CELEX: 51982PC0637
Language: en
Date: 1982-10-21
Title: DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL concerning Vocational training policies in the European Communities in the 1980's (submitted by the Commission to the Council)

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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                             COM(82)637 final
                                             Brussels , 21 October 1982
                  DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE . COUNCIL
                             concerning
Vocational training policies in the European Communities _ in the 1980 's
           ( submitted by the Commission to the Council )
 ---pagebreak---                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
 i,
#
      I.  THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT                              1 - 7
     II . THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION                           8-11
    III . POLICY CHALLENGES FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING         12
     IV . COMMUNITY POLICY GUIEELINES AND SPHERES OP ACTION 13 - 18
          A.  Training policies for young people            19 - 34
          B.  Training and equality of opportunity          35 - 49
          C.  Conception and organisation of training at
              local and regional levels                     50 - 64
          D.  Exchange of information and experience        65 - 66
      V.  CONCLUSION                                        67
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 1 -
 I. THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT
      1 . Vocational training is one of a number of policy areas to which special
           attention needs to "be given in the overall effort to alleviate the
           current, unacceptably high levels of unemployment among the active
           population . The objective of this Communication is to propose common
           policy guidelines to the Council in the training field which take
           into account in particular the economic , social and demographic changes
          which are likely to affect the situation in Member States during the
           1980 S , and to make a number of specific proposals for action at
          Community level .
     2 . The training needs of young people have "been a particular focus of
          political concern since the "beginning of the economic recession. Most
          recently, at the European Council held on 29 and 30 March 1982 , the
          President , in drawing the conclusions , stated that "in order to contribute
          to the progressive definition of a European social policy , the Member
          States would take measures concerning more particular the vocational
          training of young people , striving to ensure over the next five years
          that all young persons entering the labour market for the first time
          would receive vocational training or initial work experience"^ ).
     3 . The need to improve vocational training more generally has been constantly
          reiterated at Council level . Most significantly , the conclusions of the
          Presidency on the occasion of the joint Council of Ministers of Economic
          Affairs, Finance and Social Affairs held in June 1981 (2) included a call
          for steps to be taken to improve vocational training, and for greater
          attention to be paid to better adaptation of education and vocational
          training to the requirements of the labour market ." In its Resolution on ♦
          Community action against unemployment adopted    on 27 May 1982^), the
          Council emphasised that training policies must be conceived as an
          integral part of a comprehensive strategy to attack unemployment and
          therefore designed to be coherent with other sectoral policy initiatives .
( 1 ) Bull EC 3-1982, point 1.3-5-
( 2 ) Bull EC 6-1981 , point 1.3-3-
( 3 ) 0J C No 186 of 21 July 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 2 -
4 . Moreover , the European Parliament has also repeatedly emphasised the need
      for vigorous action at Community level in the field of vocational
      training, including the wider use of training leave for "both young people
      and adults , as well as "by promoting active ways of "bridging the gap
     "between school and working life ^^.
5 . The Commission for its part , both in its preamble to the draft Fifth
     Medium term Economic Policy Programmed ) and in its communication on
      job creation , stressed the urgent need to develop vocational training
      and to improve its quality and relevance - particularly "by ensuring
      that over the next five years all young people under the age of 18 are
     guaranteed an alternative to unemployment , in the form of education ,
     training or job experience .    In this context too , the Commission under­
      lined the contribution of training to growth in terms of productivity ,
      innovation and investment , as well as to job security.    This approach
     has moreover to be seen against the background of the conclusions of
     the Standing Committee for Employment ^) of 9 October 1979 , as well as
     of the Council of 27 June    1980^4' establishing guidelines for a  Community
     labour market policy , which noted both a geographical and a quantitative
     mismatch in training, qualifications and working conditions .
6 . The important contribution of vocational training policies is explicitly
     recognised in Article 128 of the Treaty of Rome which requires the
     Council to lay down general principles for the development of a common
     vocational training policy .    By virtue of its decision taken on 1 April
     1963 ^), the Council established an initial framework of general
     principles for the development of a common policy in this field .     The
     ten principles adopted on that occasion have served subsequently as an
     Invaluable frame of reference on a Community-wide basis for policy
     development in the field of vocational training.      The wide range of
     measures taken in Member States and by the European Community to counter
     the effects of. massive unemployment , in particular the measures and
     initiatives introduced since the mid-1970s in respect of vocational
( 1 ) EP 74.712 , 17 September 1981
( 2 ) C0M(81 ) 344 Final , 22 July 1981
( 3 ) Bull EC 10-1979 , point 2.1.44-46
(4 ) 0J C 168 , 8 July 1980
(5 ) 0J No 63 , 30 April 1963
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 3 -
           preparation and linked work and training schemes , have added to the
           original frame of reference .
      7 . The Commission* s proposals presented in this Communication take into
           account the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training,
           at its meeting held on 12 and 13 May 1982 , and also the completed work to
           date of CEUEPOP , the European Centre for the Development of Vocational
           Training.  They have also "been formulated in parallel with the proposals
           concerning the review of the European Social Fund , the Community' s main
           financial instrument in the field of vocational training.
II . THE EMPLOYMENT CONTEXT
     8 . Around 11 million people throughout the European Community are out of
          work at present .   This represents about 9.7 % of the active population.
          Above all , this provides the context in which the Commission 's present
          proposals must be set especially in view of the likelihood of a further
          increase in the number of unemployed , given both the growth of the labour
          force and the relatively low level in employment-creating investments .
     9 . Young people are particularly hard hit by unemployment .     Those aged 25
          years or under constitute overall nearly 40% of all those out of work -
          more than 4 million in all - with young women experiencing even greater
          difficulty than young men in securing jobs .    The depressing impact too
          of increased numbers - especially of young and older workers - experiencing
          long periods of unemployment is another striking feature of the present situa­
         tion . By September 1982 in the Community as a whole (not including Greece )
          the overall proportion of unemployed persons who had been out of work for  »
          over 12 nonths reached 2,7.2%.   Such a grim situation provides inevitably
          the seeds of social disorder and discontent in the years ahead , apart
          from the massive failure to mobilise the potential contribution of so
         many to social and economic development .
    10 . Apart from the effects of the economic recession , a number of qualitative
          and structural changes have taken place over the last decade which have
         profoundly affected the labour market in particular :
 ---pagebreak---                                             - 4 -
               (i)   the restructuring of the economy resulting in a decline of
                     employment opportunities in the primary and also in the traditional
                     manufacturing sectors , as well for non-market services which , in
                     relative terms , places young people very much at risk ;
             ( ii ) the greater rigidity and segmentation of the labour market and the
                     increasing competition for places in the labour market , reducing
                     considerably the opportunities for the less able and less qualified
                     groups of workers - especially the young people who leave the
                     education-training system without basic skills or qualifications ;
           ( iii ) the increase in the number of women in work or looking for work or
                     re-entering employment ;
             ( iv )  the development of various forms of precarious , unstable , short-
                     term employment opportunities offering little chance of training
                     and career development .
      11 . The demographic trends in the Member States must also be taken into account ,
           particularly the projected number of young people who will be entering the
           labour market over the next decade .     Three major trends should be mentioned
           in this respect :
               ( i ) a decline - especially after 1985 - in the proportion of young
                     workers aged under 19 years ;
             ( ii )  an inrease - especially after 1985 – in the proportion of those
                     aged between 20 and 25 years ;
           ( iii ) the fact that the proportion of young female workers (under 25 ) to
                     the total number of women in the active population will be signifi­
                     cantly greater than is the case in respect of male young workers .
III . POLICY CHALLENGES FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING
      12 . Although training should not be regarded in any way as a panacea for
           resolving the social and unemployment problems facing the Community , the
           Commission considers that training policies have a vital role to play in
           improving the future prospects for both individuals and society generally .
           A high investment in training will have both medium and long-term returns
 ---pagebreak---                                     -  5   -
and for this reason , it is necessary to re-emphasize the vital place of training
within public policies generally , especially in the current context of economic
strigency and the competition for scarce ressources . The following factors in
particular present complex challenges to the design of training systems for the
future .
( a ) The pace and scale of economic and technological change are now so swift and
      and fax-reaching that training needs to be designed as a continuing process
      for up-dating skills , which is increasingly necessary more than once in the
      life of an individual , thus developing adaptability , flexibility and an in­
      novative capacity both in the individual person and in industry generally .
      The impact of the new information technologies in particular present both
      challenges and opportunities to the education and training systems . The co­
      operative endeavours of governments , social partners and other groups in
      society , including voluntary bodies , are essential to respond to these chal­
      lenges .
(b ) The creation of new activities and jobs needs further encouragement relying
      more than before on entrepreneurial initiatives and locally based activities
      ( e.g. small and medium size entreprises , cooperatives , etc .) to exploit and
      develop local economic potential rather than on new industrial investments
      from external sources . Training and guidance services in support of such
      entrepreneurial activities are very limited to date and need to be encouraged
      on a much larger scale .
( c ) Social trends and economic pressures have given rise to demands for greater
      flexibility in working hours and career structures . It is widely recognised
      that there is a mismatch between traditional patterns of work and the aspira­
      tions of individuals , exacerbated by the rigid structures dividing the popu­
      lation into employed and unemployed . Training should be used as an instrument
      to assist individuals in managing their own working lives with greater flexi­
      bility , accompanying other changes in organisation of work and working hours ,
      with a move away from the classic 'manpower' approach where the individual
      was in effect often viewed in narrow terms as a    factor of production .
( d) The economic recession and high levels of unemployment are leading to an
      increasing polarisation of society. Increasing numbers of people of all ages
      and levels of qualification are being pushed by unemployment into poverty .
      In regions and localities where longterm economic and social problems have
      resulted in areas of multiple deprivation any prospect of a return to a high
      level of secure and rewarding employment is receeding still further as eco­
      nomic conditions worsen . Training can no longer be seen purely as an invest­
      ment to be made where job propects are promising.
 ---pagebreak---       Training and retraining must "be considered as an individual right and as
      a reflection of society 's commitment to the importance of human investment
      in resources for economic regeneration and an essential component of pro­
      gress towards equal opportunities for all . It must also be more firmly-
      recognised as a sine qua non to improve the competitive capacity of the
      Community for the medium and long term .
( e ) The economic recession has weakened the traditional system for initiating
      recruits to the labour market . The whole process of transition for young
      peot>le from education to adult and working life has to be re-thought ,
      avoiding ad hoc solutions and taking account of the earlier maturing of
      young people as well as the factors mentioned earlier . This recasting of
      the arrangements for young people is an urgent necessity since the pros­
      perity of the European Community in the decades ahead will largely depend
      on the capacities of its future work force - todays younger generation .
( f ) Budgetary austerity and accompanying pressures resulting from the economic
      recession have increased public concern about the allocation of resources
      and the need to improve the efficiency of public expenditure . There is
      nevertheless growing recognition of the need for intersectoral approaches ,
      for pooling of resources between public authorities ( education , labour ,
      industry , agriculture , etc .), whilst taking into account also the contri­
      bution of private and voluntary bodies . Equally , there is growing awareness
      of the need to improve the quality of diagnosis about the labour market
      situation and to organise a more transparent flow of information about
      present and future job orospects and related training opportunities .
      There should be more emphasis on the need to exploit non-traditional lear­
      ning resources , especiallly combinations of mass media with home-based
      forms of study , and to develop ways of designing and administering training
      programmes more related to local needs and local populations , breaking
      down barriers which have grown up with the traditional training structures .
