 2020 is actively contributing to other major Commission priorities, such as: the Digital Single Market, notably via the ET 2020 Working Group on Digital and Online Learning and the ongoing work to improve digital skills and competence education as well as the uptake of digital technologies and innovative tools and pedagogies across all education sectors; the European Agenda on Security, via the reinforcement of the third strategic objective under ET 2020. ET 2020 governance cycle ET 2020 has been operating on the basis of three-year work-cycles. During the stocktaking a number of stakeholders suggested that the three-year cycles became obsolete. The Union’s political rhythm moves in accordance with the five-year terms of the European Parliament and of the Commission. The Union’s overall strategy for jobs and growth – Europe 2020 – was established for a ten-year period, with a mid-term review after five years and the Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on the ET 2020 strategic framework underlined that education and training had to remain firmly anchored in the broader strategy. In this context, the draft Joint Report proposes that the ET 2020 governance cycle is henceforth synchronised with the Union’s five-year political cycle as well as with the rhythm of Europe 2020. For ET 2020, this implies that the next Joint Report will be in 2020 (and not 2018), thereby allowing more time for Member States to produce National Reports. As the results of European cooperation in education and training tend to take longer than three years before bringing about tangible effects, the five-year cycle will also enable a more reliable assessment of past policy orientations before making major changes.



 The Staff Working Document: content and structure The present Staff Working Document accompanies the Commission Communication proposing the draft 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020). The Staff Working Document provides the analytical basis for the Joint Report. It offers insight into the developments recorded over the period 2012-2014 and aims at: -Reviewing progress made at national level towards the ET 2020 objectives;

-Taking stock of the developments at European level within the ET 2020 Strategic Framework implementing the open method of coordination in the field of education and training. Following the introductory chapter, the structure of the present Staff Working Document includes: An extensive chapter 2, focused on the implementation of ET 2020 strategic objectives and priority areas. This chapter follows the order of the ET 2020 strategic objectives and especially of the priority areas as identified in the 2012 Joint Report, thus allowing for a systematic reporting on the previous ET 2020 work cycle. A standard structure was used under each priority area, including the policy context at EU level, reporting, remaining challenges, priorities for further action. The cross-country analysis was primarily based on Member States' national reports, but in some cases reference is also made to other official sources of information, such as, inter alia, Cedefop and Eurydice. To note that the national actions/initiatives mentioned in this document represent only a snapshot of the developments in a given ET 2020 priority area, as not all countries reported fully and ongoing initiatives may exist in Member States which have not reported them. The concrete examples reported here are intended to illustrate progress. They are not necessarily examples of good practice. The "priorities for future action" correspond to the “concrete issues” identified in the 2015 Joint Report. They are based on the Member States' national reports and the outcomes of the 2012-2014 work cycle, as well as on evidence and analysis the Commission has at its disposal. A detailed chapter 3 on Governance, which provides an overview of the implementation of ET 2020 open method of coordination with a focus on its working bodies, methods and outcomes. Annexes 2. THE ET 2020 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS: IMPLEMENTATION AND ORIENTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE 2.1. Making Lifelong learning and mobility a reality Lifelong learning (LLL) strategies continue to form an important mechanism to guide and connect education and training policies. Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality remains a fundamental ET 2020 principle, calling for coherent and comprehensive lifelong learning strategies based on building blocks such as early childhood education and care and the reduction of early school leaving, and supported by European and National Qualification Frameworks , permeability of learning pathways and transparency and recognition of learning outcomes. In this context, adult learning remains a specific challenge for a number of Member States. The value for adults to learn throughout life needs renewed and special attention and has to be acknowledged as an integral part of a continuum, delivering skills from early childhood to later life. Learning mobility for learners and educators is an equally essential element of lifelong learning and a means for enhancing adaptability and employability. 2.1.1. Lifelong learning strategies

Policy context at EU level In the majority of EU Member States the LLL approach is recognised across the education and training framework. However, as LLL strategies are sometimes conceived for a limited duration, efforts must be pursued over the next ET 2020 cycle to ensure their mainstreaming in long-term policy and legislation. Embedding the concept of LLL and flexible learning in policy across all sectors requires coordination and partnership, supported by continued implementation of European and National Qualification Frameworks (EQF, NQFs) that include formal, non-formal and informal learning routes, at all levels of education and training. Reporting The ET 2020 stocktaking revealed that more than half of EU Member States have a comprehensive LLL strategy in place. Some implemented their strategies between 2012 and 2014 with a view to improving access, participation, flexibility and recognition. Austria introduced its comprehensive "LLL 2020" strategy in 2011, consisting of ten lines of action, each supported by strategic objectives, measures and benchmarks. In addition, within the framework of the comprehensive "LLL 2020" strategy, each public university must develop its own institutional LLL strategy. Denmark adopted a comprehensive approach implementing a wide range of essential initiatives to promote LLL: assisting municipalities in promoting early childhood education and care to support vulnerable children, supporting measures targeted at school, higher and adult education and continued training (receiving an extra DKK1 million for 2014-17), promoting youth education programmes. Some Member States (FI, SE) consider that their entire educational system is already built and developed around the LLL concept and therefore do not plan to develop any explicit LLL strategy as such, others (SI) recently amended their LLL legal base and a number of them are developing an integrated LLL strategy or renewing the existing one. Remaining challenges Several Member States still have to put comprehensive lifelong learning strategies in place. Since such strategies are essential to link up the various forms and levels of learning and ensure the necessary permeability, all Member States are encouraged to establish or renew them. This should go hand in hand with reinforced efforts to smoothen transitions within the lifelong learning educational trajectory and generate a seamless continuum which delivers skills from early childhood to later life. Furthermore, LLL strategies will not be successful without provision of lifelong guidance services, needed to inform and accompany learners, and reach out to low-skilled and disadvantaged groups. Achieving a learning continuum over the life-course in addition to modernised formal education requires the provision of comprehensive information on studies, counselling and career planning across sector-specific boundaries. Policy experimentation, financed through Erasmus+ in 2014, gives impetus to the development of “one-stop shops” to provide this service at local and regional level, and could be followed on by prospective studies geared at opening up existing training centres and educational institutions to reach a wider public, and to provide flexible modular pathways. Priorities for the future Re-igniting lifelong learning strategies addressing the transition phases within school education, while promoting transitions to and between vocational education and training (VET), higher education (HE) and adult learning (AL), including non-formal and informal learning, and from education and training to work. 2.1.2. Adult learning Policy context at EU level Despite having lifelong learning strategies in place, it can be observed that many Member States simply lack a coherent policy on adult learning which links seamlessly with policy on initial education and training and which is implemented with the same rigour as policy on schooling. For this reason, during the period 2012-2014, the European Agenda for Adult Learning reinforced the ET 2020 priorities in the sector, in order to achieve the longer term vision of equal opportunity and access to high-quality learning. The Agenda strongly emphasises the need to focus on awareness raising, participation and access for those groups that need learning most, including the low-skilled and unemployed adults, migrants and older people. The Council Resolution asked Member States to designate a national coordinator, in order to facilitate cooperation in implementing this agenda: 36 countries have now nominated a national coordinator, of which 21 are in education ministries and the rest in related national agencies. Between 2012-2014, Lifelong Learning programme funding was secured to support the national coordinators in taking concrete steps to enhance, intensify and coordinate adult learning by involving all the relevant stakeholders. National coordinators were required to develop national activity plans to implement the European Agenda for Adult Learning at national and regional levels and to this aim 28 of the then 32 national coordinators applied for funding.

