Report from the Commission on access to continuing training in the Union - (Council recommendation of 30 June 1993)
Date: 1997-04-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, continuing education, new technology, vocational retraining, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  30.04.1997 
COM(97)  180 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION 

on access to continuing training 
in the Union 

(Council  Recommendation  of 30  June  1993) 

(Presented  by the  Commission) 

Table of contents 

INTRODUCTION 

Chapter  1 

Progress on access to continuing vocational  training 

1.1 
The Community  process based on the Recommendation 

1.2 
National reports show a wide range of national initiatives 

1.3 
Diverging positions of the Social Partners 

Chapter 2 

Towards a more ambitious venture for the Union: 
accessing skills 

2.1 
No alternative to narrowing the major disparities within the 
Union 

2.2 
Towards  readjustment  of  priorities  in  vocational  training 
policies 

2.3 
Increased role for competitiveness  and employment 

Chapter 3 

Conclusions and guidelines 

3.1 
Conclusions  as to approach 

3.2 
Conclusions  as to objectives 

3.3 
Pointers for further action 

i-^ 

8 

8 

10 

26 

31 

31 

33 

36 

39 

39 

40 

41 

Introduction 

of 

accelerating 

technological 

The  vital  nature  of  continuing  training  and  the 
promotion  of  access  thereto  were  highlighted  by 
the European  Commission  at the beginning  of the 
1990s. Its Memorandum  on vocational  training in 
the  EC  in the  1990s^  stressed  that  the  combined 
effects 
and 
organisational  change  and  of  demographic 
developments  would  confer  a  central  role  on 
continuing  training  policies.  There  was  broad 
support  for  this  proposal  during  the  discussion 
this  memorandum  prompted  with  the  Member 
States.  The  Commission  also  advocated  an 
approach 
training, 
underpinned  by  a  solid  corpus  of  basic  training, 
would be pursued throughout  life. 

continuing 

whereby 

in 

further 

a  Recommendation  on  access 
thus 

The  Community 
this 
advanced 
direction  when  on  30 June  1993  the  Council 
to 
adopted 
the 
vocational 
Community's  collaborative  endeavour  over  the 
years  to  promote  access  to  continuing  training  to 
be  pursued 
reference 
framework. 

a  common 

training,^ 

allowing 

around 

In  parallel  with 
the  discussions  on 
this, 
employment,  triggered  by  the  economic  situation 
and  globalisation,  have  pushed  to  the  top  of  the 
agenda  the  issue  of  the  skills  of  employees  and 

White 

their  enhancement.  And  in  the  wake  of  the 
Growth, 
Commission's 
Paper 
competitiveness  and  employment, 
the  Essen 
European  Council of December  1994 put  forward 
investment  in training  as  one  of  five  priorities  to 
be pursued. 

The reforms  of the structural  funds,  the  European 
Social  Fund  in  particular,  which  took  place  for 
the  1994-99  period,  place  skills  enhancement  at 
the  forefront.  The  new  Objective  4  in  particular, 
concerned  to  "facilitate  workers'  adaptation  to 
industrial  changes  and  to  changes  in  production 
systems", 
of 
maintaining skill levels and placed the Social  Fund 
for  the  first  time  at  the  service  of  workers  in 
employment (as compared with the unemployed). 

importance 

underlined 

the 

are 

(1995-1999)4 

like  FORCE3 
Other  Community  programmes 
(1991-1994)  and  more  recently  the  Leonardo  da 
Vinci 
community 
instruments aimed at providing  access: they  expect 
to stimulate  innovation  in vocational training while 
contributing  particularly  to  development  of  new 
approaches  and  methods  of 
training  which 
facilitate  access to training and competencies. 

also 

COM(91)397  final  of  12 December  1991. 

OJ No L  181/37 of 23 July  1993 (see Annex). 

3O J N o.  L 156/1 of 21° June  1990 

OJ No. L340/1 of 29° December  1994 

The proclamation  of  1996 as "the European Year 
of Lifelong  Learning",  made  it possible  to  make 
European  citizens  profoundly  aware  of  the  need 
to enhance their skills throughout life. 

This  discussion  has  shown  that  there  is  a  very 
high  level  of  aspiration  to  get  into  training,  but 
that  there  was  seen  to  be  a  gap  between  this 
aspiration  to  lifelong  training  and  the  actual 
opportunities  afforded  Europe's  workers  and 
citizens. 

The  Commission  accordingly  opened  up  a  new 
perspective  in  which  an  even  more  vital  role  is 
given  to  the  development  of  access  to  training: 
that  of  the  learning  society.  In  its  White  Paper 
Teaching  and  learning:  towards  the  learning 

society? the Commission  proposes that  "access to 
training  should  be  developed  throughout  life. 
While this  is a  need  stressed  all  round  by public 
authorities and the business sector alike, progress 
is  slow  and  all  the  more 
in  this  direction 
inadequate  as  the  changes  in  work  organisation 
stemming  inter alia from  information  technology 
are  making  training  in  these  new  tools  very 
urgent". 

Available  skills  can  no 
longer  be  renewed 
through  the succession  of generations  of workers, 
but  has  to  be  done  within  a  cycle  which  is 
the  combined 
constantly  accelerating  under 
pressure of two  factors: 

• 

• 

the  shortening  of the  horizon  of  technological 
change and changes in work organisation, 
the  inversion  of the  age pyramid  of the  active 
the  growing  participation  of 
population, 
women 
is 
labour  market,  which 
the 
in 
bringing about a shift  in training  requirements 
notably towards women and older workers . 

Vocational  training policy, particularly that which 
the  Community  is  responsible  for  implementing 
under  Article  127  of  the  Treaty  EC,  must  be 
pursued  within  these  structural  trends  and  must 
place  greater  emphasis  on the  continuing  training 
of workers. 

Under  the  various  actions  which  are  part  of  the 
confidence  pact  for  employment  launched  by the 
Commission  in April  1996, the European  Council 
of  Florence 
its  conclusions  (June  1996) 
confirmed  at  the  Dublin  Council  (December 
1996): 

in 

that 

"The  European  Council  underlines 
the 
educational and training systems  in the  European 
Union will need to adapt profoundly.  It takes note 
of the Commission intention to present  a  proposal 
on  the  access  to,  and  the  recognition  of,  skills 
acquired from  lifelong  learning". 

their 

joint  declaration  on 

In 
employment 
preparatory  to  the  European  Council  of  Dublin, 
the social partners gave  pride  of  place  to  lifelong 
training  along  the  priority  themes.  They  pointed 
out that: 

"Economic change,  the employment situation  and 
the  emergence  of  new  technologies,  particularly 
information 
deep-seated 
technologies  mean 
changes on the employment market and  in society 
in  general.  These  trends  bring  out  the  need  to 
expand  individual  skills,  and 
this  means  a 
change of attitude  to lifelong training.  Moreover, 
access 
throughout 
improved.  Lifelong 
working  life  should  be 
training  will  become  increasingly  important  to 
the  competitiveness  of  companies,  as  it  will  for 
employees  when  it  comes  to  geographical  and 
professional mobility. " 

vocational 

training 

to 

In the  same  way  the  Council  decision  on  a  third 
multi-annual  programme  for  small  and  medium 
sized  enterprises  (SME)  in  the  Union  (1997-
2000)6  gives  an  impetus  to  the  importance  of 
training  to  improve  the  management  capacity  of 
managers  and  reinforce  the  competitiveness  of 
SMEs. 

in 

Within  this  Community  process,  this  Report  on 
Access to Continuing  Training has  as to  principle 
objective  the  evaluation  of  the  progress  made 
the  Council 
the  application  of 
globally 
of 
Recommendation 
proposals  of  new  avenues 
reinforcing 
community  action on access training regard to the 
real challenges  which have to be faced  to  achieve 
it. 

the  presentation 
for 

and 

The Commission  has  opted  not  to  limit  itself to a 
descriptive  report  based  on  a  simple  stock-taking 
exercise.  The  Commission  is  keen  to  make  this 
report  an  instrument  for  framing  the  debate  on 
access to continuing training  in the  EU seeking to 
enquire : what the exact situation  is, where are the 
progress  can  be 
major  disparities  like,  how 
made? 

5  COM(95) 590 of 25 November  1995. 

6  OJ.  L6/25 of  10 January  1997 

The Commission  thus also hopes that this report 
will  provide  the  basis  for  a  genuine  in-depth 
debate on the policies to be pursued  in this area 
with  a  view 
training.  The 
Commission's hope is that this report should also 
open  on  to  new  avenues  for  more  ambitious 
action on widening and raising competencies  . It 
sees these as a step towards  an  open  debate on 
the learning society. 

lifelong 

to 

The Commission attaches great importance to this 
the  contributions  made  to  its 
report  and 

evaluation  by  the  Community  authorities.  It 
underscores the points that: 

•  a Community report in the area of vocational 
training  is being submitted  for the first time, 

• 

training  is playing  an  increasingly  important 
role in all discussions to do with employment, 
competitiveness,  our model of society  and in 
the construction of a learning society. 

Chapter 1 

Progress on access to continuing vocational training 

1.1  The  Community  process  based 
Council's 

the 

on 
Recommendation 

The starting point: the Social Charter 

.The  question  of  access  to  vocational  training 
often  came up  in Community  texts. Then  in  1989 
when  the  European  Council  of  Strasbourg  and  11 
Member  States  adopted  of 
the  Charter  of 
the 
Fundamental  Social  Rights  for  Workers 
debate  on  this  issue  really  got  under  way.  Article 
15 of  the  Charter  states that  "every worker of the 
EC  must  be  able  to  have  access  to  vocational 
training  and  to  benefit  therefrom  throughout  his 
working  life.  The  competent  public  authorities, 
undertakings  or  the  two  sides  of  industry,  each 
within their own sphere  of competence,  should set 
up  continuing  and  permanent  training  systems 
to  undergo  retraining, 
enabling  every  person 
more  especially 
training 
purposes,  to  improve  his skills  or to acquire  new 
skills,  particularly 
technical 
in  the 
developments ". 

leave  for 

light  of 

through 

to  training  and  called  upon  the  Member  States, 
the business  sector  and the  social  partners  to  take 
action  so  that  each  worker  could  pursue  his 
training throughout his working  life. 

This programme  also  foresaw  the  submission  by, 
the Commission to the Council of a proposal  for a 
Community  instrument  on  access  to  vocational 
training. The  Community 
institutional  debate  on 
The  Community  Charter  of  Fundamental  Social 
Rights  for  Workers  was,  in  effect,  the  catalyst 
which led to the adoption  of the  Recommendation 
on access to continuing training. 

The Social Dialogue 

to 

vocational 

In  recognising  the  growing  importance  of  better 
access 
the 
competitiveness  of  the  business  sector  and  for 
in  the 
social  cohesion,  the  partners  involved 
European  social  dialogue  (UNICE,  CEEP  and 
ETUC^)  placed  this  issue  within  the  body  of 

training 

for 

the  action  programme  for 

Subsequently, 
the 
implementation  of  the  Social  Charter,  confirmed 
the  increasing  importance  of  new  ways  of  access 

1 UNICE - Union of Industrial and Employers' 

Confederations of Europe 

CEEP  -  European  Centre  of  Enterprises  with  Public 

Participation 

ETUC - European Trade Union Confederation 

work  of  the  social  dialogue  on  education  and 
training  and  in December  1991  adopted  a  "Joint 
the  broadest 
opinion  on  ways  of  facilitating 
possible 
training 
to 
effective 
opportunities", 
in  the  preamble  to  which,  they 
state that: 

access 

"a  large proportion  of  the  adult  population  left 
school  without  adequate  qualifications 
for 
today's  demands  or  has  never  attended  any 
systematic,  continuing 
training;  their  level  of 
qualification  results  in  a  paradoxical  situation 
where  many  of  the  training  courses  on  offer  are 
not  open  to  them  owing  to  a  lack  of  basic  skills 
that: 
and, 
and 
"competitive  and  success  enterprises  are  those 
which  implement,  with  proper  consultation  of 
employees 
representatives, 
vocational  training programmes  that are the most 
relevant and of the best quality standards ". 

furthermore, 

knowledge", 

and/or 

their 

They also stress that:  "the social partners  have an 
important  role  to play  in setting  up  partnerships 
at  regional  level  to  promote  greater  synergy 
training  programmes  and 
between  company 
forecasts 
certain 
future 
occupations  and skills at regional  level". 

demand 

for 

of 

Significantly,  the  guidelines  of  this joint  opinion 
have  by  and  large  been  incorporated  into the  text 
of the Council  Recommendation. 

At  sectoral  level,  in joint  committees  or  informal 
working  groups,  the  social  partners  have  adopted 
a certain  number of common  opinions  concerning 
access 
lifelong 
to  vocational 
learning.  In particular: 

training  and 

• 

the  Joint  Opinion  on  improved  access  to 
vocational  training  for  women  in  the  textile 
and clothing sector (16 June  1994); 

•  The  Opinion  on  the  VT  of  ground  engineers 
and maintenance  staff (15 September  1993); 

•  The  negotiation  of  the  framework  agreement 
for  employment  in  agriculture,  which  is to  be 
in  June  1997,  where  continuing 
signed 
vocational  training  plays  a  central  role  and 
where 
further 
seek 
social  partners 
agreement especially on this  subject 

the 

The  adoption  of  the  Recommendation  by  the 
Council  in June  1993 after  and  in-depth debate on 
the  content  by  the  Community  authorities  (EP, 
ECOSOC)  and  the  social  partners  (particularly 
within  the  ACVT)  marked  the  launching  of  a 

Community  process  on  three  complementary 
levels: 

a)  The  definition  of  a  general  objective 
stemming  from  the  Social  Charter  according 
to  which:  "every  worker  of  the  EC  must  be 
able to have access to vocational  training  and 
to  benefit  therefrom  throughout  his  working 
///e".(Art. I). 

b)  The definition  of  15 specific  objectives  which 
this 
it  possible 
would  make 
overarching  objective  while 
the 
decision  on the ways  and means  for  doing  so 
up  to  the  Member  States  and  the  social 
partners (Art. II). 

to  attain 
leaving 

c)  The  establishment  at the  Community  level  of 
a  system  to  monitor  developments  on  access, 
in  the  Member  States  and  at  the  Community 
level (Art. Ill & IV). 

This system is based on a triple process: 

1.  the  drawing  up  of  national  reports  by  the 
Member  States  on  the  implementation  of 
its  objectives 
the  recommendation  and 
(Article ÏV.1) 

The  Member  States  were  asked  to  agree  on  a 
their  national 
common  structure  for  drafting 
reports  in  particular  on  measures  taken  since 
1993  to  promote  access  to  continuing  training. 
They  were  also  asked  to  prepare  these  reports  in 
conjunction  with the social partners, - a procedure 
which was followed  by many Member States. 

2.  Setting  up a social  dialogue  support  system 

on continuing training (Article III.3) 

upon 

called 

The  Recommendation 
the 
Commission  to  support  the  dialogue  between  the 
social  partners  on  this  theme.  It  accordingly  set 
up  a  "support  system  for  the  social  dialogue  on 
continuing training" in close conjunction  with  the 
European  organisations  involved  in the  European 
social  dialogue,  the  UNICE,  the  CEEP  and  the 
ETUC. 

This  made  it  possible  to  take  stock  in  the  EU 
Member  States  of  steps  taken  by  the  social 
partners to develop continuing training. Often  this 
in  itself,  had  a  direct  impact  on  access  to  such 
training. 

Two  "Compendia"  were  published  on  this  in 
1994 and  1996, in order to  illustrate ten themes of 

common  interest  to  the  social  partners,  noting 
tangible  initiatives  taken  at  company,  branch, 
sector, regional or national  levels. 

a)  the  national  reports  drawn  up  by  each  of  the 
Member  States pursuant  to Article  IV. 1 of the 
Recommendation;** 

illustrated 

The two seminars organised  by the social partners 
(October  1994  and  May  1996)  to  examine  the 
results 
the  worthwhile  nature  and 
added value of this instrument  as an instrument of 
collection, 
and 
dissemination  of  innovatory  and  wide-ranging 
initiatives  for  a better  understanding  of what  was 
happening  in the field  in the Member States. 

observation, 

analysis 

The  ten  themes  identified  by  the  social  partners 
broadly  follow  the  key  aspects  set  out  in  the 
objectives 
the  Council 
Recommendation. 

of  Part 

of 

II 

b)  the  reports  drawn  up  by  the  Community 
organisations of social partners, i.e. the ETUC 
and  the  UNICE/CEEP,  pursuant  to  Article 
IV.2. 

The Commission has also drawn  substantially  on: 

1)  The 

first  comparable 

figures 

from 

the 

Community CVTS9 and the  LFS.10 

2)  The  results  of  the  support  structure  for  the 
social  dialogue  and  vocational  training  set  up 
in  conjunction  with 
the  social  partners 
(UNICE,  CEEP  and  ETUC)  published  in  the 
two compendia  in  1994 and  1996. 

THE  THEMES  OF  THE  SOCIAL  DIALOGUE 
SUPPORT  SYSTEM 

Theme 1: 

Planning  of 
company 

Theme 2: 

SMEs 

training  within 

the 

1.2  National  reports  show  a  wide 

range of national  initiatives 

Theme 3: 

Organisational  development 

Theme 4: 

Specific types of employment 

Theme 5: 

Occupational 
people 

integration  of  young 

Theme 6: 

forms  of 

New 
regional  level 

co-operation  at 

Theme 7 

Certification/recognition 

Theme 8 

Means  and methods 

Theme 9 

Allocation of resources 

Theme 10 

New 
requirements 

responses 

to 

individual 

3.  Preparing  a  Community  report  on  'Access 
to  continuing  training  in  the  EU'  in  order 
to  take  stock  of  progress  and  put  forward 
proposals  to  strengthen  Community-  action 
(Article  IV.2). 

The  main  point  of  this  report  is  to  assess  overall 
progress  made  and  to  illustrate  the  trends  under 
way,  taking  due  account  of  the  diversity  of  the 
national  systems.  It  should  also  illustrate  the 
value  of  efforts  made  by  the  Member  States  and 
the  steps  taken  by  the  social  players  in  general 
and the social partners in particular. 

The report  is based  on: 

1.2.1  Introduction 

The  reports  prepared  by the  Member  States  form 
an  interesting  basis  of  information  and  analysis 
on  trends  and  progress  with  regard  to  access  to 
continuing  training,  and  on  the  way  in  which 
access  is  organised 
in  the  different  Member 
States. 

Many reports provide comprehensive  descriptions 
of the support systems for continuing  training. 

The  following  points  arise  from  an  overall 
examination  of the national  reports: 

1.  The  EU  countries  are  all  determined  to  find 
new  solutions  to  the  challenges  posed  by  the 
need  for  continuing  training  and  the  direct  or 
indirect  promotion  of  access  to  training., 
Nearly  all  of them  provided  examples  of  new 

°  The  information  contained  in  these  reports  have  also  been 
supplemented  by elements  from  the  multiannual  programmes 
established  under  the  follow-up  process  to the  conclusions  of 
the Essen European Summit on  employment. 

"  Continuing Vocational  Training  Survey 
10  Labour Force Survey. 

10 

measures,-  introduced  in  the  1990s,-  which 
to  continuing 
have  a  bearing  on  access 
training. 

2.  Most  of  these  measures  are  however,  part  of 
training 
action  for  general 
systems  in  the  Member  States,  thus  limiting 
the  scope  for  more  detailed  analyses  of 
the 
impact of the measures. 

'reform' 

of 

3.  On the other hand,  many  promising  initiatives 
escape  the  attention  of  a  purely  systemic 
administrative  scrutiny,  because  they  were 
undertaken  at  company  or  branch  level.(  a 
certain  number  of  very  promising  initiatives 
were  spotted  in  the  reports  of  the  social 
partners 
the 
the  course  of 
Compendia  of  support  systems  in  the  Social 
Dialogue. ) 

doing 

in 

Implementing the  objectives 

As  noted  earlier,  the  national  reports  very  often 
describe  the  developments 
in  systems  and 
to  promote  access,  but  without 
measures 
providing  any  great  detail  in  relation  to  each 
single  objective  of  the  Council  Recommendation 
of 30 June  1993 

It  was  therefore  considered  more  worthwhile  to 
analyse national trends for certain themes. 

•  A  first  theme  relates  to  access  and  company 
policy.  This  covers  mainly  Objectives  1, 2, 6, 
8 and 9 of the  Recommendation. 

•  The second relates more specifically  to  access 
requirements  of  individuals  (Objectives  3 and 
7),  i.e.  examining  initiatives  for  individuals 
access to training. 

•  The  third  theme  relates  to  the  retraining  of 

workers (Objective 4). 

•  The  fourth  deals  with  access  to  training  for 
specific 
less-
target  groups  such  as 
qualified  workers  (Objective  11),  women 
(Objective  12),  young  people  (Objective  13) 
and the long-term  unemployed  (Objective  14). 

the 

•  A  fifth  theme  will  consider  access  and  new 

partnerships (Objectives  5 and  15). 