      Moreover , at Community level further attention will be required to
      design systems of support to meet the needs of both urban and rural
      areas where training infra–structures are still weak . Irrespective
      of the relative size of Member States , concern with the delivery
      of training services at local and regional levels , combined often
      with locally based employment initiatives , has given rise to a new
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 7 -
               debate about training strategy and the quality of training provisions .
               There is increasing concern in several Member States to modify the
               location of responsibility for decision making in the training field
              "by new arrangements at national , regional and local levels .
         (h ) Evidence of this need is now wisely apparent from the difficulties
              "being faced in designing and delivering appropriate
              training and development resources to inner-cities and other areas
              where traditional employment has collapsed leaving "behind populations
               either largely unskilled and untrained , or with specific , "but no
               longer relevant skills and working traditions . As in rural areas , the
              concern to reverse the tendency of young people to leave to seek
              employment elsewhere , has to "be matched "by specific measures in the
              field of housing and social services as well as with education and
              training facilities . In all such areas which have tended to "become
              increasingly isolated from the main centres of employment , urgent
              attention should be given to the potential , by full use of new
              information technologies , for re-distributing certain kinds of jobs
              away from large centralised offices , and for creating new small
              units of work.
IV. COMMUNITY POLICY GUIDELINES AND SPHERES OF ACTION
    13 . With these various factors in view, the Commission considers that it is
          necessary for the Council to build on its original guide­
          lines laid down in 1963 ( see Annex 1 ) for the pursuit of vocational train­
          ing policies during the 1980s , so as to provide a new impetus for common
          action within the European Community in response to the social and
          economic challenges of the decade . The Commission envisages that the
          guidelines and priority actions proposed in this communication should
          serve as a point of reference for the future application of the European
          Social Fund.
    14 * The Commission considers that a new commitment is required to develop
          convergent policies throughout the Community which place a much higher
          premium on the importance of investment in human resources . The
          Community's most important natural resource is its people ; for this
          reason, training policy must be linked closely with the Community' s
          overall policy for social and economic development . The Commission fully
 ---pagebreak---                              - 8 -
appreciates the need to avoid the introduction of temporary and ad
hoc structures and to lay the foundations for the development for
the long-term of systems of training of high quality and flexibility .
In this perspective , the Commission emphasises the need to develop
a new framework of policy guidelines for vocational training to he
pursued at Community level during the 1980s .
The basic functions of vocational training may he briefly summarised as
follows :
   - as an instrument of active employment policy , particularly in a
     period of rapid economic , social and technological change , by
      giving new emphasis to investment in human resources and thus
      stimulating and supporting job creation and entrepreneurial
      initiatives , of improving productivity , and of meeting the
      challenges posed by international competition ;
   - as an instrument for assisting economic adjustment , by facilitating
      the   restructuring of economic sectors in difficulty through the
      development of retraining programmes designed , inter alia, to
      exploit the potential of technological innovation , and to develop
      the innovative skills of all members of the active population
      to enable them to play a creative part in this process ;
   - as an instrument for ensuring that all young people have access to
      the necessary social and vocational preparation for adult and
      working life which takes into account both trends in the labour
      market and the aspirations of young people themselves ;
    - an instrument of a broadly-based social policy designed to enable
       each individual to develop his or her potential by
      providing continuing education and training opportunities through­
       out life , and thus enabling individuals to compensate for and
       overcome social and economic disadvantages which may have marked
       their early preparation for adult life ;
    - as an instrument for the promotion of equal opportunities for men
       and women and their participation in social , economic and political
       life .
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 9 -
15 . Policies for young people need to be set firmly as an integral part of
     a training policy for all adults ; present political concern with the
     employment and training needs of young people runs the risk of giving
     such high priority to these needs at the expense of the training needs
     of older adults , implying a second-class status and less priority for
     the resources required for their needs .
16 . The Commission has taken into account the specific characteristics and
     variety of training systems in the different Member States.     The actions
     proposed "by the Commission in this communication have "been designed to
     encourage innovation and the qualitative improvement of training systems
     in Member States , by complementing and supporting national policies and
     initiatives on a Community-wide basis , in the following ways :
     ( a) by setting certain common goals or guidelines in order to respond
          to the need for greater convergence of policies in this field whilst
          at the same recognising the diversity of training situations in the
          Member States , and the need for flexible Community action ;
     (b ) by contributing to raising the quality of training provisions by
          setting a framework which could serve as a point of reference for
          relevant activities of the European Social Plind ;
     (c ) by fostering experimentation which can help illuminate national
          policies and practices through a more organised process for
          exchanging and analysing experience at Community level ;
     (d) by extending the arrangements for the dissemination of information
          and experience between Member States for the benefit of both policy­
          makers and practitioners , as a means of drawing attention to the
          quality of promising training initiatives for wider application.
17 . In the light of these overall guidelines , the Commission proposes that
     the Council should adopt a five-year programme of action which focuses
     on the following three broad priority spheres of common concern , designed
     to complement and strengthen the efforts of individual Member States ?
     (a) the social and vocational preparation of young people for adult
          life and for entry into the labour market in the period following
          the end of full-time compulsory education (which in most Member
          States occurs at 16 years of age ) up to the age of 18 , coupled with
          the intensification of training measures for young people up to
                                                                        \
          25 years of age as an integral part of an overall social and
          employment policy;
 ---pagebreak---                                              - 10 -
              (b ) training aspects of strategies for greater equality of opportunity ,
                    with particular reference to the improvement of basic skills and to
                    the desegration of the labour market through positive action to
                    promote the participation of women in training programmes ; and
              ( c ) the planning and harnessing of training measures to support social
                    and economic development , and in particular the process of job
                    creation , at local and regional levels , and the improvement of
                    guidance and support for all workers facing the problems of change
                    and transition including those approaching the period of retirement .
       18 . It should , moreover , be emphasised that the Commission has already
             transmitted to the Council ^) a communication regarding the implications
             and potential of new information technologies on vocational training systems ,
             incorporating a set of action proposals for the period 1983-1987 .      The
             Commission recognises the need for close coordination of these initiatives
            with the action proposals set out in this communication , and for training
             in relation to new information technologies to be treated &s a high priority
            within this overall framework of training policy .       The need to adjust
            training to technological change and their impact on employment and qualifi­
            cations should not be limited to these technologies - as powerful and
            pervasive as they may be - but also take into account other emerging tech­
            nologies such as bio-technology , raw materials which can have significant
            impact in the future on production procedures , job design and skill require­
            ments .     In this respect the Commission stresses that strategies of continuing
            education and training should be designed to facilitate and reinforce
            industrial innovation and restructuring policies rather than being limited
            to short term adjustments related to the immediate needs of the labour market .
A.    TRAINING POLICIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
      19 . The economic recession today has served to highlight the problems facing
           young people attempting to find a foothold in the adult world , but the depth
           of the recession has weakened the capacity of Member States to find satisfac­
           tory solutions which can be adopted for the long term .       Young people are
            subject to the inherent weakness of social systems which assume an abrupt ,
           immediate transition from the child 's state of dependence to the adult pos­
           ition of responsibility signified by the successful entry of the school-leaver
           into the labour market .      The official school-leaving age , whether 16 or
           earlier , should not be regarded as the single point of transition for young
           people into working life .      As the unemployment situation has degenerated ,
           not only has there been a disproportionate increase in youth unemployment ,
           but more and more young people are being forced into accepting a range of
           precarious unskilled jobs which do little to encourage their capacity
 ( 1 ) C0M(82 ) 296 Final , 3 June 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 11 -
     to integrate into the labour market . They experience long or repeated
      BpellB of unemployment which lead them into a spiral of dependence on
      social security if not into a marginal existence "beyond the reach of
     the welfare systems . Young people now face several years of "bewildering
     uncertainty about the future prospects of securing a job.
20 .   The more fundamental economic causes of youth unemployment should,
      quite clearly , be tackled within the context of an overall strategy
     to stimulate job creation and to redistribute employment opportunities
     more equitably. This is a first priority for the Community , as
     confirmed in May 1982 by the Council .   Within this strategy an active
     policy of support and guidance is required to assist all young people
     preparing to enter employment , including those , usually with minimal
     school-leaving qualifications , who cannot secure entry into the labour
     market , and those who have managed to find a job , the prospects of
     which are precarious and the content of which gives no opportunity
     for training or personal development . Every effort must continue to
     be made to support those who wish to find work to do so , irrespective
     of their age . A Commission memorandum will be presented to the Council ,
     before the end of the year , complementing this communication with an
      appreciation of the specific measures needed to promote the creation
      of stable employment opportunities for young people .
21 . It is widely accepted in all Member States that the basis for an effective
     training policy for young people must be prepared within the final period of
     full–time compulsory education , with the main responsibility falling on
     education authorities . With the spectre of unemployment facing so many
     school–leavers , increasingly even those who have obtained reasonable school-
     leaving qualifications , the educational systems have become progressively
     more aware of the need to place as much emphasis on the development of
     personal and social competences , especially basic language and communication
     skills . Efforts to provide a more balanced relationship between general
     academic and vocational or technical education in schools have developed
     in recent years into a broader concern to ensure that schools
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 12 -
       provide more organised opportunities for young people to develop contact
        and experience with life and work in the communities in which they are
       located .
22 . This growing emphasis on the idea of a partnership "between school
       systems and parents , involving as well employers and trade unions
       and social , youth and voluntary agencies will have repercussions in
       the longer term on the patterns of training on offer after the end of
       full-time compulsory education "by encouraging such cooperation in the
       delivery of training in the post-compulsory period .    In adopting their
       Resolution on 24 May 1982 , the Council and Ministers of Education meeting
       in CouncilO ) made a collective commitment to explore ways of improving
       the quality of the policies of Member States in this perspective , so
       far as the final period of full-time compulsory education is concerned .
       They also agreed to strengthen their collaboration with other policy
       sectors , especially employment , in attacking the problems of youth
      unemployment , and welcomed the Commission 's intention to arrange an
       inter-sectoral meeting of high officials to explore ways of intensifying
       cooperation , and to prepare the ground for a joint meeting of Labour
       and Education and Training Ministers on this subject .
23 . Given the number of young people who attempt to enter the labour market
       equipped with practically no qualifications or knowledge of working
       life , there has been increasing interest in the need to provide a
       further stage of preparation and transition , both social and vocational
      in character , for a minimum period after the point of legal departure
      from full-time education .   This idea has been referred to as the Social
      Guarantee for young people .   Until now, however , this concept has been
      developed essentially within the context of short-term labour market
      measures to combat youth unemployment .    It has been confused with the
      many ad hoc and emergency training or work experience measures introduced
      in most Member States since the mid-1970s , more often than not in
      parallel with' rather than integrated within existing post-compulsory
      vocational training provisions .    Whilst such measures may have stimulated
      many worthwhile innovations as regards the organisation , structure
      and content of training for young people , they have frequently
      attacked the symptoms of youth unemployment rather than the underlying
      problems :   they have frequently sought to make young people more
 ( 1 ) OJ C 193 , 28 July 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 13 -
      employable in the eyes of industry ! without contributing either to an
      increase in actual job vacancies f or to a real improvement in the
      social skills and vocational qualifications of young people .   Focusing,
      therefore , specifically on the problem of inadequacies in training
     provisions , the Commission proposes that a social guarantee for young
     people should be developed on a Community-wide basis as an integral
     part of a more equitable and rational policy of vocational training.
