| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2012) 669 final (20.11.12) |
| Publication Date | 20/11/2012 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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Investment in education and training for skills development is essential to boost growth and competitiveness: skills determine Europe's capacity to increase productivity. In the long-term, skills can trigger innovation and growth, move production up the value chain, stimulate the concentration of higher level skills in the EU and shape the future labour market. The massive increase in the global supply of highly skilled people over the last decade puts Europe to the test. The time when competition came mainly from countries that could offer only low-skilled work has come to an end. The quality of education and supply of skills has increased worldwide and Europe must respond. European education and training systems continue to fall short in providing the right skills for employability, and are not working adequately with business or employers to bring the learning experience closer to the reality of the working environment. These skills mismatches are a growing concern for European industry's competitiveness. Despite progress over the last five years in the percentages of those qualifying from higher education, sustained efforts will be needed to reach the headline target of 40% of young people completing higher education. The scope and pace of reforms needs to be scaled up so high quality skills can support both growth and jobs. The Commission identifies here a limited number of strategic priorities to be addressed by Member States, alongside new EU actions to leverage national efforts. The priorities reflect the Country Specific Recommendations which the Commission made to a number of Member States and support the Annual Growth Survey 2012. Among these, particular attention is given to combatting youth unemployment. This Communication covers four areas which are essential to addressing this issue and where Member States should step up efforts: - Developing world-class vocational education and training to raise the quality of vocational skills; To underpin the guidance provided here, this Communication is accompanied by: country fiches summarising the performance and policy reforms of the Member States in the key areas covered by the Communication; the first edition of the Education and Training Monitor, which gives a picture of current skills supply and progress towards the Europe 2020 headline targets; and five other Staff Working Documents, showcasing policy evidence and good practice. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0669:FIN:EN:PDF |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