•  A sixth theme will deal with  new  technologies 
10).  Major 

(Objective 

access 

and 

developments  and  pointers  for  action  and 
initiatives need noting for each theme. 

A  final  theme  will  deal  with  the  use  of 
Community  funds 
local 
in 
initiatives. 

support  of 

Following 
illustrated by actions and  initiatives. 

analysis  major 

themes 

are 

1.2.2  Access and company  policy 

status 

for  workers, 

This  is  a  vast  theme  which  groups  together 
initiatives  on  measures  to  make  provision  for 
non-active 
promote 
information  and  consultation  at  company  level 
and  anticipation  of  training  requirements  and  the 
development  of plans notably  the development  of 
information  and 
training  plans  for  workers, 
consultation 
forward 
planning of training needs. 

in  enterprises  or 

the 

The national reports confirm  that  it  is  enterprises 
which take responsibility  for policy on  continuing 
vocational  training  of  their  employees.  They  are 
the main and frequent  initiators of action  and  it is 
they who mainly fund  such training. 

to 

from 

come 

obligations  may 

The  exercise  of  this  responsibility  by  companies 
is supported  in certain  Member  States  by  binding 
systems,  e.g.  France  is  distinctive  by  its  system 
of  a  generalised  obligation 
contribute 
financially  to training  under  the  terms  of the  law 
of  16 July  1971. But France  is not alone  in having 
a  potentially  binding  arrangement  on  companies. 
These 
the 
compulsory'payment  into  a  solidarity  fund,  such 
as  a recent  measure  to  establish  funds  for  high-
risk  groups 
the  system  of 
taxes/subsidies  in  certain  sectors  in  Ireland,  or 
legislation  on 
leave  as  adopted  by 
Finland,  Sweden,  certain  Lander  in  Germany, 
etc.  In  Spain,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  an 
to 
indirect  system  of  contributions 
finance 
vocational 
is  collected 
training.  The  money 
is 
through  Social  Security  payments  and 
calculated  at 0,7% of the rate of  contributions  for 
occupational  accidents and  illnesses. 

in  Belgium,  or 

training 

to  continuing  "ocational 

Certain  Member  States  make  the  valid  point  that 
access 
is 
unevenly distributed  among companies (size, area 
of  activity,  etc.),  but  also  among  workers  (socio-
professional  status)  in  companies,  irrespective  of 
the binding nature of the arrangements. 

training 

11 

The right to  information 

of  the  social  partners  particularly  at  the  regional 
and local levels. 

Certain  Member States have practices designed  to 
and  consultation  on 
encourage 
company 
worker 
by 
representatives. 

information 
training 

policy 

training  opportunities  during 

A  definitive  model  of  an  obligation  to  provide 
information  was  not  provided  by  any  Member 
State.  Information  policy  clearly  builds  up  on  an 
ad  hoc  basis  and  varies 
according  to  the 
providers  and  recipients.  Germany  feels  that 
employees and workers  often  receive  information 
recruitment 
on 
interviews.  Information  may  also  be  given  in 
contracts 
collective 
employment 
agreements,  or  be  published  by  the  Chamber  of 
Trades  or  the  Chambers  of  Commerce  and 
Industry.  The  social  partners  in  particular  seek  to 
improve  channels  of  information.  In  December 
1996  key  players  agreed 
to  develop  an 
information  system  within  the Federal  Vocational 
Training  Institute,  to  which  training  committees 
could  refer. 

of 

or 

as 

Member  States  have  also  stepped  up  their  efforts 
to  raise  awareness  through  general  and 
targeted 
campaigns.  For  instance,  a  note  entitled  "Kennis 
in  beweging"  was  published  in  the  Netherlands 
in  June  1995.  In  France,  major  organisations 
their 
such 
arrangements on  individual training  leave by mail 
and  in the press as well  as by audio-visual  means. 
Finland successfully  launched  a vast campaign  in 
1994  to  inform  companies  of  the  opportunities 
available  on 
training 
contracts. 

apprenticeship  based 

the  FONGECIF 

publicise 

in 

information  campaigns 

the  UK  are 
The 
targeted  at  companies  through  programmes  such 
as Investors  in People  and Small firms  initiatives. 
The  same  is  true  in  Ireland  where  the  new 
project  called  Excellence  in People  was  set  up in 
1995. These  are  projects  aimed  at achieving  high 
quality 
in  human 
resources.  The  objective 
is  to  create  a  link 
between  the  company's  strategic  objectives  and 
the vocational training policy  objectives. 

standards  by 

investing 

Similarly, Denmark  organises  public  information 
targeted  at  SMEs.  It  is 
campaigns,  notably 
noteworthy  that  the  information  drive  is  pursued 
not only by the public authorities and the business 
sector, but also by the trade unions. In this regard, 
the  Danish  report  makes  a  note  of  the  activities 
on  information  which  has  to  be  put  at the  service 

and 

information 

to  channel 

Efforts 
raise 
awareness  of  opportunities  on  the  vocational 
training  market  are  also  supported  by  vocational 
counselling  sectors,  sometimes  combined  with 
activities  such  as  skills  assessment  exercises.  In 
Norway,  for  instance,  a  system  of  contact  points 
has  been  set  up  in  order  to  ensure  that  training 
providers  are  put  into  direct  contact  with  the 
consumers,  companies  and  individuals.  Many 
the  setting  up  of 
Member  States  mention 
of 
and/or  Points 
guides, 
or 
databanks 
Information.  The  United  Kingdom,  Ireland  and 
Luxembourg, as well  as others,  see this  as a way 
of  securing  better  information  flow  and  thus 
better access to vocational  training. 

Portugal  recently  set  up  a  programme  entitled 
Training  for  micro  enterprises  and 
small 
enterprises  in  an  attempt  to  promote  information 
and  raise  awareness  among  entrepreneurs  and 
employees  as to the  need  to  develop  their  human 
resources through vocational training. 

Consultation at company  level 

trend 

to  all 

is  a  growing 

There 
towards  more 
involvement  in and  responsibility  being  taken  for 
training  by  the  social  partners  in  general.  In  the 
Netherlands,  for  instance, the  social  partners  are 
being  given  more  say  in  the  context  of  the 
revision  of  the  law  on  vocational  teaching  and 
training (WEB) which  came  into  force  in  January 
1996. National  bodies, comprising  representatives 
of  employers'  organisations  and  trade  unions  co 
operate  with  the  educational  establishments  in 
drawing  up  exit  qualifications  for  each  sector  of 
industry,  group  of  sectors,  or  occupational 
types  of  senior 
category,  applicable 
secondary  vocational  education.  The 
social 
partners  are  also  given  a  role  as  providers  of 
resource 
of 
information,  for  motivating  companies  to  identify 
their  own  skills  requirements,  and  for  organising 
the  necessary  measures.  In  Finland,  the  role  and 
development  of  employee  training  are  currently 
being  examined  during  tripartite  negotiations  as 
part  of  the  Council  of  Ministers  employment 
programme  for  1996-99.  Italy  and  Portugal  also 
stress  the  growing  importance  in  this  context  of 
the  social  partners.  The  latter,  through 
their 
sectoral  organisations,  co-operate  with  the  public 
authorities  in defining,  shaping  and  implementing 
training  policies.  In  an  increasing  number  of 
cases,  collective  agreements  set  out  the  general 

distribution 

centres 

the 

for 

12 

principles  applicable to the sound  management  of 
vocational training at sector and company  level. 

In  Spain, the role of the  social  partners  is written 
into  the  national  and  tripartite  agreements  on 
vocational  training  and 
is  reflected  by  their 
involvement  in the  FORCEM  continuing  training 
foundation,  -a  tripartite  body  established  for  the 
organisation,  management  and  implementation  of 
these  agreements  with 
action  decided  under 
support from  the ESF. 

the 

In  France, 
requires  workers' 
law 
representatives  to  be  informed  and  consulted  on 
the  drafting  and  implementation  of training  plans 
and  programmes.  It  is  compulsory  for  the  works 
council to be consulted  at least once yearly  on the 
guidelines  and  the  vocational  training  plan.  In 
Germany  works  councils  also  have  the  right  of 
information  . 

strong 

namely 

development. 

Collective  agreements  which  become  the  forum 
for  consultation  on  vocational  training  are  a 
further 
Tripartite 
consultation  and  co-operation  are  part  of  the 
Danish  model  and  collective  agreements  are  the 
main  regulatory  instrument  (covering  over  90% 
of  the  Danish  labour  market).  Germany  opts  for 
a  similar  solution  and  feels  that  it  is  neither 
necessary  or wise to  legislate on the matter,  if the 
continuing  training  market  is  to  remain  very 
initial  VT  and  continuing 
flexible.  For  both 
training,  German 
the 
companies, 
employers  and  trade  unions,  have  traditionally 
been  committed  to  the  qualifications  of  their 
workforce.  But  the  individual  and  the  State  also 
have  a  share  in  this  responsibility.  The  State 
fulfils 
its  role  through  various  laws,  e.g.  the, 
Berufsbildungsgeset  -  the  1969  legislation  on 
training, 
vocational 
Berufsbildungsfôrderungsgesetz 
1994 
the  promotion  of  vocational 
legislation  on 
the  1969 
training,  Arbeitsforderungsgesetz 
legislation  on  the  promotion  of  employment, 
Aufstiegsbildungsforderungsgesetz 
legislation 
the  promotion  of  continuing  vocational 
on 
the 
the  Lander 
and 
training, 
Bildungsurlaubsgesetze 
the 
training  leave  (various  dates),  Weiterbildungs-
und  Erwachsenenbildungsgesetze  -  legislations 
on  the  continuing  training  for  adults  (various 
dates). 

through 
legislation  on 

the 

in 

- 

- 

- 

- 

increased 

The 
collective 
importance 
agreements  is noted  by the  Netherlands,  Sweden 
and  Norway.  In  Sweden  matters  relating  to 
continuing  training  are often  settled  by the  sector. 

of 

collective 

agreements 

propose 
Central 
recommendations,  but  it  is  increasingly  common 
for the examination  of the subject  to take place at 
the regional level. 

Finland states clearly that the general  trend  is for 
training-related  matters  to  be  negotiated  within 
the company. 

However,  training  remains  a matter  for  dialogue-
based  negotiation  on  which  there  is  not  always 
unanimity,  particularly  on  matters 
the 
objectives  of training and  who pays. This point is 
made by Denmark.  Talks on these  matters  are in 
progress  in  several  Member  States.  They  are  a 
central  preoccupation 
the  Luxembourg 
government  in its preparation  of a framework  law 
on continuing training. 

like 

for 

Germany  raises 
the  question  of 
inter  alia 
responsibility  for  funding  and  considers  that  the 
individuals  more 
trend 
responsible. 

towards  making 

is 

This  trend  is  also  apparent  in  the  UK  where 
increasing  numbers  of  employees  and  other 
individuals  are  taking  more  responsibility  for 
their  own  learning.  Encouraging  individuals  to 
become more pro-active  in meeting their  learning 
needs 
the  UK 
Government's  strategy for skills. 

is  a  major  component 

in 

Belgium  notes that  consultation  on  training  takes 
place only  for  high-risk  groups, and  is low on the 
agenda during negotiations  at company  level. 

The strategic  importance of training  plans 

instruments  of 
One  of  the  main  operational 
training  at  company  level  is  the  implementation 
of training plans. 

In  France,  the  training  plan  is the  principle  way 
in which  the  employer  is accountable  in terms  of 
actual  expenditure  and  in  relation  to  employees 
affected.  Training  plans  are  also  an  integral  part 
law  on 
of  the  Finnish  strategy.  Under  the 
consultation  in  companies,  those  having  over  30 
employees  are  obliged  to  establish  a  personnel 
and  training  plan  every  year  on  the'  basis  of 
negotiations with the employee  representatives. 

the  granting  of  financial  and 
In  Portugal, 
the  second  Community 
technical  aid  under 
Support  Framework  (CSF),  which  has 
legal 
validity,  obliges  companies  to  prepare  and  make 
known  the  human  resource  development  plans 

13 

they  intend to pursue. Under the national  tripartite 
agreement  of  1992  in  Spain,  funding  of  VT 
essentially  concerns  company 
training  plans, 
individual  training  leave  and  the  theory-  based 
training which  apprenticeship contracts cover. 

Denmark notes that the "size of company"  factor 
often  determines whether or not there is a training 
plan  as such. The Ministry  of Labour  accordingly 
set up two funds,  both of which  can pay  subsidies 
for  programming  activities.  The  major  elements 
in  the  Danish  approach  are  "funding  measures", 
"proximity"  (by  delegation  of  responsibility  to 
the regions) and "awareness raising campaigns". 

The  Netherlands  recently  launched  the  IMPULS 
programme  in  a number  of  sectors.  This  consists 
of  an  integrated  approach  in  each  sector,  which 
must  open  on,  through  a  strategic  plan,  to 
activities  for  achieving  a  structural  improvement 
in  matching 
the 
employment  market. 

vocational 

training 

to 

to 

regard 

training  plans,  France 

With 
is 
innovating  by  increasingly  gearing  these  plans to 
the changing  technologies  and  changing  markets. 
This  is encouraged  by contractual  policy  which  is 
based  in  part  on  a  planning  instrument,  the  CEP 
{Contrat  d'études  prospectives)  which  seeks  to 
define  developments 
in  trades.  The  CEP  is 
becoming  increasingly  frequently  a  basis  for  the 
conclusion 
development 
commitments. 

training 

of 

France: 
The  Contrats  d'études  prospectives 

Although  it  dates  back  to  the  1980s,  the  CEP  is 
still  an  effective  system  for  analysing  training 
is 
requirements  and  assisting  action  which 
steered  through  co-operation  with 
the  social 
partners. 

The CEP is based on two principles: 

• 

It is a contract which binds the social  partners, 
the  state  and  one  or  more  operators,  private 
consultants  or  public  establishments, 
in 
carrying  out  prospective  studies.  The  state 
provides half the budget. 

•  The operators  are  chosen jointly  by the  social 
partners and the state within the framework  of 
a  public 
tendering  procedure  based  on 
specifications.  A  tripartite  steering  committee 
sees that the specifications  and deadlines  are 
respected,  monitors  the  work  and  validates 
the results. 

In  the  UK  a  company  training  plan  linked  to 
business  objectives  is a  key  feature  of "'Investors 
in People". Companies  are  increasingly  adopting 
the  "Investors 
as  a 
framework  for  effective  investment  in  training 
and the development of a learning culture. 

in  People  Standard' 

To  raise  awareness  in  enterprises  of  the 
link  between  workers'  current  skills  and 
their  competencies 

Some  Member  States  are  promoting  awareness 
of the  business  sector  of  a  link  between  workers' 
skills  and  company  competitiveness.  Germany 
has a specific  programme  entitled  'Consolidating 
the  industrial  fabric  by  building  up  occupational 
skills'.  ESF  Objective  4  funds  are  used  for 
measures  to  raise  awareness  in  enterprises  of  the 
link between competencies  and current skills. 

The  UK  and  Ireland 
likewise  have  specific 
programmes,  and  Belgium  has  set  up  one  on  the 
quest for quality. 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  the  UK's  system  is 
the  presence  and  implementation  of  numerous 
initiatives and  programmes  designed  in general  to 
improve  individual  access  to  training.  Mention 
must  be made  here  of  programmes  like  Investors 
in  People  whose  purpose  is  to  improve  the 
by 
economic 

performance 

companies 

of 

14 

More 

resources 

investments. 

to  develop  human 

establishing the relationship  between training and 
the development of employees and the company's 
strategic  objectives.  The  delivery 
is  via  the 
Training  Enterprises  Councils  (TECs)  and,  in the 
case  of  Scotland,  Local  Enterprise  Companies 
(LECs),  providing  a  framework  which  makes  it 
possible 
in 
companies  and  to  structure  training  activities  as 
economic 
flexible 
arrangements  will  be  introduced  in  1997  as  part 
of  Local  Competitiveness  Budget  to  improve  co 
operation  between 
local  partners  supporting 
training  and  firms  and  thus  attain  the  objectives 
set out  in the Investors  in People programme  and 
the 
enhance 
business  sector.  A  second  initiative  which  will 
continue  to  obtain  this  objective  is  National 
Training  Awards.  This  is  a  prize  awarded  to 
employers,  training  providers  or  individuals  in 
respect  of  measures  which  have  proved 
particularly  effective  by  having  an  immediate 
effect  on  the  company's  economic  performance 
or the fulfilment  of the individual. 

the  economic  performance  of 

training 

The  Walloon  region  in  Belgium  has  focused  its 
support  on tangible action to make employers and 
workers  aware  of  quality  by  labelling  products 
and  certifying  companies.  Germany  also  notes 
that there  is a trend towards an  increasing  number 
of  certified 
is 
becoming  increasingly  important  for  several  CVT 
players  to  co-operate  in  mastering  more  complex 
tasks/subjects.  Another major  trend  sees some big 
companies  starting to shift  VT outside - partly  for 
financial  reasons  -  and  leaving  it  up  to  those 
involved  in  training  to  improve  provision  on  the 
training market (outsourcing). 

establishments. 

It 

The  crucial  importance  of  qualifications 

One  trend  which  is  emerging  strongly  is  that  of 
access  and  recognition  of  qualifications.  The 
awareness  of  workers  and  companies  as  to  the 
training 
importance  of  continuing  vocational 
opening  on  to  qualifications  which  are  relevant 
on  the  employment  market  has  become  a  prime 
objective  in the fight to remain  competitive. 

Germany  observes  that  today's jobs  increasingly 
call  for  key  skills,  language  and  communications 
skills,  a capacity  for  creativeness  and  innovation, 
and  multi  skilling,  in  other  words,  a  far  broader 
spectrum  of occupational  ability. This  is  reflected 
by  developments  in  CVT,  e.g.  decentralisation, 
client-oriented  approaches,  involvement  of  staff 
the 
and  workers, 
links 
employee's  career  progression,  closer 

incorporation  as  part  of 

between  work  and  education/training.  New 
methods and new forums  of training  are  therefore 
needed  if better quality  is to be achieved. 

for 

the 

recognition 

It  is  symptomatic  that  most  Member  States 
acknowledge  the  importance  of  discussions  on 
qualifications.  The  Netherlands  in  1993  set  up 
the  Commission 
of 
qualifications  acquired  (EVK).  The  system  of 
diplomas  for  professional  studies  for  the  adults 
came  into  force  in  1994.  The  vocational  studies 
diploma  system  in  Finland  makes  it  possible  to 
obtain  paper  qualification  based  on  acquiring 
occupational  know-how 
its 
method  of  acquisition..  Since  1995  this  has  been 
carried  forward  by  the  ALVAR  project  on  the 
control  of  the  quality  of  documents  used  for 
vocational  examinations. 

irrespective  of 

Finland: 
The  national  language  diploma 

take  a 

splits  up 

The  national  language  diploma  (set  up  by  the 
legislation  of  1994) 
language 
proficiency  into  nine  levels. Any  person  who  so 
wishes  can 
to  verify  his/her 
knowledge,  irrespective  of  how  it was  acquired. 
This  is an official diploma and is checked  by the 
authorities.  Nine 
languages  are  currently 
involved:  Finnish,  Lapp,  English,  Swedish, 
French, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish. 

test 

French  legislation  has  always  stressed  the  need 
leading  to 
for  continuing  vocational 
qualifications  which 
the 
are 
employment  market.  The  CEP  reflects  the  same 
concern.  In Denmark,  also aims to make  training 
pathways open on to  qualifications. 

relevant 

training 

to 

15 

United  K i n g d o m: 
National 
(NVQs) 

vocational 

qualifications 

Finland: 
The  "skilled  F i n l a n d"  project 

The  UK  in  1986  introduced  major  changes  to 
rationalise its very diverse  system in the area of 
vocational  qualifications,  by  establishing  an 
overall framework  of NVQs. A parallel system of 
Scottish  vocational  qualifications  (SVQ)  was 
introduced for Scotland. 

The  NVQ  and  SVQ  provide  a  yardstick  of  the 
skills  and  aptitudes  which  employers  have 
defined as necessary  for today's jobs. They  are 
based  on  national  performance  standards  at 
work  established  by  the  employers  for  the 
employers.  They 
real  employment 
reflect 
requirements  by  ensuring  a  multi-skilled  and 
flexible  workforce  with  broad-based  knowledge 
as  required  by today's  highly  competitive  global 
market. 

in 

seeking 
their  efforts  to  improve 

operational 
Member  States  are 
instruments 
the 
current  level of recognition  of  qualifications.  The 
Netherlands,  for  instance, have  set up  a fund  for 
innovation  in technology  and  vocational  training. 
Belgium  is planning  to  set  up  an  observatory  for 
the labour market and  qualifications. 

