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This project runs from 2016 till 2019 and is aimed at providing an opportunity to undergo an internship in an enterprise. The eligible target groups include jobseekers registered at the Labour Office, parents on (or after) a parental leave, persons over 50 years, and those with no qualification or having only a low level of vocational qualification (up to two years of vocational training). Since May 2017, graduates have been also included in the eligible target group. Interested eligible...

The project 'Development of programmes for upskilling in continuing vocational education and training 2017-22' (the PINPIU project) aims to develop formal VET programmes for upskilling employees, helping them to respond to changing needs in the labour market. It targets mainly employees in small companies which are less likely to participate in CVET. The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI) is coordinating the project, preparing 20 pilot programmes in cooperation with...

The 2014-20 ESF-supported programmes, such as Non-formal education and training and the On-the-job training, that targeted the long-term unemployed and low-skilled aged 50+, were also adopted under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour. They sought to improve employability through training for competences in demand in the labour market.

A 2016-22 project, Comprehensive support to companies for active ageing of employees targeting the employed over 45 (with emphasis on those older than...

The Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2016-20 (following the 2014-15 round) was adopted in May 2016. One of its activities, the Project learning for young adults (PUM-O) targets those aged between 15 and 26 who left education and training early or dropped out to help them complete their education and/or find a job. The activity consists of project work that combines work-related content with fun experience and encouragement for active job search, continuing education and achieving...

In July 2016, the Slovenian Qualifications Framework (SQF) Act came into force, serving as the legal basis for SQF implementation and full operationalisation. The SQF register describes qualifications in accordance with SQF and EQF levels and contains 1 684 qualifications (1 358 educational qualifications, 312 national vocational qualifications and 13 supplementary qualifications). The adoption of the SQF Act in 2016 opened up the system to supplementary qualifications awarded on the labour...

Despite the lack of systemic approach, developments in guidance and counselling are continuing through ESF projects coordinated by the national coordination point for lifelong career guidance within the Public Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) and its branches:

1. the 2015-22 project 'Strengthening counselling work with young people' at the employment service of Slovenia (Krepitev svetovalnega dela z mladimi na Zavodu RS za zaposlovanje) aims at finding new ways to increase accessibility of...

The e-Guidance portal, established in 2015, takes account of labour market analysis and skill needs anticipation and addresses a wide range of users, from pupils to the unemployed. It aims to provide easy access to information necessary to choose an education and training programme, look for a job, and achieve career objectives. It offers a Career compass (Kompas karijere), a tool that enables different user groups to find targeted information.

A new version of the RPL tool, the My competence folder (Min kompetencemappe), was launched in 2017.

Ordinance No 232/2016 consolidated the rules of RVCC, introduced Qualifica centres, described a simple process of creating and authorising them, strengthened the teams of professionals in these centres and expanded the network.

The RVCC process comprises two paths, education and professional, each based on a different set of standards:

1. the key competence standards (for education validation);
2. the professional competence standards (for professional validation).

The RVCC process also utilises a...

The aims of the project Improving the quality and content of 21st century vocational training and adult education (GINOP - 6.2.4) include the review of the examination system, the development of a validation system and the preparation of a methodology for VET content development that is compatible with open and innovative learning settings as well as the demands of the economy. Uniform criteria were also developed to strengthen the external evaluation system in CVET. Criteria include...

Reference guides developing the common employment services portfolio were approved and published in 2018. These reference guides, developed jointly with the regions, comprise protocols for:

1. career guidance;
2. qualification and training for employment;
3. self-employment and entrepreneurship;
4. guidance and labour intermediation.

The qualification and training for employment protocol aims to promote training for up-skilling and reskilling and to facilitate transition to employment, in coordination...

Vocational training for employment in the labour scope was last reformed in 2015. The reform aimed at an efficient system for monitoring and prospecting the labour market, based on coordination of all actors (administrations, social agents, experts). It also aimed at:

1. promoting the assessment of the impact of training (on accessing and maintaining employment);
2. enhancing enterprise competitiveness;
3. improving workers' skills;
4. meeting labour market needs;
5. ensuring efficient use of resources.

A...

Since September 2017, several collaboration agreements between the State Public Employment Service (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, SEPE), the education ministry, and 11 Autonomous Regions have been approved. The agreements allow for implementing work plans of 25 national reference centres (Centros de Referencia Nacional, CRNs), of the 52 planned. CRNs are public institutions specialised in the different professional branches, in charge of carrying out innovation and experimentation...

