European Alliance for Apprenticeships

Dear Alliance members and supporters, 
 
In our first newsletter of 2024, we look to the activities in the year ahead. We have prepared a collection of engaging events, interesting updates and relevant resources from the world of apprenticeships. Dive into the information below to learn more. 

Earlier this year, the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) shared its 2024 action plan to strengthen the quality, supply and overall image of apprenticeships and to promote the mobility of apprentices across Europe. This is a comprehensive roadmap of the activities and topics that the Apprenticeship Support Services will implement in 2024. The plan focuses on three key areas: pledges, networking opportunities and knowledge sharing. 

Learn more about EAfA’s 2024 action plan. 

A key learning tool from the 2024 action plan is our latest factsheet. It provides an overview of the concept of transversal skills and their significance in the current job market. It explores the potential challenges of integrating transversal skills into apprenticeship programmes. Through inspiring examples of developing transversal skills in vocational education and training (VET) and apprenticeships, it highlights opportunities for development and innovation. 

View the factsheet. 

Another learning tool is a toolkit which provides custom step-by-step guidance to engage in mobility opportunities, across the whole mobility lifecycle. It provides great added value to the main stakeholders involved in apprentice mobility. The EAfA toolkit offers helpful information, resources, good practice examples and self-assessment tools. It is also tailored to each type of stakeholder using the toolkit. 

Learn more about the EAfA toolkit on apprentice mobility. 

Amidst the focus on practical training and skill acquisition, the mental well-being of apprentices often goes under the radar. Recognising this gap, the European Apprentices Network (EAN) has launched a survey. This survey delves into the mental health and well-being of apprentices. It encompasses the challenges they face, potential solutions and effective practices. All of which means, we encourage all EAfA members and other organisations interested in the topic to share the survey with their current and past apprentices. 

Take part in the survey by 19 April. It is also available in French, Greek, Italian and Spanish. 

The Community for Social Inclusion and Gender Equality, led by Fundació Catalana de l'Esplai, aims to create a repository for best practices in social inclusion and gender equality within apprenticeships. They will focus on themes like gender equality in upcoming months. 

The Community on the Role of Cities and Regions in fostering apprenticeships, led by the European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning, Fundación Bertelsmann, and the Metropolitan City of Rome, will conduct a survey, mapping cities’ and local authorities’ roles in national apprenticeships and dual learning systems. Best practice examples will be shared during each meeting. 

The Community on the Learning Mobility of Apprentices, led by Euro App Mobility, seeks to enhance European apprenticeship mobility. They engage in outreach and communication activities and plan to host thematic webinars soon after launching a LinkedIn group. 

The Community on the Green and Digital Transition, led by ESB Networks, explores how apprenticeships intersect with the green and digital transition. They will focus on topics like awareness, digital divide, and required skills. Short-term activities include sharing tools and materials, while long-term goals involve improving apprenticeships in these fields. 

Find out more about the EAfA Communities and their plans for 2024. 

Launched in early 2023, the call 'Partnerships for innovation – forward-looking projects – vocational education and training (VET)’ aimed to find and support innovative projects in education and training. A total of 12 projects focusing on micro-credentials and 3 projects dedicated to enhancing the attractiveness of VET were selected. One of these projects has a special focus on apprenticeships – Supporting Traineeships and Employment Apprenticeship through Micro-credentials (STREAM). The project aims to define a set of competencies that VET trainers and company mentors should have in order to plan and manage quality work-based learning experiences. 

Learn more about the STREAM project. Find out more about the forward-looking projects. 

On 21 March, 15 new Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) from the 2023 call for proposals were launched. The sectors covered by the projects are diverse and within industrial ecosystems with high growth and innovation potential. Some of these sectors are already covered by previously selected CoVEs such as hydrogen technologies, offshore energy, climate-smart agriculture, construction and tourism. Synergies between CoVEs in similar sectors will be promoted. Other sectors are new to CoVEs but are of high policy relevance: biodiversity, 3D printing, social inclusion, battery sector and data centre education. Read this article about the new projects. 

The 2024 call for proposals to apply for CoVEs, with a budget of €56 million, is open until 7 May 2024. 

Learn more. 

During the European Year of Skills (EYS), we created the Real People Real Skills initiative, which is a platform dedicated to spotlighting the inspiring stories of individuals who have transformed their careers and lives through upskilling and reskilling. With a focus on the human aspect of skills journeys, this project is poised to resonate deeply with our audience. 

We will share the content from the project on our X, LinkedIn, and Facebook channels, and we encourage you to share it on your social media accounts. Do not hesitate to use our EYS communication toolkit as well for the branding of your activities and events. Please use the #EuropeanYearofSkills hashtag when you share. 

On 19 April 2024, from 10:30 to 12:00 CET, EAfA is holding a webinar to explore how apprenticeships can support the tourism sector's transition towards sustainability. The webinar will bring together experts, social partners, industry stakeholders and representatives from the European Commission to explore how apprenticeships can support the tourism sector’s transition towards sustainability. 

Register for the webinar by 18 April. 

Sounds interesting? If so, join us to advocate for quality apprenticeships, foster collaboration among stakeholders, renew commitments, and showcase efforts towards quality apprenticeships. Following the main event, the Get Together Event on 18 June will offer members the opportunity to network and explore cooperation opportunities. 