Efforts  targeting  the  SMEs 

It is well known  that there  are problems  of access 
to  continuing  training  for  the  SMEs  and  their 
employees.  The  Member  States  have  logically 
•enough  stepped  up  aid  programmes  targeted  at 
SMEs.  Assistance 
training 
is 
counselling, the analysis of training  requirements, 
etc. 

aimed 

at 

The  Finnish  project  entitled  "a  skilled  Finland" 
clearly 
the 
challenges. 

ambitions 

illustrates 

and 

the 

the 

the 

social 

(1996), 

partners, 

launched 

Recently 
"skilled 
Finland"  project  is  a  co-operation  project 
certain 
between 
ministries  and  the  Directorate-General  for 
Education.  The  objective  is  to  develop  the 
know  how  for  staff  and  subcontractors  of 
SMEs  by  understanding  how  diplomas 
arising from the  1994 legislation  could  better 
serve  the  specific  requirements  of  those 
enterprises 
the 
competence  of 
their  employees.  The 
specialists  recruited  for  the  project  assist 
companies  in evaluating  the  present  level  of 
know-how  of  employees  and  their  future 
requirements  in  this  area,  and  in finding  the 
right  establishments  to  organise  training.  In 
co-operation  with  all  those  in  the  world  of 
to  make  a  concrete 
work  the  Finns  wish 
reality  of 
lifelong 
the 
the 
apprenticeship 

principle  of 

improve 

seeking 

to 

awareness-raising 
and 

The  general  trend  is towards  the  preparation  and 
testing  of  specific  programmes,  the  mobilisation 
empowerment 
of 
campaigns, 
specific 
institutions.  There  is also  a trend  towards  a  more 
flexible,  more  adaptable  and  more  customised 
training provision. 

and 
creation 

the 

of 

The  UK  has  introduced  a  number  of  initiatives 
like  "Skills  for  Small  Businesses",  and  "Skills 
Challenge",  to  help  small  firms  to  overcome 
barriers  to  training.  The  "Small  Firms  Training 
Loans"  scheme  is  designed  to  provide  funding 
for  these  companies  with  a  view  to  training.  The 
Netherlands  launched  a  specific  programme  -
VRIJMARKT  -  in  1994,  targeting  the  SMEs.. 
Several  types  of  sandwich  training  are  also  being 
tried out, such as the SME-based  training targeted 
at  pupils  in  higher  vocational  education.  Actions 
targeting the SMEs are also a priority  in Spain. 

Germany  underlines  the  need  for  regional  co 
operation  to  ensure  qualitative  and  quantitative 
provision  for  meeting  demands,  especially  from 
the  SMEs,  and  boost 
interaction  between 
economic development  and the  labour market.  To 
meet the needs of the  SMEs  training  methods  are 
into  work,  i.e.  the 
designed  to  be  integrated 
business 
sector,  and  continuing  vocational 
training dovetail. 

France  has  also  intensified  action,  although  it 
acknowledges  that  success  of  some  of  these 

16 

measures  have  been  modest,  e.g.  the  system  of 
government  aid  for  the  replacement  of  certain 
employees  undergoing  training.  Other  measures 
are  strictly  financial  in  nature  such  as  tax  credit 
for training  to act as a tax  incentive to companies 
to  increasing  their  training  expenditure  annually.. 
Austria  also  notes  the 
importance  of  fiscal 
measures. 

Luxembourg: 
Preparation  of  a  new  framework  law  on 
CVT 

to 

address 

structures 

The  Luxembourg  government  is  setting  up 
new 
continuing 
vocational  training.  The  government's  view  is 
that  general  provisions  are  needed  and  that 
care  must  be taken  not  to  stifle  the  emerging 
momentum  of  this  market  by  excessively 
binding 
centralised 
excessively 
and 
measures.  The  government  has 
therefore 
opted  to  play  a  role  to  co-ordinate  and  help 
define  a  framework  within  which  the  market 
can develop. 

and 

Social 

Council, 

On  the  basis  of  an  opinion  drafted  by  the 
Economic 
an 
interministerial  group  is  in  the  process  of 
preparing  a  bill  of  law  which  will  lead  to 
overall 
continuing 
vocational  training  market  in  Luxembourg  on 
four fundamental  points: 

provisions 

the 

for 

• 

• 

the 
funding  of  continuing  vocational 
training  by  the  company,  by  employees 
and by the State; 

the  conditions  of  access  to  continuing 
vocational training for everyone; 

•  methods  of  protecting 
vocational 

in 
for 
to  avoid  poaching  by  non-

investment 
training 

continuing 
companies 
training  enterprises; 

• 

certification of training modules. 

Denmark  considers  that  it  is  essential,  if  the 
SMEs  are  to  take  up  the  training  opportunities 
available  by  the  public  authorities,  to  structure 
training  provision 
in  a  more  effective,  more 
flexible  and  more  customised  manner  thanks  to 
better  management  of  the  market  and  increased 
training 
competition 
providers. 

vocational 

between 

The  "job  rotation"  projects  are  part  of  this 
approach,  as  are  the  "open  workshop  models" 
which  are  currently  being  developed  and  which 
will  be  the  precursors  of  individualised  training. 

The  SMEs  can  send  their  employees  for  training 
at short notice. This approach  makes for  optimum 
use of the equipment of training establishments  as 
the rotation of training takes place in a continuous 
and differentiated  manner at the same time. 

The  importance  of  the  regional  dimension  is 
illustrated  by  Finland  with  its  regional  bureaux 
which  are answerable  to  the  Ministry  of  Industry 
and  Commerce  and  which  provide  counselling 
and  service  on 
the  basis  of  a  range  of 
programmes such as "ProStart, Kunto", etc. 

Germany: 
Lern-Netzwerk 
Bavaria 

-  a  CVT  network 

for 

Bavaria 
is  currently  setting  up  a  Lern-
Netzwerk,  i.e.  A  CVT  network,  using  modern 
information  and  communication  technology, 
for  medium-sized  metal-working 
and 
electronics  companies.  This  model  project 
installation  of 
involves 
distance  teaching  applications  in  local  firms. 
The  aim of the  network  is to  move the  burden 
.Rural  areas 
of 
training,  outside 
which  have  problems  of  access 
to  CVT 
provision are a particular focus. 

the  preparation 

in-house 

Another  interesting  initiative  is that undertaken  in 
the  Flemish-speaking  part  of  Belgium  and  which 
is  based  on  a  government  agreement  spanning 
incentives  to 
1995-99  and  involving  financial 
and 
encourage 
Community  finds  in  vocational  training  measures 
at company  level. 

investment  of  private 

the 

Lastly, multi-media  teaching  and, to some  extent, 
distance  teaching  are  frequently  mentioned  as 
ways  of  catering  for  the  specific  needs  of  the 
SMEs. 

A  new  strategic 
training. 

role 

for  continuing 

Legislation  L236/93  introduced  a contribution  of 0 
.03%  of  the  enterprise  wage  bill  for 
the 
development  of vocational training. The  recent 
the 
1996  agreement,  concluded  between 
government  and  the  social  partners, 
further 
specifies  the  role  and  position  of  vocational 
training. 

"  continuing training provides  a new strategic role 
for  training  and  affirms  the  citizen's  right  to 

17 

qualifications  and 
proper  vocational  competencies. " 

to  the  enrichment  of  their 

•  The  agreement  specifies  general  goals  for 
creating 
for  ensuring 
right  conditions 
access  to  lifelong  learning.  The  agreement 
foresees: 

the 

•  The gradual introduction of a levy of  0.03% of 
the  wage  bill  to  develop  continuing  training  in 
co-operation with the social partners. 

•  Creation  of  new  possibilities  of  adaptation  by 
insertion  of  national 
level  agreements  and 
annual  plans  of  the  social  partners,  into  the 
level of the enterprise. 

•  Reaffirmation  of  the  right  to  education  and 
training  for  adults,  by  optimising  the  current 
contractual  instruments  on  training  leave  and 
sabbaticals. 

, 

remotivation, 

training 
Reorientation 
the 
measures,  which  address 
unemployed  and  those  threatened  by  exclusion, 
and  also  the  need  to  improve  of  the  employment 
services are also foreseen. 

and 
the  needs  of 

innovation 

interesting 

is  the 
A  further  very 
establishment  of  alternating  training  and  work, 
(work  and  apprenticeship  contracts),  introduced 
within  a clear  and  coherent  strategy  of  promotion 
and  support  of  employment.  The  double  status  of 
these  contracts  helps  in  making  the  distinctions 
between  initial  vocational  training  and  continuing 
training at work,  less limiting. 

institute 

training. 

for 
vocational 

Another  trend  is  to  set  up  institutions,  very  often 
quasi-public,  to  provide  support  and  backup  for 
these companies  in order to promote more  'tailor-
made'  solutions.  In  1992,  Luxembourg,  for 
instance,  set  up  on  a  legal  basis  the  INFPC,  a 
the  development  of 
national 
continuing 
Similarly, 
Ireland,  on  the  basis  of  the  labour  law  of  1987, 
set up the FAS (national training and  employment 
authority)  in  order  to  promote  the  training  of 
employees  in  Ireland  and  provide  the  training 
needed  by  unemployed  persons.  A  similar 
approach  is  being  pursued  in  Portugal  where 
tripartite  public  institutions  such  as  the  Institute 
for  Employment  and  Vocational  Training  (IEVT) 
or 
and 
Vocational  Training,  provide  support  for  the 
business  sector  in  human  resource  planning  and 
in implementing  a vocational  training policy. 

for  Employment 

the  Observatory 

National  strategies  on  these  points,  especially  in 
the  Cohesion  countries,  have  in  many  cases 
drawn  in  the  support  of  the  European  Social 
Fund,  especially  in  relation  to  the  impact  of 
industrial  change  on  workers  skills.  Objective  4 
of the structural  funds  in particular  (including  the 
ADAPT  Community  Initiative), 
is  providing 
about 4 Bio ECU during  1994-99  for  training and 
re-training  actions,  development  of 
training 
systems,  and  mechanisms  for  the  anticipation  of 
the  skills  and  training  implications  of  industrial 
change. 

1.2.3  Access 

taking  account 
requirements,  Access 
to 
through  individual  initiatives 

individual 
training 

training 

Matching 
individual  worker 
to 
requirements  is  another  crucial  factor.  It  raises 
several  problems.  How  to  stimulate  continuing 
vocational  training  by  companies  while  at  the 
same time taking account  of the  specific  situation 
of the workers of these companies  (Objective  3)? 
How  to  allow  workers  to  assess  their  training 
lastly  what 
requirements  (Objective  1)1  and 
opportunities  are there for  individuals  to  organise 
their training on their own  initiative? 

to 

It  must  of  course  be  pointed  out  that  throughout 
the Member  States  every  employee  can  at  his/her 
own  expense  enrol  for  all  sorts  of  training.  This 
training  very  often  corresponds 
leisure 
activities and is organised  by cultural  associations 
or  local  education  authorities.  Language  training 
is  one  example.  Other  typical  examples,  which 
have long tradition, are activities organised  by the 
Volkshochschulen  in  Germany  or  the  Open 
Universities  in  the  United  Kingdom  or  the 
Netherlands,  adult  education  in  Luxembourg 
and United  Kingdom, the second  qualifying  path 
way in Austria or the senior citizens university  in 
France.  Such  cases can  entail  vocational  training 
and  may link with  occupational  activities  but  will 
not  necessarily  have  a  direct  impact  on  career 
progression. 

In  the  UK,  within  the  Employee  Development 
Scheme,  employers  (c.  800  companies)  provide 
additional  funding  for  employees  to  undertake  a 
learning  activity  of  their  choice.  These  schemes 
.are  often  set  up  by  employers  as  a  means  of 
attracting people who generally get least training. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  above  analyses  only 
the 
covers  vocational  training  activities,  from 

18 

point  of  view  of  the  occupational  needs  of  the 
individual.  It  is  worth  pointing  out  that  the 
tangible  opportunities  for  personal  initiative  in 
completing  one's  training  are  small.  More  often 
than  not  the  training  decision 
lies  with  the 
employer. 

Training 
instrument 
promote access to continuing training 

leave  as  an 

to 

Training  leave  is  commonly  presented  as  part  of 
the  main  arrangements  in  favour  of  access  to 
continuing  training.  Some  Member  States  thus 
provide  for  the  possibility  of  non-active  status  in 
the  form  of  training  leave  on  a  legal  basis 
(France,  Belgium,  Finland,  Sweden,  certain 
Lander  in  Germany,  etc.)  or  through  collective 
agreements (Denmark,). 

Non-active  status  may  take  the  form  of  training 
days, or be based on more ambitious models such 
as  systems  of job  rotation  as  practised  in  certain 
Scandinavian  Member  States. 

Not  all  configurations  of  training  leave  are  a 
success.  Belgium,  for  instance,  looks  to  improve 
the  efficiency  of  its  paid  training  leave  system 
which was set up by the Law of 22 January  1985. 
The  provision  has  therefore  been  amended  by 
fixing  a  ceiling  on  remuneration  payable  and  a 
reduction  in the  number  of  hours  of  leave.  There 
are  also  strong  reservations  on  training  leave  in 
Germany. 

in 

the  1993  agreements 

In  Denmark,  the  right  to  (unpaid)  training  leave 
for  a  maximum  of  two  weeks  yearly  emerged 
from 
the  private 
employment  sector.  Under  agreements  with  the 
State, training  leave on full  pay was introduced  in 
1993 and  1995. Also noteworthy  is the  system  of 
150 hours in Italy. This measure dates back to the 
1970s and provides  for  an hourly budget  for  each 
worker  for  his  own  training.  Those  targeted  are 
mainly  the  less  qualified.  Similarly,  the  1992 
agreement  in Spain  provides  for  a system  of paid 
training  leave to cater for  individual needs. 

Well-established  in  certain  countries,  but  openly 
criticised  in  others,  paid  training  leave  as  a  way 
of  increasing  access  to  training  is  debated  in 
Member  States.  Discussions  were  launched  in 
September  1995  in  the  Netherlands  on  "Utility 
leave:  an  investment  for  the  quality  of  work  and 
care 
the  community".  The  Employment 
Foundation  has  yet  to  give  its  opinion  on  career 
breaks.  The  same  is  true  in  Luxembourg.  An 
opinion  has  been  drafted  by  the  Economic  and 

in 

Social 
consideration. 

Council 

for 

final 

Government 

Assessment of skills 

the 
bodies  will  be  merged 

The  up-and-coming  trend  is  towards  recognition 
of  skills.  Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the 
current 
UK's  NVQs/SVQs. 
In 
assessment 
into  a 
"Qualifications and  Curriculum  Authority",  with 
a  view  to  generating  consistency  and  quality  in 
the  approach 
to  academic  and  vocational 
qualifications. 

1997 

Norway,  in  the  meantime,  has just  set  up  skills 
assessment  systems  which  provide  certification 
irrespective  of  how  the  skills  were  required.  The 
emphasis  here  is  placed  on  the  development  of 
models  for  the  assessment  of  skills  as  the  basis 
for 
training 
activities.  Italy  stresses  the  worthwhile  nature  of 
skills 
a  Community 
portfolio". 

improving  access 

to  vocational 

"individual 

project: 

In  Belgium,  promotion  of  civic  teaching  is  used 
to  develop  a  system  of  tests  which  will  make  it 
possible  to  enhance  the  skills  acquired  through 
work  experience  and  to  help  workers  attest  to 
their  real  level  of  qualification.  In  Norway,  with 
the  reform  of  the  higher  secondary  cycle,  the 
importance  of the  'master  tradesman's  certificate 
has  also  been  increased.  It  is  thus  possible 
to 
have  one's  level  of  skill  recognised  on  the  basis 
of  occupational  experience 
in  a  practical  or 
theoretical branch. 

Ireland  has  set up  a national  system,  TEASTAS, 
designed  to  create  a  national  certificate  structure 
covering  all  non-university  higher-level  training 
and continuing training. 

the  assessment  of 

Developments  covering  definition  of  individual 
such 
requirements  and 
requirements  are  leading  to  the  establishment  of 
centres  for  the  assessment  of  individual  training 
requirements.  A  approaches  exist, 
the  most 
common being skills assessments. 

training 
this 

establishments 
type  of  service 

like  Belgium  and 
In  certain  Member  States 
have 
Luxembourg, 
started  offering 
the 
business  sector  and  to  individuals.  The  trade 
unions apparently  are  increasingly  supporting  this 
approach,  particularly  in  the  case  of  people  who 
have just  lost their jobs. 

to 

19 

training 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  assessment  of  workers' 
continuing  vocational 
requirements, 
France's  law  of  31  December  1991  introduced 
the  skills  assessment  as  an  instrument  at  the 
service  of  companies  and  workers  alike.  Nearly 
five  years  on,  this  service  is  gradually  gathering 
training, 
pace 
the  world  of  vocational 
in 
particularly  with 
the 
opportunity  for  employees  to  have  their  skills 
individually  and  outside 
assessment 
working time. 

availability  of 

funded 

the 

Denmark  has  adopted  a  slightly  different  tack. 
Since  1995  the  AMU'*  has  been  proposing  a 
completely  new type  of activity which  consists of 
clarifying  individual  skills, an  activity  which  can 
be  incorporated  into  the  follow-up  of  long-term 
training  leading  to  qualifications.  Similarly,  as 
previously  mentioned,  "open  workshop  courses" 
have  been  introduced,  and  these  start  with  an 
assessment  of  the  levels  and  continue  with  an 
tailored  learning. 

The TECs12  and the  LECs13  in the  UK  have, in 
the  interests  of  regular  assessment  of  training 
instituted  programmes  such  as 
requirements, 
Gateways to Learning  in order to have  a network 
of  guidance  organisations  -  the  purpose  being  to 
promote  supply  and  demand 
for  guidance. 
Another  programme,  Skill  choice,  uses  a  system 
of 
of 
accreditation 
qualifications  and prior guidance measures. 

recognition 

and 

a 

1.2.4  Access  and  retraining  of  workers 

the 

interests  of  a  proactive  approach, 
In 
Finland's  Law  on  the  contract  of  employment 
stipulates that employers must organise training if 
this  makes  it  possible  to  avoid  redundancy  or 
laying  off  an  employee  by  redeployment  within 
the  Employers' 
In  Sweden 
the  company. 
Labour 
Organisation 
and 
their 
Confederation 
arrangements  and  set  up  a  reserve  fund 
to 
increase  training  which  target  workers  facing  a 
risk of  unemployment. 

the  General 
stepped 

have 

up 

the 

social 

partners 

between 

By  way  of  illustration,  France  provides  support 
for  projects  which  are  part  of  a  strategic 
development  approach.  These  are  negotiated 
mostly 
at 
occupational  branch  level  where  the  questions  of 
modernisation  and  competitiveness  can  be  raised 
globally  and  coherently.  They  run  for  several 
years  so  as  to  form  part  of  training  within  a 
medium term plan. They can also be concluded  at 
inter-sectoral 
local 
organisations  as  part  of  a 
local  economic 
development  approach.  The  system  is  based  on 
State aid. 

level,  particularly  with 

a 

has 

number 

Portugal 
of 
introduced 
programmes  and  actions  to  adapt  the  active 
population  to  technological  and  organisational 
change, and to  develop  retraining  of  unemployed 
persons  or  employees 
risk  of 
unemployment.  Such  action  is  usually  prepared 
jointly  by  the  companies  and  by  the  Institute  for 
Employment  and  Vocational  Training  and  is 
supported  by  the  second  CSF  and  the  multi-
annual employment  programme. 

facing 

the 

In the United  Kingdom the promotion  of training 
is  done  at  sector  level  through  the  Industry 
training  organisations  (ITO).  They  are  intended 
to monitor future  skills and training  requirements, 
develop  occupational  standards  and  provide 
encouragement  for  employers  with  regard  to 
training. 

The  Netherlands  ESF  Objective  4  especially 
targets  less-qualified  workers  and  activities  to 
encourage  this  group  of  employees  to  participate 
in training. 

1.2.5  Access  to  training  for  a  specific 

target  groups 

It  is  very  significant  that  the  Member  States 
appear  to  have  opted  for  specific  programmes 
targeting  population  groups 
least-
qualified,  women,  young  people  and  the  long-
term  unemployed. 

like 

the 

'  AMU = Adult  Vocational  Training. 

12  TEC = Training and  Enterprise  Council. 

'-* LEC = Local  Enterprise  Council. 

