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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM (80)177 final
Brussels /24th April 1980
PERSPECTIVES FOR EDUCATION POLICY INTHE CONTEXT OF
EMPLOYMENT POLICY WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TOTHE PROBLEMS
OFTHE TRANSITION OFYOUNG PEOPLE
FROM EDUCATION TOWORKING LIFE
(Commission communication )
m<J^"-,■
•• *
<Jv
• •
C0M(80 )177 final

-"PERSPECTIVES FOREDUCATION POLICY ITTTHE COTTTEXT OFEMPLOYMENT POLICY
with particular referenoe totheproblems ofthetransition ofyoung
people from education toworking life
Commission communication
.INTRODUCTION >
1.Initsreport of18November 1976 onthepreparation ofyoung people
forworking life andfortransition from education towork ,theEducation
Committee focused attention onthefollowing sixpriority problems :
–theeducational andtraining needs ofschool leavers who
find difficulties insecuring andretaining employment ;
–theproblem ofpoor motivation among young people towards
education andwork ;
–compensatory action forspecifio target groups such asgirls ,
young migrants orhandicapped youngsters ;
–thecollaboration ofthose responsible foreducation ,guidanoe ,
training andplacement inthedevelopment ofcontinuing guidance
, andcounselling services ;
–theimprovement ofvocational preparation before andafter school -
leaving age ,through co–operative action between education and
employment sectors ; 1
–theimprovement ofinitial andin-service training ofteachers
inrespect ofthetransition period .
2.These problems provided thebasis forthecollaborative programme
established bytheresolution oftheCouncil ofMinisters and ofthe
Ministers ofEducation meeting within theCouncil of13December 1976
andinparticular thelaunching atCommunity level ofthepilot projects
forwhich that resolution provides .
3.Meanwhile ,inMarch 1979 *theEuropean Council mandated theCommission
toexplore systems of"alternance ",whioh link employment andperiods
offurther education andtraining .InNovember 1979 "theCouncil
(Employment andSocial Affairs )noted theCommission 'scommunication
(?)onthis subject v'and ,initsResolution of18.12.1979 Iestablished
guidelines forthedevelopment oflinked work andtraining foryoung
persons ^
(1)OJNo.C308of30.12.1976 andtheResolution of15.1.1980
(OJNo.C23of30.1.1980 )providing foraprolongation ofthepilot projects ..
(2)COM (79)578final of29.10.1979 ^
(3)OJC1of3.1.1980 1
•••/•••

4.Theforthcoming meetingbetweenMinistersofEducationwillprovide
anopportunemomenttocompareandtakestockofthedevelopingpolicies
inMemberStates.Itisappropriatetore–examinetheprioritiesset
in1976andconsiderwhetherthereareneworadditionaloneswhich
shouldconditionthefutureworkoftheEducationCommitteeinthis
field.Itisalsotimelytoconsiderwhethernewformsofcollaboration
betweentheeduoationandemploymentsectorsneedtobedeveloped.
II.BACKGROUND
1.Anewrelationship betweentheeducationandemploymentsectors
Since1976severaldevelopments whetheratlocal,nationaland
»
Communitylevelhavedemonstrated theemergenceofanewrelation–
(1)shipbetweentheeducationMidemploymentsectors.'Thereis,
forinstance,growingevidencethroughouttheCommunitythatthe
educationsectorhasanexplicitresponsibility ,irrespective of
theeconomicsituation,tobeginthepreparation ofyoungpeople
forworkinglifewithinthecontextof"general"educationand
beforetheendofcompulsoryschooling.Atthesametime,the
employmentsectorhas,forexample,becomedeeplyinvolvedin
attemptingtoprovideonalong-termbasisfortheeducational
2)andtrainingneedsoftheleastskilledschool–leavers.'This
development hasfrequentlymeantthatanewrangeoftrainingand
temporaiyworkexperienceopportunities nowexistinparallelto
thepost-compulsory educationsector.Thecomplexities andanomalies
createdbythissituationremainachallengetointeiwninisterial
planninginmanycountries.
(1)Aspectsofthisrelationship werediscussedatafirstjointmeeting
inElsinorinSeptember1978forseniorofficialsofemploymentand
educationministries ,organisedbytheDanishgovernment.
(2)Cf.CommissionRecommendation onvocationalpreparationforunemployed
youngpeopleandthosethreatenedwithunemployment .(OJNo.L180of
20.7.1977)
Cf._alsothenewareaofintervention bytheEuropeanSooialFundin
favourofvocationaltrainingprogrammesforyoungunemployedpeople.
(OJL199of30.7.1975)