     The essential characteristics of this guarantee are described in the
     next paragraphs .
24 . The social guarantee
     The general aim of the social guarantee should be to provide all young
     people with the opportunity to pass through a stage of transition ,
     between the end of full-time compulsory schooling and entry into the
     labour market , during which time they should be able to choose how to
     develop their social and vocational skills and prepare themselves for
     adult working life .   The immediate aim of the social guarantee should
     be to ensure that all young people learving full–time compulsory edu­
      cation should be presented with some alternative to unemployment . As a
     general principle all young people should be entitled to at least
     two years' further education , training or work experience after
     leaving full-time compulsory schooling.    Fbr those young people \Axo
     for any reason cannot or do not wish to continue their studies within
     the existing frame-work of the formal education and training system or
     through existing provisions for apprenticeships , a variety of additional
     opportunities should be made available designed to take account of the
     diverse needs and aspirations of young people .   An adequate volume of
     training and work experience opportunities of this kind should be
     developed to ensure that by a given target date , for instance within
     a period of five years , all young people who so wish have unconditional '
     access to :
     ( a) a full-time programme of social and vocational preparation for
          working life during an initial one-year period immediately after
          the end of compulsory schooling, and
     (b ) an entitlement to the equivalent of a further one-year period of
          vocational training to be used on a full-time or part-time basis
          before reaching the age of 25 .
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 14 -
 25 » These provisions should represent the minimum training entitlement
        available to all young people . The social guarantee would nevertheless
        carry with it no notion of compulsion . By combining two types of provision ,
        it would be designed to offer a degree of protection especially to the more
        vulnerable or disadvantaged young people in the two year period following
        the end of full-time compulsory education , and at the same time to develop
        a sense of initiative on the part of young people themselves , to promote
        an awareness of their responsibility to complete their initial vocational
        training and to encourage a taste for life-long learning.
26 . The provisions to be made will depend both on the extension of the
       existing training capacity of Member States to meet the needs of all
       young people in the age group and a special effort to raise the quality
       of the training.     This should imply not only a simple extension of the
       existing supply of training places , especially apprenticeships .     Young
       people in this age range are not one homogeneous group ; a wide' range of
       different types of training programmes is required to meet their
       various needs .    Such a variety of programmes -should be designed to
       motivate the participation of those who cannot find work , who are
       ill-equipped with little or poor school- leaving qualifications , who are
       not initially motivated to the idea of continuing education and
       training, and who thus are likely to find serious bars to their
       flexible participation in community life in general during adult life . -
       Irrespective of immediate labour market needs , the training provisions
       therefore should be organised as flexibly as possible so as to build
       up the widest range of possible openings for young people to acquire
       the skills on which to build in later life .      The germs of this commit­
       ment are already contained in the Resolution adopted by the Council
       in 1979 ^ 1 ) which promoted the idea of " alternance ", or linked work and
       training to which Member States have been responding with considerable •
       enthusiasm.     This investment in training for young people is vital as
       they will be the muscle of the work force in the Community over the
       next 40 years ; without it the Community1 s capacity to compete effectively
       in the international market will be seriously handicapped.
21m Content
       As regards the content of the training and work experience opportunities
   ( 1 ) OJC 1 , 3 January 1980
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 15 -
          to be provided , a "basic frame of reference is contained in the Council
          Resolution on linked work and training(l ) adopted in 1979 « A whole
         variety of combinations of practical experience and more formal learning
          should "be developed to take account of the various types of qualification ,
         and motivation of the young people concerned on the one hand and the
         particular resources for training and work experience in the locality
         on the other.    Programmes of social and vocational preparation may ,
         for instance , be established through new courses provided by the
         education and training authorities , on the basis of extra traineeships
         with public or private enterprise , in the context of special employment
         projects of utility to the local community or in the form of training/
         production workshops designed to develop into self-supporting small
         enterprises or cooperatives .    All programmes should aim to enable young
         people to gain some understanding of working life , and to learn about
         the impact of technical progress and the implications of new technologies .
         Special care needs to be taken to ensure that girls and young women do
         not automatically get channelled into stereotyped sectors of training
         and work experience .    Young people should be encouraged to develop their
         own creative capacities and management skills , to shape the various
         opportunities open to them and , where possible , to learn about the
         techniques of setting up in business and running a small enterprise .
    28. The training/production workshops referred to above would appear to .
         offer a most promising form of training which can be designed to meet
         a whole range of different needs and objectives including the more
         general objective of enabling an investment in training to make a
         direct contribution to local economic development .    This type of
         initiative , already taken in some Member States , could take the form
         of production laboratories combined with training workshops , involving
         the full partnership     of local authorities and social partners , and
         offering within the same location combinations of work experience
         and training.    These locations could also serve as focal points for
         experimentation and for training the trainers in the locality or
         region , as well as for the exchange of experience with neighbouring
         training centres in the mainstream of the system.     These production-
         training initiatives could be established to respond to priority areas
         selected within the strategic effort to promote innovation and economic
         growth , e.g. the development of applications related to the exploitation
       ( l ) OJ C 1 , 3 January 1980
(2)
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 16 -
     of the widest range of new information technologies .      They could also he
      set up with a view to responding to the special difficulties encountered
     hy young women , particularly in non-traditional areas of female work.
     Where possible , therefore , further experimentation and exchange of
     information and experience needs to he developed in this area, "both
     within and between Member States .
29 . Certification
     It is essential for the various programmes offered to he conceived as
     an integral part of a comprehensive training plan for the age group
     as a whole .   It will then he easier to ensure that the introduction
     of new types of assessment are "built into     the overall    system
     of certification    for educational   and training qualifications .
     This would permit progressively the accumulation of experience and
     credits by young people as well as their recognition as the building
     blocks for access to and participation in further training later in
     life .  This should not be allowed to develop as a parallel or extraneous
     system exclusively reserved for young unemployed or it will be doomed
     to second-class status and failure .    Without such - a system
     linked into the mainstream system of certification , there can be little
     guarantee of the quality of the programmes offered or of the willingness
     of employers to accept the value of the periods of training in determining
     recruitment or career policies .    As regards the development of broader
     based qualifications , important progress is being made in some Member
     States to establish new families or groups of skills , particularly in
     relation to apprenticeships .   Moreover , the introduction of training
     components involving new technologies is also occurring gradually but
     unevenly.    It will be important to maintain the momentum of such
     developments throughout the Community and to take advantage of such
     changes to promote greater comparability of qualifications at Community
     level .
30 . Trainers and supporting personnel
     A major investment is also required in the training of those who will
     have responsibility for the design and content of new programmes of
     social and vocational preparation.     Greater cooperation is required
     between teachers concerned with the final period of compulsory schooling,
     post-compulsory training for youth and those concerned with adult
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 17 -
      vocational training, so as to multiply the "bridges "between different
      stages of training and to improve the element of continuity in
      training provisions .   Since constant renewal of the content of training
      is essential , with a "broad spread of appealing options available for
      choice "by young people , special encouragement for the training of
      trainers and other key supporting personnel is required.
31 . Coordination guidance and information
      The proliferation of different provisions for education , training, work
      experience , employment and voluntary service has already given rise to
      the need for more coordinated information and guidance services for the
     young people who are intended to "benefit from the provisions in question.
     Moreover , as more and more training and work experience schemes are
     "being developed at the level of local communities "by mobilising the
     resources of individual employers , local government services and
     voluntary organisations , there is also an increasing need to provide
      for special coordinating machinery at local level which can act as
      a focal point   and a catalyst for all those able to offer services to
     young people .   Little attention has until now been given to the types
     of skills and experience required of the specialised staff called upon
     to provide this new form of local animation and coordination which will
     be crucial to the success of any attempt to put the social guarantee
      fully into operation.    The arrangements for the administrative and
      financial accountability    of   training policy  for
     young people will also need to be reconsidered in order to encourage
      a collective commitment on the part of all those at local level to
      expand training and work experience opportunities for young people ,
     within the framework of broad guidelines set out at national level .
     Although precise arrangements may vary between different localities ,
      according to their particular traditions and existing structures , it
     would be useful to monitor and evaluate the comparative experience of
     Member States in this area of administrative innovation at local level
     during the next five-year period .
32 . Social and material status of young people
     As access to a period of social and vocational preparation becomes an
      automatic right for school leavers , rather than a last resort to be
 ---pagebreak---                               -  18  -
     reserved, for those unable to find employment , it will become increasingly
     necessary to review the social and material status of the young people
     concerned in the light of provisions made for young people undertaking
     other types of training , whether as apprentices or within the more formal
     education sector . Young people should be encouraged to make their choice
     between different types of training on the basis of training content and
     its relevence to their interests and capacities rather than be influenced
     by the relative material advantages or the prestige commonly attached to
     certain types of training . For this reason serious consideration will
     need to be given to the possibility of establishing within each Member
     State a comparable status for those young people , in principle the vast
     majority within the age group , who choose to continue with their studies
     and preparation for working life after the end of compulsory schooling ,
     interspersed as appropriate with spells of full-time employment .   An
     integrated strategy on this issue could be based on the idea of a tran­
     sition period during which young people would be encouraged to assume
     progessively the rights and responsibilities associated with adult
     working life .
33 . The precise social and material status of such young people will have
     to be defined progressively over the next five year period , allowing
     for varying formulae between Member States in accordance with their
     distinctive social security systems . In particular , more attention
     will have to be paid to the effect of such provisions on the hiring
     practices of employers so far as young people are concerned . This
     will require a collective commitment to re-examine the scope for realloca­
     ting existing budgetary headings , such as unemployment benefits , with a
     view to making possible a number of income transfers which can corres­
     pond to the policy objective of providing a greater incentive to young
     people to take up training opportunities . It would be possible for
     Member States to re-direct resources to achieve more long-term objec­
     tives on more equitable basis if Member States can move in this
     direction .
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 19 -
34 » Actions to be developed
       ( a ) The Commission proposes that Member States undertake a progressive
             expansion and improvement of the range of training opportunities
             in order to ensure the delivery of a social guarantee for young
             persons as described in paragraph 24 above . The Commission consi­
             ders that the European Social Fund has a special responsibility
             to promote developments in this perspective .^)
       (b) The guidelines indicated above particularly in paragraphs 25-29
             will be used by the Commission as a reference point in establishing
             priorities for intervention by the Community in support of measures
              to improve and expand vocational training provisions for young
              people . Estimates regarding the shortfall in relevant training
              provisions will be requested from all Member States on a regular
             basis and will be taken into account in drawing up plans and
              guidelines for Community support .
       ( c ) Moreover, in order to encourage a variety of imaginative responses
              to the design of programmes on offer to young people , the Commission
              proposes the extension of its demonstration projects on linked work
              and training so as to provide a systematic Community-wide capacity
              to learn from each other' s experiences over the next five-year
              period. These projects would be designed to focus in particular
              on the following priority aspects of common concern :
                - the extension  of guidance and support systems to provide
                  continuity of  contact with the young people involved and to
                  stimulate the  coordinated and active provision of information
                  and advice on  job and further training opportunities , especially
                  at local level ;
                - inter-professional cooperation between teachers , guidance specia­
                  lists and other agencies , both public and private , concerned with
                  youth questions at local /regional level to extend the range of
                  options available to young people ;
                - training of trainers involved in re-designing the programmes
     ( l ) See the Commission' s Opinion on the review of the European
             Social Fund ( COM (82 ) 485 )
 ---pagebreak---                                 - 20 -
             on offer and in equipping teachers and other specialists
             personnel for these new tasks ;
          – the design of assessment systems for these programmes "based on
            training modules which may he linked with the overall systems of
            certification and thereby recognised as a basis for entry into
            employment and further training .