ESF  Objective  4  programmes  in  seven  countries 
specifically  target  those  most  at  risk  of  exclusion 
from  ongoing training. Here we see for example (i) 
the  French  accent  on  identifying  those  most  at 
risk,  whether  because  of  their  low  qualification 
level, those  whose job  functions  are  disappearing, 
and  those  at  mid-career  point;  (ii)  the  Dutch 
targeting  non-indigenous  workers  with  language 

20 

weaknesses in view of the increasing importance of 
communication  skills  in  our  complex  industrial 
environment;  and 
targeting 
outdated skills within the older age groups. 

the  Finnish 

(iii) 

Specific  measures 
qualified 

targeting 

the 

least 

All  Member  States  are 
introducing  specific 
measures  and  specific  teaching  tools  targeting  a 
range  of  groups,  e.g.  the  functionally  illiterate, 
low-schooled  adults  or  the  disabled.  The  steps 
taken  to  promote  access  to  vocational  training 
reflect  a concern  among political  decision-makers 
and workers'  representatives  alike to give priority 
to  the  vocational  training  of  the  least-qualified 
categories.  The  trade  unions  are  also  anxious  to 
give  preferential  access  to  training  to  workers 
facing  the  risk  of  unemployment  or  workers 
whose employability  is low. In  1995 Finland,  for 
example,  set  up  a  tripartite  committee  to  find 
answers which would  involve all the players. 

occupational 

The  UK  government  feels  that  the  acquiring  of 
basic  skills  is  the  foundation  for  satisfactory 
subsequent 
development. 
Substantial  financial  resources  are  earmarked 
annually  to  fund  initiatives  and  infrastructures, 
under  the  aegis  of  the  Department  of  Education 
and  Employment.  The  aim  is  to  encourage  the 
acquisition  of  basic  skills  by  population  groups 
facing  the  risk  of  exclusion  from  the  labour 
market.  The  Basic  Skills  Agency  is  one  such 
example,  the  idea  being  to  establish  a  national 
strategy  to  rise  to  this  challenge.  This  initiative 
was  in  1995  expanded  to  cover  basic  training  at 
the  place  of  work  for  the  unemployed  and  for 
young  people,  and  also 
includes  a  Family 
Literacy  Initiative. 

Along  similar  lines,  the  measures,  programmes, 
initiatives,  regulations  and  legal  provisions  in the 
various  Member  States,  e.g.  support  schemes  for 
the  unemployed  in  Belgium  or  the  personalised 
teaching  workshops  in  France.  Their  task  is  to 
provide every  school-leaver  additional, general or 
technological  basic  or  individual  training  leave 
for those who wish to obtain  a basic  qualification. 

Substantial  effort 
is  being  made  in  Denmark 
inter  alia  to  improve  the  living  conditions  of 
people  with  reading  difficulties.  The  National 
Education  Ministry  now  offers  reading  tuition 
free  of charge to these  people. 

There  are  short-term  and  long-term  measures, 
updating  of  knowledge  or  basic  qualifications, 

which  are  part-financed 
Funds, notably  Portugal. 

from 

the  Structural 

instrument  in  the  effort 

In  the  Netherlands  the  combination  of  training 
and  working  experience  is  considered  a  very 
to  upgrade 
effective 
level  will  be 
qualifications.  For  example,  a 
created  under  elementary  apprenticeship, 
the 
assistant-level, because this can  be helpful  for  the 
level 
least  qualified 
(notably,  with  a  view  to  their  position  in  the 
labour market). 

to  attain  an  elementary 

Specific measures targeting women 

this 

Specific  measures  for 
target  group  are 
organised  generally  by  the  public  authorities, 
local  agencies,  social  institutions  or  third  sector 
to  create 
organisations,  and  are 
appropriate  structures  to  facilitate  the  access  and 
involvement  of  women  in  vocational  training. 
These  measures 
include  vocational  guidance, 
preparation  for  working  life  and  the  organisation 
of child-minding  facilities. 

intended 

In  most  Member  States,  these  measures  are 
publicly  funded  and/or  part-funded  by  European 
programmes  and 
targeting  women 
initiatives 
facing  the  risk  of  unemployment,  unemployed 
women,  and  women  in  the  process  of  being 
occupationally  integrated. 

There are different  models for the management  of 
all  these  actions.  Belgium,  for 
instance,  has 
adopted  legislation  in this  area  (Royal  Decrees  of 
14.07.87  for  the  private  sector  and  27.02.90  for 
the public  sector), and  in France  equal  access  for 
men  and  women  to  vocational  training  is  one  of 
the  points  on  which  the  social  partners  are 
obliged  to negotiate at  least every five years. The 
UK  and  Ireland  also  earmark  special  funds  for 
the  development  of  programmes  for  women 
returners,  including  child-minding  arrangements 
for  parents  who  intend  to  return  to  work,  and 
loans  to  women  to  pay  the  cost  of  courses  and 
crèche  facilities.  In  Norway,  equal  opportunities 
is one of the  fundamental  premises  of  the  law on 
adult  education.  Spain  has  set  up  an  institute  to 
address  issues  specifically  affecting  women  in 
this area. 

21 

Ireland: 
A c t i on 
w o m e n,  initiated  by  the  FAS 

p r o g r a m me 

targeting 

also  making  an  important  contribution  in  this 
area. 

Specific  measures  targeting  young  people 

The  National  Training  and  Employment 
Authority  (FAS)  first  started  up  its  action 
programme 
in  1990  in  an 
endeavour  to  redress  the  labour  market 
balance which was  largely  unfavourable  to 
women. 

for  women 

It  has  subsequently  been  adapted  yearly. 
The programme sets out to: 

1.  improve  and  broaden  out  the  range  of 

job opportunities open to women; 

2.  help women  to  solve  specific  problems 

they face on the labour  market; 

3.  minimise  all  existing  practices  which 
hitherto  generated  inequality  between 
men and women. 

employment 

programmes 

The  FAS  1995  action  programme  shows 
that  the  involvement  of  women  in  training 
has 
and 
increased  everywhere  and  a 
further 
progress  has  been  made  in  new  areas  of 
training  and 
in 
the 
employment  in  collective  enterprises.  In 
1996-97  the  FAS  will  continue  to  adopt 
measures 
take-up  by 
women  of training  in areas where they  are 
under-represented  and to raise the current 
level of women's  qualifications. 

involvement 

increase 

the 

to 

in 

Some  Member  States,  e.g.  Denmark,  point  out 
that  the  debate  on  equal  opportunities  for  men 
and  women  is changing  nature. The  general  level 
of  training  shows  that  women  are  now  better 
trained  than  men.  However,  Denmark  continues 
to  organise  a  whole  range  of  actions  targeting 
specifically  the  female  public  as  part  of  general 
basic  training  for  adults,  e.g.  day  schools  for 
women,  open  data  consultation 
rooms,  etc. 
Finland  shares  this  analysis.  Equality  would 
appear  to  be  ensured  under  support  measures  for 
social  policy. 

in 

actions 

It  should  also  be  noted  that  Member  States 
favour  of 
generally  co-finance 
women's  access  to  vocational  training  by  way  of 
the  structural  funds  whose  regulations  envisage 
and  reinforce  respect  for  and  promotion  of  the 
principle  of equal  opportunities  between  men and 
women.  Complementary  to this, the NOW  strand 
of  the  EMPLOYMENT  Community  Initiative  is 

to 

types  of 

Three major  trends emerge here: the  development 
of 
encourage 
apprenticeship 
occupational  integration,  increased  responsibility 
devolved  to  the  regions  and  to  local  level,  and 
measures  targeting  companies  which  give  young 
people  contracts.  Lastly,  it  is worth  stressing  that 
the  concept  of  'second  chance'  schools  has  got 
off the ground. 

led  to 

insufficient  or 

Encouraging access of and participation  by young 
people  having 
inappropriate 
qualifications  remains  a  major  concern  for  all 
Member  States,  many  of  which  have  instituted 
reforms  on  apprenticeship  in  recent  years  which 
have  often 
introduction  of  new 
the 
sandwich  training  channels,  and  to  the  raising  of 
the  age  of  the  apprentices.  One  of  the  trends  to 
the 
watch 
apprenticeship  system  to  all  levels  of  technical 
diplomas,  particularly  at  post-secondary  level.  In 
most  cases, the  education  world  makes  proposals 
on  the  access  of  young  people  to  vocational 
training, 
are 
increasingly  often  obtained  with  the  support  and 
co-operation of the business world. 

the  gradual  opening  out  of 

achievements 

tangible 

but 

is 

Germany: 
Action  programme  targeting  young 
talent/grant-holders 

introduced 

1991  Germany 

the 
In 
Begabtenfôrderung 
berufliche  Bildung 
programme  for  skilled  young  persons  and 
young  employees  who  are  particularly 
good  at  their  jobs.  Upon  completion  of 
their  VT  under  the  'dual  system',  those 
awarded  a  Begabtenfôrderung  grant  can 
broaden 
their  occupational  knowledge 
according  to  their  requirements  through 
tuition, 
continuing  VT 
computer skills, politics, economics). 

language 

(e.g. 

Spain  encourages  in-company  placements  as  a 
way  of promoting  the  occupational  integration  of 
young people. 

The  third  sector,  it  has  to  be  said,  also  plays  a 
vital  role  when  it  comes  to  young  people,  by 
contributing to the promotion  of various  solutions 
for  combining  work  experience  and  socio-
occupational  integration. 

22 

In  this  way  several  projects 
in  the  various 
Member  States  seek  to  set  up  procedures  for 
vocational  guidance  and 
to 
qualifications  for jobless  young  people,  many  of 
them  from  high-risk  inner-city  areas.  Procedures 
to  develop  and  improve  training  and  integration 
pathways  for  young  people  through  specific 
vocational  curricula also exist. 

training 

leading 

Other  Member  States,  e.g.  Greece,  have 
introduced  education  and  training  channels  of the 
'second  chance'  type,  targeting  young  people 
who  left  the  school  system  without  any  basic 
qualifications. 

The  Brussels  region  in  Belgium  has  started  up  a 
system  of vocational  transition  payments  in order 
to  encourage  the  recruitment  and  training  of job 
seekers  aged  under  26  who  have  no  higher 
secondary  school  qualification  or  who  have  been 
unemployed  for a minimum  of six months. 

through 

This  trend  has  also  emerged  in  France,  where 
there are specific  measures for young people aged 
16-25 
contract' 
intended  for  those  who  were  unable  to  obtain  a 
qualification  during  their  school  careers  or whose 
level  of  qualification  would  not  get  them  into  a 
job. 

'qualification 

the 

Many  Member  States  have  specific  measures  to 
ensure that young people who had no training can 
do  so 
in  order  to  give  them  occupational  skills. 
These  measures  are  part  of  broader  employment 
programmes, e.g.  Denmark. 

There  has  been  a  wide  range  of  approaches 
developed  on this  front  in the  UK, which  in  1995 
launched the Modem  Apprenticeship,  an  initiative 
based  on  a  partnership  between  the  government 
and  the  business  sector  with  the  objective  of 
improving 
technical  and 
managerial skills of young people. It is planned to 
"Relaunch 
start  up  a  programme  entitled 
Strategy" 
in  1997  to  encourage  young  people 
from  age  fourteen  upwards  to  take  part  in  local 
partnership  projects, to encourage them to stay in, 
or come back  in to  learning. 

the  occupational, 

Under  the  Youth  Work  Guarantee  Act  in  the 
Netherlands,  people  under  23  who  have  been 
unemployed  for  a  period  of  six  months  are 
offered 
training  or  a 
combination  of  both.  In  order  to  make  the 
apprenticeship 
to 
system  more 
companies  as  the  intake  dropped  considerably 
since  1991,  a  new  measure  was  introduced  in 

temporary 

attractive 

job, 

a 

1996.  The  measure  provides  companies  with  a 
grant  for  every  apprentice  they  agree  to  train. 
This  is paid  indirectly  by means  of a reduction  in 
the 
the 
social 
apprentice. 

contribution 

insurance 

for 

legislation  on  apprenticeship 

in 
In  Italy 
progress,  which  establishes  a 
link  between 
external  training  leading  to  a  qualification,  and 
training  within  the  enterprise  with  the  help  of  a 
tutor.  State aid is limited to seeking evidence that 
training is taking place. 

is 

Specific  measures  targeting  the  long term 
unemployed 

instance,  notes 

Finland,  for 
that  vocational 
training  for  workers  is  a  major  tool  in  an  active 
employment  policy  which  it  is  financing  through 
the employment  administration. 

The 
long-term  unemployed  or  unemployed 
persons  aged  over  50  have  been  the  focus  of 
special  attention.  Several  programmes  attempt,  as 
in  France,  to  combine  training  measures  with 
occupational  integration  measures,  more  often 
than  not  through  work  placements  in  companies. 
This  is  one  way  of  acquiring  new  qualifications, 
which  in  many  cases  are  basic  qualifications, 
combined  with  some  work  experience.  Specific 
measures  have  also  recently  been  introduced  for 
the supervisory categories. 

Finland  two  years  ago  introduced  the  KEKO 
training  whereby  an  unemployed  person  can 
undertake  6-9  months  training  while  continuing 
to  receive  his/her  unemployment  benefit.  This  is 
undertaken  within a regional context., The worker 
can  thus  have the  advantage  of  a  grant  to  pursue 
studies  under  a  training  and  redundancy  fund.  A 
recent 
to  encourage  employers, 
through  financial  incentives,  to  recruit  people  or 
job  seekers, by getting them  to  contribute  to their 
the 
In  Belgium,  France 
training. 
Netherlands,  employers  can  benefit 
from  a 
reduction 
in  the  event  of 
in  social  charges 
recruitment of unemployed  persons. 

trend  seeks 

and 

In  Denmark,  special  attention  is  also  given  to 
training  which  provide  unemployed  persons  with 
skills.  The  Danes  concentrate  on  the  quality  of 
such  training,  the  way  in  which  this  action  is  co 
ordinated  and  on  individual  action  plans.  This 
basic approach  goes hand  in hand  with  a range  of 
facilities.  Another  feature  is that  the  fight  against 
unemployment  is  increasingly  regionalised  and 
local 
placed 

the  hands  of  regional  and 

in 

23 

the 

institutions.  In  Denmark, 
labour  market 
regional  councils  decide  on  which  facilities  to 
use. These  include the job  rotation  or  substitution 
system  which  is  often  used  in  Denmark  and  the 
Scandinavian  States, Sweden and Norway. 

unemployed  persons 
business. 

intending 

to  set  up 

in 

1.2.6 Access and the new partnerships 

long  or  short-term 

Greece  and  Luxembourg  have  vocational 
training centres whose tasks include the provision 
of 
training  programmes, 
training  actions  leading  to  a  qualification  or 
retraining  actions,  school  actions  and  work 
placements.  In  many 
instances,  the  activities 
undertaken  in  this  area  by  the  public  authorities 
are  supplemented  by  measures  by  the  employers 
federation,  the  trade  unions  or  the  third  sector 
associations.  Specific  arrangements  for  certain 
types  of  unemployed  persons  are  usually 
provided  for.  The  same  is  the  case  of  Portugal 
where  the  second  CSF  provides  for  support 
measures  for  the  reintegration. of  unemployed 
people  on 
the 
INTEGRAR  programme  which  is  designed  to 
integration  of 
achieve 
long-term  unemployed  people through  specific  or 
additional  training  actions. This  second  CSF also 
makes  provision  for  specific  measures  for  other 
target  groups  facing  the  risk  of  being  excluded 
, from  the labour market. 

labour  market,  such  as 

the  socio-occupational 

the 

Several  initiatives  have  been  set  up  in the  UK  in 
order  to  increase  the  level  of  employability  of 
unemployed  people.  An  example  is  the  Training 
for  work programme  which  targets  the  long-term 
unemployed  and  the  objective  of which  is to find 
them  a job,  improve their occupational  skills, and 
provide  them  with  a mix  of skills  which  includes 
those  '  linked  with  national  and  vocational 
qualifications.  A  similar  approach  Community 
employment  has  been  pursued  in  Ireland.  It  is 
based  on neighbourhood  projects  for  unemployed 
people  and provides  part-time jobs mainly  for  the 
long-term  unemployed  and  gives  an  opportunity 
for  all those  who  are  the  worst  placed  in  relation 
to the labour market. 

the 

long-term  unemployed.  Within 

In  the  Netherlands,  a  couple  of  measures  has 
been  taken  to  improve  the  labour  market  position 
the 
of 
Employment  Service there  is a measure  'Sectoral 
for  Unemployed  Grants  Scheme'' 
Training 
(BBSW)  which  provides  grants 
to  enable 
jobseekers  to  train  for  work  in  specific  sectors. 
The  sector  in  question  has  to  provide  a  training 
plan to the Central Employment  Service Board. 

Some  Member  States  also  have  programmes 
designed  to  provide  training  and  assistance  to 

are 

characterised 

reflected  by 

developments 
as 

by 
This 
decentralisation 
increasing 
responsibility  at  the  regional  and  local  levels.  It 
entails  adjusting  vocational  training  provision  to 
the specific  requirements of the regional and local 
companies  ana  also  the  setting  up  of  appropriate 
arrangements  and  infrastructures.  The  advantage 
of  this  approach  is  also  that  it  permits  much 
closer  co-operation  between  the  local  authorities, 
teaching  and 
the 
research 
companies, 
particularly  the  SMEs. For many  Member  States, 
the  approach  also  means  setting  up  regional 
training  networks,  partly  in  order  to  provide  the 
information  and 
the 
smooth  development  of  training  measures  in 
companies. 

training  organisations, 

instruments  needed 

establishments 

the 
and 

for 

Decentralisation  of continuing  vocational  training 
is thus a major trend in Germany. 

of 

Furthermore,  continuing  vocational  training  as  a 
factor  of regional and local development  naturally 
fits into the framework  of the general  instruments 
represented  by  the  regional  vocational  training 
local 
plans.  Analysis 
development 
requirements  and  dissemination  of  information 
are  tasks  which  in  certain  countries,  e.g.  France 
regional 
and  Greece,  are  carried  out  by 
employment  observatories 
jointly 
generally 
organised  and  funded  by the  government  and  the 
regional  authorities.  The  structures  also  have  to 
act  as  back  up  organisations 
training 
establishments  in  order  to  match  up  training 
local  and  regional 
provision  and  the  specific 
requirements. 

for 

The  active  labour  market  policy  in  Denmark, 
Finland,  Sweden,  Norway,  Italy,  Belgium  and 
the  Netherlands  shows  a  similar  trend  towards  a 
régionalisation  with  the  setting  up  of  regional 
labour  market  councils  combining  occupational 
integration  measures  and training. These  councils 
than  not  made  up  of 
are  more  often 
representatives  of 
the 
social  partners, 
the 
municipal  authorities  and  prefectures,  and  their 
task  is to  organise  the  efforts  being  made  on  the 
Jabour  market  front.  These  committees  ensure 
that  companies  have  the  labour  force  they  need 
and  contribute  to  preventing  and  reducing  long-
term  unemployment.  The  arrangements  available 

24 

include  training,  guidance  and  preparation  for 
employment. 

Denmark: 
(Social  partners'  initiatives 

In  order  to  step  up  continuing  training  in 
the  SMEs, the  social  partners  in  Denmark 
have  set  up  a  range  of  training  planning 
models 
"VIRUM", 
"MEKHON"  or  "SUM"  through  collective 
agreements. 

