Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 'Report from the Commission on Access to continuing training in the Union'
Date: 1998-07-15
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: access to education, adult education, continuing education, vocational training

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renewables (e.g. advantageous conditions governing
access to networks and electricity supply grids), it is
essential to set up long-term, broad-based market
penetration programmes and to provide stronger support
for applied research. At the same time there is a need
for appropriate technical legislation widening access to
the energy market and encouraging research into energy
storage.

3.3.
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the
proposal to set up a network to promote renewable

energies. All key players in the field should be represented
on this advisory forum — European, national, regional
and local authorities, manufacturers and operators of
renewable energy plant; umbrella organizations for
individual, renewable energy sources; representatives of
consumer organizations and energy supply enterprises.
This advisory forum could offer support to the Com-
mission in devising and implementing an Action Plan
for renewables. In this connection the COR proposes
the setting up of a programme to support associations
active in the field of renewable energies.

Brussels, 16 July 1998.

The Chairman

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Report from the Commission on Access to
continuing training in the Union’

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

(98/C 315/03)

having regard to the Commission Report on Access to continuing training in the Union (1);

having regard to its decision on 11 June 1997, in conformity with Article 198C fourth indent,
to draw up an opinion on this subject and to attribute its preparation to Commission 6
— Education and Training;

having regard to its Opinion on The role of local and regional authorities in linking education
and training establishments to enterprises (CdR 346/96 fin) (2); its Opinion on The White
Paper on Education and training: towards the learning society (CdR 115/96 fin) (3) and its
Opinion on The European year of lifelong learning (CdR 244/94) (4);

having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 424/97 rev. 2) adopted by Commission 6 on 16 January
1998 (rapporteur: Mrs Helene Lund);

whereas the COR in its opinion on The White Paper on Education and Training: towards the
learning society, called for increased focus to be given to continuing training needs and ways
to trigger participation in training programmes;

whereas the European Council, in its Resolution on growth and employment adopted at its
meeting in Amsterdam on 16 June 1997, underlined that the development of a skilled, trained
and adaptable workforce should be a priority aim and called for full attention to be given to
training and education systems including lifelong learning in order to increase employability,

unanimously adopted the following Opinion at its 24th plenary session of 15 and 16 July 1998
(meeting of 15 July).

(1) COM(97) 180 final.
(2) OJ C 116, 14.4.1997, p. 98.
(3) OJ C 182, 24.6.1996, p. 15.
(4) OJ C 210, 14.8.1995, p. 74.

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1.

Introduction

— use of community resources to support local initia-

tives.

1.1.
The report constitutes a follow-up to the 1993
Recommendation of the Council of Ministers on access
to continuing training and is based on a series of
reports from the Member States and the social partners’
organizations at Community level. It provides the first
complete diagnosis of vocational training in Europe and
is at the same time a draft for discussion on future
objectives and initiatives in this field.

1.2.
The Commission has worked with these ques-
tions since 1991 where a Memorandum was drawn
up on continuing training. The basis has been the
Recommendation of the Council of Ministers, June
1993, where fifteen recommendations were made to
the Member States regarding initiatives on continuing
training in the Union.

In the Recommendation of the Council of Minis-

1.3.
ters the following was agreed to:

— development of comparative information on con-

tinuing vocational training systems;

— introduction of a ‘support mechanism’ for the social

dialogue on access to continuing training;

1.6. Numerous, concrete examples of initiatives and
results from the individual Member States are given in
the different paragraphs.

1.7.
In addition, the main conclusions from the
reports by the partners under the social dialogue,
UNICE, CEEP and ETUC are presented. These European
labour market organizations do not agree in their
evaluation of the status of access to continuing training
in the Union. While the employers consider the situation
satisfactory, the trade unions are of the opinion that
hardly anything has changed since the 1993 Council
Recommendation.

1.8.
Finally the Commission presents the more quanti-
tative information from the CVTS and points particu-
larly at the following conclusions:

— only one worker in four has undergone some kind
of continuing training (during the period in question).

— production of reports from all the Member States
on their initiatives and their follow-up on the
recommendation of the Council of Ministers.

— very substantial discrepancies exist between Member
States and various company and worker categories
which seem likely to continue or even widen.

Primarily on the basis of these three elements the
1.4.
Commission now issues this report presenting a total
assessment on the provision of access to continuing
training in the separate Member States, together with
recommendations for future action in this field.

1.5.
The report focuses on the more descriptive
information from the reports of the Member States and
the organizations of the social partners as well as the
more quantitative information from the huge Continuing
Vocational Training Survey (CVTS). The development
in the individual Member States is analysed on the basis
of seven aspects of continuing training in the European
Union:

— access to continuing training and company policy;

1.9.
Based on these reports the Commission finds
that a lot has changed since the Recommendation of the
Council in 1993 and that many promising initiatives
have been started. The Commission, however, draws
attention to the fact that huge differences and disparities
still exist for employees, companies and Member States
concerning opportunities and initiatives in this field.
Furthermore, no attention seems to be paid to the
increasing demand for access to continuing training.