The most common forms of coordination and exchange with stakeholders were: conferences and seminars; meetings to get stakeholder involvement on specific issues; fostering networks of stakeholders. Some countries developed closer cooperation via occasional working groups. Core groups to steer the agenda (DE, EL, FR, IT, NO) and in a few cases sustainable mechanisms for cooperation such as national bodies for adult or non-formal learning (BG, FI, HR, LT) were also set up. National coordinators' activities focused on awareness-raising of the European Agenda and highlighting the importance of national adult learning policy, in particular for the low-skilled target groups. More than 60 national events and 230 regional events took place, and websites and promotional materials were developed. Awareness raising campaigns were organised in 12 Member States, and regular calendar events such as learning weeks or days were reinforced or introduced, including a learning bus in EE and LI. These events provided opportunities for peer learning and exchange of practice for national coordinators and stakeholders from other countries. Starting with 2015, Erasmus+ funding could support future work in this direction. Operational since 2014, EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe) provides a collaborative space for enhanced networking and cooperation among adult learning professionals (educators and policymakers) across the EU. It aims at driving change in the adult learning sector and support its transformation. It provides a repository of high quality learning resources that will enable staff to further develop their teaching and outreach skills and an incubator for cooperation and the development of digital teaching materials, in particular Open Learning Resources. An analytical framework for the analysis of adult learning policies and their effectiveness was developed in close association with the ET 2020 Working Group on adult learning. Finalised in 2015, it provides a tool for further cooperation to develop and improve adult learning policies in Europe, including use by future Working Groups. The EU level could enhance opportunities for mutual learning and exchange, including through Erasmus+, involving continued support and reinforcement for the national coordinators for adult learning, staff mobility and professional development, further development of EPALE, as well as innovative projects and policy experimentation. Reporting Adult learning is an area where prolific activity has been reported during the ET 2020 stocktaking. An extensive examination of national policy commitments to adult learning, main types of programmes, learning flexibility and progression pathways, outreach initiatives, guidance services and targeted financial support is provided by Eurydice. The majority of Member States reported measures to enhance the quality of the adult education system. Some have advanced in the area of accreditation and evaluation of providers and programmes, of monitoring systems, or have introduced national standards and regulations, or set up responsible bodies. Most of the Member States reported measures to raise participation in adult learning by focusing on the individual adult, through a range of activities: counselling, flexibility in learning - evening courses, part-time courses, personalised training programmes or e-learning, broadening the variety of courses, recognition and certification of prior learning (BE, PL, PT). Distance learning now accounts for about 5% of adult learning. Efforts have been made to enable the participation in adult education of specific target groups, such as persons in correctional facilities (IT,LV), foreigners and migrants (IT, SE), and older people (BG, DE, LT, PL). Young adults were targeted through initiatives under the Youth Guarantee (FI). Measures to improve the efficiency of adult learning are underway in the majority of countries. There is a trend towards measures to better serve labour market needs, which focus on: raising the interest of the world of work for adult education (LV, LT, PL, SI), steering adult education towards labour market demands (BG, LV, PL), supporting employer investments in adult education (LT, PL, SI) and enhancing the involvement of employers in adult education (BG, PL). In Northern Ireland (UK) a shift from non-formal to formal learning was reported: about 90% of adult education leads to a qualification, designed with the support of sector skills councils and employers. In 2014, both Estonia and Lithuania published new legislation on non-formal adult learning, in the latter this was accompanied by a quality assurance system and the development of an action plan 2014-16. In the area of financing adult learning, improvements to the funding system have been made in some countries, for example by developing new funding criteria, or through the participation of employers and municipalities. Funding mechanisms to raise participation in adult education include providing programmes free of charge (AT, CY, EE, UK), training vouchers (DE) and additional funding for providers to improve quality and personalise training (SE). Measures related to regionalisation and better exploitation of facilities locally include the setting up of regional Education and Training Boards (IE), the identification of regional priorities and the provision of regional support and information to increase participation (FR, LT), the establishment of regional adult education centres (DK, IT, LV), regional cooperation between employers and institutions (LV, PL), the involvement of VET schools by establishing them as lifelong learning centres (CZ). In Ireland the Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) and the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) were established in 2013 and all education and training centres vested in SOLAS were transferred to their respective ETB. SOLAS published a five-year strategy for the development and delivery of an integrated further education and training system, linked to labour market needs. This includes setting up referral protocols between education and training boards and Intreo offices (single points of contact for all employment and income supports). Annually, each ETB will deliver the overall budget to make provision for learners and will detail the programmes and courses it will deliver, as well as target learner profiles and the National Framework of Qualifications levels that will be achieved, in consultation with employers and local Intreo offices. Remaining challenges The results of the OECD’s Adult Skills Survey (PIAAC) highlight that Europe’s growth and competitiveness is at risk, in a situation where one in five Europeans surveyed have weak literacy and numeracy skills and one in four have difficulties in using ICT to solve problems. Although, on average, more than 50% of those with weak skills are in employment, they enjoy much less training than high-skilled people and are therefore stuck in a "low skills trap". With respect to the 15% benchmark, the Labour Force Survey results show that in 2014 only 10.7% of all adults aged 25 to 64 participated in lifelong learning. When considering only tertiary education (ISCED levels 5 and 6), the 15% benchmark has been reached, but only 4.4% of those with low attainment levels participated (lower secondary educational level or less - ISCED 0-2). The Adult Education Survey (AES) shows that, with a few exceptions, the demand for adult and continuing education grew between 2007 and 2011, in spite of the economic crisis. However, it also highlights a lack of motivation to learn as a huge challenge to be overcome. Of all the adults in EU28, almost half (46%) responded that they do not participate and do not want to participate in learning activities in the future. Two thirds of those who already participate in learning (28% of the total adult population) do not want to participate more in adult learning (their learning needs were “satisfied”), whereas 14% would have liked to participate more than they actually could. Motivation, outreach, access and participation remain the key challenges facing adult learning. Even basic skills provision is fragmented and dispersed among a myriad of providers, stakeholders, policies, short-term and longer-term initiatives, often restricted to individual target groups. The qualifications of around 68 million people do not go beyond lower secondary level. They face substantial barriers and are least likely to benefit from learning opportunities. While policy agendas emphasise access for this group, specific targets are rarely set and little is known about the effectiveness of outreach initiatives, which pleads for further monitoring and impact assessment.

As only 6,2% of the participation in adult learning is through the formal education system, adult learning policy should include processes to validate, identify, document, access and certify learning outcomes in line with the 2012 Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. The European Agenda for Adult Learning has a crucial role in addressing these issues, as it reflects Member States' national policy priorities up to 2020. The national coordinators face challenging tasks that deserves due resources and attention and their status and impact at national level would need to be raised to reach the desired goals. Priorities for further action European Agenda for Adult Learning 2015-2020 Governance • Improve the coordination and effectiveness of adult education and training policies and their coherence with other policy areas including initial education and training, social, environmental, welfare and employment; • Ensure the relevance of adult learning provision to the needs of society and the labour market; • Develop equitable, shared solutions to increase investment in adult learning. Supply and take up • Significantly increase the supply of high quality adult learning provision, especially in literacy, numeracy and digital skills, including by closer partnership with providers, social partners and civil society; • Significantly increase the take-up of adult learning, particularly in the workplace, including through effective outreach, guidance and motivation strategies targeting groups at risk, older adults and migrants and people with a migrant background. Flexibility and access • Widen access to provision by encouraging providers and employers to increase significantly the availability of workplace-based learning, and by making effective use of ICT in adult learning; • Put in place procedures to identify and assess the skills of low qualified adults inside and outside the labour market, to stimulate adult participation in learning, in line with the Recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning; • Provide sufficient second-chance opportunities leading to a recognised EQF level qualification for those without a level 3 qualification (upper secondary education). Quality