"AIDA", 

such 

as 

jointly 

funded 

The  trade  unions  have  thus  developed 
the  SUM  concept 
and 
(strategic  development  of 
labour),  an 
instrument  to  analyse  qualifications  and 
training  planning  in  companies.  The  SUM 
method  is  frequently  used  as  a  planning 
tool  in  Denmark.  A  secretariat  has  been 
set  up to  sell these  tools  and  also  to  train 
"SUM  consultants"  who  are  selected  from 
the  trainers  of  the  vocational 
teaching 
establishments  and 
the  AMU  centres 
before  receiving  spécifie training  and  then 
sent  to  companies  where  they  propose 
training  planning 
to  adjust 
provision  as  closely  as  possible  to  actual 
requirements. 

in  order 

The  SUM  system 
fundamental  principles: 

is  based  on 

two 

1.  co-operation  between  management 
and  employees  and  jointly  taking  on 
board of the  SUM method, 

2.  a  relentless  drive  to  bring  the  SMEs 
close 
training  providers  as 
and 
together  as  possible  through  the  SUM 
consultants 
up 
partnerships.  These  consultants  are 
in 
also  called  upon 
creation  of  networks  of  SMEs  so  that 
the  latter  can  together  make  the  best 
use of the training on offer. 

take  part 

thus 

and 

set 

to 

Similarly,  Portugal  has  set  up  a network  of  local 
consultants to promote  the  industrial  development 
of 
training  programmes 
leading  to  qualifications  adapted  to  their  actual 
needs. 

the  SMEs 

through 

and  even  organise  local  measures  which  are 
particularly  adapted to  local  requirements.  In the 
Flemish-speaking  part  of  Belgium  new  players 
are  emerging  on  the  scene,  mainly  private 
initiatives  acting  as  an  interface  between  the 
world  of  work  on  the  one  hand  and  the  training 
organisations  and teaching  establishments  on the 
other.  Generally  speaking,  the  establishment  of 
networks is a major component  in the building up 
of  the  vocational  training  system  in  Flemish-
the 
speaking  Belgium,  bringing 
activities  of  training  organisations, 
teaching 
establishments and companies  in order to provide 
added value through joint projects. 

together 

Flemish-speaking  Belgium: 
An  example  of  inter-company  training 

further 

technical 

training 
Alcatel's 
('postgraduate 
is  primarily 
technique') 
intended  for  highly  qualified  employees 
who  have  held  a  diploma  for  a  number  of 
years.  This  intensive  and  comprehensive 
programme  gives  them  the  opportunity  to 
update  their  knowledge  as  a  function  of 
what  is  taught  today  in  higher  education 
and  universities.  The  training  is  module-
based: 
themselves 
decide  on  the  programme  they  wish  to 
pursue  as  a  function  of  the  subject  area 
selected. These cycles are also  accessible 
to  the  employees  of  other  companies  and 
may  be  undertaken  on  the  spot  or  on  a 
distance  basis through  a  video-conference 
system. 

taking  part 

those 

1.2.7  Access  through  new  technologies 

The principle  of open,  flexible  and  individualised 
training  is on the political  agenda  in nearly all the 
Member  States  as  a  way  to  improve  access  to 
training  to  a  broader  public.  Efforts  are  being 
stepped  up to develop self-training  methods at the 
place  of  work  and  open  and  distance  learning, 
making  increasing  use  of  new  technologies  such 
teaching  or  multimedia 
as  computer-assisted 
learning systems. Needless to say, the potential  of 
an 
is  being 
analysed  more  or  less  everywhere,  along  with 
new 
other  measures 
technologies  in the distance  learning process. 

learning  system 

Internet-driven 

incorporate 

the 

to 

This  same  route  is  being  followed  by  the  UK 
through  the  setting  up  locally  of  the  TECs/LECs 
the  national  programmes 
which  can  adapt 
instituted  by  the  government  to  the  local  level, 

Accordingly,  several  Member  States  (Norway, 
UK,  Flemish-speaking  Belgium,...)  have  put 
distance  education  and  the  use  of  information 

25 

technologies  at  the  top  of  their  agendas.  The 
Finnish  Directorate  General  of  Education 
undertook  between  1991  and  1995  an  ambitious 
project  (OPINNET)  aimed  at  establishing  more 
open,  more flexible  and  more  technology-attuned 
to 
environments 
qualifications. 

for  adult 

training 

leading 

centres, 

technological 

In  order  to  secure  the  success  of the  introduction 
of new  technologies  into the training process, the 
development  of  teaching  and  learning  methods 
which  are more  appropriate  is a concern which  is 
being taken over particularly  by distance teaching 
and  training  organisations  which  already  exist,  as 
in  France,  where  mention  should  be made  of the 
work  of  the  National  Distance  Teaching  Centre. 
training 
This  establishment  organises  basic 
training 
courses  and  continuing  vocational 
courses.  Many  Member  States  have  just  set  up 
specific  institutions  with  this  in  mind.  In  this 
connection.  It  can  thus  be  claimed  that  virtually 
all  training  practitioners  employed  in  teaching 
transfer 
research 
establishments,  teaching,  universities  and  trade 
unions,  are  busy  designing  computer-assisted 
courses  or 
courses  designed  using  other 
technical 
techniques.  From 
multimedia 
organisation  point of view,  it is worth  mentioning 
endeavours  made  to  make  available  premises 
equipped  with  computers  which  are  open  to 
everyone  and  which  have  software  suitable  for 
self-tuition,  as in Belgium  with the  FORESPACE 
in  Brussels  which  provides  opportunities  for 
computer-assisted  self-tuition  for  workers and job 
seekers  in  the  region.  In  addition,  the  Flemish 
Ministry  of  Education 
to  overhaul 
distance  teaching  by  supporting  a  new  open 
university  consortium  bringing  together  the  main 
to 
higher  education  establishments 
develop  a new  approach  and  a new  methodology 
in this field. 

in  order 

intends 

a 

the  transition  of 

In Denmark,  the Centre  for  Technology-Assisted 
Training  (CTU)  set  up  in  1995  provides  support 
training  establishments, 
for 
collecting  and  disseminating 
information  and 
experience,  and  contributing  to  the  emergence  of 
decentralised  expertise.  The  AMU  system  has 
developed  and  implemented  an  extensive  training 
system  in  and  with  information  technology.  The 
development  of  new  multimedia  and  innovatory 
tools  is in many  instances supported  by the public 
authorities  and  recognised  as  an  advantage  when 
it  comes  to  earmarking  funds,  as  is  the  case  in 
Greece. 

Many sectors of activity are also developing  tools 
.which  use  the  new  technologies.  The  services 
sector, 
in 
Luxembourg and Portugal, is a good example. 

particularly  with 

banks 

as 

The  preference  in  Portugal  is  to  introduce  new 
technologies  as training tools, particularly  as  part 
of  the  new  training  programme  for  the  SMEs  or 
through  the  employment  and  vocational  training 
institute  by setting up new teaching  software  and 
multimedia methods. 

by 

both 

Since  the  early  1980s,  the  UK  has  also  been 
building  up  an  efficient  open  and  'distance 
training  infrastructure  in order to  broaden  out  the 
opportunities  for  access  to  distance  training  by 
establishing wider provision  in support of training 
by 
investment 
individuals.  The  main  examples  are  the  National 
Extension  College,  The  Open  College  and  The 
Open  University. The  British  Government  is  also 
provided  support  in  recent  years  for  a  large 
number of research  initiatives  and programmes  in 
learning 
order 
to  further  open  up  distance 
opportunities,  particularly  by  using 
the  new 
technologies  in an educational  context. 

companies 

and 

1.3  Diverging  positions  of 

the 

social partners 

introduced 

The  Recommendation 
a  major 
innovation  as  regards  methods.  In  parallel  with 
partners 
the  Member  States, 
organisations  within 
social 
dialogue  are  also  involved  in  the  process  of 
preparatory 
the  Commission 
for 
assessment. 

the  Community 

reports 

social 

the 

Procedures 

-  have 
process 

and  UNICE-CEEP 
the 
defined 

quite 
ETUC 
independently 
and 
methodology  for  their  report.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  arrangements  for  consultation  of  the 
for 
national  organisations  have  been  made 
employers and employees organisations  alike. 

This  consultation  process  has  proved 
largely 
positive  and  the  reports  drawn  up  at  Community 
level  provide  useful  pointers  in  appreciating  the 
links  between  Community  action  and 
the 
development  of  action  by  the  social  partners  at 
Member  State 
lesser  extent, 
company  level. 

level  or, 

to  a 

26 

level 

Moreover,  the  two  reports  have  sought  to  make 
the best use of the common  tool  introduced  at the 
Community 
in  the  form  of  the  social 
dialogue  support  arrangement  on  vocational 
training  (cf.  Chapter  1).  The  results  of  this 
the 
arrangement  have  been  used 
assessment  of  the  social  partners  on  sensitive 
points  concerning  developments  in  continuing 
training  arrangements,  notably 
in  areas  of 
common  interest defined  by the arrangement, and 
in  case  where  promising  cases  of  innovation  can 
be highlighted. 

frame 

to 

in  mind,  however,  that 
It  has  to  be  borne 
information  on  the  analysis  of  initiatives  by  the 
social  partners  within  each  Member  State  could 
not  be  comprehensively  and 
systematically 
collected  for  this  first  reporting  exercise,  even 
though  significant  innovations  would  seem  to  be 
emerging. 

ETUC  report 

•  With 

to 

of 

regard 

impact 

the 
the 
Recommendation,  the  ETUC  concludes  that 
"in  most  Member  States, 
the  Council 
Recommendation  is  not  well  knowvH\  It  also 
points  out  that  it  saw  no  evidence  of  specific 
government 
the 
Recommendation.  As regards the nature of the 
instruments,  the  ETUC  states: 
Community 
"the  Recommendation  has  had  no  direct 
impact". 

implement 

steps 

to 

•  With  regard  to  the  general  appreciation  of 
trends,  the  ETUC  report  concludes:  "in  most 
Member  States,  no  real  progress  concerning 
access  to training  seems  to have been made". 
The  ETUC  recognises  that  there  is  a.greater 
level of awareness  on the  issue but that access 
has  not  become  a  common  and  strategic 
political  question.  The  report  adds  that  in 
many  Member  States,  "public  funds 
for 
training  activities  have  been cut  back so that 
conditions for  access have  deteriorated'. 

•  On  a positive  note,  however,  the  ETUC  states 
that  "in  some  countries  important movements 
with  impact  to  improve  access  to  training 
have  taken place'".  The  report  thus  identifies 
around  10 countries  (S, DK, Finn, E, F, A, D, 
that 
P) 
it  can  be  considered 
significant 
initiatives  have  been  taken  on 
promoting access. 

in  which 

•  The ETUC  report  also observes that  in certain 
sectors  or  at  company  level,  there  has  been 

27 

increased  take-up  of  training.  The  report  here 
makes  a  direct  link  with  changes  in  work 
organisation  at company  level  and the  general 
trend  towards  quality.  The  report  quotes  a 
number  of  agreements  signed  at  company 
level which tend to confirm  this. 

The  enterprises  cases 
(support  arrangements) 

Unibon-ltaly 
Continuing  training  requirements  linked  to 
the  application  of  ISO 9 000  standards 
and  keener  competition.  Application  of  a 
multiplier  principle  whereby 
the  group 
leaders develop quality  ideas and pass  on 
their  experiences  to  the  members  of  the 
daily working groups. 

Lansfôrsakringer  Uppsala  (Sweden):  as 
part  of  a  new  client-and  quality-orientated 
configuration  of  work  organisation,  all  the 
employees  of  the  department  concerned 
undergo  informal  continuing  training  and 
even organise this process themselves. 

Motorenfabrik 

ABB 
(Denmark): 
securing  competitiveness  by  introducing 
working groups which  manage  themselves 
by  developing  skills  which  overlap  and  by 
making 
al! 
training  mandatory 
employees. 

for 

the  fact 

to  assess  employee 

that 
The  report  also  highlights 
arrangements 
training 
needs  are  inadequate  in  most  Member  States, 
and  that  the  opportunity  to  obtain  formal 
qualifications  or some kind  of  - even  partial  -
recognition  of  achievement  is  an  essential 
factor  of  motivation 
take-up  of 
training. 

for  and 

The  report  also  reviews  point  by  point  the 
results  for  each  of  the  Recommendation's  15 
objectives. The salient features  of this detailed 
examination are: 

only  a  minority  of  companies 
implement 
formal  training  plans,  but  there  are  many 
experiments to prepare such plans and  involve 
the employee; 
the  existence  of  support  or  incentives  for  the 
SMEs  or  companies  undergoing 
industrial 
change; 
the  existence,  particularly  at  regional  and 
the 
local 

information 

levels, 

on 

of 

to 

arrangements 

the  vision  of  the  links 
in  work 

requirements  of companies  and  workers, even 
if  partnerships  to  analyse  these  requirements 
are still far few and far between; 
arrangements  exist  to  provide  a  flow  of 
information  to  workers  but  they  need  to  be 
made more widespread and more  efficient; 
the  inadequacy,  particularly  in  the  case  of 
employees,  of 
assess 
individual requirements; 
all  too  frequently 
between 
training  and  changes 
organisation  is excessively  narrow; 
promising  developments  on 
teaching methods; 
a broadly  shared  concern  for  training  the  least 
qualified  even  if things are still slow to move; 
substantial 
equal 
promote 
effort 
opportunities  in continuing training; 
there  are still  considerable  problems  of  access 
for  young  people  who  have  no  qualifications 
and no jobs; 
a  decline  in  public  training  endeavour  in 
respect  of  unemployed  persons;  the  good 
example of the practice of job rotation; 
an 
co 
of 
operation  on  continuing  training,  stressing  the 
problems  for  individual  workers  in  gaining 
access to transnational courses. 

intensification 

training  and 

transnational 

to 

Denmark: 
j ob  rotation 

With  the  Danish  model  of  job  rotation, 
employees  following  a  continuing  training 
course  are 
job  seekers 
replaced  by 
recruited  on  a  fixed  term  basis.  This 
arrangement  applies  both  under 
the 
the 
training  plan  and  under 
company 
various  opportunities  for  employee  leave 
(parental 
leave  and 
leave, 
sabbatical leave). 

training 

giving 

involves 

procedure 

the  chance 

The 
an 
unemployed  person  the  job  of  a  person 
undergoing  training  for  the  duration  of  the 
training.  The  objective  is  twofold:  firstly  to 
facilitate  the  task  of  workers  wishing  to 
take  part  in  training  and  secondly  to  give 
unemployed  persons 
to 
replace  a  worker  when  the  employee  is 
undergoing  training.  These  measures  are 
funded  either  by  direct  grants  or  by 
reducing  charges.  But  the  fact  remains  is 
that  it  is  mainly  the  public  organisations 
which  use the  replacement  system  during 
training  and  preferably  in  the  care  and 
welfare  sectors.  The  small  companies  in 
the  private  sector  need  to.take  on  board 
the  benefits  of  using 
this  system  of 
replacements. 

As  a  general  conclusion, 
the  ETUC  report 
identifies  four major  points with regard to  follow-
up: 

• 

• 

• 

the  progress  achieved 
to 
collective objectives  of companies  and  not the 
individual needs of workers; 

relates  more 

the  ETUC's  renewed  resolve  to  develop  the 
to 
European  Social  Dialogue  on  access 
continuing training; 

the 

low 

impact  of 

in  view  of 
the 
Recommendation,  the  Commission  should  be 
asked  to  submit  a  directive  on  access.  This 
request  is warranted  by the  developments  and 
challenges  Europe  has  to  face: 
information 
society, new  forms  of work  organisation,  new 
technologies, the  high  level  of  unemployment 
and demographic change; 

•  Member States should  be urged  to support  the 
in 
social  partners  at 
establishing  arrangements  and  conditions 

the  national 

level 

28 

whereby  open  access  to  training  may  be 
achieved. 

UNICE/CEEP report 

•  A  general  comment  made  by  the  employers' 
organisations  is  that  "considerable  progress 
has been made both at national and  European 
levels within the last  decade". 

•  The  report  of  the  employers  organisation 
stresses  the  objective  set  out  in  their  many 
statements and declarations  in order to "obtain 
and  maintain  a  highly  skilled  and  motivated 
workforce". 
the 
employers  allocate  "a  huge  amount  of  time 
and  resources 
in  training  throughout  the 
working life of an  employee". 

reiterates 

It.  also 

that 

•  The  report  also  stresses  that  the  pre-report 
consultations  highlighted  many  examples  of 
types  of  national  co-operation 
different 
between  employers,  workers  and  public 
authorities  to promote  access, and  stresses the 
benefits  of working together in this area. 

•  The  report  points  to  the  major  contribution 
made  by the joint  opinions  in this context and 
the  fact  that the  most  significant  of these joint 
opinions relates to "the ways of facilitating  the 
broadest  possible  effective  access  to  training 
opportunities".  The  employers  consider  that 
this joint opinion  is a framework  within which 
current  and  future  progress  on  access  to 
continuing training can be achieved. 

•  However, 

the 

the  employers 
report  by 
organisation  also stresses that the scope  of the 
Council  Recommendation  was  very  limited 
and had  no influence  on the substantial  efforts 
made 
latter 
nevertheless are encouraged  to see that  certain 
points of the joint  opinion  have been  reflected 
in the  Recommendation. 

employers.  The 

the 

by 

The  consultation  of  the  national  organisations 
also provides useful  pointers: 

• 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  training  is  "an 
essential  part  of  a  company's  strategy  to  be 
competitive  in the market place".  This trend  is 
the  result  of  market  pressure,  technological 
change and new working methods. 

•  There  is  a  consensus  that  "access  to  training 
the 
has  grown 
significantly 
Community".  It  needs  to  be emphasised  that 

throughout 

the  general  appreciations  contained  in  the 
reports of the employers  and  the  employees 
are 
the 
fundamental  issue  of  how  much  progress 
has been achieved. 

diametrically 

opposed 

on 

i.e. 

•  The  employers'  report  contributes  another 
fundamental  dimension, 
the  sectoral 
dimension.  It  concludes  -  on  the  basis  of 
answers  from  the  national  federations  -  that 
many  sectors  have  observed  an  increase  in 
training both  in public and private  companies. 
In  addition, 
the 
report 
deregulation  in  the  public  sector  has  led  to 
increased  competition  and  thus  a  rise  in 
training. 

finds 

that 

the 

training 

•  An  important  point  in  this  analysis  relates  to 
the drafting  of training plans and programmes. 
The  report  maintains  that  if  training  is  to  be 
effective  there  must  be  clear  objectives  set  in 
programmes. 
the 
Employers  accept  the  idea  that  work  still 
needs  to  be  done  for  these  plans  to  cater 
simultaneously 
immediate 
requirements  of  the  business  sector  and  the 
longer  term  requirements  of  human  resource 
development. 

plans 

and 

the 

for 

•  Much  progress  seems  to  have  been  made  on 
the  information  front,  thanks  to  a  variety  of 
"training 
arrangements  which 
committees, 
committees, 
co-operation 
collective  agreements,  works  councils,  and 
internal and external  publicity". 

include: 

limited 

they  have  only 

largely  on  outside  assistance 
training.  The  answers  from 

•  The problem  of the SMEs  is stressed,  pointing 
out  that 
internal 
resources  to  develop  training  and  that  they 
to 
depend 
the 
facilitate 
that  much 
national  organisations 
show 
this:  many 
progress  has  been  made  on 
Member  States  have  taken  action  to  transfer 
expertise  in forecasting,  planning and  delivery 
of training to the SMEs. Other  Member  States 
have  earmarked  a  percentage  of  the  national 
budget  to  develop  training  in  the  SMEs  even 
if  the  latter  frequently  are  unaware  of  the 
opportunities  available  to  them.  The  report 
stresses the communication  drive needed here. 

•  The  report  stresses  the  endeavours  made  to 

cater for  industrial change. 

•  The report  stresses that the  results  obtained  in 
tailoring  training  supply  and  demand  to  the 

29 

local 

regional  and 
levels  are  deemed 
to 
unsatisfactory.  Steps  have  been 
institute  joint  work  between  companies  and 
training 
and/or 
regional  observatories  have  been  set  up  and 
information  campaigns have been  conducted. 

organisations, 

national 

taken 

to 

•  Employees,  according 

the  report,  are 
increasingly  becoming  players  in  assessing 
their  own  training  requirements.  They  can 
thus  express  their  own  needs,  for  instance 
through  course  assessments,  surveys,  in  work 
circles and through  performance  assessments. 

be 

constantly 

•  Training,  production  and  the  organisation  of 
work  must 
interlinked, 
according  to  the  report,  which  points  out  that 
training  methods  are  an  ideal  pathway  for 
progress  in  companies,  particularly  by  opting 
for  modular-based  training,  multimedia  tools 
and  implementation  of  on-the-job 
training 
opportunities. 

•  The  problem  of  low-qualified  workers  is 
acknowledged.  Employers  accept  the  idea  of 
specific  actions  to  motivate  and  inform,  but 
realise  that  much  work  is  needed  from  those 
who have responsibilities  for  the  development 
of  individuals  in  this  position  to  help  them 
achieve their full  potential. 

•  The  employers  recognise  that  much  progress 
has  been  made  in  recent  years  in  opening  up 
access  to  training  for  women  in  employment, 
as  well  as  for  those  wishing  to  return  to  the 
labour market or enter it for the first time. 

Employers  are  co-operating 
increasingly 
closely  with  training  providers  in  developing 
training  leading  to  recognised  qualifications 
for  young  people.  Similarly, 
report 
stresses  that  employers  are  playing  an  active 
part  in  the  occupational  integration  of  the 
unemployed  by  offering  broad  access  to 
training.  A  wide  range  of  arrangements  are 
used  in this connection. 

the 

•  The  employers'  report  lays  emphasis  on  five 
major  issues they  consider  to  be  key  issues in 
increasing  access: 
the  setting  of  quality 
standards, qualifications,  vocational  guidance, 
information  and  motivation. 

offers 

report 

The 
and 
recommendations  urging  employers  and  Member 
States  or the  Commission  to  focus  their  attention 
on certain matters: 

conclusions 

the  Member  States  and 

employers  should  continue  to  develop  access 
to  continuing  training  as  a  strategic  part  of 
company  policy,  to  continue  co-operation 
with 
relevant 
organisations  in  developing  training  policies, 
to explore and  develop good  practice  with  the 
support  of 
the  appropriate  organisations 
nationally and at the Community  level. 

Member  States  should  develop  suitable 
the 
training  policies 
employers  and  provide  support 
for  co 
ordination  and  dissemination  of good  practice 
nationally and at the European  level. 

in  conjunction  with 

in 

reduce 

should  work  with 
access 
up 

the 
the  Commission 
to 
opening 
employers 
Community 
the 
programmes, 
administrative  burden,  undertake  studies  for  a 
better  understanding  and  dissemination  of 
good  practice, follow  up the  work  undertaken 
on vocational guidance and qualifications,  and 
organise  seminars  on  good  practice  with  the 
support of the employers. 