During the fourth quarter of 2018, the National Institute of Qualifications (INCUAL) carried out a review of the entire national catalogue of occupational standards. It aimed to set up a 2019 work plan that would accommodate the need for updating occupational standards and (where appropriate) designing new ones which could have greater significance or impact on employment.

The INCUAL is responsible for defining, updating and adapting the Spanish national catalogue of occupational standards...

eCollege provides online courses, including computer programming, data science, office productivity and web and graphic design. In 2015, eCollege awarded two major four-year contracts worth EUR 7.5 million to Cenit college and Enovation solutions. Cenit college is responsible for the management of e-tutoring and related support services, while Enovation solutions handles monitoring and reporting services. This eCollege partnership is to ensure that online education and training is...

In line with the national skills strategy, SOLAS prepared a further education and training (FET) policy framework for the skills development of employed people. It addresses provision for the skills development of the employed at levels 1-6 on the national framework of qualifications (NFQ) (levels 1-5 on the EQF). This policy framework outlines how the FET sector can ensure that employees' skills are current and relevant and thus contribute to Ireland's future growth. Drawing up the policy...

The Law 92/2012 on the reform of the labour market defines for the first time in Italy the validation of non-formal and informal learning, as one of the key elements to ensure and implement lifelong learning in a comprehensive and systematic manner, establishing rules and regulatory requirements (standards) concerning the characteristics of the system and the stakeholders involved, ensuring transparency, usability and broad accessibility of validation/certification services (IVC).

In recent...

A national strategy on lifelong learning has been defined, together with the implementation of legislative norms on the identification and validation of competences acquired in different contexts, through which the National system for the certification of competences has been launched. Since 2012, as a consequence of the Recommendation for validation of non-formal and informal learning (2012), a national legal framework on validation of competences has been progressively developed in...

A 2016 ESF co-funded project entitled Training for employment covers several initiatives (the work placement scheme, the work exposure scheme, the traineeship scheme, the training pay scheme, and the development of an occupational handbook) to facilitate access to employment through the development of skills and competences of the working-age population.

Through the work placement, work exposure and the traineeship schemes, employers, in partnership with Jobsplus, are provided with an...

In 2015, the National vocational education and training policy highlighted the need for training programmes for staff involved in validation, and for validation for learners with disability or learning difficulties. The Malta national lifelong learning strategy 2020, also adopted in 2015, set a target for having in place a transparent and sustainable system of validation. Reflection on a national plan for recognition of the skills and competences of the whole labour force by 2024 has been...

The board of directors restructured the executive management team of the PES under the direction of the chief executive officer. Six divisions replaced the existing three, so that Jobsplus operations and support services would be better managed.

The corporate planning division was re-dimensioned and became responsible for business planning and development, performance management, involvement of Jobsplus in activities of the European network of public employment services, people management and...

Five-year action plans were launched in 2016 to address unemployment in the most vulnerable districts. Training centres and regional education centres, i.e. secondary VET schools, in originally 12 and gradually 20 districts (out of 79), identified as underdeveloped, were partially funded by ESIF.

The training centres are meant to provide practice-oriented training for the disadvantaged unemployed or low-qualified. The regional education centres are expected to address the specific needs of...

The education ministry has started an international project (with a budget of EUR 350 000) aimed at elaborating a National skills strategy for the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the OECD. A launch conference was held on 29 January 2019 and a final OECD report is expected by the end of March 2020.

In 2018, the public employment service of Slovenia completed a pilot project, Occupational barometer, to predict future changes in the labour market and determine training of the unemployed according to labour-market needs. The qualitative research was conducted for seven (out of 12) regional offices, classifying occupations in three groups: shortage, balance, and surplus. For the shortage occupations, several main reasons were identified: lack of candidates for the occupation; lack of...

In 2015, a National Delegation for Validation was appointed by the Swedish Government to follow up, support and promote coordinated development work in the area of validation at the regional and national level and to propose a national strategy for validation. The Delegation proposed a strategy in March 2017, expressing its view of the significance and function of validation, and of the development areas that need to be prioritised. A formal consultation on validation was launched by the...