 ( d ) To assist in the development of training/production workshops ,
       referred to in paragraph 25 , the Commission proposes the establish­
       ment of a second group of projects , which should serve as points
       of reference within each Member State and for comparative evaluation
       at Community level .   Special attention should be paid to the
       training and management skills and expertise required of the staff
        involved in such projects , with the aim of producing a practical
       guide or manual for training instructors .
 ( e ) The Commission considers that the progressive implementation of
       the social guarantee , and in particular the implications for new
       administrative and coordination arrangements at local level , as
       described in paragraph 30 above , merits continuous monitoring at Com­
       munity level .   To this end , the Commission suggests that with effect
        from 1984 Member States be invited to designate a particular region of
        locality on which the Commission should focus its attention and offer
       the technical and/or advisory service of an external evaluation
       unit .   A report should also be produced jointly by the Member
       States and the Commission on progress achieved in reaching the
       objectives set out in paragraphs 23-29 and including an assessment
       of further requirements in relation to the allocation of resources .
       Special attention should be paid to the participation of young
       women in the progressive build-up of the capacity of training
       systems in Member States to cater for all young people .
( f) To assist in improving the comparability of qualifications , the •
       Commission considers that there is scope for a framework policy
       to be established between Member States which will enable
       agreements to be reached in relation to specific groups or
       families of skills .   Proposals to this end will be produced in
       1983 .
( g) The Commission proposes that a programme of exchange visits by
       training specialists should be established for the next fiveryear
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 21 -
              period , building on the initial experience in 1981 and 1982 for
              those involved in new schemes of linked work and training
              ("alternance ")*  This programme should be underpinned by the
              further development of comparative documentation on training
              systems and innovations in Member States .
B. TRAINING AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY
   35 . The economic recession has led most Member States to intensify their
         efforts to diversify and extend their existing training provisions
         to help those groups most at risk .
         The different training needs of the various groups need to be met
         within the framework of an overall strategy which avoids new forms
         of differentation in the labour market . The special training programmes
         to help these gtowps should be coordinated with the wider social
         policy measures taken in Member States and at Community level to faci­
         litate their social and economic integration . Hence , in relation to
         disabled people for instance , a special report on training will be
         produced by the Commission in the context of the implementation of the
         recently approved action programme         As regards migrant workers ,
         training retirements will be included in the review being undertaken
         by the Commission of the Community 's first    action programme in favour
                                                (2)
         of migrant workers and their families v .
   36 . In this communication the Commission has focused attention on two main
         priority areas of general concern :   firstly , the need to pursue
         vigorously efforts to develop the basic skills of a large number of
         adults , who are unable to read , write or perform other basic skills
         necessary for adult and working life ; and secondly , the special training
         needs of women , which are of course also considered in other sections
         of this communication , especially under measures for young people .
   37 . Basic skills for all adults
         The unemployment crisis has drawn increasing attention to the veiy
         basic difficulties experienced by many adults who left school not
    (1 ) OJ C No 347 of 31 December 1981
    ( 2 ) Bull EC 3-76
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 22 -
       only without vocational qualifications , "but also unable to read , write
       or perform the simplest mathematical exercises .   Their difficulties
       in these respects render them unable to cope with the multiplying
       and progressively more complex demands of documentation in relation
      "both to employment and to most other aspects of their lives .    Whilst
       individuals may leave school with no worse ( and perhaps "better )
       levels of literacy than formerly , the demands upon them have so
       increased that the numbers of adults who are funtionally illiterate
      may well "be increasing.
38 . With the alarming rise in long-term unemployment , there is a new
       danger that those who may have managed to cope in better times will
       lose their self-confidence and motivation so necessary to maintain
      the basic skills required for effective participation in economic
       and social life .  The cycle of deprivation and the prevalence of
       illiteracy among the long-term unemployed has been described already
       in the Commission' s final report on the programme of action against
      poverty^). The European Parliament too has recently called for
       special measures on a Community-wide basis to combat illiteracy ( 2 ).
39 . Lack of basic skills constitute a main handicap in adult life and a
       serious barrier to access to work and further training.    Functional
       illiteracy virtually precludes progression into vocational training,
       and therefore into most skilled work .  Training in basic skills
       should be recognised as a high priority and be seen as one of the
      most important activities to be associated with training and re­
      training many older workers .   Some new approaches to provide training
       for adults with inadequate skills have already been developed with
      the support of the European Social Fund .    A massive effort is still
      required to eradicate these deficiencies which condemn such adults
      to a cycle of continuing deprivation.
40 . In this field , the Commission also considers that multimedia systems
      coupled with the potential of the new information technolgies should
      be exploited to the full so as to develop remedial and crash courses
   1 ) C0M(81;769 Final , 15 December 1981
  2)      OJ No C 149 of 14 June 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 23 -
        and materials prepared specially to meet these needs .   The link-up
        of national provisions via "broadcasting with local agencies , "both
        public and voluntary , working in their own communities , offers
        considerable scope for achieving promising results .   Open University
        and other experimental schemes which combine the possibility of study
        at home with local support by tutors and other social service and
        training personnel need further encouragement .   Counselling specialists
        who often cannot reach the adults most in difficulty also need to be
        linked in closely with such schemes to provide continuing advice .
        Given the difficult problems of contact between the target groups and
        the training services available , it is essential that training
        resources be allocated for use in the most flexible fashion at local
        level where specific needs and appropriate responses can be best
        identified.
41 . Actions to be developed
       The Commission proposes that Member States make sustained efforts to
       expand the measures required to improve the basic skills of adults ,
       to strengthen their capacity to benefit from vocational training
       and thus find more rewarding employment .   To support the development
       of appropriate new initiatives by Member States , and to continue the
       exchange of experience based upon the existing activities of the
       European Social Fund , the Commission proposes that a set of demonstration
      projects be established with particular reference to the difficulties
       faced by the long-term unemployed .   Pall account will also be taken
       of the potential for collaboration with Member States' broadcasting
       organisations , both at national and local levels , many of which
       already have or are actively developing, educational programmes aimed
       at increasing basic skills .  The Commission also proposes that the
       initiators of such schemes should have the opportunity to meet and
       compare experience .  Constant monitoring of the progress achieved
      by Member States in this whole area will be important as well as a
      comparative evaluation of the specific projects supported at Community
       level .
42 . Training of women
      The adoption by the Council on 27 May 1982 of a new Community action
      programme ^ ) on the promotion of equal opportunities for women has
    (1 )    OJ C No 186 of 21 July 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 24 -
         given a fresh impetus to the common efforts in this field .   In so far
         as this concerns full access to and participation in vocational
         training, these actions will be designed "by the Commission to complement
         the terms of the directive adopted in 1976 on equal access to employ­
        ment , vocational training and promotion , and working conditions ^ K
 43 * The special needs of women will also "be given particular attention in
        the Commission' s developing work regarding training in relation to the
        introduction of new information technologies (?). In this context ,
        special attention will "be given "by the Commission to the need to
        promote the integration of women in the new areas and sectors opened
        up "by the new technologies , as well as to the retraining of those whose
        jots are threatened "by the introduction of new technologies .   This will
        also require continuing attention to the technical pre-training
        necessary to enable \vomen to "benefit on an equal footing from training
        linked to the introduction of new technologies .
 44 . It has to "be recognised that despite the high proportion of young
       women among the unemployed and unqualified , and despite considerable
        efforts to provide vocational preparation and training for them , there
       has only been modest and disappointing progress in developing new
        courses to serve their needs .   The vast majority of courses for young
       women still concentrate heavily on training them in traditional female ,
       and often low-paid , low-status activities .
45 . Training can help to break down the traditional concentration of women
       in certain sectors which tend to be those most at risk , as well as
       requiring little training, and also to correct the low participation
       of women in training for skilled jobs , especially those involving high
       qualifications in technological fields .    It is necessary to take steps
       to diversify the types of training which women undertake if they are
       to be able to secure access to those areas of employment where they
       are traditionally under-represented .    Special attention needs to be
       given to encouraging and supporting the entrepreneurial initiatives of
       women especially at the local level .
46 . Particular attention also needs to be given to providing appropriate
       training opportunities for women who wish , during certain periods of
  (1 )    OJ No L 39 of 14 January 1982
  ( 2 ) COM(82)296 , 3 June 1982
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 25 -
       their life to receive training on a part-time basis , including women
       who have interrupted their professional activities or wish to improve
       their qualifications during the period when they have temporarily
       stopped working.     Pilot training initiatives have "been set up in
       various Member States over the last few years which should be pursued
       and intensified with even greater commitment by Member States .
 47 . Various research studies have now been completed and these too have
       helped stimulate greater awareness amongst governments and the social
       partners about the character of innovative training measures on behalf
       of women.   However , this work needs to be developed further and the
      Commission intends to intensify its own work programme to build up
       good documentation and experience as the basis for encouraging the
      necessary discussions at all levels , and especially those in policy­
      making positions , which can progressively lead not just to better
      adjusted training facilities but also to changes of attitude amongst
      the population generally.
48 . The introduction of a greater variety of training opportunities for
      women is essential so as to eliminate progressively the traditional
      notion that certain jobs are intended almost exclusively for men and
      so that women may fashion their own lives according to their own
      capabilities and requirements .     In this perspective , more support
      needs to be given within Member States to the work of educating
      parents , above all for socially disadvantaged groups , where girls have
      a twofold disadvantage in society , and for those groups where training
      is more strongly governed by tradition ( e.g. families in rural
      communities , foreign families ).
49 . Actions to be developed
      ( a) Without prejudice to the responsibility of each Member State to
           implement .the directive on equal access to employment , vocational
           training and promotion , and working conditions , the Commission
           considers that it will be essential to support the further develop­
           ment of positive programmes of vocational training for women under
           the terms of Article 2(4 ) of the directive.    The Commission there­
           fore proposes that , building on the experience of the European
           Social Fund , a. substantial investment be made by Member States in
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 26 -
              training programmes for women which can help change attitudes
              and expectations in the medium and longer term.
        (b ) In addition to the whole range of training initiatives for
              women for occupations where they are traditionally under
              represented - initiatives which should increasingly come within
              the mainstream of the training provisions of Member States - the
              Commission proposes to support a set of small scale innovatory
              projects particularly designed to provide further insights into
              the way training resources may "be organised at local level to
              cater for particular groups of women , for instance , those who are
              home bound or isplated in rural areas .
        ( c ) The Commission considers that every advantage should be taken to
              disseminate widely the results of the various experiences and to
              offer information on examples of promising initiatives . This
              material can then be drawn upon in the training of trainers and
              counsellors to enable them to be better equipped to cater for the
              specific and career needs of women.    The Commission proposes to
               intensify the exchange of information and experience in this
               respect .