• Quality assurance, including monitoring and impact assessment; • Significantly raise the quality of the initial and continuing education of adult educators; • Keeping policy and provision under review and ensuring collection of necessary data on needs to effectively target and design provision. 2.1.3. European transparency and recognition tools Policy context at EU level Most Member States regard European transparency and recognition tools as a priority and a significant challenge for the future, on the backdrop of high levels of unemployment and skills bottlenecks and mismatches in certain regions or sectors. Under the 2012-2014 ET 2020 work cycle a large majority of Member States have already developed a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and have referenced their NQF to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Some NQFs encompass formal and non-formal learning, but several countries prefer to focus in the first place on formal qualifications. A revision of European tools and policies on skills and qualifications is ongoing. The aim is to better enable learners and workers to have skills and qualifications recognised by employers and educational institutions within and across national borders, for purposes of employability and further learning. This can also help to better use the skills of those having acquired qualifications outside of the EU. Reporting Five Member States propose to take implementation of the EQF forward to the next ET 2020 work cycle, focussing on the learning outcomes approach (CZ, DK, FI), or on the validation and recognition of skills and qualifications (HR), and advocate cooperation on assigning EQF levels to international qualifications (MT). Several stress the link between recognition tools, such as the EQF, and quality tools such as EQUAVET, or the need to focus on the implementation of the EQF and validation of nonformal and informal learning (DK). Some Member States (HR, IT, MT, RO) see the promotion of the recognition and validation of skills and competences acquired through nonformal and informal learning as an essential part of an integrated lifelong learning strategy. According to the European Inventory on Validation, three Member States (FI, FR, ES) have a comprehensive national strategy in place, eleven have a national strategy but with some missing elements, and thirteen are preparing a national strategy. Fifteen Member States have adopted measures related to the learning outcomes-based approach, which is sometimes driven by the NQFs. The degree of implementation varies from Member States where it is anchored in all levels of education (EE, MT, PL) to those where it is only in primary and secondary education and VET (LU). Remaining challenges The EU and the Member States have launched several initiatives to promote the transparency, quality assurance, validation and recognition of skills and qualifications. But challenges remain, as these initiatives have often been developed for a specific sector and do not sufficiently support permeability and mobility between sectors, nor do they accommodate the needs and opportunities arising from new learning trends such as digital technologies and internationalisation of education. Moreover, tools and services for the transparency, validation and recognition of prior learning are not sufficiently known by the citizens nor by potential users (e.g. European e-Competence Framework and DIGICOMP). There is a need to improve awareness of and access to European transparency and recognition tools and services among workers, employers and students, and to promote the validation and recognition of learning outcomes acquired in the eenvironment. This has to be backed by the implementation of the EQF recommendation, including the establishment of the NQFs, as suggested by several Member States. The development of NQFs that include all forms of non-formal learning is still a challenge in many countries, and mapping the NQFs to the EQF entails a shift to learning outcomes. Member States' suggestions for further work include: promoting common procedures, exchanging good practices to reduce distrust in systems, procedures and results, creating a European platform for validation and recognition of skills and learning outcomes. Priorities for further action Fostering transparency, quality assurance, validation and recognition of skills and qualifications, including those acquired through digital, online and open learning and the validation of informal and non-formal learning. Facilitating assessment and recognition of skills acquired outside of the EU. Simplifying and rationalising the transparency, documentation, validation and recognition tools that involve direct outreach to learners, workers and employers and promoting the use of qualifications frameworks.

2.1.4. Learning mobility Policy context at EU level ET 2020 underlines the value of international mobility as a way for learners and teaching staff to develop their skills and employment prospects and calls for action to expand opportunities for mobility in European education and training systems. Recent evidence from a study on the impact of the Erasmus+ programme shows that higher education students who study abroad increase their advantage in key transversal competences over non-mobile students, are given greater responsibility in their first jobs and have a greater propensity to work abroad after graduation. The same study found that 64% of employers think that international experience is an important factor in recruitment. Under the previous ET 2020 work cycle considerable efforts have been made to further specify the overall objectives on mobility included in ET 2020 through target setting and more detailed policy recommendations. In November 2011, Member States adopted a benchmark on learning mobility with the aim of raising the proportion of graduates having spent a period studying or training abroad to 20% in higher education and 6% in initial VET by 2020 . Member States have committed to promote mobility through implementing the 2011 Council Recommendation ‘Youth on the move — promoting the learning mobility of young people’. This Recommendation highlights key issues which affect individuals' motivation and ability to spend time studying or training abroad and where national policy frameworks and institutional strategies can have a clear influence. Important aspects include provision of information and guidance about mobility opportunities and benefits of mobility, financial support (including targeted assistance for disadvantaged students), recognition of credits and qualifications obtained abroad. Reporting Member States' National Reports on the implementation of ET 2020 highlight a range of policy initiatives to support mobility reflecting elements in the 2011 Council Recommendation and a strong on-going commitment at national level to expanding mobility opportunities across the EU, particularly as part of wider efforts to internationalise higher education. Fifteen Member States report specifically on national internationalisation strategies in higher education and all of these involve promotion of mobility of students and staff to some extent (typically both inbound and outbound), often through international institutional partnerships. In this regard, many countries explicitly acknowledge their strategic use of EU mobility programmes as a tool to help drive forward national mobility and internationalisation agendas. Remaining challenges The 2014 Mobility Scoreboard reveals that the environment for learning mobility varies greatly between Member States and that no single Member State scores highly in all the areas covered by the study. Despite numerous European initiatives to promote the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, as well as skills development, obstacles related to transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications still hamper geographical and sectoral mobility. In the area of information and guidance, the most comprehensive public support systems are found in five Member States, while four countries have the least developed information and guidance structures. The degree to which student support can be accessed during study abroad also varies considerably. Higher education students are able to receive public grants and loans when they study in another country on the same terms as when they study at home in several Member States, while support systems are most restrictive in others. Regarding joint degree programmes, experience from Erasmus Mundus (now Erasmus+) has shown the benefits of this approach, but equally the need to address outstanding challenges such as joint quality assurance and funding agreements. Priorities for further action Supporting the mobility of students, staff and researchers and the development of strategic partnerships and joint courses by increasing internationalisation in Higher Education. 2.2. Quality and efficiency in education and training Quality teaching and the effective organisation of educational and training activities received increased attention over the previous ET 2020 work cycle. There is a general acknowledgement that investment in human capital is essential for ensuring growth and competitiveness and Member States argue in favour of maintaining the strategic objective of pursuing quality and efficiency in education and training. In general Member States see quality as an issue that cuts across general, vocational, and adult education. Regarding efficiency, on the backdrop of recent cuts and continuing constraints on educational budgets in a number of Member States, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investment in education and training appears essential to avoid deterioration of outcomes.