The government set up an enquiry: A second chance and another chance - an updated municipal education in 2017 to propose changes needed in the legislation on prioritising groups admitted to municipal adult education. In August 2018, the enquiry presented its proposals to the government for making adult municipal education more responsive to changes in the labour market and to the needs of individuals. It aimed at opening up municipal adult education as a second chance education and as an...

In May 2017, the parliament approved the introduction of a new financial support to stimulate low-qualified unemployed adults (aged 25 to 56) to begin, or resume, their studies. The target group comprises the unemployed registered with the employment service with low education levels and in need of education at primary or secondary levels to establish themselves in the labour market. The financial support is SEK 8 984 (about EUR 830) per month for full-time studies and lasts up to 50 weeks....

The Action plan for adult education (Kunskapslyftet, the knowledge boost) was introduced in 2015. It is aimed at supporting the Swedish government's goal of lowering unemployment rates. Relevant legislation/regulation and funding arrangements have been changed/adopted. The plan aims, at the same time, to address skilled labour shortages and enable people to (re)train.

The 2015-20 lifelong learning strategy addressed the acquisition and validation of key competences that help early leavers from education to find jobs. The measures included revision of the validation methodology, quality assurance and training of staff in assessment centres of prior learning. The allocated financing allowed 45 000 adults to acquire key competences.

In order to facilitate access to upskilling for low-qualified adults, the labour ministry introduced EQF level 1 qualifications...

Since 2016, the Youth guarantee implementation plan has put emphasis on initiatives that combine employment with training of the workforce, which gives young people the opportunity to improve their skills obtained during initial education and to acquire new skills through participation in apprenticeships and traineeships. The new Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 continues all the measures of its predecessor.

The Youth guarantee implementation plan for 2017-20 focuses on...

In 2018, the regulatory framework for validation and recognition was revised with a view to introducing QA measures for validation and recognition. Specific criteria for certification of evaluator and external evaluator competences and additional requirements for assessment and certification, organised by the assessment centres, were introduced in legislation. By 2019, there were 37 fully functioning local assessment centres that could validate prior learning of candidates, mainly in...

The strategy for education and vocational training in Romania for 2016-20 was adopted in 2016 (government Decision No 317 on 27 April 2016). It proposes the development of both an open-access and attractive and competitive system, offering quality education and training services in order to respond quickly and relevantly to the needs of people and the economy through efficient management of available resources. All individuals should benefit from the opportunity to acquire high-level...

Lifelong learning strategy 2015-20 was adopted in 2015. It addressed the need for strengthening partnerships between VET providers and enterprises, to increase the quality and labour market relevance of VET. Measures supported the take-up of apprenticeship contracts for people with low qualifications, with a target of 125 000 contracts to be awarded by 2020. Financial incentives (subsidies) were set to stimulate employers to engage in apprenticeship programmes, internships and job...

Within the scope of this policy development, several initiatives have been set up by the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (ANQEP) and the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).

Until 2017, ANQEP was organising regional debates and reflection groups, involving employers, schools and vocational training centres, to promote workplace training. Topics discussed involved the evaluation of practical training in the workplace and assessment of...

In 2017/18, the education ministry developed an ESF co-funded project to support 45 schools in becoming local centres for education and knowledge (lokalne osrodki wiedzy i edukacji - LOWE).

Beneficiary groups included adults with low levels of education, unemployed or economically inactive adults, adults aged 45+, and adults receiving certain forms of social assistance and family support.

The measures include diagnosis of participants' needs, vocational courses and other forms of adult...

From October 2018 to December 2021, the Foundation for the Development of the Education System and the Educational Research Institute are implementing the CHANCE: new opportunities for adults project - a new upskilling pathways project; the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development (currently the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy) is supervising this project, which is aligned with the Recommendation of the Council of the European Union of 19 December 2016 on upskilling...

The National strategy for responsible development (Strategia na Rzecz Odpowiedzialnego Rozwoju - 'Morawiecki Plan' - SRD) was adopted by the Council of Ministers in February 2017. It addresses the challenges, which the country will be facing until 2030, in particular in the areas of social and regional development, reduction of poverty and social exclusion, as well as demographic challenges. In education, the following actions were prioritised:

1. promoting dual VET, further linking school...