Stay tuned for registration details and further information! 

The European Year of Skills – what comes next?, the closing event of the EYS, is a large-scale conference where hundreds of participants will come together to share successful skills stories and discuss the legacy of the EYS. During the event, we will look back at the achievements of the Year and reflect on the road ahead. After all, the EYS does not really end here – connecting the dots and delivering in practice remain a top priority. 

The conference will feature prominent political and stakeholder panels, inspiring speeches, insightful conversations and interactive discussion groups on specific topics such as skills-first approaches, better skills intelligence and smarter use of it, upskilling and reskilling approaches, and agile funding approaches for public-private partnerships. 

The event is taking place on 30 April in Brussels, Belgium. Online participation is open to all and will be available from 9:30 to 12:30 and 16:00 to 17:30.  

Register today! 

Building a European qualifications map: Development of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) across Europe 

This policy brief enhances comprehension of NQFs by examining their key features, reach, impact, and utilisation. 

Towards a structured and consistent terminology on transversal skills and competences 

This paper, the third report of the ESCO/EQF Member States Working Group, presents new terminology for transversal skills and competencies. 

Validation of transversal skills across Europe: European state-of-the-art report 

This report gathers data on policies and practices supporting guidance for transversal skills and competencies, as well as validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe. 

Transversal competence framework (TCF) 

This guide presents a standardised TCF for European Member States. It covers 12 key skills and offers a monitoring framework to evaluate the skill levels of VET students across EQF levels 1 to 8. 

Creativity – a transversal skill for lifelong learning: An overview of existing concepts and practices 

This report explores the framing, conceptualisation, and definition of creativity, offering an overview of existing concepts and practices. It also discusses the relationship between creativity and key competencies for lifelong learning. 

Principles of best practice for the integration of transversal skills in the curricula of further and higher education programmes 

This working paper from the Education and Training Board of Ireland outlines guidelines for education providers to incorporate transversal skills into their curriculum and training programmes. 

The relevance of transversal competences in vocational education and training 

This study offers a summary of research conducted since 2010 on transversal skill acquisition in VET. It highlights key areas within transversal skills and emphasises the growing importance of upskilling students in these competencies to meet labour market needs. 

Educational and economic aspects of mentoring: How mentoring can contribute to the development of soft skills 

This study examines mentoring within educational and economic contexts, focusing on its nature and potential applications in education and the workplace. 

OECD concept note on skills for 2030 

As part of its Future of Education and Skills 2030 initiative, the OECD created a toolkit emphasising social and emotional skills like empathy and respect. The toolkit includes video discussions, the OECD learning compass for 2030, and a detailed forecast for transversal skills in 2030. 

We are pleased to welcome the following new EAfA members since November 2023: 

Browse EAfA’s pledges. 

The EAfA webinar, held on 14 December 2023, (complementing the toolkit above on the same topic) addressed the integration of mobility into apprenticeship systems across Europe. While mobility offers apprentices valuable skills and cultural experiences, participants agreed that there are still challenges, such as navigating legal systems, setting up mobility programmes, and raising awareness among apprentices. They identified a few key steps to improve mobility opportunities such as providing practical information, fostering employer engagement, embedding mobility in company missions, and promoting peer learning. 

Learn more about the main findings from the webinar. 

The Meet the Champions of Excellence event, as part of the EYS, took place on 23 February 2024 in Brussels and was jointly organised by the European Commission and European Economic and Social Committee. 

The event brought together over 400 young people from all over Europe to highlight the value of VET and encourage them to choose VET as an effective learning and/or career path. ​ 

Around 35 EU Champions from international skills competitions like WorldSkills, EuroSkills and Abilympics, from more than 20 disciplines ranging from mechanical engineering to health and social care, showcased and shared their experiences and achievements with the participants. ​ 

The event also showcased 20 interactive stands and skills demonstrations, including mechanical engineering, robot system integration, a car painting simulator and floristry. ​Other stands displayed were: CoVEs (hospitality and tourism; arts and crafts sectors), ETF, Cedefop, Erasmus+, Hydrogen machine, EAN, European elections, civil society organisations, the European Economic and Social Committee, EYS, de-mining robot, Wall of ideas, and Meet the Champions area.​ 

Participants could also attend parallel workshops on:​ fighting gender stereotypes in VET​, opportunities for learning mobility abroad​, skills for today's and tomorrow's opportunities in the EU, and skills for the digital and green transitions. ​ 

Read more about the event and watch the recordings. 

On 21 and 22 March 2024, prior to the High-Level Event in June, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion hosted the highly anticipated Pact for Skills Forum at les Ateliers des Tanneurs in Brussels. The hybrid event featured several speakers and a variety of interesting sessions. Among these, one stood out with its direct focus on apprenticeships: ‘Maximising synergies between Pact for Skills and EAfA’. 

Watch the recording. 

Don’t forget to visit the EAfA website to stay on top of everything the Alliance and the European Commission do to strengthen the quality, supply and overall image of apprenticeships across Europe. 

Make sure to also join the EAfA LinkedIn group and share your ideas, upcoming activities and useful resources on apprenticeships. In this group, you will find a network of friendly and supportive professionals from across Europe, including government representatives, VET and apprenticeship providers, and other experts.