A year in review: explore EAfA’s key milestones for 2023 As we stand on the threshold of 2024, we cast a reflective eye on the exciting journey of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) throughout the preceding year. Join us in this retrospective exploration of EAfA’s efforts to improve Europe’s apprenticeship landscape. A decade of working together on apprenticeships The year 2023 witnessed a tremendous milestone as EAfA celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its launch, the Alliance has created over 2.5 million apprenticeships and has received more than 420 individual pledges by VET providers, social partners, businesses, local public authorities and more. The Alliance celebrated this milestone by holding a high-level event in June 2023, which also marked the 5th anniversary of the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. The event brought together leading experts, policymakers and key stakeholders in person, as well as over 500 in-person and online attendees. Participants had the chance to learn more about EAfA’s achievements over the past decade and to discuss the benefits, challenges and future of apprenticeships in Europe. We asked our members about their main highlights from their EAfA membership and what they wish for the Alliance for the next 10 years. Check out the video to hear what they said. Check out the event reports and livestreaming recordings. We now have our own EAfA Champions In 2023 we also launched a new initiative, appointing several EAfA members to become EAfA Champions. These Alliance members help make the community stronger by sharing their EAfA activities and by spreading the word about the benefits of joining EAfA. Get to know our Champions better through our short videos, recorded during the EAfA high-level event in June. Learn more about our EAfA Champions. We have also published spotlight articles where EAfA Champions talk about why they decided to join EAfA and what the benefits of joining are for their organisations. Spotlight on SoftwareOne Spotlight on Community Development Institute – Macedonia Spotlight on Education and Training Boards Ireland Expect more spotlight articles in 2024! More than 509 000 apprenticeship places created In our ongoing pursuit of excellence, we’ve conducted our annual survey to assess the Alliance’s progress toward key objectives. A total of 135 members from 30 countries, including 21 EU Member States, participated in the survey, providing a comprehensive overview of their collective achievements. The insights are in, and they are nothing short of remarkable. We are happy to announce that the majority of respondents said they had made significant progress on EAfA’s objectives, with the quality of apprenticeships being the area with the most progress (83% of respondents), followed by image (79%), digital skills (78%) and supply (76%). Between 2022 and 2023, the concerted efforts of our members resulted in the creation of over 509,000 new apprenticeship places – a true testament to the dedication and impact of the Alliance. Learn more about the survey results. Bringing people together In 2023, EAfA organised 11 activities, including 3 webinars, 3 factsheets, 1 toolkit, 3 physical events, and 1 hybrid high-level event. The high-level event, which took place in Brussels on 26 and 27 June 2023, received particular attention, drawing over 140 on-site and over 430 online participants. The event marked the Alliance’s 10th anniversary as well as the 5th anniversary of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. Another highlight was the eighth seminar for EAfA partner countries, organised by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission and the European Training Foundation (ETF). More than 100 on-site participants explored opportunities for developing and implementing apprenticeship systems in EU Member States and Partner Countries with a focus on high-level apprenticeship and in-company trainers. Explore all these activities and more in EAfA’s News section. Our new and improved pledge form As part of our efforts to streamline the process of becoming an EAfA member, we have now made it much easier for organisations and institutions to apply for membership. Previously, prospective members had to download and fill out a document and then submit their application via email. The process now is simple and fast. With the new pledge form now improved, it is now the perfect time for potential Alliance members to submit a pledge and for existing members to renew their pledges. If you haven’t already, join the Alliance or renew your pledge by filling out our new online form. Stay tuned for 2024! A big thank-you to our members and supporters who helped us achieve all these amazing milestones. Do not forget to follow the Alliance on LinkedIn to keep up to date with EAfA news and share your ideas with the community!