C. CONCEPTION AND ORGANISATION OF TRAINING AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS
   50 . The idea of an integrated approach to develonment for the regions and local
        areas , including the training dimension , is gaining ground rapidly through­
        out the Community .    Over the last few years , moreover , there has been a
        marked trend in some Member States to decentralise vocational
        training to the regional level of decision-making, so that it takes
        place closer to the point of need .    This trend , though not common to     1
        all Member States , must be viewed alongside the growing concern to
        link training policies with wider social and economic strategy to
        regenerate disadvantaged regions .    However , since generally education ,
        training, employment and economic structures still tend to be
        organised on a compartmentalised basis , at national level in particular ,
        the effective delivery of integrated operations still remains the
        ideal rather than practical reality in most cases .
   51 . Increasingly , as the unemployment situation has deteriorated there
        has been a growing commitment in Member States to find ways of
        releasing and underpinning the creative energies of those who wish
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 27 -
        to contribute to social and economic development m their own localities .
        Some Member States have "begun to support training initiatives of
       various types at local and regional level specifically designed to
        stimulate the creation of new economic activity , in particular "by
       mobilising local economic and commercial potential .    It has been shown ,
        for example through the "training for development " activities of the
       European Social Rmd , that such training initiatives most often owe
       their origin to the activities of special counsellors whose role is
       to act as a development agent , animating, coordinating and supporting
       local initiatives designed to promote small scale employment creation .
 52 . The activities of such development agents fall "between the traditional
       areas of responsibility of training and employment authorities .
       Their role is likely to grow in importance in future , and to
       impinge increasingly on the responsibilities for instance of vocational
       guidance advisors and officials of local employment agencies .    The
       training requirements of all such officials will need to be reviewed
       in order to ensure some common elements , so that they can be prepared
      to work in teams , irrespective of their location ," at the service of
      those in need and also of those who are involved in initiating job
      creation schemes .   An emphasis on inter-professional training may also
      help avoid the creation of overlapping, wasteful or even conflicting
      systems of advice , and encourage some degree of mobility and inter­
      change between the education , training and employment services without
      prejudice to the promotion and career prospects of the specialists
      involved.   It will be equally important for Member States to ensure
      that the trainers are equipped to take account of these new developments ,
      and be fully aware of the range of job creation initiatives and
      changing qualifications , and have some direct experience of inter- .
      professional developments affecting the specialised personnel involved
      in their training programmes .
53 . The more the demand grows for local employment initiatives , the
      greater will be the need to design a system of training which can
      provide the necessary support . In the framework of these local
      initiatives , there is also a unique opportunity to link training
      with job creation , counteracting the current dilemma that a high
      percentage of participants in temporary training schemes do not find
      a job after the training period . This raises in turn the question of
 ---pagebreak---                                       - ?8 -
         the allocation of resources from vocational training and job creation
        ■budgets of each Member State , and the importance of locating those resources
        where they can produce the greatest effect within an overall strategy. In
        promoting local employment initiatives , further and higher education insti­
        tutions – particularly business schools , design and technology departments -
        can also play a key role in developing training for entrepreneurial initiat­
        ives - as part of a strategy for continuing education - thus reinforcing the
       capacity of individuals - especially managers - to engage in the process of
        setting up new enterprises . By providing training and other services
        ( e.g. feasibility consultancy, market surveys , product design/assessment )
       these institutions could contribute significantly to the strengthening of
       the economic infrastructure and thus contribute to an increased cooperation
       between training and employment institutions .
 54 . Many of these local initiatives involve relatively small numbers of
       people . These groups require guidance and training support at the
       various stages involved in the launching and consolidation of their
       schemes. The support they require needs to be tailored to their
       specific objectives , entailing new content of training to be made
       available in the right place at the right time from specifically
       conceived new training structures which improve the quality of
       existing training provisions on offer . Traditional training systems
       are not generally geared to provide a service which responds to the
       specific needs emerging from grass-root level initiatives . This
      mismatch between training needs and provisions is accentuated in rural
      areas , particularly those in decline , where often one added problem
       is the location of the training services far away from the communities
      in which the new initiatives may originate .
55 * Careful consideration also needs to be given to the question of re­
      training and updating of skills within existing small enterprises ,
      especially those where an appropriate response to a threat of closure
     may involve re-financing and re–structuring measures , also leading to
     a broadening of management participation and control , as well as intro­
      duction of new products or services . Research conducted at Community
      level and in certain Member States has revealed the following training
     needs of people interested in setting up a cooperative or already working
     in one : training should be available at the pre–formation and the opera­
     ting stage of a cooperative , with training content such as job skills ,
     financing, marketing and management . In setting up training programmes ,
     special provision should be made for the needs of individual target
     groups , especially women :    the participation of
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 29 -
       other risk groups , such as migrants and the disabled , should also be
       given careful attention#
 56 . These local initiatives also provide a useful framework within which
       to consider the problems faced "by an increasing number of adult
       workers in mid-career and nearing the end of their careers who have
       had to "be laid off in recent years "because of the fall in employment
       especially in sectors such as steel-making, shipbuilding, automobile
      production , textile and clothing.    The personal shock of unemployment
       and the economic and psychological impact on their families often
       increase the difficulty for these older workers of matching their
      needs with effective re-training opportunities , which can lead to
      viable new roles in local community life as well as securing
      openings to new jobs .   The content and pedagogical methods of
       traditional training programmes are generally ill-suited for these
      purposes and there appears to be much uncertainty among trainers as
      to the types of re-training to offer to respond genuinely to the
       social and economic needs of these adults .    A continuing effort is
      needed throughout the Community to help retain the accumulated
      experience of these older workers and enable them , with appropriate
      re-training, to find new opportunities for employment .      This dimension
      in training programmes should receive positive encouragement , and
      experience and information exchanged systematically at Community level
      so as to give further impetus to promising initiatives .
57 • The provision of continuing access to guidance and counselling is
      widely recognised in the Member States as an essential service ,
      to be available at different stages of life , linked both to the
      education and employment systems .   The functions of guidance systems
      have become more complex and demanding in recent years because of
      the continuing uncertainties of the labour market .     Varying patterns of
      collaboration and of allocations of responsibility for the organisation
      and financing of counselling exist in the Member States , involving
      normally both national Ministries of Education and Labour as well as
      local and regional authorities .   It is clear , however , that ,
      irrespective of the different structures in Member States , insufficient
      attention has been paid to the provision of guidance and support for
      workers facing the problems of change and transition , and in particular
      those approaching the period of retirement .
 ---pagebreak---                                  -   30 -
58 . Irrespective of "the various improvements to training provisions
     suggested throughout this communication , it will be necessary to
     take further steps to remove the barriers to participation in
     training by individual workers and to increase the volume of training
     actually undertaken by the active population as a whole . In the last
     ten years , some Member States have made progress with the delivery
     of systems of paid leave for workers to participate in training
     programmes . There is however little evidence as yet that the develop­
     ment of training leave has been considered adequately in the context of
     policies for the re–organisation of working time .
     The ILO convention on paid training leave , to which four Member States
     are signatories , could usefully serve as a point of departure for
     establishing minimum standards in the Community .
     Given the increasing numbers of people who   cannot benefit from existing
     training leave provisions , consideration should also be given in the
     broader problem of ensuring an equitable distribution of training oppor-r
     tunities . The training entitlement and participation rates of young
     people particularly between 18 and 25 years of age is especially important ,
     since this is the critical period for motivating adults to return to
     training .
59 . Actions to be developed
     In assisting the re-orientation of training policies in Member States
     towards the needs of economic and social development at local
     and regional levels , the Commission underlines the important link
     between these policy guidelines and the future application of the
     European Social Pond . The policy developments envisaged in Member
     States should be considered with the Commission on an annual basis in
     liaison with the discussion to take place with the national authorities
     in relation to the European Social Fund . The results of these exchanges
     could provide the basis for a more comprehensive presentation of
     developing vocational training policies which the Commission could
     review periodically with the assistance of the Advisory Committee
     for Vocational Training .
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 31 -
      60 . The Commission proposes that technical assistance to Member States be
            provided for the evaluation and planning of training provisions with
            a particular focus on those regions , especially in rural areas , where
            the training infrastructure is weakened "by the lack of industrial
            development .    As a priority , this activity should "be developed
            particularly in Greece as part of the Commission' s response to the
            Greek memorandum as well as in Portugal and Spain in the context
            of the further enlargement of the European Community .
     61 . The Commission intends that the European Social Fund should continue
            its action in support of experimental and pilot schemes of training
            for development which help those responsible in a local community
           to design and carry out projects introducing new economic activities
           or revitalising existing activities^). Particular attention should
           be paid to the comparative evaluation of such schemes and the
           exchange of experience within Member States and at Community level .
     62 . Drawing on the experience of the schemes mentioned in paragraph 61
           above , the Commission will analyse the emerging training requirements
           of development agents , and other training specialists .      The Commission
           will also draw up guidelines for the future regarding the status and
           responsibilities of vocational guidance specialists , their conditions
           of service and prospects of career mobility.
     63 . The Commission proposes that special attention should be given to the
           counselling needs of older workers .     In this context , the Commission
          will also review current trends in this area paying particular attention
           to provisions designed to encourage older workers to play an active
          role in their community following retirement . The Commission proposes
          that it would be valuable to improve the availability of comparative
          material on this subject .
      64 . The Commission proposes a review , in cooperation with the social partners ,
            of the training entitlements for adults in Member States , including the
            present and planned provisions for paid training leave .
             ( l ) Opinion of the Commission on the Review of the ESP page 6
(3 )
 ---pagebreak---  EXCHANGE OP INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE
65 . At Community level , in the period ahead , and in addition to the
     various proposals for action set out earlier for each of the three
      priority spheres of common concern , the Commission underlines the
      importance of fostering continuing exchange of ideas and information
     "between "both policy-makers throughout the Community .  To this effect ,
      the Commission proposes that a special unit be set up lay each Member
      State , based as appropriate on existing structures and involving inter-
     ministerial cooperation as necessary , to operate within a Community –
     wide network for the pooling and dissemination of information on
     training developments to policy-makers • These units would in .
     particular be responsible for ensuring the linkage with regional centres ,
     which often simply do not get access to information about promising
     developments elsewhere in the Community.
     These units should be linked with existing national machinery for policy
     coordination in the training field ; they should be erruipt>ed to ensure
     that the information acquired from this Community-wide effort be effec­
     tively exploited for the benefit of Dolicy-makers in the Member States
     at local , regional and national levels .
66 . This Community-wide network of units , in cooperation with the Commission
     should concentrate on handling the priority objectives set out in this
     communication , viz . :
     ( a) the social and vocational insertion and integration of young
           people ;
     (b ) training aspects of strategies for greater equality of opportunity;
     ( c ) training in support of locally-based job creation initiatives.
     ( d^ The training implication arising from the introduction of new infor­
           mation technologies .
     The Commission proposes that a modest programme of short study visits
     be set ut) for vocational training specialists to examine experience
     in other Member States , so as to promote closer relations and better
     mutual understanding between the vocational training systems of Member
     States .
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 33 -
67 . CONCLUSION
     The Council is hereby invited to adopt the proposals set out in this
     Communication and to take note of their financial implications within
     the framework of the annual "budgetary rules and procedures of the
     Community.