The Count on Skills (Tel mee met Taal) action plans for 2016-2019 and 2020-2024 both aimed to combat low literacy in the Netherlands. However, the 2020-2024 plan introduced several key enhancements, such as increased funding, broadened target groups, enhanced local collaboration and focus on quality and monitoring.

Part of the new approach is to reach out to illiterate people who have Dutch as their native language. The new joint action plan to tackle illiteracy also includes more emphasis on...

The Count on language action plan 2016-19 (Tel Mee met Taal, EUR 18 million annual budget) introduced a joint action programme of several ministries to improve social and labour market participation, primarily of adults with insufficient literacy skills. In 2016/17, innovative projects supporting adults lacking literacy, numeracy and digital skills were started and research projects on literacy and the promotion of reading were launched. This initiative also supported parents in providing...

The VPL system has been evaluated and, since 2016, the results have led to developing a new system in which there are two different paths for validating prior learning:

1. the labour market route;
2. the education route.

VPL tools are, for example, intake-assessment, e-portfolios, competence tests and ECVET elements. If a formal VPL procedure is followed, it can result in the award of an experience certificate (ervaringscertificaat). Since January 2016, an examination support body (servicepunt...

A national coordination point for ECVET (NCP ECVET) was set up and became part of the Dutch partnership for lifelong learning on 1 January 2015. The Dutch NCP ECVET promotes the awareness and availability of ECVET principles by providing information and supporting implementation.

ECVET has been piloted in mobility projects where learning outcomes acquired abroad are transferred between the participating countries. In 2015, 10 pilot projects were run with the aim of supporting adult transition...

In November 2016, a National Skills Council (NSC) was set up to establish the institutional framework for the anticipation of skills needs in Malta. The NSC is made up of representatives from:

1. the Ministry for Education and Employment;
2. University of Malta;
3. the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST);
4. Jobsplus (PES);
5. the Institute for Tourism Studies;
6. the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry;
7. Malta Enterprise;
8. lifelong learning entities and the civil society.

One of...

In 2015, the Digital Education strategy was developed, including five dimensions broken down into specific projects; the strategy's major focus is on IT infrastructure and equipment.

In 2015, the National Youth Service and Department for Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation (SCRIPT) developed the Bee Creative project. This contributes to developing digital literacy and creativity (programming, security, design, communication) and entrepreneurship, by...

The employment reintegration contract, which alternates practical and theoretical training, was implemented in 2016. It allows:

1. employers to pass on their experience and to give a real employment perspective to older jobseekers, people with reduced working capacities or disabled persons;
2. jobseekers to illustrate their specific capacities while at the same time acquiring new competences.

The duration of the employment reintegration contract is 12 months. To benefit from an employment...

In 2017/18, ADEM carried out the ESF part-financed COSP-HR project. The project was targeted at jobseekers with disability or outplacement assistance. The project is characterised by close collaboration between the ADEM, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Economy, the Ministry of Family, Integration, the Ministry of Health. It aimed at assessing the competences and health status of jobseekers with psychological and physical disabilities, providing them with guidance, increasing...

ADEM, in cooperation with different stakeholders, developed the following main upskilling and reskilling measures for jobseekers.

Skill you up

Since 2018, ADEM and the Chamber of Commerce have offered an ESF-part-funded Skill you up initiative, targeting jobseekers aged 30+ who have completed five years of secondary education and wish to enter a new occupation and/or a new sector of activity. Developed to help employees in the financial sector, affected by redundancy, to redirect their career...

The Public Employment Service (ADEM, Agence pour le développement de l'emploi), the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy (MTEESS) and the Luxembourg Employers' Association (UEL) launched in 2015 the programme, Companies, partners for employment (Entreprises, partenaires pour l'emploi). The programme was extended from 2018 to 2020 and its main objectives were to increase the recruitment of jobseekers, bridge the gap between vacancy requirements and jobseeker...

A range of projects for continiuing vocational education and training (CVET) were planned within the 2014-20 ESF programming period under the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. In the Competences LT project, funding was planned for the training of 6 600 people employed in predefined sectors. The project aims to support beneficiaries in adapting to new jobs, technologies and work processes, and in acquiring or improving qualifications. Its budget was EUR 4 million in...

