Each EU country is responsible for its own education and training systems. EU policy is designed to support national action and help address common challenges, such as ageing societies, skills deficits in the workforce, technological developments and global competition.

 

In 2009, Education & Training 2020 set four common EU objectives to address challenges in education and training systems by 2020:

° Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality

° Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training

° Promoting equity, social cohesion, and active citizenship

° Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training

° Fighting poverty and social exclusion: at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion

 

The following EU benchmarks for 2020 have been set for education, to which our project wants to contribute:

° fewer than 15% of 15-year-olds should be under-skilled in reading, mathematics and science

° the rate of early leavers from education and training aged 18-24 should be below 10%

° at least 15% of adults should participate in lifelong learning

° at least 20% of higher education graduates and 6% of 18-34 year-olds with an initial vocational qualification should have spent some time studying or training abroad

• REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

° Address the concerns of young people in employment strategies;

° Invest in the skills employers look for (employability skills: communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative and       enterprise, planning and organising, self-management, learning, technology;

° Promote opportunities to work and train abroad;

° Support quality internships/apprenticeships;

° Encourage entrepreneurship.

• PROMOTING ADULT LEARNING (e.g. SCHOOL STAFF), ESPECIALLY FOR NEW SKILLS AND SKILLS REQUIRED BY THE LABOUR MARKET.

° More adult learning can help Europe overcome the economic crisis, meet the need for new skills, and keep its ageing workforce productive.

° Learning is also essential for social inclusion and active citizenship.

° These days, people cannot just rely on the skills they acquired at school to last them till the end of their working life.

• ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE PART IN EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

• SUPPORTING INNOVATION, COOPERATION AND REFORM

° Rapid digital change in our society and economy means more demand for digital skills and competences. Education and training must address this need, which e.g. requires training for teachers, organisational change and the development of high quality educational resources, including apps and software. 

° Technology, when used correctly, can also help us learn better, more efficiently and creatively and to access wider more up-to-date knowledge.

• REDUCING EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING

° Early school leaving is linked to unemployment, social exclusion, and poverty. There are many reasons why some young people give up education and training prematurely: personal or family problems, learning difficulties, or a fragile socio-economic situation.

° The way the education system is set up and the environment in individual schools are also important factors.

° Policies to reduce early school leaving must address a range of triggers and combine education and social policy, youth work and health related aspects such as drug use or mental and emotional problems.

• PROMOTING COOPERATION AND MOBILITY WITH THE EU'S PARTNER COUNTRIES

The EU set five main priorities:

° To advance the EU as a centre of excellence in education and training 

° To support partner countries outside the EU in their modernisation efforts

° To promote common values and closer understanding between different peoples and cultures

° To support Member States and educational institutions in the EU and beyond in their internationalisation efforts

° To improve the quality of services and human resources in the EU and beyond through mutual learning, comparison and exchange of good practice.