 ---pagebreak---                       DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL
                                 concerning
Vocational   training policies in the European Communities in the 1980' s
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community;
Having regard to the Draft Resolution from the Commission ;
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament C1 );
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ( 2 );
Whereas Council Decision 63 / 266 / EEC laid down general
principles for the implementation of a common vocational training policy ( 3 ),
and the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training has expressed its v i ews
on the further development of that policy;
Whereas the European Council , at its meeting in March 1982 , indicated in
its conclusions that in order to contribute to the progressive definition
of a European social policy the Member States would take measures con­
cerning more particularly the vocational training of young people and ,
as a first stepy would strive to ensure over the next 5 years that all young
persons entering       the labour market for the first time would receive
vocational training or initial work experience within the framework of
special youth schemes or contracts of employment (4 );
Whereas the European Council , at its meeting in June 1982, asked the
Joint Council ( Ministers of Finance, Economic Affairs and Social Affairs )
to adopt firm decisions on a proposal from the Commission regarding
specific Community measures to combat unemployment , particularly in the
case of young people (5 );
      0J 1963 , 20.4.1964 , p. 1338 / 63
(2)
(3)   OJ No 62 , 30 April 1963
(4 )  Bull EC 3-1982 , point 1.3-5-
( 5 ) Bull EC 6-1982 ," point 1.5.3 "
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 2 -
 Whereas the Council / at the end of its meeting of 27 May 1982 /
 adopted a Resolution on Community action to combat unemployment
 underlining the priority which the Community should give to the
 vocational training and integration of young people ( 1 )/ and approved
  a further        Community action programme on the promotion of equal
 opportunity for women / 1982-198 5 ( 2 );
 Whereas the European Parliament on 22 April 1982 adopted a
 Resolution on youth unemployment ( 3 ), with particular emphasis on
 the need to bring training into line with technological develop­
 ment and on       greater involvement of Community financial instruments
                                             . thi s
 in job creation programmes ;       whereas ' Resolution reinforces the
 Resolution on Social Policy Priorities adopted by the European
 Parliament ( 4 ) and other Resolutions / notably those relating to
 a Community programme in the field of education ( 5 )/ on linking
 work and training for young persons in the Community ( 6 )/ on the
 economic / social and vocational integration of disabled people in
 the European Community ( 7 ) and on measures to combat illiteracy ( 8 );
 Reaffirming that vocational training is a basic element of a social
 policy designed to permit each individual to develop and to realise
 his or her potential throughout adult life and in particular to
 promote equal opportunities for men and women ;
Emphasising the importance of vocational training policies
 in order to master and exploit the potential of the new information
              (9 )
technologies / particularly with a view to supporting policies designed
 to promote         j 0b   creation / industrial restructuring and innovation/
 and the revitali sation of depressed areas .
 ( 1 ) OJ N° C 186 , 21.7.1982 / p. 1
 ( 2 ) OJ N° C 186 , 21.7.1982 / p. 3
 ( 3 ) OJ C 125 / 17.5.1982 . p. 74
 ( 4 ) PE 74.858
 (5)   OJ N° C 87 , 5.4.1982 / p. 90
 ( 6)  OJ N° C 77 / 6.4.1981 / p. 71
 (7)   OJ N° C77 / 6.4.1981 , p. 29
 ( 8)  OJ N° C 149 / 14.6.1982 / p . 149
_( 9 > COM 82 C296 ) final
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 3 -
     Confirming therefore that further steps should be taken in liaison with
     both sides of industry      at national and Community level to strengthen
     the implementation of a common policy on vocational training, welcoming
     in this context the Commission 's Communication " The development of
     vocational training policies in the European Communities in the 1980 "
     and the guidelines contained therein .
     HEREBY ADOPTS THIS RESOLUTION ;
 I. Further to the principles already adopted in Decision
     63 / 266 / EEC ,    Member States are invited to develop their vocational
     training policies / in particular
     - as an instrument of an active employment policy designed to promote
        economic and social development ,
     - as a means of ensuring for young people a full social and vocational
        preparation for adult responsibilities and working life ,
     - as a means of promoting equality of opportunity .
II . In order to achieve these objectives , an increased effort is required
     by Member States taking account of the responsibilities of both sides
     of industry :
     (i )    to improve both the quality and the scope of vocational training
             for workers of all ages . Whilst immediate priority may be given
             to young people and the long-term unemployed , continuing attention
             should be given to the training and retraining needs of other
             workers , especially those at most risk from changes in the labour
             market .
 ---pagebreak---                                 - L -
 ( ii ) To develop training programmes which are increasingly broad-
        based , enabling the recipients to acquire a wide range of
        practical skills designed to assist their adaptability to
        technological change , to improve their social and professional
        mobility, and to encourage them to play an active and inde-
        pendant role in society .
( iii ) To ensure that training programmes lead to recognised qualifi­
        cations. Systems of certification should provide maximum flexi­
        bility   to facilitate the development of modular approaches
        to training and to make allowance, for instance, for training
        programmes based essentially on practical work experience .
( iv )  To establish an effective right to continuing vocational train­
        ing and retraining to be available to all throughout their
        working life , in particular by enC ouraging training leave .
         Particular attention should be paid to the problems faced by
         workers lacking the basic skills and quali ficatiorxs usually
         required for . admi ssion to training programmes .
(v)     To expand the number of training provisions specifically
        designed to facilitate the access of women to occupations
        where they are traditionally under-represented and to skilled
        jobs with a high technical content .
( vi )  To ensure that training resources can be utilised in the
        development of local initiatives to stimulate new economic
        activity and job creation . Training in business and management
        skills and for launching entrepreneurial initiatives should be made more
        generally available to facilitate the creation of small enterprises
        including cooperatives .
( vii ) To improve the quality and scope of the training of instructors
        and vocational guidance counsellors , and to pay particular
        attention to the training needs of local development agents
        and advisers .
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 5 -
       ( vni ) To develop further the active cooperation at national and
                  local level of all parties concerned in the field of
                 vocational training including public authorities , both sides of
                 industry and voluntary agencies . Progress should be made
                 towards a more integrated conception of training provisions
                 at regional and local level , taking special account of the
                 particular needs of depressed areas .
III . Member States are invited specifically to take the necessary measures
      to ensure that , over the next five years , all young people who so
      wish may receive , as a minimum :
       ( a ) a full-time programme of social and vocational preparation for
             working life during an initial one-year period immediately
             after the end of full-time compulsory schooling ;
      ( b ) an entitlement to the equivalent of a further one-year period of
             vocational training to be used on a full-time or part-time basis
             before reaching the age of 25 .
      In the implementation of these objectives , Member States will follow
      the guidelines regarding the Social Guarantee for young people as
      set out by the Commission in its Communication . The Commission is
      invited to prepare a comparative review of the progress achieved by
      Member States in time for presentation during the International
      Youth      Year • in * 1985 , and  a  further report at the end of a five
      year period .
 IV . The Council invites the Commission to pursue its action designed to
      encourage innovation and the qualitative improvement of training
      systems in Member States :
      ( a ) by setting certain common goals or guidelines in order to respond
             to the need for greater convergence of policies in this field
             whilst at the same recognising the diversity of training situa­
             tions in the Member States , and the need for flexible Community
             action ;
 ---pagebreak--- Cb ) by contributing to raising the quality of training provisions by
      setting a framework which could serve as a point of reference for
      relevant activities of the European Social Fund ;
( c ) by fostering experiment       which can help illuminate national
      policies and practices through a more organised process for
      exchanging and analysing experience at Community level ;
( d ) by extending the arrangements for the dissemination of informa­
      tion and experience between Member States for the benefit of both
      policy-makers and practitioners , as a means of drawing attention
      to the quality of promising training initiatives for wider application .
The Council encourages the Commission to carry out the series of actions
set out in its Communication , regarding the following three priority
spheres of common concern :
( a ) the social and vocational preparation of young people for adult
      life and for entry into the labour market in the period following
      the end of full-time compulsory education ( which in most Member
      States occurs at 16 years of age ) up to the age of 18 , coupled
      with the intensification of training measures for young people
      up to 25 years of age as an integral part of an overall social
      and employment policy ;
( b ) training aspects of strategies for greater equality of opportunity,
      with particular reference to the improvement of basic skills and to
      the desegregation   of the labour market through positive action to
      promote the participation of women in training programmes ; and
( c ) the conception and harnessing of training measures to support social
      and economic development , and in particular the process of job
      creation , at local and regional levels , and the improvement of
      guidance and support for all workers facing the problems of change
      and transition including those approaching the period of retirement .
The Commission is requested to inform the Council periodically of progress
made in the implementation of these actions .
The financing of the measures to be implemented at Community level shall
be provided in the framework of the rules and procedures governing the
Community budget .
 ---pagebreak---                            FINANCIAL DATA SHEET
The Community measures set out in the Communication to the Council should
be fully operational in the period 1984-1989 . The preparatory work which
 will include finalising details of the experimenta I , demonstration and
pilot projects and establishing the interactive networks will be carried
out  in 1983 and 1984 .
 It is envisaged that the networks of experimental , demonstration and
pilot projects will be financed within the framework of the Social Fund
either under the existing provisions for ESF pilot projects and studies
and regular intervention ( chapters 60-62 of the Budget ), or , subject to
eventual decision by the Council , under the terms of Article 3(2 ) of the
Commission 's draft for a Council Decision revising the tasks of the
European Social Fund , which proposes the setting up of a separate section
of the Fund for specific innovatory operations . On the assumption that the
financing will be made within the existing provisions of the Social Fund ,
Table A , Section 1 indicates the specific lines concerned . When , however ,
the Commission 's proposals for the reform of the Fund are adopted by the
Council , it is assumed that the financing would be made from within the
special section of the Fund for specific innovatory operations .
So far as the other related activities are concerned , expenditure will be
carried out under the budget heading of Article 6330 for Community acti­
vities relating to vocational training and guidance .
Provisional estimates regarding expenditure for the networks of experi­
mental , demonstration and pilot projects as well as for the other related
activities are presented hereafter in Table A ( in 1982 ECU ). Table B shows
the distribution of projects over the duration of the period 1984-1989 .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                      ? ' V
                                'TABLE A ~ PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES FOR THE PERIOD 1984-1989 ( in 1982 ECU ; in OOO ECU )
                                                                                           1984   1985      1986        1987    1988     1989
     NETWORKS OF EXPERIMENTAL , DEMONSTRATION AND PILOT PROJECTS
     A. Extension of demonstration projects on Linked work and training
         ( para . 26-27 and 34(c ))       ( Line 6010 )                                     170   8 300     8 500       8 700   8 700     450
     B. EstabLishment of a group of projects to assist in the development
        of training / production workshops ( para . 28 and 34<d ))   ( Line 620 )           170   3 570     6 770       6 770   3 800     200
     C. Set of demonstration projects to improve basic skilLs of adults
         with particular reference to problems faced by long-term
         unemployed ( para . 39 and 41 )         ( line 620 )                               115   8 300    13 500      13 500   6 000     300
     D. Support of a set of small scale innovatory projects in relation
         to training for particular groups of women ( para . 45 and 49(c))(line 62i0 )       85   4 425     5 800       5 800   2 200     200
     E. Support of experiment and pilot schemes of training for
         development ( para . 53 and 61 )           ( line 6100 )                           200   4 200     6 000       6 000   3 500     300
                                                                      TOTAL I               740  28 795    40 670      40 770  24 200   1 450
II . OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL
     RESOLUTION       ( Article 633 )
     A. Reviews and Studies in regard to priority issues
       '1 . Monitoring of progress achieved by Member States in the
             building up of their capacity to cater for all young people
             ( para . 34(e ))                                                               100     140       190         170      190    200
         2 . Examination of the possible use of multi media systems to
             increase basic skilLs for adults ( para . 29 and 41 )                           60      60        40'               > pm <
         3 . Analysis of the emerging training requirements of development
             agents and other training specialists ( para. 54 and 62 )                       30      70                   pm «
         4 . Review of trends and provisions for enabling older workers to
             play an active role in Community following retirement
             ( para . 57 and 63 )                                                            40      60        80                  pm «
         5 . Review of training entitlements for adults in Member States
             including provisions for paid leave ( para . 58 and 64 )                        60      60        50                ■ pm •
                                                                      TOTAL II ( A )        290     390       360
 ---pagebreak---                                                                               - 2 -
                                                                                             1984  1985    1986 1987 1988 1989
      II . OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION
           Β . Technical assistance to Member States in regard to priority issues
               1 . Technical assistance for the evaluation and planning of training
    ( Article      provisions with a particular focus on those regions where the
         633 ) training infrastructure is weakekened by the lack of industrial
                   development ( para . 53 - 55 and 60 )                                       90   120     150  130  170  pm
    ( Arti c le^*  Technical assistance for the interprofessional training of
         633    )  trainers , vocational guidance advisors and development agents in
                   support of small scale employment creation ( para . 51)·                          50-    150  150
                                                                             TOTAL 1KB )       90   170     300  280
      II . C. Interchange and dissemination         ( Artirlp
               1.  Establishment of a programme of exchange visits by training
                   specialists for those involved in new schemes of linked work and
1                  training ( para . 34(g ))                                                   50    90     120  140   80   60   !