1.10.
Rapid technological development and a grow-
ing number of older employees necessitate more pro-
nounced efforts to increase access to continuing training.

— access to continuing training and individual require-

The Commission therefore proposes three initiatives:

ments;

— retraining of employees;

— access to continuing training for specific target

groups;

— access to continuing training and the new partner-

ships;

— a dialogue with the social partners on access to

continuing training;

— continuing analysis, exchange of experience and
benchmarking through reports from the Member
States and the actors in the labour market;

— access to continuing training by new technologies;

the EU programmes, i.e. Leonardo.

— higher priority to be given to continuing training in

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2. General comments

The relevance to local and regional authorities’ con-
cerns

2.1.
The COR has in its previous Opinion on ‘The
role of local and regional authorities in linking education
and training establishments to enterprises’ underlined
the relevance of access to training in enterprises to local
and regional development. Moreover, as indicated in
that opinion, in many Member States local and regional
authorities are vested with direct responsibility and
powers in the field of training. As well as being providers
of education and training they function as major public
employers and are therefore directly concerned with
both supply and demand in this field. They also have a
central role to play in shaping the environment and
conditions under which enterprises operate.

2.5.
The Commission also points out that continuing
training is a factor of regional and local development
which fits into the framework of general instruments,
represented by the regional vocational training develop-
ment plans.

2.6.
It notes that in Germany, there is a trend in
decentralizing continuing vocational training. In Greece
and France analysis of local requirements and dissemi-
nation of information are carried out by regional
employment observatories, jointly organized and funded
by the government and the regional authorities. In
Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Belgium and
the Netherlands regional labour market councils are set
up combining employment integration measures and
training. These are made up of representatives of the
social partners, the municipal authorities and prefec-
tures. Portugal has set up a network of local consultants
to promote the industrial development of the SMEs
through training programmes. The UK has set up local
TECs/LECs which can adapt the national programmes
instituted by the government to the local level and
organize local measures adapted to local requirements.

2.2.
The relevance of training to local and regional
authorities’ concern has been expressly recognized by
the Amsterdam Treaty which included training among
the new areas of obligatory consultation of the COR.

2.7. Moreover, many of the initiatives targeting
SMEs, outlined in the national reports, concern the local
and regional level.

2.3.
The relevance of the specific subject under
consideration ‘access to continuing training’ to local
and regional development has, moreover, been acknowl-
edged by the Council. In its Recommendation on the
subject in 1993, it called on Member States to develop
continuing training in order to make it an important
feature of local and regional development, supporting
level,
partnerships, particularly at local or regional
analysing the requirements of enterprises and employees
in order to match supply and demand as closely as
possible. Moreover, it also invited the Commission to
support transfers of knowhow between Member States
especially for the benefit of regions for whom access to
continuing training is less developed.

2.4.
The Commission in the report, devotes a whole
section 1.2.6 to ‘access and the new partnerships’ which
focuses on the local and regional approach to developing
access to training. It points out that development
is characterized by decentralization as reflected by
increasing responsibility at the regional and local levels.
This entails adjusting vocational training provision to
the specific requirements of the regional and local
companies and also setting up appropriate arrangements
and infrastructures. These permit much closer cooper-
ation between local authorities, training organizations,
teaching and research establishments and companies,
particularly the SMEs. The Commission notes that for
many Member States this involves setting up ‘regional
and training networks’.

2.8.
It should also be noted that the UNICE/CEEP
report pointed out that tailoring training supply and
demand to regional and local levels has been unsatisfac-
tory, though steps have been taken to institute joint
work between companies and training organizations
and set up regional observatories. The ETUC report
stressed that information existed at local and regional
level on the requirements of companies and workers,
though partnerships to anlayse these requirements were
few and far between.

3. Specific comments

The COR recommends the following lines of action:

The organization of consultations with the social
3.1.
and economic partners, involving local and regional
government representatives,
in order to develop at
Community and sectoral level conditions for facilitating
access.

3.1.1.
Though recognition is given to the relevance
of access to training to local and regional development
and to the promising contribution local and regional
partnerships can make in this area, no mention is made

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of the importance of consulting and involving local and
regional authorities in the debate,
in particular the
Committee of the Regions.

3.1.2.
The COR calls on the Commission therefore
to include local and regional government representatives
within the consultation framework to develop conditions
for facilitating access to training.