2.2.1. Basic skills (literacy, mathematics, science and technology), languages Policy context at EU level Data from Eurostat, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) show that too many people (young and adults) in the EU have fairly low skills, drop out from education or training, or do not take part in further learning, up- or re-skilling. Underachievement in basic skills among school-age children cause troubles in the transition to work and increase the risk of remaining low-skilled throughout life, which is correlated to a higher risk of unemployment and low productivity. Progress is mixed regarding the ET 2020 benchmark of reducing the share of "low achievers" among 15 year olds in reading, mathematics and science to below 15%. The EU as a whole is seriously lagging behind in mathematics. Progress is slightly better in reading and science, but the slow pace of improvement demands that Member States sustain their efforts to tackle low achievement in school education. Students below PISA level 2 – European Union's averages 2006 2009 2012 Reading 23% 20% 18% Mathematics 24% 22% 22% Science 20% 18% 17% Source: EU Commission analysis of PISA 2012 results (PISA 2012, OECD). There is evidence that migrants and those with a migrant background have more adverse educational outcomes. In 2012, an average of 30% of foreign-born pupils across the European Union lacked basic reading skills at 15, compared with around 25% of native students born to immigrant parents and 14% of native children of mixed parentage and of children of native-born parents. Low literacy and numeracy skills are also revealed by PIAAC among the adult population in 17 EU countries surveyed, representing 83% of the EU28 population. It also showed that 25% lack the skills to effectively make use of ICT. Share of the population 16-65 years old at each skills level per country Source: European Commission based on Survey of Adult Skills' results (OECD, 2013). Ordered by the share of level 1 and below. Missing: did not take the test. National initiatives on basic skills tend to be scattered, instead of embracing a lifelong learning approach. This area continues to attract considerable spending from structural funds, with very unequal implementation results across Member States. The European added value to addressing the issue of underachievement in basic skills is related to actions that may involve but are not limited to: (i) identify, analyse, and promote policies that work, coupling research evidence with practice; (ii) support these policies through the Erasmus+ programme; (iii) support policy development and experimentation in search of new solutions; (iv) look for inspiring initiatives from outside the education system; (v) create a network for cooperation among stakeholders at various levels in view of strengthening the mission of schools not only as providers of knowledge, but also as centres of local communities; (vi) identify key trends as well as new social and technological developments that might affect education across Europe; and (vii) develop EU-wide standards and frameworks to help reducing underachievement in basic skills.

As a follow up of the Rethinking Education Communication, a report on tackling underachievement in basic skills is expected to be prepared. This report will build on the conclusions of the High Level Group of experts on literacy and of the OMC Thematic Working Group on Mathematics, Science and Technology. It will use information from the PISA 2012 results, the PIAAC Survey, the Study on National Policies on underachievement in basic skills, the Study on Innovative Pedagogies and from numerous other analyses and research articles. It will cover literacy, mathematics, science and digital literacy and extend to early childhood, school and adult education – including formal, non-formal and informal ways of learning. Erasmus+ could support future initiatives, with projects that integrate the teaching of all three domains of basic skills (maths, science and literacy), foster multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches and promote problem-based learning and innovative approaches to teaching in a technology-rich environment. Boosting adults’ basic skills continues to be the key objective of the European Agenda for Adult Learning. A Call under Erasmus+ was published in Spring 2015 to cover the period 2016-17 with the view to provide grants to support national coordinators to carry out concrete activities which will increase the rate of participation in learning of low skilled or low qualified adults and enhance their basic skills and other key competences. Regarding the situation of languages in the EU, the need to equip the future European population with additional languages to their native language is widely recognized. Support to the acquisition of the language of instruction for children speaking a different language at home needs particular attention. At European level, the ET 2020 Thematic Working Group on languages has produced a Country Comparative Analysis, which seeks to identify the main challenges and opportunities in language teaching and learning and delivers elements of methodology to assess the modalities for language teaching and learning in the different national contexts. The 2014 Council conclusions on multilingualism and the development of language competences invited Member States to adopt and improve measures aimed at promoting multilingualism and enhancing the quality and efficiency of language learning and teaching. The conclusions also stressed the importance of appropriate assessment methods to measure progress and invited Member States to make greater use of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages. Indeed, developing language skills involves first improving the quality and efficiency of language education within the teaching and learning time available. It also involves developing better testing and assessment methods for learning outcomes and establishing a common basis for national evaluation systems based on the CEFR. Reporting In their National Reports on the previous ET 2020 work cycle, Member States listed a number of activities which aim at improving the general outcomes of school education and at reaching the ET 2020 basic skills benchmark. For example, in-depth country analyses of PISA results, dissemination to the public and discussion with experts were reported by eight Member States. In some cases these analyses were used as a basis for the development of measures and specific national strategies and legislative initiatives. Other Member States took measures to improve school quality, e.g. by emphasising student-centred learning or the introduction of new teaching methods. Measures often focus on improving specific skills, such as literacy, numeracy or digital literacy. Some countries report measures to support specific target groups, such as high achievers, disadvantaged students, students with low socio-economic background or ESL. Six countries gave priority to individualisation of teaching and learning, which is closely related to the approach of inclusion. Several Member States reported an increasing number of participants in adult basic education or made efforts to include low skilled groups in adult education. A number of National Reports mentioned diverse target groups, e.g. people at risk of exclusion from labour market, young people, ESLs or NEETs, workers, migrants, prisoners or ex-offenders and disabled people. The main measures reported to reach these groups are: guidance and counselling activities, support to "family learning" and "back to education" as well as the professional development of practitioners working with vulnerable groups. The publication of PIAAC's results is triggering debate and reforms in a number of Member States. Some increased funding for adult education (FI, DK), others introduced deductibility of training costs from income taxes (NL). Increasing adult skills through a national guidance and counselling project (SK), developing an LLL 2020 strategy (EE) and establishing a permanent observatory to monitor the matching of training and labour market requirements (IT) count among targeted initiatives. Several Member States reported a focus on specific areas for improvement, such as VET and work-based learning (FR, SK) or adult basic skills (DK, MT). Regarding languages, several Member States have implemented or are currently implementing specific action plans and strategies to improve the availability, and to some extent the quality of foreign language learning. In other Member States foreign language learning and teaching have undergone change as part of broader educational reforms. The initiatives mainly target primary and/or secondary education (no Member State mentions initiatives in higher education). Foreign language teaching is initiated at an earlier stage than in the past and more languages are made available. In all Member States (except BE-nl, IE and UK) English is the first foreign language, either compulsory or chosen. More recent reforms focus on language teaching methodology, teacher training and assessment of language competencies. Following the May 2014 Council conclusions on multilingualism, EU Member States agreed to improve measures aimed at promoting multilingualism, enhancing the quality and efficiency of language learning and teaching and to develop measures for assessing language proficiency of secondary school students. To this aim DG EAC launched two studies to be presented on the European Day of Languages: (i) an inventory of national assessment and testing methods in Member States, and (ii) a study on the comparability of national assessment methods. Remaining challenges Regarding basic skills, the challenges lying ahead are daunting. Many EU Member States have significant and/or increasing number of underachievers in basic skills as measured by PISA and PIAAC. An outstanding challenge remains to ensure the adequate supply of learning opportunities for adults, particularly tailored to specific groups in specific settings or situations, such as at the workplace, unemployed, migrant, inactive in the labour market. Improving adults’ skills levels is prioritised in several Member States and there is a clear call for providing basic skills as part of a broader set of transversal key competences, including digital skills. Thirteen countries reported they intend to perform in-depth analysis of the results of the PISA survey. Eleven countries referred to plans to initiate activities in the area of quality enhancement of the teaching and learning process, support mechanisms for targeted groups, improvement of specific skills as numeracy, literacy or digital skills and the development of standards and frameworks. Some Member States reported a specific emphasis on primary and compulsory schooling. Ten countries propose focusing on the challenge of combating early school leaving. The ESL headline target certainly overlaps with underachievement in basic skills. Early school leavers are typically those students who perform poorly in the classroom and on standardised tests. Overall, Member States consider that it is now of key importance to provide high-quality secondary education as a basis for further education or entering the labour market. Providing learning support for underachieving students, introducing curriculum reforms, promoting new assessment tools and innovative pedagogical practices, developing a more holistic approach to school education are outstanding challenges.