               2.  Exchange of information and experience in relation to promising
 ¡                 training initiatives for women ( para . 49(c ))                             45    70      90   90   60   50
               3.  Pooling and dissemination on the main training developments to
                   policy-makers ( para . 65 )                                                120   140     170  170  140  140
               4.  Programme of short-study visits for vocational training
 I
                   specialists ( para . 66 )                                                   70   150     200  200  200  180
                                                                                                                               *
 I
                                                                             TOTAL 11(C )     285   450     580  600  480  430
  ι
                                                              TOTAL II ( A ) + ( B ) + ( C )  665 1 010  1  240
 ---pagebreak---                                      Table B   :   NUMBER   OP  PROJECTS    TO   BE      SET   UP   OVER
                                                   THE   PERIOD   1984 -    1989
                                                    1984          1985            1986              IL987  1988      1989
A. Network of projects on linked work     Preparatory              30                30              30     30        Evaluation
   and training for young people in       work
   the 18 - 25 age group .
     Para . 26 - 27 and 34 ( c )
B. Network of projects to serve as             II
                                                                 ■ 10( Phase l )  > 10               10 - Evaluation
   demonstration models for the                                                                           Phase 1
   development of training/produo-
   tion initiatives .
                                                                                   , 10( Phase 2 )   10     10        Eval . Phase 2
     Para . 28 and 34 ( d )                                        10                20              20     10
C. Network of projects to serve as             II
                                                                   30( Phase l )     30              30   Evaluation
   demonstration models for the im-                                                                       Phase 1
   provement of "basic skills trai­
                                                                                     20 ( Phase 2 )  20     20        Eval . Phase 2
   ning for adults .
     Para . 39 and 41                                              30                50               50    20
D. Network of projects to improve               II
                                                                   15( Phase l )     15               15  Evaluation
   the training and access to work                                                                        Phase 1
   of women .
                                                                                       5( Phase 2 )    5    '5        Eval . Phase 2
     Para . 45 and 49 ( o )
                                                                    15               20               20     5
Σ. Experiment and pilot schemes of              II
                                                                    15               15               15  Evaluation
    training for development .
                                                                                       5(Phaee 2 )     5      5       Eval . Phase 2
     Para . 53 and 61
                                                                    15                20              20      5
 ---pagebreak---                                      Oifunl Jniirn.il of the F.uropean Communities                                      2$
                                                                                              Annex I
  MM                       '  OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THF. F.UHOI'F.AN COMMUNITIES                                      2D.AM
                                                 COUNCIL DECISION
                                                     of 2 April 1963
                 laying down general principles for implementing a common vocational training policy
                                                      (M /2I>6 / F.FC )
  IMI      COI 'NOI . OF TUF.  FUROPF.AN I CONO MIC.               Whereas the implementation of an effective common
 COMMUNI 1Y,                                                       vocational training policy will help to bring about
                      t        .                                   freedom of movement for workers ;
 Il.ivin^ regard to the Treaty establishing the F.uro-
                                                                  Whereas the freedom of choice of occupation, place
 pean Fconomic Community, and in particular Article
  12H thereof;                                                    of training and place of work which is the fundamen­
                                                                   tal right of every person should be respected ;
Having regard to the propos.il from the Commission ;
                                                                   Whereas every person should, during the different
                                                                   stages of bis working life, be able to receive adequate
 I Living regard to the Opinion of the lYonomic and                basic and advanced training, and any necessary vo­
Social Committee ;                                                 cational retraining;
 I Living regard to the Opinion of the Furopean Par-               Whereas the general principles for implcmcntinc a
 11.11111-111' ;                                                   tommon vocational training polity should appK to
                                                                   all vocational training of young persons and adults
 Whereas, in order to fulfil the obligation imposed on             who might be or already are employed in posts up to
 them by the Treaty, to ensure the maintenance of a               supervisory level ; and whereas special importance
 high level of employment through their economic                  should be artachcd to the basic and advanced training
 polities. Member States should take appropriate ac­              of teachers and instructors;
tion to adapt the skills of their labour forces to                        f                      .                   •
changes in the general economic situation and to.                 Whereas the . attainment of the objectives set out in
 changes in production technology;                                the following general principles requires not only that
                                                                  action be taken at a national level, but also that rhe
 Whereas against the background of the rapid im­                  Commission be enabled to propose appropriate
                                                                  measures, tinder the Treaty, to the Council or to
 plementation of the common market and in con­
                                                                   the Member States; and whereas this will entail
 junction with the co-ordination of regional policies
 and the progressive achievement of a common agri­                close co-operation both between Member States and
                                                                  between Member States and the competent institutions
 cultural policv, the structural changes which are at
                                                                  of the Community ;
 present taking place in certain economic sectors raise
 urginr problems of vocational training and retraining;
                                                                  Whereas it is desirable to ensure, in particular by set­
                                                                  ting up an Advisory Committee attached to the Com­
Whereas a common vocational training policy which,                mission, co-operation between those public and pri­
 in accordance with Article 12X of the Treaty, can                vate bodies within the Member States which are par­
contribute to the harmonious development both of                  ticularly concerned with ' problems of vocational
the national economies and of the common market                   training;
should Ve defined in the light of the general objec­
tives of the Treaty, and in particular the Preamble               Whereas the following general principles are relevant
and Article 2 thereof;                                            to present economic and social conditions in the
                                                                  Community ; and whereas they may subsequently be
                                                                  amplified progressively in the light of changing re­
» OJ No 31 , 26. 4. m2. p. 1014 /62.                              quirements within the Community ;
 ---pagebreak---                                         Official Jttiirn.il of I lie Furopcan Communities
  HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :                                                (f) To promote basic and advanced ^ national train­
                                                                                ing and, where appropriate, retraining, suitable
 The following general principles for implementing a                             for the various stages of working life;
  common vocational training policy arc hereby estab­
  lished :                                                                 (g) To offer to every person, according to his incli­
                                                                                nations and capabilities, working knowledge and
                                                                                experience, and by means of permanent facilities
                        First principle                                         for vocational advancement, the opportunity to
                                                                                gain promotion or to receive instruction for a
 A common vocational training policy means a coher­                             new and higher level of activity ;
 ent anil progressive common action which entails
                                                                          (h ) To relate closely the different forms of vocational
 that each Member State shall draw up programmes                                iraiuingjo the various sectors of the economv so
 and shall ensure that these are put into effect in ac~
                                                                                that, on tlu one hand, vocational training best
 conlancc with the general principles contained in this
 Decision and with the resulting measures taken to ap-                          meets both the needs of the economy and the in­
                                                                                terests of the trainees and. on the other hand,
 pli them .
                                                                                problems presented by vocational training receive
                                                                                the attention which they deserve in business and
 The general principles must enable every person to                             professional circles everywhere.
 receive adequate training, with due regard for free­
 dom of choice of occupation, place of training and
 place of work .                                   . t          ■                                . Third principle
 These general principles must deal with the training                    When the common vocational training policy is put
                                                                         into operation, special importance shall be attached:
 of young persons and adults who might be or already
 arc employed in posts up to supervisory level. j                     –■– to foreca sts and estimates, at both national and
                                                                              Community levels, of the quantitative and quali­
 It shall be the responsibility of the Member States                          tative requirements of workers in the various
 and the competent institutions of the Community to                           productive activities;
 apply such general principles within the framework
 of the Treat v.                                                        – to a permanent system of information ami guid
                                                                              ancc or vocational advice, for \ oung people and
                                                                              adults, based on the knowledge of individual
                       Second principle                                       capabilities, training facilities and employment op­
                                                                              portunities, operating in close co-operation with
 The common vocational training policy shall have                             the productive and distributive sectors ' of the
the following fundamental objectives:                                         economy,       vocational      training servues 'and
                                                                              schools;
  (a) To bring about conditions rhat will guarantee
      adequate vocational training for all ;                            – 'to the opportunity for every person to have
                                                                              recourse to the system provided for above at any
 (b) To organise in due course suitable training facili­                      time before "choosing his occupation, during his
      ties to supply the labour forces required in the                        vocational training and throughout his working
      different sectors nf economic activiry;                                 life.            \
(c) To broaden vocational training on the basis of a                                             Fourth principle
      general education , to an extent sufficient to en­
      courage the harmonious development of the per­                    In conformity with these general principles and in or­
      sonality and to meet requirements arising from                   der to attain the objectives stated therein, the Cont-_
      tCiliuK.il progress, new methods of production                   mission may propose to the Coumil or to the Mem­
      ami social and economic developments;                             ber States, under the Treaty, such appropriate
                                                                        measures as may appear to he necessary.
;d ) To enable ever* person tu acquire the technical
      knowledge and skill necessary to pursue a given                  Moreover, in close co-operation with the Member
      occupation and to reach the highest possible level               Stares, the Commission shall carry out any studies
      of training, whilst Encouraging, particularly as                 and research in the field of vocational training which
      regards young persons, intellectual and physical                 will ensure attainment of a common policy, in
      advancement, civic education and physical devel­                 particular with a view to promoting employment
      opment ;                                                         facilities and the geographical and occupational
                                                                       mobility of workers within' the Community.
{ej To avoid any harmful interruption either between
      completion of general education and commence­                    Furthermore, it shall draw up a list of training facili­
      ment of vocational training or during the latter;                ties in the Member States and compare them with
 ---pagebreak---                                                 Official Jiiurii.il of the l'uropean Communities
   existing requirements with a view to determining                              which arc likely to contribute to the improvement
   what .11 1 ions in recommend to the Member States,                            and development of such training, in particular
   in. IK .inn;; an order of priority where necessary;                           measures to ensure a continuing adjustment to pro­
   should the occasion arise, it shall encourage the con­                        gress in the economic and technical fields.
   clusion of bilateral or multilateral agreements.