A National strategy for competences/skills has been launched based on the education and training (Good school) and labour (Jobs Act) reforms. Both reforms aim to improve the competences of young people and adults, including NEETs, and to provide new competences for the (long-term) unemployed and employees. The strategy also links skills with the labour market demand. As a result of the National strategy for competences/skills, cognitive (including basic skills), professional and particularly...

Each SPA set out plans for the development and innovation of the VET system and include each ETB's contribution to the national FET system targets agreed with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). Measures and targets can vary by ETB, and take into account their regional characteristics, such as educational attainment, unemployment rates, enterprise base. Every year, the SPAs are reviewed and necessary amendments are agreed.

The 2025 National skills strategy is targeted at ensuring relevance of education and training to the needs of learners, society and the economy. It is based on active involvement of employers and quality teaching and learning, with a perspective of lifelong learning and inclusion. The strategy points to the need for employers - especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - to provide work placement opportunities for learners.

The Action plan to expand apprenticeship and traineeship 2016-20 in Ireland focuses on the actions required to achieve some of the goals set out in the National skills strategy 2025, the current programme for government in which Ireland aims to significantly grow work-based learning using the apprenticeship and traineeship modes of learning and skills development, and the education action plan. The actions outlined in these plans are funded through a variety of sources, depending on the...

Law 4386/2016 opened certification procedures to all interested parties meeting prescribed eligibility criteria. For example, it provides the possibility for adults to obtain qualifications through certification of continuing vocational education and training (CVET) or forms of non-formal VET different from those of vocational training institutes (IEK).

Presidential decrees to put in place a national system for the certification of outputs have been drafted and are currently being reviewed....

In 2015, social partners created a professional certificate which recognises basic knowledge and skills needed for the workplace (Certificat de connaissances et de compétences professionnelles). To enhance training for illiterate individuals seeking to earn this certificate, nationally referred to as Cléa, the national agency for literacy (Agence nationale de lutte contre l'illettrisme, ANLCI) created a correspondence chart. This chart effectively links the competences from the ANLCI...

The Skills Investment plan (Plan d'investissement dna les compétences, PIC) is a government initiative aimed at improving job related skills and employability of 1 million job seekers and 1 million young people. Launched in 2018, this 5-year plan focuses on providing training programmes to help people gain qualifications that match the needs of the job market. Its goal is to reduce unemployment and promote social inclusion by investing in the development of skills that are in demand,...

The 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future provides for:

1. the creation of the agency France Compétences: continuing training in France is a shared responsibility between the State, the regions and the social partners. The new agency, France Compétences, brings together these three stakeholders. It will be in charge of regulating the quality and the price of training supply, and handling funding discrepancies across sectors;
2. reforming funding mechanisms to establish a...

In January 2016, the government launched a plan to create 500 000 training places for jobseekers (Plan 500 000 formations pour demandeurs d'emploi). It included the provision of VET to people in long-term unemployment and training tailored for those unemployed aiming to set up or take over a business. The final total of beneficiaries in 2016 was 945 000. Building on its success, the plan was extended in the first semester of 2017 with 200 000 additional training courses specifically targeted...

In July 2018, a report was published detailing the results of a pilot initiative launched in 2015 that explored new approaches for work-based learning through scheduled and guided on-the-job training. This pilot involved collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and stakeholders such as social partners, the National Employment, Training and Vocational Guidance Council (CNEFOP), the National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions (ANACT), and training funds (OPCAs). The...

A 2015 circular established conditions for apprenticeship contracts within the non-industrial and non-commercial public sector. The overall goal was to create 500 000 apprenticeships by 2017, with specific targets for the public sector: 4 000 apprenticeships starting in September 2015 and an additional 6 000 by September 2016. A practical guide was issued for human resources services to facilitate this process. The targets were successfully met, with 4 420 apprentices recruited in 2015 and 8...

Social partners have been involved in the design of the reform, along with regional authorities, chambers of commerce, and experts. Stakeholder consultation lasted from November 2017 to January 2018. The September 2018 Law for the freedom to choose one's professional future includes provisions regarding apprenticeship and work-based learning.

1. The opening of new apprentice training centres no longer requires administrative approval (previously issued by the regions). Sectors and businesses...

Subsidised training for employment supports the acquisition of key competences, especially for those who left school without a secondary education certificate, so they can access professional certificate programmes at levels 2 and 3. In 2015 and 2016, the State Public Employment Service (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, SEPE) published calls for proposals which also offered key competences for adults and young people (within and outside the Youth guarantee programme), and early leavers...