30 

CHAPTER 2 

Towards a more ambitious venture for the Union: 
accessing skills 

2.1  Alternative 

to  narrowing 
major  disparities  within 
Union 

the 
the 

1.  Since 

the 

adopted 

the 
Council 
Recommendation  in  1993  much  new  data 
has  emerged  to  enhance  our  knowledge  of 
training  situation 
the  actual  continuing 
Union-wide  and  in  Member  States.  This 
information,  which  is helping  to  fuel  a new 
Community  debate  in this field, comes  from 
two sources mainly: 

• 

• 

the  Community's  Continuing  Vocational 
Training  Survey 
(CVTS),  which  was 
conducted  in  1994,  covered  nearly  50 000 
firms and  provided  - for  the first time  ever -
comparable statistics on company  policies in 
this field; 

the  national  reports,  drawn  up  by  Member 
States  in  the  course  of  implementing  the 
Recommendation,  mostly  containing  figures 
taken  either  from  specific  national  surveys 
or  from  the  national  part  of  the  Community 
survey. 

2.  This  report 

to  analysing  the 
limited 
figures  as  they  relate  to  the  guidelines  and 
Council 
aims 

out 

the 

set 

in 

is 

to  continuing 

i.e.  general  workforce 
Recommendation, 
training,  making 
access 
continuing 
in 
businesses,  the  nature  and  type  of  training 
used,  differences  by  company  size  or 
activity sector. 

training  more  widespread 

CVTS: 
main  features 

This  survey  of  continuing  training  in  Europe  was 
undertaken  in 1994, taking  1993 as the  reference 
year.  Near-on 50 000 enterprises  employing  over 
10  people  were  sample-surveyed,  excluding  the 
sectors  of  agriculture,  public  administration, 
health  and  education,  households  employing 
In 
domestic  staff  and  extra-territorial  bodies. 
companies which organised training for their  staff 
in  1993,  the  survey  collected  data  on 
the 
participants and the courses involved. 

Average  access  rate 

3.  The  main 

is 

finding 

that  given 

the 
Recommendation's  general  aim,  i.e.  "every 
worker of the European  Community  must  be 
able  to  have  access  to  vocational  training 
and  to  benefit  therefrom  throughout  his 

31 

working  life",  a  lot  remains  to  be  done  in 
respect  of access to continuing  training.  The 
fact  is  that  in  1993  -  the  reference  year  for 
the  European  survey  -  only  slightly  more 
than one worker in four (28%)  underwent 
some kind of continuing training. 

Huge  differences  between  Member 
States 

4.  It 

that 

also 

be 
noted 
Community 

the 
should 
abovementioned 
average 
conceals  widely  divergent  national  access 
rates,  ranging  from  13%  (P-GR)  to  43% 
(IRL). 

Position  in  terms  of 
access 

Member 
States 

Above 
average 

EUR 12 

IRL,  UK,  F, 
DK 

Near EUR  12 average 

NL, B, D, L 

below  EUR 12 

Far 
average 

E, I, P, GR 

EUR 12 
28% 

average  = 

5.  The  1994  Community  survey  covered  the 
EUR  12  countries.  It 
is  therefore  more 
difficult  to obtain  a corresponding  picture of 
the  situation 
in  the  three  new  member 
countries  Sweden,  Finland  and  Austria. 
Nevertheless, the national reports these three 
countries  drew  up  as  part  of  implementing 
the  Recommendation  contain  some  data 
based on national statistics showing that: 

•  Sweden  and  Finland  are  in  the  upper  band 
of 
first  group  of  countries  with 
participation  rates greatly exceeding  4 0 % ^; 

the 

•  Austria  is near the EUR  12 average. 

Therefore,  annual  participation  in  continuing 
training  varies  from  one  worker  in  eight  for 
Member  States  where  access  is  not  so  well 

developed  (P-GR),  to  one  worker  in  two  for 
Member  States  where 
is  more 
widespread (S-FIN). 

access 

Company  policies 

6.  Further  light  is  shed  on  these  two  general 
findings  by  the  data  available  on  company 
policies.  After  all,  Objective  1 of  Article 2 
to 
of  the  Recommendation 
company  implementation  of  training  plans 
and  programmes  as  a  key  element 
in 
determining access results. 

itself  refers 

a 

the 

across 

average 

Union 
On 
implementation  of 
training  plans  and 
programmes  by  firms,  in  other  words  the 
corporate  policy  on 
existence  of 
continuing  training,  has  not  yet  become  a 
generally 
The 
Community  survey  indicates  that  only  58% 
two 
of  companies  -  i.e.  far  less  than 
companies  in  three  -  can  be considered  to 
be  of  the  "training"  type,  irrespective  of 
the kind of training  provided. 

widespread 

feature. 

Position  in  terms  of 
corporate  policy 

Member 
States 

More  or  less  a  general 
feature 
(3 firms in 4) 

DK,  D,  UK, 
IRL 

Near EU 12 average 
(about 2 firms in 3) 

F, L, NL,  B 

below  EUR 12 

Far 
average 
(less than  1 firm in 3) 

E, I, P, GR 

EUR 12 average: 58% 

1.  Companies'  policies  on  continuing  training 
should  draw  on  a  combination  of  different 
types  of  training  courses  -  sub-contracted 
out,  in-house,  on-the-job,  seminars,  self-
learning, etc. 

A more  detailed  analysis  by type of  training 
reveals  that  to  about  the  same  degree  most 
enterprises 
"training" 
companies)  either  purchase  outside  training 
services or provide on-the-job training, 

(some 

2/3 

of 

In  EUR  15  terms  therefore,  the  upper  access  band 

should  be above 50%. 

Company size - a decisive factor 

32 

8.  In  most Member  States, the  rate of  access 
to  continuing  training  is  directly  related 
to company  size.  In  EUR  12 terms, this rate 
varies  progressively  from  13%  for  firms 
with  a  workforce  of 
to  49 
employees, to 43% for firms with over  1  000 
employees.  This  means  that  a  worker  in  a 
company  with  over  1 000  employees  is 
three  times  more  likely  to  take  part  in 
some  type  of  training  than  a  worker  in a 
firm  with  10 to 49 employees. 

from  10 

positive 

This  considerable  disparity 
is  greater  in 
countries  such  as  Italy  (from  2%  to  31%), 
Spain  (from  7%  to  45%),  Portugal  (from 
5%  to  32%)  or  even  France  (from  11%  to 
is,  however,  one  quite 
54%).  There 
the 
exception 
remarkable 
to 
correlation 
abovementioned 
observed 
Union 
(EUR  12).This is Denmark,  where the trend 
is turned upside down (a 37% access rate  for 
to  49  employees 
companies  with  10 
compared  with  rates  of  around  34%  for 
firms with  250  to  999  employees  and  a rate 
of  28% 
firms  with  over  1000 
for 
in  Denmark 
employees).  Therefore, 
company  size  does  not  appear  to  affect  the 

throughout 

the 

probability of taking part in training^. 

Different  sectoral  policies 

9.  The  analysis  of  the 

Water 

level  of  access  to 
continuing  training  also  shows 
important 
disparities  between  sectors.  Service  sector 
insurance,  Post  & 
activities,  Banking, 
Telecommunication, 
gas, 
Electricity  showed  higher  percentage  of 
workers  undertaking training  57%, 53% and 
49%  respectively.  This  contrasts  sharply 
with the very  low  participation  rate  found  in 
such  as  Hotels  and 
service  activities 
corresponding 
Restaurants,  where 
figure  was  approximately  one  in  five.  In the 
industrial  sector  the  participation  rate  never 
rose  above  35%,  dropping 
to  15%  in 
Construction  and  8% in Textiles. 

the 

2.2  Towards 

readjustment  of 
priorities  in  vocational  training 
policies 

1.  A great  deal  has  changed  since  the  Council 
Recommendation  on  access  to  continuing 
vocational training was adopted. The current 
and foreseeable  economic, demographic  and 
social  developments  in  Europe  make  this 
issue much more important than  it was when 
the  Council  adopted  the  Recommendation, 
even  though  only  four  years  have  elapsed 
since then. 

An ageing active population 

2.  In  this  context,  the  impact  of  demographic 
the  active 
trends  among 
and  ageing 
population  in most European  economies  is a 
cause for further  concern. The seriousness of 
these trends must be recognised,  as must the 
need  to  radically  rethink  our  present-day 
preconceived  ideas on renewing the stock  of 
available skills. 

More specifically,  although one major  factor 
at the  moment  - and  in the  future  too  -  is to 
have  young  people  with  better 
training 
entering  the job  market,  companies  can  no 
longer view this as the main way of  injecting 
new 
training 
approaches  must  be  radically  changed,  with 
increasing  attention  being  paid  to  older 
workers. 

the  contrary, 

skills.  On 

The  importance  of  this  is  illustrated  by  the 
following  three indicators: 

a)  the median  age^°, of the labour force,  which 
rose  less  than  five  years  between  1960  and 
1995  (from  31.4  to  35.4)  will  increase  by 
nearly  10 years  in the next 35 years (1995 to 
2030) from  35.4 to 44.31 7. 

b)  the  proportion  of  20-29  year-olds  in  the 
active  population 
remained  unchanged 
between  1960  and  1995  (at  approximately 
27%) but will drop to 23% in 2030. 

The  Danish  report  makes  some  very  interesting  points 

regarding SMEs. 

17 Source:  Eurostat. 

'"  The median  age divides the population  into two halves. 

33 

c)  50-  59  year-olds  currently  account  for  one 
worker  in five (20.8%) but this will  increase 
to more than  one  worker  in four  (27.2%)  in 
2030. 

Likelihood  of  access  to  training  greatly 
depends on age 

to 

falls 

training 

3.  This  deformation  in  the  age  pyramid  of  the 
active population  has direct repercussions on 
the  development  of  continuing  training.  As 
things  stand  now,  the  probability  of  gaining 
access 
sharply  with 
increasing age. In spring  1994 the  likelihood 
of  35-44  year-olds  receiving  job-related 
training  in the four weeks prior to the survey 
was  no  more  than  5.8%.  The  only  countries 
with  an  access  rate  significantly  higher  than 
this  Community  average  are  Denmark,  the 
Netherlands  and 
the  United  Kingdom, 
while  in  all  other  Member  States  -  apart 
from  Germany  which 
the 
Community  average  -  the  probability  of 
people  in this  age  range taking part  in  some 
kind of study  course or training  is down to 1 

is  near 

o r 2 %1 8. 

Change  in the  nature  of work  itself 

4.  Changes  in  the  nature  of  work  itself  is 
to  become  non-
relentlessly  continuing 
physical  by nature. Ever  increasing  numbers 
of  jobs  are  coming  to  involve  more  and 
more  tasks  connected  with  design,  creation, 
manipulation  of  indicators  or  displays  and 
the  use  of  "smart"  equipment.  The  debate 
about skills  development  now hinges on this 
trend.  The way  work  is evolving  means  it is 
less definable  in terms of trades or  functions. 

Towards  firms  which  graft  on  skills 

5.  More  and  more  firms  are  switching  to  the 
"learning  environment"  approach  as  the 
preferred  way  of  enhancing  skills  in parallel 
with 
training.  On-going 
upgrading  of  skills therefore  has  a knock-on 
in  the  shape  of  changes  in  work 
effect 
organisation 
and 
job 
hierarchical  structures. 

formalised 

content 

itself, 

The resources 

6.  When  discussing  ways  of 

enhancing 
continuing  training,  resources  naturally  play 
a  primordial  role,  and  it  is  very  telling 
indeed  that  the  social  partners  chose  this  as 
one  of  their  topics  of  common 
interest 
within  the  social  dialogue  framework.  It  is 
clear  that  in  order  to  meet  the  need  for 
enhanced  skills one cannot bank  on a  model 
which  involves  repeating  or  reproducing 
"schooling"  during  working  life.  The  very 
development  of our  societies,  as  was  shown 
by  the  White  Paper  on  "Teaching  and 
Learning  -  Towards  the  Learning  Society", 
provides  an opportunity  we must  grasp  with 
both  hands:  "training"  environments  and, 
concomitantly, 
are 
training 
diversifying  and  multiplying  and  everyone 
must  be  given  a  chance  to  make  full  use  of 
them. 

resources 

Our societies must proceed  along this path  if 
individuals'  access  to  continuing  training  is 
to  be  improved,  but  this  immediately  leads 
on  to  the  question  of  individuals  assuming 
responsibility  for  defining  their  own  needs, 
choosing the routes to take  and  selecting  the 
arrangements  which  suit  them  best.  This 
should  also  make  it  easier  to  examine  in 
in  some 
greater  depth  an 
people's  minds,  is  a  fairly  sensitive  one  -
that of how  far  individuals  should  contribute 
(in  terms  of  time  and/or  money)  to  getting 
the best out of such access. 

issue  which, 

Austria: 
Savings 
(Bildungskonto) 

account 

for 

training 

This  scheme,  launched  in  1994,  involves  a 
personal  education  and  training  account. 
It 
forms  part  of  a  worker  advancement  scheme 
federated  budget 
under  the  Upper  Austrian 
instituted  at  the  Land  Government's  initiative  in 
collaboration  with  the  social  partners.  Workers 
are  entitled  to  a  50%  reimbursement  of  the 
money  spent  on  vocational  training  (maximum 
20 000 shillings). 

Labour  Force  Survey. 

Towards  a  redivision  of  time 

34 

7.  The  issue  of  time  -  and  dividing  it  up 
between that spent working and that devoted 
to  skill  enhancement  and  training  -  is  more 
delicate  given  the  tentative  nature  of  the 
debate  about  reducing  and  reorganising 
certain 
hours.  Nevertheless, 
working 
company  policies  or  certain  agreements 
between  the  social  partners  make  a  link 
between  rearrangement  and/or  reduction  of 
working  hours  and  time  spent  on  training. 
Certainly,  this  approach  is  a  "reservoir"  of 
both flexibility  and resources which ought to 
be  explored.  Increasing  the  time  spent  on 
lines  yet  to  be  defined, 
training  along 
especially  between  the social partners, could 
be 
flexible 
counterweight  to  reorganisation  of  working 
time  and  could  make  changes  easier.  It  is 
important  that  the  principle  of  creating  a 
better  balance  between  working  and  family 
life, which  is of most relevance to women, is 
built  in to  whatever  methods  are  adopted  in 
this area. 

supple 

seen 

and 

as 

a 

Skill accreditation the key factor 

to 

new 

approaches 

8.  The  issue  of  validating  skills  acquired  in 
different  ways  is central  to this. In  its  White 
Paper  the  European  Commission  proposes 
introducing 
skill 
accreditation  which  are  directly  accessible 
to/usable  by  individuals.  This  is  not  only  a 
new  avenue  which  ought  to  be  explored  in 
depth,  both  as 
the 
necessary  instruments  and  their  application 
as well, but  also  one which  goes to  the  very 
heart  of  the  matter.  The  aim  is  to  give 
the  wherewithal 
individuals 
for  making 
knowledge  by 
acquiring 
in 
progress 
measuring  - 
in  a  supple  and  objective 
manner - the  level they have reached. 

regards  design  of 

The  impact  of  the  European  Year  of 
Lifelong  Learning 

the 

9.  The  various  activities  pursued  as  part  of  the 
European  Year  of  Lifelong  Learning 
importance 
confirmed 
European  citizens  accord  this  matter  and 
helped  get  the  message  across  on  a  broad 
front.  Some  important  aspects  should  be 
noted here: 

tremendous 

35 

a) 

Backing from  European citizens 

A key ingredient in competition 

survey 

conducted 

The  Eurobarometer 
in 
connection  with  the  European  Year  clearly 
reveals  European  citizens'  keen 
interest  in 
lifelong  learning.  Seven  Europeans  out  of  ten 
wish  to  continue  their  education.  More  than 
80%  of  men  and  70%  of  women  believe  that 
education  and  continuing  training  will  very 
likely  improve their job  prospects. However,  on 
the  downside, the  survey  also  shows that  barely 
one  European  in  five  had  undergone  training  in 
the past  12 months. 

b)  Time now  ripe for  action  by those  on  the 
ground 

And  as  regards  lifelong  learning  directly,  over 
5 000  projects  were  undertaken,  2 500  events 
organised,  3 500  press  articles  published  and 
80 000  visitors 
the  Year's  Internet  site 
logged.  The  European  Year  really  helped  to 
lend  a  high  profile  to  the  issue  of  lifelong 
learning. 

to 

c)  Plenty of original  initiatives 

A  passing  mention  should  be  made  examples 
which  illustrate  efforts  to  find  innovative  and 
original 
"Learning 
in  Denmark,  "Adult  Learners' 
Boutiques" 
Week"  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  the  "Train 
to Knowledge" in  Finland. 

solutions, 

e.g. 

the 

2.3 

role 

Increased 
competitiveness 
employment 

for 
and 

context 

globalisation 

1.  From  an  economic  angle,  reversal  of  the 
trend  observed  in  the  early  90s  means  we 
have  to  look  for  ways  of  underpinning  the 
European  economies'  strong  points  in  a 
general 
of 
of 
economies  and  sharper  competition.  From 
the  corporate  and  macro-economic  angles  it 
is  now  acknowledged  that  the  quality  of 
human  resources  in  Europe,  workers'  skills 
and  on-going  uprating  of  such  skills  are 
the 
decisive 
productivity  and  competitiveness  goals  so 
vital  if  Europe  is  to  maintain  its  positions 
on  the  world  markets. 

achieving 

factors 

in 

2.  In 

its 

recent 

communication 

on 
competitiveness^  the  Commission  referred 
to  several  factors  decisive  for  performance 
and competitiveness, noting: 

"Effective use of human resources remains a 
key  element for  gains  in  productivity  and 
also for  internal flexibility.  An  increasing 
volatility  of  employment  bears  the  risk  that 
the  investment  in  human  capital,  notably 
through  training,  required  for 
long-term 
growth  and  competitiveness  will  not  take 
place.  Training  and  continuous  upgrading 
of skills  is  (and  in future  will  become  even 
more so) intangible investment with real and 
and 
increasing 
employers  alike.  A  high  skill,  high  quality, 
high  productivity 
industrial  strategy  will 
enhance 
industry's  competitiveness  and 
employees '  employability..." 

industry 

benefit 

for 

Stronger link with  employment 

level 

3.  Analyses on the functioning  of the  European 
link 
labour  market  also  show  a  strong 
between  the level  of skills and  qualifications 
and  the  risk  of  unemployment,  even  if  this 
relationship  is  not  found 
in  all  Member 
States.  Available  findings  show,  among 
other  things,  that  there  is  a  threshold  effect 
with  regard  to  levels  of  education/training: 
completing  higher 
education  or 
training  only  gives  a  marginal  advantage  in 
terms  of  protection  against  unemployment 
as  compared  with  completing  secondary 
level  education. 
this 
relationship tends to diminish  with  regard  to 
young  people  under  25  years.  If,  for  25-34 
year-olds,  gaining  a  vocational  qualification 
reduces  the  risk  of  unemployment  by  half, 
for  those,  under  25  years,  who  have  only 
completed  compulsory  education  the  risk  of 
unemployment  is only  reduced  by  a third  as 
compared to those who have only  completed 
compulsory  education  and  those  who  have 
completed  secondary  or  higher  education  or 
training.  Studies  of  long-term  employment 
among older workers  also  show  that  there  is 

Furthermore, 

"Benchmarking 

the  Competitiveness  of  European 

Industry" - COM(96) 463  final. 

Source: Report on  Employment  in Europe - 1995. 