  The Commission shall follow the development of                                The training of instructors recruited among specially
   Mich measure*, compjrc the results thereof and bring                          qualified workers shall be encouraged. Harmftnis-
  them to the notice of the Member States.                                       ation of instructor training shall be sought : all ex­
                                                                                changes of experience and other similar appropriate
   When tarrying out the tasks assigned to it in the field                       means, and in particular those mentioned in the Sixth
   of vocational training, the Commission shall he                               Principle, may be used towards such harmonisation.
   assisted by a tripartite advisory committee, whose
   composition and rules shall be laid down by the                          - Special measures shall be taken in the Community
   Council after receiving the Opinion of the Com­                              countries to promote the basic training and advanced
   mission .                                                                    training of teachers and instructors for work in «he
                                                                                less favoured regions of the Community and in devel­
                                Fifth principle                                 oping States and territories, in particular those as­
                                                                                sociated with the Communirv.
  In order to promote a wider knowledge of all the                                       /
   f.icts and publications concerning the state and devel­
   opment of vocational training within the Community,                                                Eighth principle
  anil to help keep current teaching methods up to
^ date, the Commission shall talce all suitable steps to                        The common vocational training policy must, in par­
   inlltii . distribute and exchange any useful infor-                          ticular, be so framed as to enable levels of training to
   in .HMD , I it t-i .it ure and tc.iihing material among the                  be harmonised progressively.
   Member States. It shall ensure in particular the                                                                   *
  s>stem.itic distribution of literature relating to inno­
   vations alrcadv           in use or to-be introduced . For                    In co-operation with the Member States the Com­
   their part , the Member States shall give the Com­                           mission shall, according to requirements, draw up in
   mission all the necessary help and support to carry                          respect of the various occu'pations which call for
  out these various tasks and, in particular, shall pro­                        specific training a standardised description of the basic
   vide any useful information concerning the - present                         qualifications required at various levels of training.
   state and development of national systems of
   vocational training.                                                      , On this basis, harmonisation of the standards re­
                                                                                quired for success in final examinations should he
                                                                                sought , with a view to the mutual recognition of cer­
                               Sixth principle
                                                                                tificates and other documents confirming completion
  In co-operation with the Member Stales, the Com­                              of vocational training;
  mission shall encourage such direct exchanges of ex­                                                                    . S
   perience in the field of vocational training as are likely                   The Member States and the Commission shall en­
  to enable the services responsible for vocational                            courage the holding of European competitions and
  training and specialists in such field to acquaint                           examinations.
  themselves with and study the achievements and new
   developments in the other countries of the Community
  in matters of vocational training.
                                                                                                      Ninth principle
  Such exchanges shall be brought about in particular
  by means of stud) seminars and by programmes of                              In order to contribute to th(* achievement of an over­
 'visits and stays at vocational training institutions.                        all balance between the supply of and demand fof
                                                                               labour within the Community, and taking 'into
                              Seventh principle                                 account the forecasts made for this purpose, the
                                                                                Member States and the Commission may co-opcratc
  The suitable training of teachers and instructors,
  whose numbers should be increased and whose tech-'
                                                                               in taking adequate steps, in particular when drawing
                                                                               up suitable training programmes.
  nical and teaching skills should be developed, shall
  he one of the basic factors of any effective vocational *
  training policy.                                                             Such steps and programmes must aim at the rapid
                                                                               training of adults and vocational retraining, taking
  Member States shall, with the assistance of the Com­                         into account the situations caused by economic ex­
  mission where necessary, encourage any measures                             pansion or recession, technological and structural
 ---pagebreak---                                      Official Journal of the Luropean Communities
changes and the tpccial requirements of certain occu­           MeaMtres taken with a view to attaining the <»h|cc-
pations occupational categories or specific regions.            tives of the common vocational training policy may
                                                                he jointly financej.
                     Tcntli principie
In the application «»f the general principles ol the            Done at Brussels, 2 April 1963.
common vocational training policy, particular atten­
tion shall he given to the special problems concerning                                              For the Council
specific sectors of activity or specific categories of
                                                                                                     The rrcsUcnl
persons; special measures may he taken in this re­
spect.                                                                                              Eugene SCHAUS
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    Annex II
      Opinion of the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training on
      the framework of proposals for action at Community level
      contained in the discussion paper "Vocational Training in
      the 1980 's", presented "by the Commission 's services
 The Advisory Committee for Vocational Training, at a plenary session
 held on 12/13 May 1982 ,
     - having regard to Articles 118 , 125 and 128 of the EEC Treaty ;
     - having regard to the Decision of the Council of 2 April 1963^^
       laying down general guidelines for implementing a common
       vocational training policy ;
     - taking into account the conclusions of the Presidency of the
       European Council meeting of 29/30 March 1982 ^), and the
       conclusions of the joint Council meeting of Ministers of
       Economic Affairs, Finance and Social Affairs of June 1981 (3 ) j
    - taking into account the importance placed "by the European
       Parliament on vocational training^) j
    - taking into account the discussions in its own plenary sessions
       and working groups ;
    - having regard to the analysis and the framework of proposals for
       Community action contained in the discussion paper on "Vocational
                                                                          (5
       Training in the 1980 's", presented by the Commission 's services *
is of the opinion that :
       ( i ) whereas training is not a panacea for solving all employment
             and social problems , it must "be developed as part of a total
             strategy in attacking the problem of unemployment and be
             coherent with other sectoral policies# Moreover, differing condi­
             tions in the Member States may necessitate different strategies and
       ÔJ Ko 63 of 20.4.1963                                             emphases
[ 3 ) Bulletin of the E.C. 6/1981 , point 1.3*3
  4) EP 74.712 of 17.9.1982 and 5464/82 of 11.3.1982
  5 ) V/576/62 of 19.4.1982
 ---pagebreak---                              - 2 -
  ( ii ) training has several functions *
         - as an instrument of an intelligent and active employment
           policy | thus creating more efficient industry and commeroe
            for the creation of wealth ;
         - it can contribute towards stimulating growth
           and investment in areas of decline .
           Although training may not directly create jots , it may
           trigger off new thinking and motivation leading to creation
           of jobs ;
         - as an instrument of social policy to encourage perso­
           nal advancement "by the provision of opportunities for
           continuing education and trainingj to enable people to cope with
           social and economic conditions , and to ensure their participation
           in a democratic society ;
( iii )    training strategies should also focus on the needs
           of specific risk groups :
         - young people must be regarded as a vital priority.In addition,
           however, industry and commerce should also concentrate
           on other risk groups and thus take in account the training
           needs of adult workers ;
         - the quality of training of skilled workers must con­
           tinually be improved ;
         - more attention is also needed to training provisions for the
           long-term unemployed ;
         - the needs of women and their equal rights of access to
           and participation in vocational training should receive
           continuing special attention;
         - a balanced and flexible approach is essential , especially
           on account of the impact of demographic changes , and of
           the pattern of economic development in the Community as
           a whole in the years ahead ;
 ---pagebreak---                             - 3 -
( iv ) it is necessary to establish closer links between the
        different stages of education and vocational training!
        including the preparation of young people in the final
        years of compulsory education for adult and working life ;
        - "bridges between school and the world of work and society
           generally need to be multiplied ;
        - provision should be made for a period of transition
           involving the social and vocational preparation of all
          young people , in the period after the end of compulsory
           schooling up to the age of 18 years ;
        - it is also necessary to encourage cooperation between
          teachers concerned with the final period of compulsory
          education , the 16-18 age group , and those concerned
          with adult vocational training.    Practical support for
          these groups of training personnel is essential .   Of
          greater importance however is the collaboration between
          groups of teachers with experience in industry, and who are
          familiar with its problems . Such collaboration should be en­
          couraged . There is a need for pilot projects in new forms of
          training, and the employment of staff engaged in providing
          a broadly based vocational training ;
       - constant renewal of the content of training is essential ,
          and only feasible if continuing investment is made in the
          quality of training of the trainers ;
 (v) the concept of a social guarantee for young people under the
       age of 18 , with a view to removing the threat of unemployment ,
       was broadly accepted , building on existing provisions for
       combinations of education and training, linked work and
       training, work experience and other forms of social service .
       Some government and employers' representatives stressed that
       this should not imply any legal obligation or entitlement *
       - the Committee underlined the importance of young people
         deciding for themselves whether they wished to take up
         the further education and training opportunities offered ,
         and of deciding for themselves which combinations they
         wish to follow :
                                                                     \
       - it is also crucially important to develop a spirit of
         partnership based on concertation between governments ,
 ---pagebreak---                                 - 4 -
             employers and trade unions , to develop the necessary
             provisions , in partioular "by strengthening the capacity
             of vocational training systems to cater for all young
             persons ;
  (vi ) whereas the Committee is sceptical about regional master
          plans for the development of vocational training, it strongly
          advocates supporting operational initiatives at local and
          regional levels , to "be defined as appropriate within each
          Member State , as well as the introduction of measures to
          ensure that education and training dimensions are integrated
          with economic and industrial efforts at regional and local
          levels , and closely coordinated with national training
          policies and programmes .   The Sooial Partners should be
          closely associated with such integrated planning measures ;
 (vii ) the financing of training and of new initiatives is of
          crucial importance .   The dispersal of scarce resources should
         "be avoided , so as to enable their concentration on selected
         priority objectives.     The Committee also advocates the
         examination of the possibility of trade-offs , by transferring
         resources within national budgets , with a view to reinforcing
        vocational training policies and provisions ^
(viii ) {lie Advisory Committee welcomed the priority attention the
        Commission intends to give to the following issues :
        ( a ) the social and vocational preparation of young people , after
              the end of full-time compulsory education up to the age of
              18 years , for adult and working life ;
        ( b ) training in support of job creation schemes as local level ,
              as well as in the promotion of social and economic develop­
              ment in disadvantaged areas ; and
 ---pagebreak---                               - 5 -
         ( c ) training as an instrument in improving equal opportunities
               in society .
( ix.);The Advisory Committee emphasised that in developing actions
        in these priority fields , the Commission should reinforce its
        role in the following ways :
       – as a catalyst to foster innovation and development whioh
            will help the adjustment of national training policies
            to the new economic and social situation ;
       - "by encouraging experimental projects with a view to
            speeding up the development of effective models for
            action ;
       – "by informing and circulating information and . data on
           training activities ;
       - "by enhanoing the value of experience and good practioe "by
           facilitating the exchange and transfer of information to
           the benefit of all .
       In this regard , the Advisory Committee stresses the importance
       of ensuring linkage with national policies and with promising
       initiatives and machinery set up in Member States.     Rirther ,
       the Advisory Committee underlines the need of finding more
       efficient ways of disseminating information on . policies and
       practices and facilitating exchanges within a mutual inter­
       active process in relation in particular to the experiences
       drawn from pilot experiments at Community level .
  (x ) The Community actions to "be developed in the vocational
       training field , especially in respect of the social and
       vocational preparation of young people under the age of 18 ,
       should be reflected in the reform of the European Social
       Fund , taking into account also the importance of developing
 ---pagebreak---                                - 6 -
         closer links with the operation of the European Regional
         Development Fund , and of other Community financial instruments .
  ( xi ) The Committee welcomes the Commission 's intention to keep it
         closely informed of developments in these fields and to provide
         advise on a regular basis concerning the progress achieved in
         implementing the actions proposed .
( xii ) The Committee requests the Commission to take this opinion into
         account in the formulation of its proposals for submission to
         the Council .