The Reincorpora-T plan 2019-2021, approved in April, aimed at the long-term unemployed, is one of the measures implemented to contribute to the development of a new, more inclusive production model and is committed to intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. It considers and recognises, through active employment policies, the labour potential of the active population that is related to situations of long-term unemployment or precarious employment.

There are multiple initiatives to raise the skills of young people and workers (employed or unemployed) in ICT and the digital economy. Different public bodies are involved, in some cases in partnership with industry.

Red.es, a public entity for the promotion of the information society, is currently in charge of the following schemes:

Digital professionals youth employment - this scheme is part of the digital agenda for Spain 2013-15, and is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF)...

Within the General Council for Vocational Training, a working group has been set up to review the results obtained during the almost 10 years of implementation of this procedure. Data are collected through a platform established by INCUAL. Validation is also carried out through the Reconoce project, launched in 2015 upon approval by the Spanish Youth Institute (INJUVE) and the youth departments of the Autonomous Communities. The project aimed to establish a new recognition system for...

In the education system, the process towards an integrated vocational guidance system was initiated in 2018. A working group was set within the General Council for Vocational Training, with the aim of laying down basic principles and legal provisions. In guidance under employment authorities, the Action plan for youth employment (2019-21) foresees the hiring of 3 000 professional counsellors by the regional PES to provide guidance services in connection to the common services portfolio. The...

The new government, in power since June 2018, reorganised the administration. The change of name in the education administration state, now the Education and Vocational Training ministry (previously Education, Culture and Sports), reflects the new strategy to promote VET. In October 2018, the Government presented the Strategic plan for vocational training under education authorities. In February 2019, the Council of Ministers published the Agenda for change (Agenda del Cambio). The agenda...

The education ministry has contributed to promote work-based learning by supporting VET skills competitions at national (Spainskills), European (EuroSkills) and international levels (WorldSkills). All regional education authorities are also fostering different kind of events to promote dual VET among students, families and companies.

Trade unions are also contributing to the development of dual VET. In January 2018, General Union of Worker (Unión General de Trabajadores - UGT) published a...

Employment authorities have reflected the policy priority given to dual VET and apprenticeships, including them as structural objectives in the 2017-20 Spanish employment activation strategy approved in December 2017. The strategy takes into account recommendations made to Spain both within the framework of the National reform programme and by the European Network of Public Employment Services (SPE-UE Network). The strategy covers dual and alternance training, regarded as key elements for...

Dual VET is being developed in cooperation with the Autonomous Communities. The ministry of education and vocational training (2018), in cooperation with the main stakeholders, is pursuing the regulatory work necessary to develop dual VET at national level, also monitoring and assessing the results of regional pilot experiences so as to meet the needs and characteristics of the Spanish business world.

The initial draft was presented to social partners in May 2018, but the new government...

The activity is part of the National adult education programme. In 2017-18, nine projects were set up for equipping adults with social and learning skills, entrepreneurship competence, skills in foreign languages and Estonian for non-native speakers. The projects offer support and follow-up activities that increase the sustainability of learning outcomes and bridge the development of key competences and provide motivation for the continuation of studies in formal and non-formal education....

The programme was adopted in 2015. It is implemented through a single measure (Correspondence between lifelong learning opportunities and the needs of the labour market and increased participation in learning). Its main activities are:

1. developing the quality and organisation of vocational education;
2. planning of volumes of studies, provision of study places and students´ support measures;
3. regional distribution of curriculum groups in vocational education institutions and modernisation of the...

The programme was adopted in 2015 and comprises three measures:

1. reintegration of adult dropouts into formal education and creation of preconditions for their retention in, and acquisition of, formal education;
2. increasing access to non-formal training and improving the quality of training;
3. development of the occupational qualifications system and creation and support of lifelong learning formats in adult education.

Under the first two measures, the adult education programme provided training...

The Employment programme includes a package of measures for workers at risk of unemployment. The main target groups are:

1. workers with no professional or vocational education;
2. those whose skills are outdated;
3. workers whose knowledge of Estonian is poor;
4. those who are older than 50 years of age;
5. workers who cannot continue their present work due to health issues.

