RECOGNITION OF NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL ... - Solidar

RECOGNITION OF NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL
COMPETENCES OF WORKERS’ REPRESENTATIVES
EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE RECOGNITION
OF QUALIFICATIONS
PART II
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The right conditions to create more jobs must be put in
place, including in companies operating with high skills
and R&D intensive business models. Selective reductions
of non-wage labour costs, or well-targeted employment
subsidies, can be an incentive for employers to recruit
the long-term unemployed and other workers drifting
from the labour market. Policies to exploit key sources of
job creation and to promote entrepreneurship and selfemployment
are also essential to increase employment
rates.
This ‘Agenda for new skills and jobs’ fl agship initiative sets out
13 key actions with accompanying and preparatory measures
that include (relevant for the project):
1. To produce an EU skills Panorama to improve transparency
for jobseekers, workers, companies and/or public institutions.
The Panorama will be available online and contain updated forecasting
of skills supply and labour market needs up to 2020. It
will provide:
– up-to-date information on the top 25 growth occupations
in the EU, and on the top fi ve ‚in demand‘ occupations per
Member State;
– an analysis of skills requirements based on the European
Vacancy Monitor;
– an analysis of skills mismatches and use of skills in the
workplace, through surveys of employers, learners and
graduates;
– foresight analysis at sector level, based on the work of
the European Sector Councils‘ on Skills and Employment;
and
– CEDEFOP and Member States’ projections. Where relevant
the Panorama will report on skills needs in particularly
important areas such as science, technology, engineering
and mathematics.
2. To propose a Council Recommendation on the identifi cation,
recording and validation of competences gained outside of formal
education and training, including in particular a European
Skills Passport to help individuals record and present the skills
acquired throughout their life.
Editorial: Recognising skills on EU level
Education, training and employability were recognised by
the European Council in Lisbon March 2000 as an integral
part of the economic and social policies needed to attain
the strategic goal of Europe becoming the world’s most
dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010. In the aftermath
of setting this objective, the following policy documents
were developed, covering the principles of learning
throughout life as well as the identifi cation and validation
of non-formal and informal learning.
Available policy toolbox:
− European education and training systems priorities
(March 2001)
− Detailed work programme adopted by Council (14 June
2002) calling for the development of ways to offi cially
validate non-formal learning experiences.
− The Commission White Paper ‘A new impetus for European
Youth’ (21 November 2001), stressing the importance
of non-formal learning and education.
− The Council Resolution on Lifelong learning (27 June
2002) inviting Member States to encourage cooperation
and effective measures to validate learning outcomes.
− The European Social Partners ‘Framework of action for
the lifelong development of competences and qualifi cations’
(14 March 2002) calling for the recognition and
validation of competences and qualifi cations on European
level.
− The Copenhagen Declaration (30 November 2002) and
the Council Resolution (19 December 2002) on the promotion
of enhanced European cooperation in vocational
education and training.
− The Council and Commission Joint Interim Report (26
February 2004) to the Spring Council ‘Education and
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