Regarding languages, a number of challenges are still to be addressed: • Increasing the levels of achievement in languages within the teaching and learning time available in compulsory education. • Promoting a broader understanding of the CEFR approach: new assessment models, emphasis on productive skills and the ability to communicate effectively. • Setting ambitious and realistic targets for the 1st and 2nd foreign language: the majority of pupils should have reached the "independent user" level (CEFR level B1 or more) at the end of compulsory education in the 1st foreign language and be able to expand and differentiate the acquisition of foreign languages. • Maintaining and building language competences in ISCED 3 when language learning is likely to be an optional choice for students. • Promoting the effective acquisition of the language of instruction by migrants. Priorities for further action Enhancing targeted policy action to reduce low achievement in basic competences across Europe, covering literacy, mathematics, science and digital literacy. 2.2.2. Professional development of teachers, trainers and school leaders Policy context at EU level Educators are essential to improving the quality of teaching and learning and have the most important impact on the performance of learners within educational institutions. The 2012 PISA survey found that countries that had improved their performance in PISA, such as Estonia and Poland in the EU, had also established policies to improve the quality of their teaching staff. In their Council Conclusions on effective teacher education (May 2014), Education Ministers addressed the issue of teacher education as a key part of broader policies to raise the attractiveness and quality of the teaching profession. The Conclusions focus on action to make Initial Teacher Education (ITE) more effective and stress the need for ITE programmes to offer a balanced mix of subject knowledge, pedagogical competences and practical teaching experience, and to enhance teachers’ capacity to support and teach diverse groups of learners effectively. Initial Teacher Education should prepare teachers with key tools for high quality teaching in a range of learning situations and classroom environments. This includes the capacity to diagnose student problems effectively and to draw from a wide repertoire of possible solutions to create learner-oriented teaching methods and assess learning outcomes. ITE should also ensure that teacher education addresses equality and non-discrimination, potential gender stereotypes and ways of dealing with diversity in the classroom. While ITE cannot give teaching staff all the competences they will require throughout their career, it needs to provide novice teachers with a solid foundation for collaborative, reflective and research-led practice, including an attitude and capacity to engage in continuing professional development (CPD). According to TALIS 2013, the areas where teachers report the highest needs for professional development include teaching students with special needs, developing ICT skills for teaching, new technologies in the workplace and teaching in a multicultural or multilingual setting. The study report Survey of Schools: ICT in Education shows that on average across the EU countries, between 20-25% of students are taught by digitally confident and supportive teachers having high access to ICT and facing low obstacles to their use at school. Differences between countries are, however, very large. The Council Conclusions on effective teacher education also make reference to the importance of defining teachers’ competences. By clarifying what teaching staff should know and be able to do, competence frameworks or standards can help raise the quality of the teaching profession in several ways, for instance by improving initial teacher education programmes, recruitment processes and the provision of continued professional development. Member States increasingly acknowledge this, and according to "Key data on Teachers and school leaders" (Eurydice 2013) competence frameworks have been recently introduced in several countries (PL, NO) or have recently been revised. At EU level, the ET 2020 Working Group on School Policy is developing recommendations on the ways and means to improve the relevance and effectiveness of Initial Teacher Education. This work complements new evidence from a range of sources, such as results from the OECD’s TALIS survey, including secondary data analysis by Eurydice and CRELL, a study on the diversity of the teaching force, the conclusions of the SIRIUS policy network on education and migrants and of the European Policy Network on School leaders (EPNoSL). Work could be pursued at EU level on innovative pedagogies and new school organisation through both policy work and the Erasmus+ programme. The Erasmus+ programme provides support for a range of initiatives including cooperation in the field of teacher education, partnerships for more effective professional support, the introduction of innovative tools and methods of teaching, assistance to the development of leadership in schools. With a view to reducing shortages of qualified teachers and improving the attractiveness of the teaching profession, Erasmus+ could also finance policy experimentation to strengthen recruitment and selection of teachers and develop alternative pathways to the teaching profession. With the School Education Gateway the Commission has created a new web-based platform for teachers (and other educational actors and organisations, policy makers, enterprises etc.) which could be continuously developed to improve the links between policy and practice in European education. Reporting In the ET 2020 National Reports, Member States list a number of activities which aim at improving the quality of teaching. Thirteen Member States reported measures to improve the quality of teaching by enhancing teacher training or evaluation, while eight reported measures to improve the evaluation of education and training through diverse approaches: external examination trough examiners ("critical friends"), scientific research and analysis (PT, SI), new assessment and accreditation methodologies as self-evaluation, monitoring of student progress and graduates (PL).

Remaining challenges Several remaining challenges were highlighted, ranging from shortages of qualified teachers, low job-satisfaction and attractiveness of the teaching profession, to professional development related issues such as increasing ICT skills for teachers and addressing teaching in multicultural environments. According to school leaders surveyed for TALIS 2013, more than a third of teachers in the European Union work in schools with shortage of qualified/well-performing staff. Nearly half of all teachers are employed in schools where there is a shortage of teachers for pupils with special needs. In the mid-term, such shortages can endanger progress already made on educational performance and equity. Shortages perceived at school level can have different causes. At least 11 Member States are faced with global teacher shortages due to an ageing workforce or high drop-out rates, but none of them has a coherent strategy in place to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession. In addition, many countries experience shortages of staff in particular subjects or with special profiles. It is often the disadvantaged schools that have difficulties in attracting sufficient qualified and experienced teachers. The attractiveness of the teaching profession is in decline in many Member States, and with few exceptions (FI, IE), teaching careers no longer attract the academically best candidates. Although nearly 90% of teachers in the EU say they are satisfied with their jobs,only 19% feel that the teaching profession is valued in society. These trends and perceptions have the potential to further increase the challenges of recruiting high-calibre candidates and retaining good teachers within the profession.



Percentage of teachers and leaders in ISCED2 who "Agree" or "Strongly Agree" with the statement presented Source: European Commission analysis of TALIS 2013 The Teaching and Learning International Survey (OECD). Teachers’ professionalisation and competence development was proposed by eight Member States as a priority area for the next ET 2020 work cycle. Teacher education, including career-long professional development, must be conceived from a lifelong learning perspective and requires solid approaches related to, inter alia, modernisation of initial teacher education (CZ), the development of specific teaching skills, such as digital competences (ES) and the ongoing professionalization throughout the career (BE nl). Priorities for further action •Strengthening recruitment, selection and induction of the best and most suitable candidates for the teaching profession. •Raising the attractiveness and prestige of the teaching profession, including through comprehensive strategies, and tackling gender imbalances in the profession. •Supporting initial education and continuing professional development of educators, especially to deal with increased diversity of learners, ESL, work based learning, digital competences and innovative pedagogies, including through EU tools such as eTwinning, the School Education Gateway and the ePlatform for AL in Europe (EPALE). •Promoting excellence in teaching at all levels, through programme design, learning organisation and incentive structures, and exploring new ways to measure the quality of teacher training. 2.2.3. Modernising higher education and increasing tertiary attainment levels Policy context at EU level Supporting efforts to modernise higher education systems and increase tertiary attainment levels are key elements of ET 2020 and remain an important area for further European cooperation. Building, in particular, on the Commission's 2011 Communication on the modernisation of higher education systems and the subsequent Council Conclusions, EU-level cooperation in higher education has been structured around five closely inter-related themes: increasing attainment levels; improving the quality and relevance of higher education provision; promoting mobility and cross-border cooperation; linking higher education, research and innovation processes and; improving governance and funding systems. In the latest round of structured cooperation within the ET 2020 Working Group on the modernisation of higher education, in-depth exchange and peer learning has targeted four important issues: the deployment of new modes of teaching and learning in higher education (early 2014); mergers, consolidation, clustering and specialisation (spring 2014); performance-related funding (autumn 2014) and promoting the employability of graduates (early 2015). Outcomes of these workshops have been presented systematically to the meetings of Directors General for Higher Education hosted as part of each EU presidency.

