Industrial Relations in Europe 2012 - European Commission - Europa

European and national campaigns for changing the perception of vocational education and organise
a regular forum for discussions on monitoring of the European apprenticeship strategy. The
Member States are also encouraged to support and facilitate dual learning and apprenticeship
systems, for instance through integrating work-based learning into the educational system.
Employers' organisations are encouraged to take part in the governance of dual learning
apprenticeship systems and contribute to the design of curricula and their adaptation over time.
Furthermore, they should try to motivate companies to become involved in the dual system. Finally,
companies should provide high-quality training and promote the take-up of apprenticeships by the
younger generation.
In the framework of their agreement on inclusive labour markets from 2010 the social partners have
organised a large number of awareness-raising actions at national level. In some Member States, the
social partners have focused on youth, for instance in Austria they have promoted joint projects
targeted at accelerating youth integration into the labour market and in Denmark they have provided
a significant contribution to improve the vocational and educational system.
Box 7.5 The role of social partners in the new EU economic governance structures
In his speech on the State of the Union in September 2011, President Barroso emphasised his intent
to further develop EU social dialogue:
To guarantee these fundamental values (of the Social Charter) in Europe, I believe we need to boost
the quality of social dialogue at European level. The renewal of Europe can only succeed with the
input and the ownership of all the social partners – of trade unions, of workers, of businesses, civil
society in general
More active involvement of the social partners in the EU governance has been the subject of debate
at various occasions over the last two years: it was discussed at previous Tripartite Social Summits
in 2011 and 2012 and was highlighted in a letter sent to the Commission by the French Ministers of
Labour and of European affairs on 29 April 2011.
There is wide consensus on the need to better involve social partners in the governance of the
Europe 2020 Strategy, in particular to ensure a contribution on the substance of debates. The
Tripartite Social Summit is a major element of this governance. However, a more comprehensive
discussion and involvement of social partners in the preparation of EU policy priorities is needed.
A core document of the Europe 2020 governance is the Annual Growth Survey (AGS). In this
context, the idea of consulting social partners on employment and social issues ahead of the AGS -
through an exchange of views with the Commission on its analysis/proposals - is explored by the
Commission together with the social partners. This would also be in line with the proposals made
by French and German Ministers to improve the governance and provide the opportunity for an
exchange with the social partners as part of the preparation of the AGS, at a decisive moment of the
implementation of the strategy between the end of the European Semester and the beginning of the
new cycle. The Commission shares the view of the Ministers that EU and national social partners
should be further involved in the EU governance and in the implementation of national reform plans
in the context of the European Semester
269