3
2.Trends inthe employment situation
Since 1976 ,however ,ingeneral theemployment situation affecting
young people hasnotimproved .Unemployment ,albeit ofrelatively
short duration ,affects theagegroup of14-19 years particularly
severely .Astheprospect ofalong-term deficit ofemployment
during the1980 *shas "become more widely recognised ,thepolicies
focusing allresources onraising the level ofvocational skills
ofnew entrant stothelabour market must bequestioned .However
well qualified certain sections ofthelabour force ,their demand
foremployment must beviewed inrelation totheglobal supply and
distribution ofjobs .Strategies involving direct jobcreation and
various "work sharing "provisions are ,therefore ,being developed
with aview tobenefitting thewhole working population ,notonly
young people . Education andtraining sohemes will need tobe
adapted tothese new realities .
3.Recent technological developments ^
Theprogressive introduction ofnewtechnologies ,which will exacerbate
employment problems inthe1980 *s,hasalso highlighted theneed to
review thetype ofskills andcompetences required byBchool –leavers
andadult workers alike ,theaimbeing notsomuch toguarantee them
employment buttoequip them with sufficient self-confidenoe and
(2)adaptability tofind their wayinachanging world .'
4*The role ofcontinuing education andtraining
Continuing education andtraining takes onanew significance in
this context .Apart from theneed toprovide educational and
training opportunities foryoung unskilled workers ,anincrease
ineducational ortraining leave opportunities could become one
ofthecrucial factors enabling allsections oftheworking pop­
ulation tomanage their careers ,toadapt touncertainties andnew
developments inthelabour market throughout their working lives
andtoplay their role asoitizens inachanging society .
Theinterrelationship between theeducation andemployment sectors
thus goes beyond thecontext ofthetransition ofyoung people from
education toworking life .Towhat extent have policies andmeasures
been developed since 1976 which take account ofthese newrealities ?
(1)Cf.Council Resolution of18.12.1979 on "theadaptation ofworking
time (OJNo.C2of4.1.1980 )
Cf.NewEuropean Social Fund aidfor jobcreation andrecruitment
subsidies (OJNo.L361of23.12.1978 )
(2)Cf.European Society faced with thenewInformation Technology(COM(79 )650)
Cf.Employment andthenewmicro-electronic technology (COM(80)16)

-4-
III.ASELECTION OFQUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION INTWOKEYPOLICYAHEAS
•1.GuidanceandPreparationforworkinglife:thishasemergedas
amajorthemeofnearlyallthepilotprojectsonthetransition
fromeducationtoworkinglife.Withtheinoareasingimporit«uioe
giventopreparingyoungpeoplefor"workinglife"duringthe
periodoffull-timeschooling,greaterdemandsandexpectations
.arebeingplacedonthein-schoolprovisionsforvocational
guidance,personalcounselling ,trainingin"socialskills",and
careereducation.However,theseareallareaswhich,fromthe
teachingpointofview,havenothithertobeenattributedsig­
nificantprofessional status.Newdevelopments intheseareas
aretakingplaceagainstabackground,inmostcountries,of
fallingschoolrollsandstrongpressurestoreduceorrationalise
publicexpenditureintheeducationalfield.
i)towhatextenthaveeducationauthoritiestaken
stepstoassessandtocaterforthechanging
attitudesofyoungpeopletowardsworkinglife?
ii)Howcaneducationalauthoritiesworkingincol­
laborationwithmanpowerauthorities present
adequateguidancetoyoungpeoplewhichtakes
accountofboththetraditional emphasison
entry(forboysatleast)intotheprimai*y
labourmarket,andtheincreasingly divergent
alternatives forindividualself–fulfilment?
(e.g.temporarywork,part-timeemployment,
self-employment )
iii)Howdotheresponsibleauthoritiesplanto
equiptheexistingbodyofteachersandcoun­
sellorstoundertaketheincreasingly formidable
taskofpreparingyoungpeopletofindtheir
placeinalabourmarketwhereselectivity ,
prejudiceandregionalinequalities havebeen
heightenedbytheunemployment crisis?
iv)Whatpossibilities areopentoeducational
authorities toachieveare–allocation of
resourcesandasharingofresponsibilities
withintheteachingforcewithaviewto
upgradingtheroleofguidance,counselling ,
etc.?
•••10••

-5-
2.Thelinkbetweeneducation/trainingandwork/workexperience
Thistheme,whichisrelevantbothtoschool-leavers andadults,is
becomingcentraltothedevelopmentofmanpowerpolicyatnational
andCommunitylevel.Botheducational andmanpowerauthorities
emphasisetheneedtoprovideyoungpeoplewithabaniovooational
qualification ,notundertheillusionthatthiswilljdirectlyreduce
youthunemployment ,butwithaviewtoenablingyoungpeopleatleast
tofindaninitialfootholdinthelabourmarketandthereafterenter
intoaphaseofadultresponsibility andself–developmentparticularly
throughcontinuingeducationprovisions.
\
Thetrendtoprolongeducationandtrainingandtopostponethe
opportunityforthechoiceofcareerhascoincidedwithacontrary
trendonthepartofmanyyoungpeople,maturingearlier,toexpress
forciblytheirdisaffectionwithcompulsoryschooling(whetherfull
orpart-time)ontheonehand,andwithavailablesalariedemployment
ontheother.
Atpresent,theyoungpeoplewhoaremostmarginaltotheprimary
labourmarketareoftenthosewhoareleastprotectedfromtheirown
inexperience andbenefitleast(andnotalwaysvoluntarily)fromthe
provisionsforinitialandcontinuingeducationandtraining.
(i)Whataretheevolvingviewsofeducationists
regardingtheageatwhichyoungpeopleshould
havetherighttoleaveschool,toenterfull-
timepaidemployment,tobefinancially inde­
pendentoftheirfamiliesandtotakerespon­
sibilityfortheirfuture?
(ii)Howfariscompulsorypart-timeeducationand
training(particularlyintheformofcompulsory
"day–release"fromemployment)seenbyeducational
authoritiestobeapracticalandsuitablealter­
nativetofull-timeeducationandtrainingpriortoemployment.
(iii)Towhatextentshouldprovisionsforeducational
andtrainingleavefromemployment(paidorunpaid
leave)befocussed,asapriority,onthe16-19age
group?
(iv)Inviewoftheproblemsoftransitionfromhigher
educationtoworkinglifeandthephenomenonof
graduateunemployment ,howfarshouldthirdlevel
educationandtrainingbeorganisedinfutureon
thebasisof"alternance"i.e.alternatingperiods
ofstudyandemployment?