3.1.3.
The Commission, in presenting its suggestions
for future actions, indicates that these will be followed
in due course by concrete proposals introducing the
legal and operational instruments required. It is essential
that the COR is consulted on all subsequent decisions
and measures taken in this field.

3.1.4.
Local and regional authorities’ involvement in
developing access to training is important in order to
ensure that the qualifications likely to be acquired in
continuing vocational training centres are consistent
with the needs of enterprises and, more generally, those
of the regional
labour market as well as the new
requirements of industrial production and systems of
work — in particular in relation to information tech-
nologies — and that the transfer of skills and technology
is promoted to problem areas. This was also indicated
in the Opinion of the COR on ‘the role of local and
regional authorities in linking education and training
establishments to enterprises’.

3.1.5.
Furthermore, in that opinion, the benefits of
increased cooperation at local and regional level between
the education and training institutions and enterprises
were outlined — in particular in relation to the planning
of training programmes, customized training, retraining,
etc. It also considered examples of co-funding strategies
and of local and regional partnerships pooling resources
together in order to offer training opportunities, in
particular for SMEs.

3.2.
The production of regular reports from the
Member States and the social and economic partners on
access to continuing training enabling comparative
assessment of progress achieved. Additional reports
should include initiatives from local and regional au-
thorities.

3.2.1.
This would be welcomed as it would establish
a frame of reference for development in this field. The
COR calls for additional reports to be drawn up to
include initiatives from local and regional authorities,
as many promising initiatives are taken at local and
regional level which otherwise might not receive due
attention.

The COR recommends the establishment of
3.2.2.
a regional
inter-institutional committee, with local
participation, bringing together the social partners and
public authorities and enabling those responsible for
training to establish means and objectives for improving
and facilitating access to workers’ training, with a focus
on specific sectors such as SMEs, women’s training,
small cooperatives and rural businesses.

3.3.
The inclusion in the reports from the Member
States of information forms for the most important
initiatives in order to facilitate understanding in the
other countries and enable further information to
be obtained (including telephone numbers and e-mail
addresses etc.).

As an important purpose of the reports from
3.3.1.
the Member States is to exchange experience and make
the total of good ideas and initiatives known and
inspiring within all of the EU countries, it is important
that the initiatives are easily understood and can be
followed-up for further information if necessary. If a
simple form was filled in for the most important
initiatives including a contact for further references,
it might prevent an initiative being drowned in the
overwhelming amount of information contained in all
the national reports or being too briefly described in the
joint report to serve its purpose.

3.1.6.
The Commission identifies the SME sector as
one in which the least training opportunities exist. Given
the crucial role local and regional authorities play in
supporting SMEs and boosting their growth potential,
involving them in the development of access to training
would help to effectively mobilize this target group and
address the obstacles confronting their participation in
training activities.

The inclusion in the national reports of more
3.4.
information concerning the evaluations of the different
initiatives, where this is available.

3.4.1.
Again for the sake of maximum benefit in the
exchange of experience, more information concerning
evaluation, positive and negative, should be known to
the other Member States, whenever they are available.

3.1.7.
This area of focus is all the more important,
given that SMEs account for the vast majority of
enterprises in the EU and are generally identified as a
sector creating the most job opportunities.

3.5.
If another CVTS survey is made at a later time,
public administration should be included in the survey
as continuing training in this sector is as important as it
is in private enterprises.

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The COR stresses the importance in this respect of
creating a good basis for developing further and continu-
ing training in the public administration sector.

3.6.
The establishment of an EU network dissemina-
ting best practice in promoting access to training in
particular through local and regional partnerships.

3.6.1.
The COR notes that though drawing up reports
is very useful — with the time scale involved (around
four years before the aggregated Europe-wide report is
produced) — it is questionable how a real exchange of
experience can be sustained on a continuous basis which
is a prerequisite in furthering positive developments in
this field. A framework for cooperation should therefore
be established, this could be in the form of an EU
network linking local and regional players and allowing
interested parties to gain information on the latest and
continually updated developments in this area. This
would enable enterprises, in particular SMEs, to engage
in training activities and thereby improve their competi-
tiveness and productivity.

3.6.2.
This network could also disseminate best
practice to the countries of central and eastern Europe.
It should be noted that there is no mention in the
Commission’s Report of reinforcing cooperation with
the central and eastern European countries, though this
could make an important contribution towards the
reform process under way.

3.6.3.
In consideration of budgetary constraints,
rather than creating a new instrument, existing networks
supported through the Leonardo programme and the
Structural Funds could be used as a basis for the network,
coordinated under a single framework and reinforced
through a targeted initiative.

3.7. Higher priority should be given to continuing
training and access to skills in the future Leonardo II
programme in particular by promoting transnational
pilot projects centering on new access factors such as
work organization methods/working hours. In this
respect, the COR underlines the need to simplify the
administrative framework of the Leonardo programme.