The VET and training-related measures include:

1. a study allowance scheme to support participation in VET and higher education;
2. people at...

In April 2018 the government decided to connect the career services of Innove Rajaleidja centres with the career service system of Eesti Töötukassa (the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund). The objective is to offer career counselling and information to the whole population on a unified basis. Since January 2019, Eesti Töötukassa has thus been providing career advice and career information services for everyone, including schoolchildren. The Ministry of Education and Research is still...

The programme was adopted in 2015. It sets out a roadmap and offers a framework for increasing the qualification levels of the labour force, decreasing the structural labour shortage and enhancing the employability of graduates by responding better to changes in labour demand. A smoother transition from education to employment will be ensured and opportunities to participate in lifelong learning will be expanded.

The programme is implemented through a single measure (linking studies to the...

Building upon the results of its pilot project Continuing education and training guidance, the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) launched in 2017 a more comprehensive Lifelong vocational guidance project. The project targets both young people and adults. In 2018, it was piloted at four locations.

The Lifelong vocational guidance (Lebensbegleitende Berufsberatung, LBB) is based on the BA 2025 strategy of the employment service, which provides better support for customers...

Training projects jointly funded by the European Social Fund and contributing to key competences have been developed during the reporting period: the Prokop project (2016-19) supplements the training offer of the public employment service with continuing training in financial literacy, citizenship skills and soft skills for inactive people and people at risk of unemployment. For selected beneficiaries, training is supplemented by individual guidance; the Support for foreigners project...

Since 2017, the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (HRDA) is including the acquisition of basic digital skills for employees over the age of 35 in the single- and multi-company training programmes that it subsidises. Both schemes aim at providing continuing training to meet the training needs of employees as well as the unemployed who are registered with PES (i.e., in multi-company training programmes). The Cyprus Productivity Centre (CPC) of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and...

Since 24 April 2018, fast-track initial vocational training programmes for the unemployed in technical professions are in place by the Cyprus Productivity Centre (CPC). Candidates undergo an assessment of their technical skills and a personal interview. Participation is free of charge. The activity is in full-scale implementation stage. However, a major issue is the lack of funding for establishing any sort of training allowance for the participants of the programmes. As a result, the demand...

The 2015-20 strategic plan for technical and vocational education and training aims to set up a national monitoring system of initial vocational education and training (IVET) and continuing vocational education and training (CVET) graduates, to inform the upgrading of the VET system. The Department of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DoSTVET) purchased services for the design and development of the platform. The platform is operational as of April 2019. It is called...

The 2015 Employment Promotion Act (EPA) provides employers with financial incentives for offering apprenticeship places to unemployed people directed to them by the public employment service. Incentives include financial support for training, mentors, social and health insurance.

Following the 2015-20 VET development strategy adopted in October 2014 (and the updated VET strategy in Bulgaria for the period 2019-21), the VET Act was amended, introducing the legislative basis for validation of prior learning in VET. Validation, using the State education standards (SES), can be carried out by VET providers for professions included in the national list of VET professions (LPVET), and could lead to qualifications at EQF levels 2 to 5. The procedures for partial validation...

In 2016, the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) started the project Development of national competences assessment system - MyCompetence. The project is funded by the Operational programme Human resource development 2014-20, with the financial support of the European Social Fund (ESF). For the period from December 2017 to October 2019, BIA committed to extending the capacity and scope of the MyCompetence initiative and the supporting infrastructure. More specifically:

1. the sector...

Thanks to the financial resources of the European Social Fund (ESF) made available within the framework of the Youth employment initiative 2, pilot training courses have been set up with experienced partners:

1. MolenGeek: training as a mobile web developer - or coder / coder in everyday language - and in e-marketing;
2. BeCode Brussels: training as a mobile web developer, AI data developer / developer, Devsecops (cybersecurity training).

Launched in March 2017 in Brussels, these projects intend to...

Bruxelles Formation (BF), the French-speaking public service in charge of vocational training in the Brussels Region, has a training centre dedicated to language learning: BF langues.

BF langues provides training in French as a foreign language, Dutch and English for employment purposes at its training centre and at the vocational training centres run by Bruxelles Formation and its partners.

The teaching approach is skills-based, occupationally targeted and interactive and the methodology is...