Progress on each of these themes depends on the priorities set at national level and the ET 2020 stocktaking showed that Member States have elected to focus their efforts on one or more of these strands. Reporting The most recent edition of the Commission's Education and Training Monitor shows that current levels of tertiary education attainment vary considerably between Member States. While 16 Member States have attainment rates among the 30-34 year old age cohort above the ET 2020 benchmark of 40%, only 11 countries have already met the national targets they have established for 2020. Expanding graduate numbers in line with labour market requirements remains an important priority in a majority of Member States. Tertiary attainment levels and targets (%), 2014 Source: Eurostat (LFS). Online data code: t2020_41. Note: The indicator covers the share of the population aged 30-34 years having successfully completed ISCED level 5 to 8. National targets follow different definitions of the indicator in some countries. Increasing the proportion of the European citizens that has successfully gained a tertiary education qualification implies both widening access to higher education to people who are traditionally less likely to attend university or college and ensuring that those entering higher education actually graduate. This twin focus is reflected in the National Reports. Seven Member States report initiatives designed to improve completion rates. The focus is often on improving guidance and support to prospective and current students and/or on developing higher education programmes that are more directly relevant to the labour market. Ten Member States report on recent measures to improve social mobility and access to higher education, including financial support, the creation of new alternative pathways into higher education and campaigns to overcome psychological and cultural barriers that can stop young people from non-academic backgrounds from entering higher education. In Austria, policy to widen access has focused in particular on expanding capacity in Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen), which offer courses that have potential to appeal effectively to target groups with historically low rates of higher education participation. Over 50% of programmes can be attended on a part time basis, thus creating flexibility and increasing attractiveness. In Denmark, the institutional development contracts for 2015-2017 include promoting social mobility as a mandatory goal and every institution is expected to demonstrate how they plan to achieve it. In France, a national programme of partnerships between schools, higher education institutions and education authorities focuses on providing counselling to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome psychological and cultural barriers that might prevent them from pursuing higher education. While raising tertiary education attainment rates remains firmly on the agenda in EU Member States, an arguably stronger focus is placed on strengthening the quality and relevance of the education that systems provide, as well as developing synergies between teaching, research and innovation. This focus is clearly reflected in Member States’ proposals for fields for further cooperation at EU level. The last two decades have seen the development of independent quality assurance (QA) systems in higher education across the EU. In their national reports, six Member States report on the introduction of new quality assurance and evaluation systems, including the creation of new quality assurance agencies (CY). Sweden is in the process of designing a new system of QA that will balance a perceived need for enhanced supervision of quality with the country’s strong tradition of institutional autonomy. In Denmark, a new Expert Committee on Quality in Higher Education has been established to provide recommendations on how to enhance the quality of Danish higher education over the next 20 years. The relevance of higher education to societal and economic needs, in particular in terms of the specific knowledge (from particular disciplines of study) and broader transversal skills fostered by programmes cannot be dissociated from the issue of quality. In this area, many EU countries report on initiatives to improve the match between higher education provision and the needs of the economy. Other common areas for policy development are the development of higher vocational education and professional higher education and establishing better links between education, research and development and the broader economy. Half of EU Member States reported specifically on the development of internationalisation strategies in higher education to support quality and openness of national systems. The national strategies typically cover mobility of students, teachers and researchers (including attracting more students from outside the EU), the creation of international partnerships between institutions, including, in some cases, the development of joint courses and participation in European or international projects and obtaining funding from “international" sources. Five Member States explicitly mention efforts to increase provision of higher education programmes in English to support mobility. As part of the internationalisation strategies, there are signs of a growing engagement with higher education in emerging economies.



The Danish government has supported the establishment of Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK), with a presence in India, China and Brazil, as well as other strategic markets including Silicon Valley, to support Danish higher education institutions (and companies) to build new innovation partnerships with actors in these countries. The UK has established partnership agreements with India, Brazil and China, which enable UK HEIs to identify and access research and innovation partners, attract international students to the UK, promote mobility exchange and the development of long-term links. Regarding funding, recent work in the ET 2020 Working Group on higher education and in the meeting of Directors General for Higher Education illustrated that designing and implementing higher education funding systems with a stronger performance-based element is a common preoccupation across EU Member States and a field where mutual learning at EU level has a strong added value.

Remaining challenges A key concern in countries across the EU is to increase graduate employability and reduce the risk of unemployment among graduates by ensuring students are as well prepared as possible for the world of work. Twelve Member States suggest developing joint work to improve monitoring of graduate employment outcomes and the use of this data to enhance the relevance of higher education provision. Several countries point to a need to improve skills matching and ask for additional skills forecasting, while many of these countries also highlight improved links between higher education institutions and businesses and other employers as an important tool in both improving the relevance of education and easing graduates’ transition to the labour market. Increasing the relevance of higher education remains a challenge. To support policy-making at national and institutional level and increase the match between what higher education delivers and what society needs in the short and long term, better intelligence is required on how today’s graduates fare in terms of labour market integration (how quickly they find work and in what areas), and what the future labour market is likely to require (in terms of specific knowledge and skills or combinations of knowledge and skills). This is particularly important in an increasingly digital society and for the transition to a circular economy. Evidence from work to date shows that system-wide skills anticipation and labour market monitoring play an important role in identifying gaps in current higher education provision, as well as areas of over-supply of graduates (in particular disciplines). However, forecasting and monitoring can ever only be part of the picture, especially given the fast-changing nature of the labour market. Helping students to develop transversal skills crucial for employment and long-term adaptability must be a core concern for higher education programmes in all disciplines. There is considerable scope at EU level for more mutual learning regarding effective curriculum design, rewarding and recognising good teaching, effective use of ICT, development of inter-discplinary working, organisation of work-based learning and cooperation between higher education and employers. Seven Member States explicitly highlight a need for more work on promoting quality and excellence in higher education teaching. This is consistent with a core message of the EU High Level Group on the Modernisation of Higher Education, whose 2013 report looked at this issue. Supporting digitisation is a key challenge for the future. While clearly linked to the wider goal of enhancing teaching in higher education, the use of ICT in higher education emerges as a priority in its own right. Blended learning makes it possible to rethink the way established higher education programmes are structured and delivered, in particular by freeing up contact time in class for interactive activities. Online delivery also opens greater opportunities for building links between insitutions and expanding lifelong learning provision, while digital networks within and between campuses nationally and worldwide support reseach and innovation activities within higher educations institutions. Many national reports refer to the exploitation of new technologies and suggest this as a specific area for further EU-level cooperation. The recommendation is to look specifically at digitisation of content and use of eLearning tools to create new forms of course and cooperation platforms. A number of countries (IT, SI) highlight the particular role of the EU in stimulating higher education institutions and Member State authorities to be innovative in the deployment of ICT, including through use of EU funding programmes. The issue of quality assurance of online courses, as part of wider European quality and recognition systems, is also highlighted by some Member States as an issue worthy of further attention at EU level. SG comment: the SWD priorities must be fully in line with Joint Report. This alignment was done throughout the SWD.Several Member States (BE-nl, CZ, IE, HR, RO) stress the importance of developing more effective mechanisms for allocating public investment in higher education and rewarding good performance by institutions. Action to support mobility was suggested by more than two thirds of countries, with many stressing the importance of ensuring that study periods abroad are as effective and meaningful as possible for students, staff and researchers. Other suggestions included further development of joint programmes (DE, LV, MT, PL, PT) and long-term strategic partnerships between institutions (EE, LU, LV, SE). Some Member States (SE, UK) argue for thorough implementation of existing frameworks such as European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and the European Qualifications Framework, as a basis for effective cooperation across Europe in teaching and learning. Priorities for further action •Promoting the labour market and societal relevance of higher education, including through better intelligence and anticipation about labour market needs and outcomes, new forms of curriculum, more work based learning and enhanced cooperation between institutions and employers. 2.2.4. Attractiveness and relevance of VET Policy context at EU level Vocational education and training is a key education and training sector that can help address challenges Europe faces today in terms of youth unemployment, structural skills mismatches and rapid technological developments. As an indication of the importance of reforms in this sector, a considerable number of country specific recommendations adopted within the European semester have been related to VET in recent years. The modernisation agenda for VET as set in the Bruges Communiqué in 2010 proved to be effective in assisting countries in focusing and implementing the reforms, particularly through a set of short-term deliverables defined for the period 2011-2014. The analysis of progress in their achievement carried out by Cedefop shows that the Bruges Communiqué has inspired and supported national reforms. As shown in the Cedefop analysis and in the ET 2020 National reports, countries have focused mainly on overall system reforms, quality, quality assurance, work-based learning and labour market relevance of VET. In most cases national authorities take the lead in reforms, but social partners' involvement becomes more and more common especially in the field of work-based learning. However, in countries with lower engagement of employers and trade unions, their involvement in the governance of VET systems could be strengthened. In general, topics such as work-based learning, cooperation with social partners, development of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs), measures to make VET more inclusive were at the top of national policy agendas. Less focus was placed on mechanisms to feed the information of labour market outcomes back to VET provision, or on continuing professional development for VET teachers and trainers . Incentives to prevent early leaving, to encourage providers to use information on VET graduate employability or to promote networks to reduce the cost of modernising technology are not yet very common. Increasing options for work-based learning in VET as a way to increase the quality and relevance of skills acquired through VET has been a top priority across the EU. The European Alliance for Apprenticeship and the Youth Guarantee have provided an additional boost to increase the proportion of work-based learning in VET.