3.7.1. Whilst the call for increased focus on support-
ing access to training is highly laudable, it is questionable
whether this should be supported if it entails diminishing
support for existing areas of activities within Leonardo,
which seems likely if no additional budget is put forward.

and regional authorities in linking education and training
establishments to enterprises’ in order to illustrate the
European diversity and in order to gather concrete
examples of best practice where local and regional
authorities have been involved in promoting continuing
training within the Member States. These authorities
have also keenly encouraged the training of elected
representatives and administrative staff so as to improve
the services provided to the general public.

3.8.1.
It is envisaged that the experiences presented
at these seminars will be gathered in a written report
and will further support the exchange of concrete
examples and disseminate best practice among Member
States, regions and localities.

3.9.
The lines of action of the Commission should,
moreover, include the development of the accreditation
of skills and the European dimension of vocational
training. Here, CEDEFOP could be called to make a
contribution given the activities it is engaged in within
this field.

4. Conclusion

The COR:

4.1.
strongly supports the increased focus on edu-
cation and training in the Union and welcomes this
initiative concerning access to continuing training
succeeding the European year of lifelong learning;

would once again expressly draw attention to
4.2.
the fact that responsibility for the content and orga-
nization of continuing training, as part of vocational
training, lies with the Member States; the Community
has no regulatory powers to harmonize Member States’
legal and administrative provisions in this field. By
adopting a decentralized approach to vocational training
it is possible to pursue a strategy geared to meeting
specific requirements;

4.3.
stresses the contribution made by the European
year of lifelong learning, in which equal importance has
been ascribed to the two facets of lifelong learning:

— employment and promotion of employability;

— the personal development of the individual and

his/her place in society.

3.8.
A number of regional seminars to be held as a
follow-up to this opinion and within the framework of
the follow-up to the COR Opinion on ‘The role of local

The COR insists on the need to highlight the role of
continuing training as a policy conducive to boosting
the individual’s potential and role as active participant
in his/her own vocational progression.

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More generally, the policy of continuing vocational
training must be clearcut in its pursuit of the aim of
strengthening the individual’s capacity to assimilate and
enrich forward-looking developments in our society so
as to give full expression to his/her citizenship.

The recent prioritization of continuing training in the
European Union must be rooted in high-quality basic
training — anchored in the principle of positive discrimi-
nation — so as to guarantee a continuing training policy
which is open to everyone.

More generally, the links between basic and continuing
training need to be strengthened in order to avoid
rupture between the two systems and to facilitate the
framing of a consistent, effective education and training
policy.

In particular, this presupposes recognition of vocational
experience and qualifications through the introduction
of new arrangements for validating such assets;

believes that continuing training will be a decisive
4.4.
factor in enabling enterprises to become ‘learning
environments’ and thus to compete successfully and
create future employment. Technological development,
globalization and demographic development bring new
challenges to the business world and to local and
regional authorities and necessitate extensive adjustment
for business conditions and the labour market. The
COR agrees with the Commission that major efforts are
required to raise the access level to continuing training
very significantly in order to meet these challenges;

4.5.
calls on the Commission to include local and
regional government representatives within the pro-
posed consultation framework in order to develop
conditions for facilitating access to training;

4.6.
welcomes the many reports and analyses as these
provide a good general overview and present many

Brussels, 15 July 1998.

excellent examples of best practice as regards access
to continuing training. However, the COR calls for
additional reports to be drawn up to include initiatives
from local and regional authorities. Moreover, it under-
lines the importance of including information forms as
well as providing information on evaluation within
reports to ensure maximum benefit of exchange of
experience;

calls for a future CVTS survey to include public

4.7.
administration within its analysis;

underlines the value of disseminating best prac-

4.8.
tice in this field through local and regional seminars;

4.9.
calls for CEDEFOP to be invited to make a
contribution in particular concerning the development
of the accreditation of skills and the European dimension
of vocational training;

4.10.
stresses that in order to establish a real exchange
of experience on a continuous basis, a framework for
cooperation and dissemination of best practice needs
to be established. This would enable the positive
developments taking place within the Member States in
particular at local and regional level to be capitalized.
It therefore recommends that the Commission introduce
an EU network disseminating best practice, in promoting
access to training in particular through local and regional
partnerships. Involving local and regional authorities in
this network would, moreover, lead to a coordinated
education, training, industrial and employment policy
which is of benefit not only to the business sector but to
the whole locality and region;

4.11.
points out that in consideration of budgetary
constraints, rather than creating a new instrument,
existing networks supported through the Leonardo
programme and the Structural Funds could be used as a
basis for the network, coordinated under a single
framework and reinforced through a targeted initiative.

The Chairman

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER