On 15 and 16 March, the European Commission and the International Labour Organization (ILO) held a joint high-level conference to celebrate three years of the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EFQEA). The conference served as an occasion to assess the current state of play for both the EU and ILO in setting quality standards for apprenticeships. It examined national apprenticeship reforms in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, and explored key priorities of the renewed EAfA, including how to foster apprenticeship coalitions and strengthen social dialogue. The event featured keynote speeches by Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, and the ILO’s Director General Guy Ryder.

Nowadays, a large share of young people do not have the skills needed to enter the labour market. The green and digital transitions accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic put further pressure on decision makers to decrease the skills mismatch through up-skilling and re-skilling of workers of all ages. Apprenticeships are proven to be an effective and efficient means to develop the skills needed for the world of work. As Commissioner Schmit said:

“Apprenticeships are a great way for people to enter the job market or change sectors; and ideal for companies who can train people according to their exact needs. I call that a win-win!”

Collaboration with social partners can help to ensure that apprenticeships are relevant to the world of work, while being inclusive and aware of labour rights. As Guy Ryder stated:

"When you look at apprenticeship systems around the world, the most important success factor is practically always social dialogue. Apprenticeships work because they link classroom and workplace training and because they tap the knowledge of both employers and workers on what training is needed and how to deliver it."

Thanks to EFQEA and the renewed European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA), there has been great progress in defining quality apprenticeships, improving their attractiveness, and engaging social partners and other key actors, such as apprentices themselves, in the design and implementation of apprenticeship programmes. During the conference, the European Commission and the ILO shared the preliminary findings of a joint survey on national coalitions, which identified 30 coalitions in 13 countries that are helping to design, implement and promote apprenticeship schemes. Common challenges faced by coalitions include ensuring the attractiveness and supply of apprenticeships, coping with COVID-19, and the lack of quality assurance mechanisms.

EAfA’s work, along with its collaboration with the ILO, is invaluable in addressing these challenges. The conference allowed key stakeholders to explore solutions which are integral to the future of apprenticeships and the world of work as a whole. Some of the key takeaways from the conference included:

• involving social partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of apprenticeship programs is a key success factor;
• modernising apprenticeships and making them more flexible should be a priority to match the ongoing changes in the labour market;
• advocating and promoting apprenticeships is still needed in Europe and across the world to address the negative image of apprenticeships;

Conference recording: Day 1.

Conference recording: Day 2.

You can download the full event report from the ‘Related documents’ section below.