The European Alliance for Apprenticeships was launched in Leipzig on 2 July 2013 in the form of a joint declaration between the European Commission, the Lithuanian Presidency and the EU social partners. It was further underpinned by a Council Declaration on 15 October 2013 in which Ministers agreed on a comprehensive approach combining education, training and employment measures, in addition to common guiding principles and Member States commitments. It aims to bring together public authorities, businesses, social partners, VET providers, youth representatives, and other key actors in order to promote apprenticeship schemes and initiatives across Europe. There are three strands of action: a) reform of apprenticeship systems, b) promote the benefits of apprenticeships and c) smart use of funding and resources. On 22 June 2015, a high-level Presidency event was organised in Riga to give the Alliance a new boost. As a consequence, 7 new countries joined (31 in total) and 38 new pledges (84 in total) were made from companies and other organisations. In addition, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia signed a Baltic Alliance for Apprenticeships. The ET 2020 Working Group on VET responds to the call to maximise work-based learning, including apprenticeships, and to make related policies more targeted and effective. It also contributes to the objectives of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, which consists in boosting the quality and supply of apprenticeships and in generally improving the attractiveness of VET programmes. The Working Group focuses on the following four issues: (1) support for companies, in particular SMEs, offering apprenticeships; (2) positive image of apprenticeships and improved career guidance; (3) national governance, regulatory framework and social partners' involvement; (4) quality assurance in work-based learning. The Working Group produced a first guidance framework including 7 guiding principles on how to support companies in offering apprenticeships and is expected to finalise work on the 3 remaining themes by October 2015 with a document covering around 20 guiding principles followed by examples of good practices at national level. Reporting Member States have supported the promotion of work-based learning through the introduction of compulsory work experience (BE nl), of funding compulsory work-placements in specific VET curricula (IT), the development of a placement/traineeship system (EE), the widening of possibilities to start apprenticeship trainings (FR), the provision of short-term internships for unemployed youth (BG), (planned) financial support to learners and/or companies (BG, FR, SE, SK), or a planned introduction of a ‘Chamber Guarantee’ initiative for ensuring that learners perform on-the-job training in real companies (HU).



IVET work-based students as % of upper secondary IVET, 2012 Source: Cedefop calculations based on Eurostat data/UOE data collection on education systems. In the UOE data collection, a VET programme is classified as "combined work- and school-based" if 25% or more of the curriculum is presented outside the school environment. Measures to boost quality of work-based learning include the modernisation of training models in industry (CY), the implementation of a ‘workplace learning website’ (BE nl), the support of cooperation between training providers and companies (BG, FI, LV), the training of trainers/mentors (PT, SE). Governments together with social partners are striving to increase the number of apprenticeship, with subsidies to enterprises being the most popular incentives (grants, or reimbursements of training costs, or allowances) and tax benefits appearing as less popular. There are also training funds to which employers contribute (FR, HU,DK), and social partner and/or sectoral training funds (AT, IT, NL, DE). Italy has recently overhauled its apprenticeship schemes through major labour market (the “Jobs act”) and education reforms ("La buona scuola”). The reforms aim at extending the supply of dual apprenticeship, and ensuring improved “on the job training”. A more attractive set of financial support mechanisms for hiring young apprentices is being provided. Source: Italy, National Commitment to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, 2015 In the UK, apprenticeships are increasingly offered in services industries, as in health and social care, business administration, management, customer service and hospitality and catering. Recently, apprenticeships have also been developed in law, accountancy and advanced engineering as an alternative to qualifying for these professions by completing university degrees. In Spain, legislation from 2012 sets the principles for implementing apprenticeship-type schemes and encourages enterprise participation in formal IVET. Sectoral agreements aim at motivating chambers and enterprises to help develop and implement training programmes. One of the main aims is to improve learners’ employability and ease their transition into the labour market. The programmes are expected to help the low-qualified and early leavers return to education and training to upgrade their skills. Since 2012, regions have developed dual programmes and are piloting them. Source: Cedefop (2015): Stronger VET for better lives VET-enterprise cooperation goes beyond arrangements to enable and promote high quality work-based learning. As shown in Cedefop analysis, employers, in their capacity as social partners, are involved in structures to ensure labour market relevant VET provision and to develop and update VET curricula in many countries. In Working Groups for curriculum development, employers have a decision-making role in some Member States (DE, NL, RO, ES), while they mainly advise in other (FR, PT, SK). Employer involvement in curriculum design can also take the form of consultation (FI, IE) or through national, sector and VET programme councils, such as Steering Committees and competence centres (BE fr), tripartite Sector Councils (HR), Vocational Committees (LT), Sectoral Experts Councils (LV) as well as new support structures for enhancing cooperation between VET and labour market (FR, IE, LT, RO). Measures to achieve stronger employer engagement include regional conferences (PL), the adjustment of opportunities for involving them in examinations (SK) and their engagement in design of apprenticeships and putting apprenticeship funding in their hands (UK). Some countries focused specifically on the development of structures for monitoring and forecasting of skills needs. Since 2011, the prime concern has been to address youth unemployment and skills mismatch through VET for young people. Promoting lifelong learning and mobility has therefore been somewhat less prominent. However, a major step towards improving access to further learning and individualised and flexible learning paths has been countries' work on establishing national qualification frameworks (NQFs). The EQF has become an accepted reference point for national qualifications.

All Member States have introduced measures to reduce early-school-leaving or adapted existing ones during the past few years. These were related to guidance (improved guidance quality and mentoring measures) or career management skills, for instance in transition/bridge or remedial programmes. Member States have progressed in raising training participation of the low-skilled and other at-risk groups, but there is scope to do more to offer training opportunities for adults that meet their learning and practical needs. Examples of such measures are offering suitable time arrangements, expanding guidance and support and training VET teachers/trainers to work with adults. The Youth Guarantees and similar initiatives stress the inclusive aspect of apprenticeships. Many countries devise apprenticeship type schemes and other forms of work-based learning to prevent youth from leaving education and training or to help young people and adults reintegrate and acquire a qualification. Remaining challenges According to the ET 2020 National Reports, despite progress in some key areas, Member States face a number of challenges, notably related to the attractiveness of VET. Students enrolled in vocational upper secondary education, 2012, as a % of all students enrolled in upper secondary education (ISCED level 3) Source: Eurostat (UOE data collection) Favourable outcomes alone are not sufficient to attract learners to VET or to engage enterprises in providing. Smart use of incentives could contribute significantly to boosting VET attractiveness but according to Cedefop analysis incentives are mainly targeted at involving companies in work-based learning and other options appear to be underused. More needs to be done to set in place incentives (both financial and non-financial) to support people to remain in VET, to influence the actions of VET providers or to stimulate VET stakeholders to cooperate. Incentives to VET providers to prevent early leaving, for instance through performance-based funding are less common, but several countries have taken steps after 2010 to introduce them (BG, DK, IE, HR, UK, IS). Few countries have reported on incentives to encourage VET providers' networks and public-private partnerships that could reduce the cost of modernising technology. Only a minority of countries has incentives (funding schemes) in place to encourage VET providers to use information on VET graduate transition data. Cedefop analysis shows that even if data on VET outcomes – such as graduate employability - is available, it does not systematically feed back into the VET provision. In fact, the majority of Member States collects data on VET graduate employability and other labour market outcomes, but the actual use of such data for VET provision is less common, possibly due to legal limitations. The underlying Cedefop data shows that legislation allowing combining data on learning, labour market entry and career exists in only half of the EU Member States. These conclusions are strongly confirmed by the ET 2020 National reports. Member States indicate as major challenges: achieving sustainable partnerships based on stronger company or stakeholder involvement in apprenticeship or internship / work-based learning schemes (ES, HR, IT, LT, SE), developping of curricula and qualification profiles in cooperation with social partners to avoid skills mismatches (EE, PL, SE) or the general absence of a formal agreement between the social partners and the government to reinforce work based learning and provide training places in companies (CY). Some countries indicated skills mismatches as significant remaining challenge (IE, IT, LT) and the need to improve skills forecasting procedures (LT, PT, RO). Monitoring the outcomes of VET graduates is an important tool to support VET participation for groups at risk, through identifying which groups are lagging behind in terms of participation, and through providing insight into the underlying causes for this. Measures to monitor at risk groups have been put in place at a slower pace than most monitoring measures in general. For instance, children of migrants rarely have the same chances to access good training places in the apprenticeship systems. The work on learning outcomes based EQF and NQFs has triggered reflections on how to include non-formally acquired qualifications but most countries have yet to link these to their validation arrangements. Skills audits, for instance, are directly relevant to make youth guarantees work. Skills assessment is used in transition programmes from compulsory education to VET (DE), in some countries the validation system has contributed to reducing the number of early leavers as well as the proportion of low-skilled (PT), while a number of Member States still perceive the enhancement of flexible learning pathways and permeability between VET and other sectors of education and training systems as a challenge (HR, IT). The role of education and training in supporting competitiveness, innovation and growth policies has been so far largely limited to the higher education sector. Apart from being responsive to labour market needs, VET needs to be able to develop skills for innovation and creativity.The role of VET in innovation is increasingly acknowledged but should be further enhanced. There are however some positive developments: new VET programmes for green jobs in the building sector (BE), strategies for smart specialisation that refer to the innovation potential of VET (CY, SK). The German funding programme for innovative SMEs supported cooperation networks until end 2014 and subsidized public-private science and industry partnerships for innovation that include CVET. In Slovenia, local communities, companies, and intercompany training centres financed by the Ministry of Education act as knowledge exchange platforms and increase the capacity to train students, workers and VET teachers. Source: Cedefop (2015): Stronger VET for better lives While entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming an underlying principle in VET and VET-business links are expanding, support for aspiring entrepreneurs and training for VET teachers and trainers to help learners acquire entrepreneurship skills could be strengthened. As Cedefop analysis shows, providing professional development opportunities for VET staff is a challenge. Introducing new elements into VET in view of an increasingly heterogeneous learner population (age, learning objectives), using new learning methods, and addressing the substantial ageing of the VET teaching workforce requires investments in teachers’ and trainers’ skills. Offering professional development to VET teachers and trainers to help them teach key competences and opening up opportunities for them to be trained in enterprises are not yet widespread practices. Creating space for innovation and creativity, for instance, through experiments in VET schools and possibilities to work outside the limits of a ‘normal’ programme supports teacher and trainer development.

These developments support the call made in the ET 2020 national reports to improving the initial and continuous development of VET teacher and trainers, and of administration and management staff to boost leadership in VET. Priorities for further action Based on the Riga conclusions, work during the next ET 2020 cycle will focus on the following medium-term deliverables: With a view to developing high quality and labour market relevant vocational skills and qualifications, based on the learning outcomes approach: Promote 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. Further develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET in line with the EQAVET recommendation and, as part of quality assurance systems, establish continuous information and feedback loops to I-VET and C-VET systems based on learning outcomes. For people's informed choice of pathways and long-term employability and adaptability to evolving skills needs: Enhance access to VET and qualifications for all through more flexible and permeable systems, notably by offering efficient and integrated guidance services and making available validation of non-formal and informal learning. Further strengthen key competences in VET curricula and provide more effective opportunities to acquire or develop those skills through I-VET and C-VET. In support of successful implementation of reforms and to raise the overall quality and efficiency of VET: Introduce systematic approaches to, and opportunities for, initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors in both school and work based settings. Due attention will be paid to transversal areas and principles which are crucial for achieving the deliverables and modernising VET: strong partnerships with social partners and other relevant stakeholders such as chambers and various competent institutions; efficient funding and promotion of excellence and innovation in VET; consistent use of learning outcomes approach and the commonly developed tools and principles. This includes: setting up comprehensive validation arrangements by 2018 as agreed in the 2012 Council Recommendation. The following EU level activities will support the implementation of the above mentioned deliverables in the participating countries, as well as the country-specific recommendations within the European Semester. They will be supported by funding opportunities under ESIF and Erasmus+. Assist participating countries or clusters of participating countries to implement VET reforms (depending on their particular needs) through country specific support, including with the assistance of Cedefop and the ETF for participating countries in the form of country reviews, targeted national activities, policy learning fora, mutual learning and exchanges of good practices notably through the ET 2020 Working Groups on VET and Adult Learning, DGVT Peer Reviews as well as through facilitation of bilateral or multilateral cooperation arrangements between countries. Produce EU level evidence (e.g. study on higher VET in the EU) and policy guidelines (e.g. Guidelines for SME involvement in WBL), a