36 

a  very  strong  correlation  between 
their 
having  no  (or  low-level)  qualifications  and 
their  chances  of  getting  back  into  the  job 
market. 

those 

training  for 

level  and  broadening 

Analysis  of  the  multi-annual  programmes 
adopted  by  Member  States  in  applying  the 
conclusions  of  the  Essen  European  Council 
(December  1994) illustrates the efforts  made 
by  Member  States  to  improve  the  quality 
and  relevance  of 
in 
employment  as  well  as  for  those  without  a 
job.  Such  analysis  also shows that  if raising 
the 
the  scope  of 
workers'  skills, notably those  least  qualified, 
can  be  considered  as the  most  cost  effective 
investment  to  prevent  unemployment,  it  is 
not  clear  that  enterprises  and  governments 
are  sufficiently  developing  efforts  to  reskill 
those  in  work  so  as  to  respond  to  the 
growing  demand  for  qualified  labour.  The 
Joint  report  on  Employment  also  underlines 
the  great  effort  still  to  be  make  for  the 
long  term  unemployed 
employability  of 
people of which only 7% at European  Union 
level benefit  from  training activities. 

and 

4.  Current  debates  on  competitiveness  and 
employment  are  placing  more  and  more 
importance  on the question  of competencies, 
alongside  the  efforts  being  made  to  reduce 
indirect  labour costs  for  non-qualified  work. 
After  the Florence European  Council  had set 
out  the  terms  of  a  strategy  of  continually 
raising  the  level  of  competencies  as  the 
central  element  of  an  integrated  strategy  for 
competitiveness 
the 
Dublin 
identified 
investment  in  human  resources  as  one  its 
the 
recommendations  for  taking  forward 
strategy.  It is of fundamental  importance  for 
Europe  to  see  this  process  through..  Labour 
markets 
in  Europe  are  still  marked  by 
low  mobility  and  decreasing 
relatively 
recruitment  of  young  people.  Boosting  the 
skills of the workers  already  in situ, who are 
on  the  front  line  of  the  socio-organisational 
changes  now  affecting  enterprises,  therefore 
forms  a key element  in competitiveness. 

employment, 

European 

Council 

Skills 
- 
"flexibility/security"? 

on 

the 

road 

to 

5.  Here  one  should  note  the  public  debate 
around  the  notion  of  "flexibility/security", 
which  endeavours  to  merge  two  crucial 
elements  in  labour market operation  - labour 

market  flexibility  combined  with  maximum 
use  of  skills  and  human  resources.  Seen  in 
this  light, continuing  training  can  be  viewed 
as a decisive factor  in bolstering  individuals' 
employability.  Some  company  policies  and 
agreements  are  taking  this  path  in  order  to 
turn  access  to  continuing  training  into  a 
employability, 
factor 
enhanced 
their 
something 
longer 
employees  even 
guarantee them a job for  life. 

can  give 
if  they  can  no 

companies 

for 

Towards a services  economy 

economies  moving 

6.  The  structural  transformations  taking  place 
in  Europe's 
them 
towards  a  service-based  economy  is  also 
increasing  the  need  for  continuing  training. 
its 
As 
Communication  to  the  European  Council 

the  Commission 

indicated 

in 

of 

need 

quality 

greater 

headed  "Putting  Services  to  Work"21,  this 
move  to  a  services  economy  involves  an 
and 
ever 
professionalism.  The  future  of the  European 
service  sector  depends  very  much  on  the 
quality and permanent  nature  of the  services 
the 
on  offer. 
Commission  pointed  out  that  a  key  factor 
which  distinguishes  services  from  other 
sectors  of  the  economy  is  that  labour  is 
generally the main  input, adding: 

the  Communication, 

In 

is  essential 

to  maximise 

"The  development  and  renewal  of  human 
resources 
the 
that  services  offer. 
employment  potential 
The  ability  of  businesses  to  manage  and 
release  the  potential  of  their  workforce  is 
critical for  successful  business  development. 
80%  of  high-growth  businesses  in  Europe 
consider  that  employee  training  has  played 
a crucial role  in their success.  Training will 
become  even  more  important  in  the  future 

The advent of the "learning society". 

7.  The  Commission's  Green  Paper,  adopted  in 
July  1996,  Living  and  Working  in  the 
Information  Society:  People  First  (COM 
(96)  389)  sought  to  promote  awareness  and 
stimulate  debate  on  the  labour  market  and 
social  issues  involved  in  the  Information 

2'  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European 
Council, CSE(96) 6 final of 27 November  1996. 

37 

Society.  It  recorded  that  there  is  universal 
agreement  that  the  human  resource  base  is 
fundamental  in  an  Information  Society,  but 
there  remains  a  skills  gap  and  knowledge 
gap  to  overcome  both  in  order  to  remain 
competitive and  in order to promote  equality 
and  solidarity.  Amongst  the  key  areas  for 
actions it identified  are: 

in 

full-time  work 

learning  skills 
moving  towards  fostering 
(notably  via  more  responsive  partnership 
with economic  life); 
achieving "learning  employment",  involving 
all  people  in  work,  especially  those  outside 
traditional 
sizeable 
organisations; 
a 
special 
unemployed 
skills; and 
overall,  the  provision  of  a  new  architecture 
for 
life 
inside  and  outside  work  (not  forgetting  life 
after  retirement) and with a special  emphasis 
on maintaining  employability. 

effort 
re-integrate 
through  active  policies 

learning,  encompassing 

lifelong 

the 
for 

to 

Sweden: 
C o m m i s s i on 
Knowledge 

for  Enhancement 

of 

In  1995  the  Swedish  Government  set  up  the 
Commission  for  Enhancement  of  Knowledge, 
its  task  being  to  define  the  goals  pursued  in 
enhancing  knowledge  nationally  as  part  of  a 
strategy  founded  on  lifelong  learning.  This 
Committee  presented  a  preliminary  report  in 
which  it  presents  the  three  pillars  of  its 
strategy:  the  training  of  young  people,  the 
development  of  skills  and  knowledge  of 
adults, and lifelong learning. 

lifelong 

training  base 

learning.  This 

For  the  adult  learning  objective,  the  aim  is  to 
provide  an  adequate 
for 
involves 
facilitating 
learning  at  primary  and  secondary  level.  With 
reference  to  the  third  pillar,  the  Committee 
proposes  that  each  individual  should  have the 
possibility  of  participating  in  training  through 
their whole life provided  by the social  partners. 
local  authorities  should 
The  State  and 

reinforce  their  co-operation  with  a  view  to 
intensifying their efforts on vocational training. 

Netherlands: 
knowledge 

National 

debate 

on 

launched  a 
the  Netherlands 
Last  spring 
national  debate  on  knowledge.  The  aim  is  to 
pinpoint  the  role  knowledge  could  and  should 
play in the years to come, so as to give  Dutch 
citizens  some  idea  of what  the  world will  look 
like  in  2010  and  what  they  will  have  to  know 
and  be  able  to  do  in  order  to  fit  in  to  such  a 
society. 

We should not lose sight of the  long-term  aim, 
that  of  the  learning  society,  the  fundamental 
policy  goal  at  the  heart  of  all  analyses  of 
access to continuing training. 

in  November 

Through  its  White  Paper  on  Education  and 
Training  published 
1995 
the 
("Teaching  and  Learning:  Towards 
Learning Society"),  the Commission  set out to 
make  European  citizens, stop  and  think  about 
the  type  of  society  to  be  built  in  Europe  and 
training 
about  the  role  of  education  and 
therein,  the  aim  being  to  draw  up  a  blueprint 
for  society  based  on goal-oriented  choices  and 
measures. 

individuals' 

Starting  from  this  premise,  the  White  Paper 
indicated that the issue of access to knowledge 
and know-how  would  dominate  developments 
relations, 
in  our  societies.  Social 
labour 
interaction  with 
relations, 
information  networks  and  electronic  media 
will  be  increasingly  shaped  by  access  to 
knowledge  and  know-how.  Therefore, 
the 
way  individuals  relate  to  knowledge  must  be 
thought  through  afresh.  Lifelong  training  is 
not  just  an  element  accompanying  social 
change,  it  is  the  engine  of  change  and  the 
guarantee  that  citizens  will  not  be  left  by  the 
wayside. 

38 

Chapter 3 

Conclusions and guidelines 

The  findings  in this  report  on  implementation  of 
the  June  1993  Council  Recommendation  should 
provide  all  players  with  new  food  for  thought 
and  discussion..  The  comparative  reference  data 
should  assist  in  formulating  their  goals  more 
precisely and update their policies. 

In this chapter the Commission  presents the main 
conclusions  and  findings  drawn  from  the  overall 
process  the  assessment  of  the 
implementation 
of the Council Recommendation  of June 1993. 

The conclusions deal mainly with the aims which 
are  considered  to  be  beneficial  for  pursuit  at 
Community  level,  to  consolidate  positive  action 
and  to  respond  to  the  new  challenges  facing 
continuing training which  have been  identified  in 
the report. 

Nevertheless,  in  order  to  give  some  impetus  to 
the  debate,  the  Commission  also  provides  a  few 
pointers  on  the  type  of  instrument  which  would 
help achieve each of the objectives. 

3.1 Conclusions  to approach 

•  The  Commission  views 

the  exercise  of 
drawing  up  national  reports  on  access  to 
It 
continuing 

training  very  positively. 

39 

believes  that  the  process  of  drawing  up  and 
comparing national reports constitute  a  useful 
initial  step  for  national  players,  both  as 
regards  defining  the  "state  of  play"  of  the 
various systems and according them  an  initial 
ranking. 

The  Commission  welcomes  the  fact  that  in 
the  exercise  of 
several  Member  States 
drawing  up  the  report  engendered 
joint 
examination  and  debate  by  all  the  parties 
concerned,  in  particular  the  social  partners, 
thus  adding  to  the  quality  of  the  report.  It 
believes 
consultation 
this  national 
process should be continued  and  enhanced. 

that 

The  Commission  is  very  much  in  favour  of 
the  two-pronged  approach  whereby  reports 
are drawn  up not  only  by  the  Member  States 
but  also  by  the  social  partners'  organisations 
level.  This  dual  approach 
at  Community 
gives  a  more  comprehensive  overview  of 
developments 
the 
various  players to express  their  positions  and 
thereby  make  a  useful  contribution.  Further 
progress could  be achieved  in this  connection 
through  improved  consultation  at  national 
level  and 
the 
Member States'  and social partners'  reports. 

by  cross-fertilisation  of 

in  progress,  allowing 

•  The  Commission  notes  with  satisfaction  the 
rich  variety  -  as  the  reports  reveal  -  of  new 
approaches  and 
initiatives  for  promoting 
access to continuing training, both in terms of 
Member  States'  public  policies  and  of  the 
social  partners'  or  corporate  policies.  It  also 
notes 
to 
innovation  and  reform  through  the  structural 
fund 
under 
Objective  4  and  in  Community  Initiatives 
concerned  with  industrial  change  and  on  the 
other  hand  by  Community  programmes  such 
as LEONARDO da VINCI and FORCE. 

the  considerable 

impetus  given 

interventions, 

especially 

ensure  that  the  corresponding  analyses  and 
results  are  published  and  the  appropriate 
proposals  made  for  making  the  best  use  of 
them. 

• 

In  the  light  of  the  results  of  the  reporting 
exercise  under  review  here,  the  Commission 
believes  the  Council  Recommendation  has 
proven  itself  to  be  a  valid  springboard  from 
which to launch the Community  approach  on 
continuing  training.  Given  the  instrument's 
legal  nature,  the  Commission  believes  the 
exercise  has  generated  significant 
initial 
*  ' 
results. 

that 

especially 

indicators, 

•  The Commission  is of the opinion that having 
quantitative 
those 
produced  on  a  standardised  basis  through 
Community  surveys  like  the  CVTS22,  helps 
to  improve  very  significantly  our  knowledge 
of  the  real  situation  regarding  access  across 
the  Union  and  within  Member  States.  It 
this  approach,  should  be 
believes 
continued  and  further  perfected  in  respect  of 
continuing  training,  that  it  should  also  be 
extended  to  cover  the  corresponding  data  on 
initial  training  soon  to  become  available. 
During  1997,  the  Commission  will  publish 
the first keys  statistics  on vocational  training. 
These two sets of data should provide a better 
idea  of  how  training  systems  and  practices 
lifelong 
are  evolving 
learning. 

in  connection  with 

•  The  Commission  confirms  the  usefulness  of 
co-operation  and  joint  deliberation  with  the 
Member  States  on 
introducing  a  set  of 
indicators,  to  be  based  on  the  initial  findings 
of  the  training  section  contained 
in  the 
employment  "Tableau  de  Bord".  It  will  be 
making proposals to this end in order to make 
the  most  of  the  programme  of  Community 
surveys  on 
intends  to 
training  which 
undertake. 

it 

•  The  Commission  believes  that  the  reports 
drawn  up  by  the  Member  States,  the  social 
the  Commission  should  be 
partners  and 
viewed  as joint  capital  and,  as  such,  used  (in 
line with an approach  to be jointly  defined)  to 
improve  the  debate  on  continuing  training 
between  the  various  players  and  to  seek  out 
ways  of  improving  access  at  all  appropriate 
levels.  For  its  part,  the  Commission  will 

Continuing  Vocational  Training Survey  of  1994 

•  The  Commission  believes  that  this  initial 
stage  should  lead  to  more  substantial  debate 
on  the  nature  of  the  instruments  required  to 
pursue  Community  action 
field, 
instruments  which  will  meet the  challenge  of 
ensuring 
to  continuing 
training.  For  its  part,  the  Commission  will 
submit proposals in this spirit. 

improved  access 

this 

in 

3.2  Conclusions as to  objectives 

•  The  Commission  shares  the  opinion 

that 
access  to  continuing 
training,  and  more 
broadly to  lifelong  training  for  all workers  in 
the Union,  is crucial  in determining  workers' 
opportunities  for  developing  their  skills  and, 
as a corollary  to this, companies'  competitive 
of 
employees' 
edge 
employability. 

degree 

and 

•  With  this  in  mind,  the  Commission  believes 
that the  level of access to  continuing  training 
for  workers  hitherto  achieved  is  encouraging 
but marked by major  inequalities. It feels  that 
major  efforts  are  required  to  raise  the  access 
level  very  significantly  in  order  to  meet  the 
challenges thrown  up by technical, economic, 
sociological  and  -  probably  most  of  all  -
demographic developments. 

•  The  Commission  notes 

that 

the  huge 
diversity,  if  not  to  say  tremendous  disparity, 
observed  on  the  access  front  -  not  only 
between  the  Union's  member  countries  but 
the 
inside  Member  States  among 
also 
different 
and 
companies 
workers  -  causes  harmful  inequality  between 
European  workers 
the 
opportunities  they  enjoy  for  upgrading  their 

categories  of 

terms 

of 

in 

40 

skills,  and  thus  for  protecting  themselves 
against high risks of unemployment. 

in  keeping  with 

The  Commission, 
its 
proposal  concerning  the  European  Year  of 
Lifelong  Learning,  believes  that  promoting 
access to continuing training plays a vital role 
in  attaining  the  broader  goal  of 
lifelong 
learning. Against  this backdrop,  it notes  with 
satisfaction  that  several  Member  States  have 
embarked  along  this  path  in  a  determined 
fashion. 

to 

that 

include 

training 

the  most 
The  Commission  notes 
significant  initiatives  and  the  extension  of 
continuing 
lifelong 
learning,  are  taking  place  in  Member  States 
which  are  already  fairly  well  advanced  in 
terms  of  access.  This  draws  attention  to  the 
risk of a growing gap developing between the 
different  countries,  and  the  need  to  take  this 
into account  in  structural  fund  programming, 
the  Cohesion 
especially 
countries. 

relation 

to 

in 

The  Commission  notes  the  fact  that,  as  a 
general trend,  access to  continuing training  is 
being  developed  through  diversification  and 
exploitation  of  different  opportunities  and 
approaches  rather  than  through  focusing  on 
one particular  pathway. 

In  the  Commission's  view,  this  overarching 
trend  makes  it  more  difficult  to  demonstrate 
and  measure  the  progress  achieved.  Still,  the 
Commission  does  not  share  the  ETUC's 
opinion  that  no  progress  has  been  made  on 
access  to  continuing  training,  nor  UNICE's 
that  developments  have  been  very 
view 
favourable.  It  does  believe  that  substantial 
progress  has  been  made  on  access  but  that 
this 
the  diversity  of 
approaches. 

is  obscured  by 

to 

provides 

diversification 

The  Commission  believes  that,  while  this 
trend 
an 
interesting  opportunity  for  improving  access 
for  all  workers,  a  special  and  substantial 
effort  is needed to inform  workers and  enable 
them  to  make  maximum  use  of  the  different 
access  arrangements.  In  this  context,  the 
the 
Commission  views  as  very  positive 
different  initiatives  taken  to  enable  workers 
to evaluate their skills. 

The  Commission  believes  that  all  the  players 
concerned,  the  social  partners  in  particular, 

have  a  new  role  to  play  in  regulating  and 
overseeing  the  aforementioned  arrangements 
to 
types  of 
partnership, true equality  of access to  lifelong 
learning and new skills. 

through 

various 

ensure, 

3. 3  Pointers for further action 

In  order  to  provide  fresh  fuel  for  discussions 
with 
the 
the  Community  bodies  concerned, 
Commission  provides below  a - limited  - number 
of pointers  or guidelines  it considers  relevant  for 
pursuing and advancing Community  action  in the 
continuing training  field  so  as  to  meet  the  needs 
and  challenges  highlighted  by  the  foregoing 
analysis. 

Taking into account the discussions on this  issue, 
the  Commission  will  present,  as  conditions 
warrant  and  in  due  course,  its  proposals  for 
turning  these  ideas  into  reality  and  introducing 
the  legal  and  operational  instruments  required. 
To this end, the Commission  will take account  of 
proposals  submitted  in  response  to  the  White 
Paper entitled  "Teaching  and  Learning:  Towards 
the  Learning  Society"  and  under  the  procedures 
for  reviewing  action  programmes,  Leonardo  da 
Vinci  in  particular.  The  Commission  will  also 
rely  on  the  results  of  research  projects  being 
taken  forward  within  the  programme  for  socio 
economic  research  finalised 
in  the  4th  R&D 
programme  which  aim  to  identify  and  evaluate 
possibilities for  lifelong  learning. 

Action guideline No 1 

Finding 

it 

training, 

to  continuing 

•  While substantial  progress  has  been  made  on 
access 
is  not 
enough,  given  the  technological  and  socio 
economic  changes  taking  place.  What 
is 
more,  glaring  inequalities  are  opening  up  in 
this process between the various categories of 
workers,  depending  on  their  country  or  type 
of company. 

Community  objective 

•  To  press  ahead 

in  developing  access  to 
continuing 
narrowing 
training  while 
inequalities  in worker access so as to  promote 
a Union-wide  skill access  strategy. 

41 

Action  proposai 

covering  notably 
unemployed  people. 

training  provided 

for 

•  To  establish  at  Community  level  common 
conditions  for  facilitating  access,  also  at 
sectoral 
level.  These  conditions  will  be 
established  through  consultations  with  the 
social  partners  at  Community  level  which 
will  also  deal  with 
legal 
instrument  required. 

type  of 

the 

that 

Such  consultation  will  aim  in  particular  to 
ensure 
is 
extended  to  embrace  access  to  skills,  as  set 
out in the Confidence  Pact for  Employment. 

the  Community  objective 

Action  guideline  No 2 

Finding 

•  Despite 

the 

and 

advances  made 

the 
introduction  of  promising  innovations  in  the 
continuing  training  field,  the  various  actors 
involved  -  firms,  public  authorities,  social 
partners  - are  finding  it difficult  to  formulate 
and  implement  a real  strategy  in this  domain, 
something  which  is  a  must  given  that  our 
world 
the 
demographic side. 

is  changing,  especially  on 

Community  objective 

•  To  provide 

the  various  actors,  public 
social  partners,  with  a 
authorities  and 
permanent  frame  of  reference  which  will 
keep  them  abreast  of  the  continuing  training 
access  situation  and  the  progress  made,  thus 
allowing  them  to  size  up  the  situation  and 
define their goals better. 

Action  proposals 

•  To  make 

the  continuing 

training  access 
reports  a  regular  feature  and  simultaneously 
refine  them  so  as  to  ensure  that  the  national 
reports  and  the  social  partners'  reports  are 
uniformly  drawn  up on common  criteria. 

•  To  help  enhance 

training 

conducting 

the  said 
the 

reports  by 
continual 
periodically 
(CVTS)  and 
vocational 
on 
Community 
survey 
the 
qualitative  aspects  as  well  as  by 
production 
statistical 
information  on  active  employment  policies 

programmes 

comparable 

study 

of 

industrial 

The  Observatory 
relations 
for 
established  within  the  Dublin  Foundation 
available 
complete 
could  usefully 
information  by way of collective  conventions 
passed at Member State level. 

the 

the  basis  of 

it  appears  from 

the  exercise 
Frequency: 
undertaken  on 
the  1993 
Recommendation  that  having  Member  States 
draw  up  reports  every  three  years,  with  an 
report'  being 
aggregated 
produced 
be 
appropriate. 

later,  would 

Europe-wide 

one  year 

This  plan  of  action  would  allow  us  to 
evaluation) 
(comparative 
"benchmark" 
in  respect  of  access 
progress  made 
to 
continuing 
training,  using  an  array  of 
common  indicators  such  as participation  rate, 
innovations,  etc.  Such 
company  policies, 
national  and  Community  data  would  flow 
into  the  debate  between  the  various  players, 
thus  helping  them  to  determine  new  ways  of 
promoting  access  as  well  as  to  utilise  and 
harness  Community  data  derived 
from 
in  comparative  evaluation  of 
progress 
through 
performance 
Community-level 
sound  national  practices, 
benchmarking, 
initiatives  by  social  partners  to  encourage 
debate  between  the  players  concerned.  This 
benchmarking  process 
taken 
forward  in  synergy  with  similar  steps  being 
taken by the Commission  and  Member  States 
in 
the  domain  of  competitiveness  and 
employment. 

should  be 

Action  guideline  No 3 

Finding 

•  The  continuing  training  field  is  witnessing 
numerous  innovations  with  the  potential  to 
enlarge  access  quite  considerably.  This  trend 
will  be  boosted  by  development  of  new 
training  or skill-evaluation  tools  based  on  the 
new information  technologies. 

