EUROPA - Gateway to the European Union
Top-quality education and training are vital if Europe is to develop as a knowledge society and compete effectively in the globalising world economy. Education policy as such is decided by each EU country, but together they set common goals and share best practices. In addition, the EU funds numerous programmes allowing its citizens to make the most of their personal development and the EU’s economic potential by studying, training or doing voluntary work in other countries.
The EU has allocated some €7 billion to lifelong learning for the period 2007-2013. The main programme strands are:
There is also money to promote policy cooperation, language learning, e-learning and dissemination, and exchange of best practices.
EU-wide recognition of vocational qualifications is a priority.
Students, teachers and educational establishments from other countries, particularly those bordering the EU or planning to join the Union, are eligible to take part in many of these programmes. Through other programmes and cooperation agreements, the EU also promotes exchanges and courses in European integration with some 80 countries around the world, from Mongolia to Mexico and Algeria to Australia.
The EU has introduced Europass documents, which present qualifications in a standard format. This makes it easier for both workers and employers to understand and recognise qualifications from other countries, and thereby easier to work abroad. The Europass documents include the:
The EU's scheme for studying abroad is named after Erasmus, a 16th century scholar.
The EU is not only facilitating the recognition of qualifications via the Europass documents, but also by making national education systems more comparable. This will not be done by a harmonisation of educational systems but rather through a common European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning. By 2012, every new qualification issued in the EU will have a reference to one of the eight EQF reference levels.
The EQF is the result of work in the so-called Copenhagen process. Thirty-two countries, including EU member states, discuss vocational education and training (VET) issues in this forum. They are also working on a European credit system for vocational education and training, as well as on a European network of quality assurance for VET.
In higher education, the EU is working with 19 other countries through the ‘Bologna Process’ to create a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. The EHEA process promotes mutual recognition of periods of study, comparable qualifications and uniform quality standards.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology is a new flagship body for pan-European excellence in higher education, research and innovation. It will benefit from EU funding of €309m for the period 2008-2013.
The Institute will focus on translating research results into commercial applications by creating ‘knowledge and innovation communities’. This is a new model of partnership involving universities, research organisations, companies, foundations and other entities. Initial priorities will include climate change, renewable sources of energy and the next generation of information and communication technologies.
2009 has been declared the European Year of Creativity and Innovation in order to raise awareness of the importance of creativity.
Policies for young people are not restricted to education. A European Youth Pact establishes common principles on opportunities for young people. It recognises their right to equal opportunities for participation in all aspects of society: high-quality education and training, job search facilities, jobs appropriate to their skills, social security entitlements and housing.
The Youth in Action programme promotes active involvement in the community and supports projects giving young people a greater sense of EU citizenship. For example, the EU enables individuals to work as a volunteer in other countries via the European Voluntary Service. The EU is investing a total of €900m in these activities between 2007 and 2013.
