1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY Looking back and forward Jim Allen European Commission

2. EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY
LOOKING BACK:
The origins of the EES
The Open Method of Coordination
key results of 5 years of the EES for Lifelong Learning
Improved LLL efforts and performance
LOOKING FORWARD:
Developing Comprehensive LLL policies
Issues for the EES 2003+
Useful to look back and draw some conclusions on what we have learnt - and also to give a little context
and forward - to discuss the issues for the future - with emphasis on LLL and statistical elements of this

3. ORIGINS of the EES
“DELORS” White paper (1993) on Growth, Competitiveness and employment
Amsterdam Treaty (1997): Employment Title
LUXEMBOURG “jobs” SUMMIT (1997) :  FOCUS ON UNEMPLOYMENT
Lisbon Summit (2000)  “EU to become most competitive knowledge based economy” and full employment by 2010
Barcelona Summit (2002)  Review the strategy

4. OMC on Employment (art.128 TEU)
Annual Employment Guidelines
Supported by targets and common indicators
National Action Plans (NAPs)
Joint Employment Report submitted to European Council
Recommendations to Member States
The “OMC” has become a model for other policy areas
EES was a poineer in that it was the first use of the OMC
Process is reasonably straight forward
but reporting has become a little burdensome
OMC spread

5. 5 Years of growing emphasis on Lifelong Learning
Employability through training and a better transition from school to work (guidelines 1998)
The role of Lifelong learning to encourage active ageing (1999)
Computer literacy of teachers and students - internet connection for schools (2000)
ICT skills for workers by 2003 (2001)
And a horizontal objective (2001)
LLL consistently risen up the agenda
part of economic climate and changing needs of modern economy

6. Five years of EES: KEY RESULTS
Convergence of National Policies in key areas
Sharing of good practice - especially lifelong learning policies
Structural improvement in Employment performance
Key impact :
convergence of policy and sharing of GP - particular example = lll
Structural impr in empl
more job intensive growth

7. Added Value of the OMC Policy Coordination and shared Good Practice
New Working Methods: Use of benchmarking, targets and indicators
Better partnerships (local partnerships, social partners)
As said - GP proved v effective
but alos important role of benchmarking targets and indicators in driving performance

8. IMPROVED LLL EFFORTS AND PERFORMANCE since 1997
Close to 20% of unemployed now receive training
Adult participation in education & training rose from 5.7 to 8.2 %
Substantial increase in private spending
Curricula adapted (ICT, basic skills)
Internet access in schools generalized
Comprehensive LLL policy in some but not all Member States
some examples of impact

9. THE FUTURE of the EES : some key changes
Communication of 14th January
A fundamental Review
Simpler and more targeted
Result Based
Increased emphasis on setting EU and National targets
and measuring progress with indicators
key is call for a simpler targeted and results based approach
Results based = need to set targets for committment and measure with commonly agreed indicators

10. THE FUTURE of the EES : some key changes
Three Over-arching Objective linked to Lisbon:
Full Employment
Quality at work and Productivity
Promoting Social Cohesion
Lifelong Learning as a Key Priority in delivering all 3
key changes in priorities
LLL central to all the 3 overarching objectives

11. THE FUTURE of the EES : some key issues for Lifelong Learning
Cost-effectiveness of ALMP
The “Human Capital Paradox” - Tackling unequal access to training (older workers, people in atypical contracts, disadvantaged groups, SME’s)
bring down early school leaving
Wider involvement in financing education and training
Skills shortages and labour market bottlenecks
skills in accession countries
and to conclude - some issues for LLL in new EES