•  Furthermore,  changes  in  work  organisation 
and  the  introduction  of  different  approaches 
to  arranging  working  time  are  opening  up 
new  and  major  opportunities  for  developing 
novel  forms  of access to  continuous  training. 
In  this  context,  the  Commission's  Green 

42 

To  give  preference 
to  transnational  pilot 
projects  centring  on  new  access  factors,  in 
particular  rearrangement  of  working  hours 
and  new  work  organisation  methods;  to 
exchange  approaches  and 
try  out  -
transnational ly  -  new  approaches  to  factors 
likely  to  contribute  substantially  to  widening 
access, viz.: 

to 

1.  Projects  linking  development  of  access 
with  adaptation/reduction  of  working 
hours,  preferably 
industrial 
sectors. 

involving 

2.  Projects 

linking  new 

types  of  work 
organisation  with  development  of  access, 
in  particular 
individualised 
through 
training-and-work  contracts,  preferably 
involving innovative companies. 

training 

In  the  Commission's  view,  the  complex  of 
analysis and guidelines for  action which have 
been developed  in this report, press  home  the 
priority  which  it  gives  to  the  promotion  of 
vocational 
to 
competencies.  These are  important  advances 
which  have  to  be  made  particularly  with 
to  competitivity,  employment  and 
regard 
social  cohesion  to ensure  the construction  of 
a 
learning  society  and  make  progress 
towards a knowledge based union. 

access 

and 

Paper on "Partnership on a New  Organisation 
of  Work"  also  deals  with  training  aspects. 
the 
initiatives  will 
Debates  and 
adoption  of the  Green  Paper  and  should  take 
strong  account  of  the  training  dimension  of 
this issue. 

follow 

the 

Nevertheless, 
practices 
the  European  market 
neither fast  enough nor intensive enough. 

transfer  of 

innovative 
is 

inside 

Community  objectives 

•  To  foster  the  development  of  a  European 
industry  covering  multimedia tools  for  use in 
continuing  training  and  individual  evaluation 
of skills. 

To  encourage  the  development  of  innovative 
practices  and  their  incorporation  into  new 
approaches  for  accessing  continuing  training 
linked with changing industrial relations. 

Action  proposals 

•  The presentation  in  1997 of  a plan  for  action 
in  the 

training  "Learning 

on  vocational 
information society ". 

•  To  extend  the  pilot  projects  for  skill  self-
accreditation  to  occupational  fields  involving 
both technical and horizontal skills. 

43 

23. 7.  93 

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities 

No  L 181/37 

II 

(Acts  whose  publication  is  not  obligatory) 

COUNCIL 

COUNCIL  RECOMMENDATION 

of  30  June  1993 

on  access  to  continuing  vocational  training 

(93/404/EEC) 

THE  COUNCIL  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES, 

competent  institutions  of  the  Community  to  apply  such 
general  principles  within  the  framework  of  the  Treat)'; 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community,  and 
in  particular  Article  128 
thereof, 

Having  regard  to  the  proposal  from  the  Commission  ('), 

Having 
Parliament  (2), 

regard 

to 

the  opinion  of 

the  European 

Having  regard  to  the  opinion  of  the  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  (3), 

the 

first  principle  established  by  Council 
"Whereas 
Decision  63/266/EEC  of  2  April  1963 
laying  down 
general  principles  for  implementing  a  common  vocational 
training  policy (*)  states  that  every  person  should  receive 
adequate  training,  with  particular  reference  to  the  need  to 
promote  basic  and  advanced  vocational 
training  and, 
where  appropriate,  retraining  suitable  for  the  various 
stages  of  working  life,  and  the  need  to  offer  to  every 
person,  by  means  of  permanent  facilities  for  vocational 
advancement,  the  opportunity  to  gain  promotion  or  to 
receive 
level  of 
activity; 

for  a  new  and  higher 

instruction 

Whereas  the  development  of.  human  resources  by  means 
of  vocational  training  is  one" of  the  essential  elements  in 
increasing  the  competitiveness  of  the  European  economy; 
whereas,  as  affirmed  by  the  European  Council  meeting  in 
Hanover  on  27  and  28  June  1988,  the  achievement  of  the 
Single  Market  must  be  accompanied  by  increased  access 
to  continuing  training; 

technological  developments, 

impact  on 
Whereas 
employees'  skills  and  the  growth  of  unemployment  make 
it  necessary  to  develop  access  to  continuing  vocational 
training; 

their 

Whereas  point  15  of  the  Community  Charter  of  the 
fundamental  social  rights  of  workers,  adopted  by  the 
Heads  of  State  and  Government  of  11  Member  States  at 
in  Strasbourg  on 
the  European  Council  meeting 
9  December  1989,  states  in  particular  that: 

'Every  worker  of  the  European  Community  must  be 
able  to  have  access  to  vocational 
to 
benefit  therefrom  throughout  his  working  life.  In  the 
•  conditions  governing  access  to  such  training  there  may 

training  and 

be  no  discrimination  on  grounds  of  nationality. 

Whereas,  under  the  terms  of  Decision  63/266/EEC,  it  is 
the 
the 

the  Member  States  and 

responsibility  of 

(')  OJ  No  C  23,  27.  1.  1993,  p.  8. 
(2)  OJ  No  C  150,  3 1.  5.  1993. 
(3)  OJ  No  C  129,  10.  5.  1993,  p.  57. 
O  OJ  No  63,  20.  A.  1963,  P.  133S/63. 

14M 

The  competent  public  authorities,  undertakings  or  the 
two  sides  of  industry,  each  within  their  own  sphere  of 
competence,  should  set  up  continuing  and  permanent 
training  systems  enabling  every  person 
to  undergo 
retraining,  more  especially  through  leave  for  training 
improve  his  skills  or  to  acquire  new 
purposes,  to 
skills, 
technical 
developments.'; 

particularly 

light 

the 

of 

in 

No  L  181/38 

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities 

23.  7.  93 

Whereas  vocational  training  remains  of  constant  concern 
in  the  context  of  the 
to  both  employers  and  workers 
dialogue  between  the  t wo  sides  of  industry  ('); 

market,  which,  together  with  changes 
environment,  must 
adaptation  of  skills  among  the  working  population; 

in  the  working 
to  an  updating  and  greater 

lead 

Whereas  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  adopted  a 
report  on  22  October  1 9 92  on  vocational  training  as  a 
means  of  promoting  vocational  qualifications  and  a 
strategic 
social 
economic 
development  of  the  European  Community; 

instrument 

and 

the 

for 

Whereas  on  21  April  1993 
the  European  Parliament 
adopted  an  own-initiative  report  on  vocational  training 
in 
policy 
for  the  1990s, 
is 
which  the  subject  of  access  to  continuing  training 
considered; 

in  the  European  Community 

W h e r e as  transnational  cooperation  measures  have  been 
u n d e r t a k en  at  C o m m u n i ty  level  (2); 

W h e r e as  d e m o g r a p h ic  trends  will  significantly  reduce  the 
labour 
n u m b er  of  y o u ng  people  entering  the  C o m m u n i ty 

(')  Sec  following  texts: 

—  joint  opinion  of  6  March  1987  on 
motivation,  information  and  consultation, 

training 

i nd 

—  joint  opinion  of  13  February  1990  on  the  creation  of  a 
European  occupational  and  geographical  mobility  area 
and  improving  the  operation  of  the  labour  market  in 
Europe, 

—  joint  opinion  of  19  June  1990  on  basic  education  and 

initial,  vocational  and  adult  training, 

—  joint  opinion  of  21  September  1991  on  ways  of 
to 

the  broadest  possible  effective  access 

facilitating 
training  opportunities, 

—  agreement  of  31  October  1991  between  the  two  sides  of 

industry  at  European  level, 

—  European  Framework  Agreement  of  6  September  1990 
between 
the  European  Trade  Union  Confederation 
(ETUC)  and  the  European  Centre  of  Public  Enterprises 
(CEEP)  on  training  in  public  enterprises. 

(2)  Sec  following  texts: 

in 

the 

training 

29  May 

vocational 

—  Council  Decision 

1990 
90/267/EEC  of 
establishing  an  action  programme  for  the  development  of 
continuing 
European 
Community  (Force)  (OJ  No  L  156,  21.  6.  1990,  p.  1), 
—  Council  Decision  89/657/EEC  of  18  December  1989 
establishing  an  action  programme  to  promote  innovation 
in 
from 
the 
technological 
the  European  Community 
(Eurotecnet)  (OJ  No  L  393, 30.  12.  1989,  p.  29),  both  as 
amended  by  Decision  92/170/EEC  (OJ  No  L  75,  21.  3. 
1992,  p.  51), 

field  of  vocational 
change 

resulting 

training 

in 

Whereas  it  has  been  noted  throughout  the  Community 
that  the  problems  faced  by  w o m en  in  gaining  access  to 
employment  are  largely  attributable "to their  limited  access 
to  vocational  training;  whereas  particular  attention  must 
be  devoted  to  ensuring  that  w o m en  have  effective  access 
to  continuing  vocational  training;  whereas  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  working  women  should  also  be  taken  into 
account  (3); 

law  of 

Whereas  cooperation  in  the  field  of  continuing  vocational 
training  should  also  be  based  on  existing  provisions 
in 
force  in  the  Member  States,  while  respecting  the  diversity 
of  national  legal  systems  and  practices,  the  powers  u n d er 
the  parties  concerned  and  c o n t r a c t u al 
national 
a u t o n o m y;  w h e r e as  the  initiatives  taken  at  national  level 
by  the  M e m b er  States  and  the  t wo  sides  of  industry  a rc 
many  a nd  varied;  whereas 
the 
C o m m u n i ty  C h a r t er  of  the  fundamental  social  rights  of 
international 
workers,  a nd 
dimension  of  the  action,  t h at  they  s h o u ld  be  supported  at 
to 
C o m m u n i ty 
encourage 
p r o m o te 
partnerships  between  the  public  a nd  private  sectors; 

level;  whereas, 
of 

is  essential 
a nd 

finally, 
it 
resources 

it  a p p e a r s,  as  regards 

a c c o u nt 

synergy 

taking 

into 

the 

a 

i m p o r t a n ce  of 

consulted;  whereas 

Whereas  the  Advisory  C o m m i t t ee  on  Vocational  T r a i n i ng 
the 
has  been 
c o n t i n u i ng 
strategic 
the  M e m b er 
vocational 
t he 
States  a nd  for  the  C o m m u n i t y,  a nd  t he  necessity  for 
C o m m u n i ty 
this 
in 
area, 

it  has 
the  q u e s t i on 

to  play  an  active  role 

in  u n d e r t a k i n g s, 

to  be  seen 

recognized 

training 

for 

of 

I.  RECOMMENDS 

the 

the 

taking 

t wo  sides  of 

that  M e m b er  States, 

the  diversity  of  n a t i o n al 

the  resources  available  a nd 

i n to 
a c c o u nt 
respective 
responsibilities  of  the  c o m p e t e nt  public  authorities, 
industry,  while 
u n d e r t a k i n gs  and 
systems 
respecting 
training 
a n d / or 
the 
policies 
to 
able 
C o m m u n i ty  must 
c o n t i n u i ng  vocational  training  w i t h o ut  any  form  of 
discrimination  and  to  benefit 
t h r o u g h o ut 
his  or  her  w o r k i ng  life; 

legal 
vocational 
every  worker  of 
access 
have 

practices,  gear 
to 

therefrom 

ensuring 

their 

t h at 

be 

to 

the 

—  Council  Decision  89/27/EEC  of  16  December  198S 
adopting 
the  programme  on 
cooperation  between  universities  and  industry  regarding 
training  in  the  field  of  technology  (Comcn  II)  (OJ  No 
L  13,  17.  1.  1989,  p.  28), 

second  phase  of 

—  Council  Decision  91/387/EEC  of  22  July  1991  amending 
Decision  87/569/EEC  concerning  an  action  programme 
for  the  vocational 
their 
preparation  for  adult  and  working  life  (Petra)  (OJ  No 
L  214,  2.  8.  1991,  p.  69), 

training  of  young  people  and 

—  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  4255/88  of  19  December 
1988 
implementing 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  2052/88  as  regards  the  European 
Social  Fund  (OJ  No  L  374,  31.  12.  1988,  p.  21). 

provisions 

laying 

down 

for 

"[<) 

II.  RECOMMENDS  that,  in  o r d er  to  provide  easy  access 

for  as  m a ny  employees  as  possible,  M e m b er  States: 

1. 

berween 

the 
raise  awareness  a m o ng  u n d e r t a k i n gs  about 
the 
links 
competitiveness  of  u n d e r t a k i n gs 
to  e n c o u r a ge 
them  to  give  priority  to  i m p r o v i ng  the  quality 
to  establish 
a nd  skills  of  their  e m p l o y e es  and 

w o r k e r s' 

skills 

and 

(•')  Commission  of  the  European  Communities:  Eniplowu'nr 

n 

Europe 

(1992). 

23.  7.  93 

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities 

No  L181/39 

training  plans  and  programmes  appropriate  to 
their  size  and  business  objectives,  making  their 
managers  aware  of  requirements  in  this  respect 
and  informing  them  accordingly. 

7.  support  initiatives  which  enable workers who  so 
desire  to  assess  their  continuing  vocational 
training  needs. 

and 

plans 

programmes  may 

These 
be 
established  by  taking  into  account  available 
human  and  financial  resources, the  organization 
of  work,  future  skill  requirements,  the  need  to 
anticipate  industrial  and  technological  change 
and  the  transnational  dimension  of  continuing 
vocational  training; 

2.  make  provision 

for  specific 
support  measures 

technical 
medium-sized  undertakings. 

incentives  and 
small  and 
for 

include,  for  example,  assistance 
These  could 
with  regard  to  advice  on  training  and  assistance 
with  regard  to  analysis  of  training  needs; 

encourage  undertakings  to  give  impetus  to  the 
for 
training  necessary 
continuing  vocational 
the 
their  development, 
taking  account  of 
particular  situation  of  the  employees  of 
the 
undertakings,  particularly  in  order  to  promote, 
where  appropriate, 
the  measures  described 
below; 

4.  make  provision 

for 

specific 
support  measures  which 
adequate 

incentives  and 
are 
technical 
appropriate, 
for 
undertakings  facing  industrial  change,  in  order 
to  encourage  vocational  training  and  retraining 
for  their  employees; 

necessary 

and 

5.  develop  continuing  vocational  training  in  order 
to  make  it  an  important  feature  of  regional  and 
local  development, 
the 
taking 
specific  needs  of  employees  and  undertakings; 

into  account 

the 

establishment  of  partnerships, 
support 
particularly  at  regional  or  local  level,  to  analyse 
the  requirements  of  undertakings  and  employees 
and 
information  on 
training  opportunities  in  order  to  match  supply 
and  demand  as  closely  as  possible; 

to  provide  up-to-date 

the 

their 

impress  on  employers  that  they  should 
inform 
their  employees  as  soon  as  possible  and,  if 
necessary,  at 
recruitment, 
time  of 
about  the  undertaking's  policy  and  activities  in 
the  field  of  continuing  vocational  training  and 
staff  development  and  about  the  terms  of  access 
to  continuing  vocational  training,  including  the 
possibility  of  being  assigned  non-active  status 
for 
vocational 
training; 

the  purpose  of  continuing 

This  assessment  should  be carried  out  within  or 
outside  the  undertaking  and/or  in  partnership 
with  specialized  institutions. 

The  use  of  the  results  must  be  confidential: 

8.  encourage  the  information  and  consultation  of 
employees'  representatives  or,  in  the  absence  of 
such  representatives,  the  employees  themselves 
on  the  development  and  implementation  of  the 
training 
the 
undertaking  concerned; 

programmes 

plans 

and 

of 

the 

9.  make  employees  and  undertakings  more  aware 
of 
importance  of  continuing  vocational 
training  leading  to  qualifications  relevant  to  the 
employment  market. 

towards 

To  this  end,  it  should  be ensured  that  training is 
not  directed  specifically 
the  post  in 
question  alone  but  that  it  provides  the  means  of 
in 
anticipating  and  mastering  developments 
production  systems  and 
the  organization  of 
work  in  order  to  strengthen  the  competitiveness 
improve  employees1  job 
of  undertakings  and 
prospects; 

10.  encourage  the  development  of  the  most  suitable 
teaching  and 
learning  methods  in  continuing 
vocational  training  which  will  facilitate  access 
to  continuing  vocational  training  for  employees, 
e.g.  methods  of  self-training  on  the  job,  distance 
learning,  media-assisted  learning,  etc; 

11.  help 

their 
less-qualified  employees,  whatever 
status,  to  benefit  from  continuing  vocational 
training  measures  enabling  them  to  achieve  a 
basic  level  of  qualification  and  giving  them  the 
basis  for  mastery  of  new  technologies. 

Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  providing 
access  to  continuing  training  for  employees  or 
groups  of  employees  who  have  not  benefited 
from 
training  for  a  certain  length  of  time  or 
who  have  limited  opportunities  for  employment 
and  job  prospects; 

12.  encourage  access  for,  and  effective  participation 

by,  women  in  continuing  vocational  training. 

This  may  in  particular  help  to  open  up  new 
professional  fields  to  women  and  encourage  the 
resumption  of  a  professional  activity  alter  a 
break  in  such  activitv; 

*i(fi 

No  L  181/40 

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities 

23.  7.  93 

13.  promote 

to 

access 

continuing 

vocational 
training  for  young  people  with  a  vocational 
qualification  or work experience,  whatever  their 
level  of  skills,  and  encourage  their  participation 
therein,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  realise  their 
full  potential  and  acquire  skills  for  the  present 
and  the  future; 

14.  encourage  access 

to,  and  participation 
training 

by 

vocational 

in, 
the 

continuing 
unemployed. 

Particular  attention  should  be  paid 
the 
long-term  unemployed  with  inadequate  and/or 
unsuitable  qualifications,  in  order  to  improve 
their  occupational  integration  or  reintegration. 

to 

the 
The  continuing  vocational 
by 
unemployed 
undertakings  is  particularly  suited  to  promoting 
reintegration  into  the  labour  market; 

training  of 
action 

involves 

which 

15.  encourage,  in  policies  on  access  to  continuing 
vocational  training,  a  transnational  dimension, 
in  particular  to  assist  the  free  movement  of 
workers; 

III. 

1.  INVITES 

to 

the 

reinforce 
Commission 
cooperation  with  Member  States  and  the  two 
sides  of 
the 
Advisory  Committee  on  Vocational  Training,  in 
of 
the 
order 
point  II; 

in  particular  within 

implementation 

industry, 

support 

to 

in,  the  field  of 

2.  INVITES  the  Commission  to  this  end,  in  concert 
with  the  Member  States  and  by  utilizing  the 
existing  Community  action  programmes  and 
initiatives 
including, 
where  appropriate,  the  European  Social  Fund, 
and  specialized  bodies  within  the  Community 
the 
such 
Development  of  Vocational  Training  (Cedefop), 
to: 

. European  Centre 

training 

the 

for 

as 

(a)  disseminate  and  add 

information 

training 
provisions 

comparative 
vocational 
existing 
integrating  young 
long-term  unemployed 
market; 

to 

the  body  of 
continuing 
on 
including 
systems, 
for 
and  methods 
the 
and 
labour 

into 

the 

job-seekers 

(c)  support  transfers  of  know-how  between 
Member  States,  which  are  important  for 
implementing  point 
II,  by  means  of 
transnational  partnerships  and  networks 
especially  for the  benefit  of  regions,  sectors 
types  of  undertaking  and  groups  of 
employees  for  whom  access  to  continuing 
training  is  least  developed; 

Also  INVITES the  Commission  to  support  moves 
by  both  sides  of  industry  at  Community  level, 
within  the  dialogue  between  them,  to  discuss 
access  to  continuing  training  in  greater  depth; 
such  dialogue  could,  if  the  two  sides consider  it 
desirable,  lead  to  relations  based  on  agreement; 

IV. 

1.  INVITES  Member  States 

provide 
the 
to 
Commission, 
the  date  of 
three  years  after 
adoption  of  this  recommendation^  with  a  report 
setting  out  the  measures  taken  under  the  terms 
of  points  I  and  II; 

2. 

INVITES  the  Commission: 

(a)  on 

the 

the 

reports 

from 
results  of 

the 
the  basis  of 
Member  States  and 
the 
dialogue  between  the  two  sides  of  industry, 
report  on 
to  draw  up  an  assessment 
progress  made  on 
the 
recommendation  in  points  I  and  II  in  the 
sphere  of  access  to  continuing  vocational 
training  in  the  Community; 

the  basis  of 

(b) 

to  submit  this  assessment  report,  not  later 
than  one  year  after  the  date  referred  to  in 
point  IV.1,  to  the  Advisory  Committee  on 
Vocational  Training; 

3. 

INVITES  the  Commission  to  submit  this  report 
to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and 
to 
the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and 
send 
at 
industry 
two 
the 
Community  level. 

sides  of 

to 

it 

Done  at  Luxembourg,  30  June  1993. 

(b)  facilitate  suitable  exchanges  of  experience 
in  and  methods  for  significant  innovations 
in  continuing  training; 

For  the  Council 

The  President 

S.  BERGSTF.IN 

^ 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(97) 180 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

16  15  04 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-97-191-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-19454-9 

Office  for  Official  Publications of the European  Communities 

L-2985  Luxembourg 

4,?