The key advantage of combining theoretical studies with working in a company gives young people the chance to acquire job-specific and soft skills and to get to know the day-to-day reality of the world of work. Deputy Director General for Education of the European Commission Xavier Prats- Monné stressed that investing in work-based learning can bring a win-win situation for learners and companies. He reiterated the European Commission’s commitment to establishing a European alliance for modern, high-quality and attractive apprenticeships, as stated in Rethinking Education (Commission Communication of 20 November 2012). A well-equipped toolbox to underpin the key actions of this ‘federation for excellence’ is required, as Antonio Silva Mendes, European Commission, Director in DG EAC underlined.
Cedefop’s Director Christian Lettmayr will point to the importance and key challenges of dual training in this complex European setting in his keynote speech on 11 December 2012.