The FPIE programme enables an employer to take on a qualified job seeker for a period of one to six months, to improve his or her skills according to the specific needs of the company. After the training period, the employer has the obligation to hire the trainee under an employment contract, at least equivalent to that of the duration of the in-company training. The training must be at least half-time. During the in-company training, the employer pays neither salary nor social security...

In Adult Education, since 2017, the procedure for valorisation of acquired skills is framed by the decree of the Government of the French Community of 29 November 2017 (with reference to Article 8 of the decree of 16 April 1991 organising Adult Education). Valorisation aims to give access to courses for which learners do not have official prerequisite, to obtain exemptions from a part of a course or to obtain the certificate of the course in which they master the learning outcomes. The study...

Several centres of excellence in guidance, entrepreneurship, working and training were set up, namely one Cité des métiers centre in Namur in June 2016 and another one in Brussels in 2018. Founded in May 2019 by the Government of the Walloon Region, the University of Liège and Le Forem, the non-profit organisation named Centrale des Métiers de Liège is responsible for the Cité des Métiers project in the city of Liège.

In August 2018, the Walloon Region signed an agreement with the business sectors and their training funds as part of the fight against labour shortages. This agreement is expressed in three strong measures implemented by Le Forem.

1. Coup de poing pénuries (Shortages punch) action: the objective of this action is to act quickly and specifically on the particularly serious shortages encountered by small and large companies. As soon as a company or several companies are looking for at least eight...

Trade unions, employers and the Walloon government signed the first Pact for employment and training in 2016. The pact focused on six areas:

1. reorganisation of employment aids;
2. creation of training places for dual VET learners;
3. reinforcing lifelong guidance;
4. creation of integration contracts for young people;
5. financial incentives for adult CVET;
6. supporting social dialogue in Wallonia.

The Employment and training pact was discontinued at the end of 2017 due to the change of government. Some...

The Government of the Brussels Region adopted the 2020 Training plan in December 2016. The plan is an integral part of the major projects of the 2025 strategy for Brussels (Go4Brussels). It is also de facto part of the Belgian contribution to the objectives of the EU2020 Strategy and European cohesion policy. The plan includes the following measures:

1. organising coherent and adapted paths towards employment, promoting links between training and / or studies;
2. developing and reorienting...

There is increased cooperation between different validation providers (inside as well as outside education) and the willingness to create a single framework linking validation processes to the Flemish qualifications framework (FQF). In July 2015, the concept for an integrated framework for validation in Flanders was approved by the Flemish government; a task force was set up to develop the integrated policy framework and to draft a decree on validation. A cost-benefit analysis has been...

In May 2018, the Flemish Parliament adopted the law to integrate higher profession-oriented education (formerly called HBO5 programmes) into a fully fledged component of higher education (as short-cycle programmes leading to an associate degree). To stress this difference, the name HBO5 was taken out and replaced by the associated degree programmes (HBO programmes). At least one third of the learning period in this type of programme has to be work-based, which is intended to attract adult...

In 2015, the CVET centre in Sankt Vith introduced the virtual enterprise Vithalit as a new learning scheme to allow a close-to-reality learning experience in a highly realistic training environment. From merchandise traffic to business relations, all procedures mirror commercial practice. The programme promotes integrated learning and aims at facilitating (re-)entry into employment. Since the launch of the programme, the trainees participated in various national and international fairs for...

The ADG and the Institute for Vocational Training in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (IAWM) exchange information on apprenticeships. Since mid-2016, ADG advisors have had access to weekly updated information on available apprenticeships, which enables them to plan measures to integrate jobseekers into the labour market.

As part of supported employment, jobseekers can begin in-company vocational training. This is one of the existing labour market policy measures. The main difference from...

Since January 2017 the professional scholarship has enabled unemployed and employed low-skilled individuals (through taking educational leave) to obtain labour market relevant qualifications to secure their employability and to cover companies' needs for a skilled workforce. At the start of the programme a list of relevant qualifications (in the form of training possibilities) was defined by the Public Employment Service. This list is continuously updated. During the training period, the...

In 2019 the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) organised a total of 10 company workshops within the framework of the New digital skills initiative, which is a new development of the AMS New skills project, which has been running since 2009. High-ranking representatives of leading Austrian companies participated in five different clusters (manufacturing industries, trade, tourism, construction and office/administration/IT). The aim of the workshops was to identify the new demands placed...