Birth of a new EU agency

The agency is also helping countries develop information systems, to track skills needs and training provided by different systems. This includes career guidance and counselling: helping people of all ages find the right training and jobs that match their skills, as well as developing new approaches to big data analysis to support decision-making. Operating in a development context, the ETF cooperates very closely with other donors involved in “human capital” development: non- governmental organisations such as national aid agencies fromother European countries; as well as international financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Support to Georgia The work of the ETF is closely connected to the programmes and projects of the European Commission and of the EU Delegations in third-countries, including support to policy dialogue with partner countries. For example, the ETF supports the EU’s action inGeorgia. It assists this country with the drafting of new vocational education and training laws. It is also helping Georgia revise and update its qualifications framework and advising stakeholders on how to implement concept and strategic plans more effectively. The Georgian economy is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The ETF is therefore working with government agencies to strengthen their capacity in policy implementation and methodologies for entrepreneurial learning and SME skills. The ETF organised an international workshop on entrepreneurial learning in the digital age. It resulted in a draft vision for developing entrepreneurship as a key competence in Georgia and an initial action plan on how this approach can be systematically applied in education policy and practice. The next step is to design approaches to turn vocational education and training colleges into entrepreneurial institutions, by working on their learning environment, bringing the world of business and local communities closer to schools and providing career guidance for young people and adults. © Belga Image External relations and cooperation Located in Turin, Italy, the European Training Foundation (ETF) started operations in 1994 in the framework of the EU’s external relations policy and cooperation instruments. The ETF is the only EU agency funded under the external relations budget of the European Union. The agency contributes to improving "human capital" development by supporting reforms of education and training systems in its partner countries: the EU Neighbourhood South and East, the countries applying for EU membership -“enlargement countries” - and the countries of Central Asia. Since 2018, the ETF is also supporting the development of a continental qualifications framework as part of an EU-funded project with the African Union. The ETF has 129 staff and an annual budget of €20.1 million. More information: https://www.etf.europa.eu/en Vocational technical high school in Turkey: the ETF covers Turkey, the Balkans, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. SOC I A L AG E NDA / NOV E MB E R 2 0 1 9 / 2 3