In this article, we shine the spotlight on the European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) and asked them to tell us more about their EAfA membership. 

How did you first learn about EAfA, and why did you decide to submit a pledge? 

EARLALL joined EAfA in 2015, just two years after it was created. This happened during the EAfA annual event held in the Basque Country, which is also where EARLALL is holding its presidency. The priorities of EARLALL member regions include modernising vocational education and training (VET) systems and supporting young people in the transition from education to work. EARLALL believes that apprenticeships can help with this.  

Therefore, the next natural step for us was to join the Alliance. Our goal is to bring back the important role that regional and local authorities play in supporting apprenticeships for personal and professional growth. 

Can you tell us about your pledge and which EAfA objectives it relates to? 

EARLALL has pledged to improve the image of apprenticeships, promote European mobility of apprentices and support the green/digital transition in this field.  

To achieve this, EARLALL members will participate in webinars and other events around apprenticeships in Europe, sharing their experiences and their best and inspiring practices. 

What activities has EARLALL organised to achieve the EAfA objectives in its pledge? 

Through its thematic working groups, including on skills and the labour market, EARLALL members exchange best practices and practical examples of policies and programmes on apprenticeships at the regional level. This increases the positive image of apprenticeships across the network and allows for exchange and capacity building in the field.  

Moreover, through the working group on mobility, EARLALL members exchange information on the different legal frameworks for apprenticeship mobility across Europe. This increases knowledge and inspires good practices and opportunities for mobility. 

How has EARLALL contributed to EAfA activities? 

EARLALL members have contributed actively to EAfA webinars and shared their best practices. In 2019 and 2020, the network cooperated with the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture at the Committee of the Regions to organise a high-level event on the role of regions and local authorities in apprenticeships. The event was also preceded by four thematic webinars, which included presentations from most EARLALL members. 

More recently, on 14 December 2022, EAfA hosted the live discussion ‘Promoting apprenticeships to small and medium-sized enterprises’. At the event, we shared the experience of Tuscany (EARLALL regional member) in the wine sector. The presentation was held by Miriana Bucalossi, Head of Apprenticeships, Work-Based Learning Policies and EU Project Management Unit, Tuscany, Italy. 

We also coordinated with our member Catalonia to share the good practice example of the Institut de Formació Professional at the EAfA webinar ‘Apprenticeships in the care sector and social economy’ on 4 May 2023.  

How has EAfA membership helped EARLALL to facilitate regional collaboration and partnerships across Europe? 

Thanks to EAfA, EARLALL has benefited from increased visibility as a network, encouraging the expansion of our membership and promoting increased exchanges across our regions.  

Moreover, through participation in EAfA initiatives and webinars, our members have learnt about other initiatives and strengthened their ties of cooperation and exchange.  

For EARLALL what is the most important benefit of joining EAfA? 

Joining EAfA and submitting a pledge helps members to stay up to date with the latest policy initiatives and practices in apprenticeships across Europe. They also benefit from a variety of resources (online training, webinars, live sessions, etc), where they can discuss different apprenticeship models.  

The webinars offer good practice examples from across Europe, which helps our regional and local authorities to see the possibilities of different apprenticeships options. 

Do you have any standout stories to share about apprentices who have successfully completed an apprenticeship? 

Our members have many positive stories involving apprentices. One example is Isabel from Barcelona. Isabel found herself redundant at the age of 50, following the economic crisis of 2000. This affected not only her economic stability, but also her mental health and family life. At first, Isabel sought to pursue her studies at university. But due to the complex application process, she decided to contact her former VET school where she first studied accounting.  

She enrolled in a programme to become a legal assistant in court, a new programme developed by the region of Catalonia with the ministries of justice and education. Thanks to this innovative apprenticeship scheme, Isabel gained a new set of skills. She first worked as a contract assistant at the court, after which she was offered full-time employment. 

Why should other organisations join EAfA and submit a pledge? 

It is clear at the regional and local level that apprenticeships are an important tool linking the learners and their lifelong learning to the local labour market and skill supply. EAfA seeks to connect possibilities of VET systems to respond to the rapidly changing learning and workforce across Europe. 

For organisations that work on the local and regional level, and who have a central role in the conduct of employment and education, developing and modernising VET systems is important. Submitting a pledge ensures that your organisation continues to prioritise apprenticeships and is open to learning more and exchanging new ideas. 

Has EARLALL’s story inspired you to learn more about submitting a EAfA pledge? Find out how you can start your journey to becoming a EAfA member on our EAfA Membership and Pledges webpage.