DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission and the European Training Foundation (ETF) co-organised a conference in Turin, Italy. The event, which gathered around 100 on-site participants, explored opportunities for developing and implementing apprenticeship systems in EU Member States and partner countries.

Representatives from the European Commission, the ETF and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) officially welcomed participants, highlighting the importance of exchanging good practices with partner countries to tackle common challenges. The Commission kicked off the event by giving an update on EAfA’s progress to date, followed by a warm welcome to Armenia, the 40th country to join the Alliance, and six new EAfA members.

Stakeholder cooperation: a key element of success

Two thematic sessions followed, where old and new EAfA members discussed various aspects of apprenticeship and work-based learning (WBL) systems in their countries.

Several speakers mentioned the key role of cooperation with stakeholders in overcoming apprenticeship-related challenges. One example is Georgia, where remuneration and hiring qualified instructors are some of the main challenges for companies – a problem that can be tackled through cooperation with education providers.

Another speaker discussed the challenges for apprenticeships in Greece, emphasising the importance of EAfA membership in promoting cooperation between the Ministry of Labour, public employment services and other stakeholders. On the other hand, the Dutch VET system is facing its own challenges in relation to skills needs, such as increasing enrolment in apprenticeships.

Good practice example from Italy and site visits

Participants also learned about a good practice example from the Italian and Piedmontese dual apprenticeship system. During this presentation, cooperation with stakeholders was once again mentioned as a key element of success, along with setting robust educational standards, tailoring training to the needs of apprentices and companies, and simplifying bureaucracy.

In the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to visit three vocational training sites in Turin (ENGIM, Piazza dei Mestieri and IVECO Group), learning first-hand from concrete initiatives that foster quality apprenticeships. View the video presentations from ENGIM and Piazza dei Mestieri.

Latest from the Western Balkans Alliance for Work-based Learning

On the second day of the seminar, attendees learned more about the most recent activities of the Western Balkans Alliance for Work-based Learning. Effective collaboration once again was highlighted as an enabling factor for the work of the Alliance, alongside the application of innovative and flexible approaches and maintaining mutual respect.

Higher level apprenticeships and in-company trainers: challenges and solutions

The event continued with two thematic panels focusing on higher level apprenticeships and in-company trainers. The panels featured good practice examples from France, Germany, Italy, Israel and Switzerland.

When it comes to higher level apprenticeships, some common challenges emerged, including concerns about the sustainability of funding and the competition between private and public higher education institutions. There was also an emphasis on the need to enable trainers to exchange knowledge with higher education institutions.

The importance of the role played by in-company trainers was further stressed in the second panel, namely in providing support, ensuring a healthy work environment, and facilitating dialogue between education providers and companies. Participants’ concerns also centred around supporting learners with special needs. Suggested solutions included peer-learning for in-company trainers, and direct discussions with apprentices and trainers.

‘Skills are an investment, not a cost’

Wrapping up the event, Chiara Riondino, DG Employment, and Georgios Zisimos, ETF, thanked everyone for their contributions and highlighted a recurrent theme from the event – the importance of collective efforts in designing and implementing quality apprenticeship schemes. Following on from the discussions during the seminar, Chiara Riondino also stressed that skills are an investment, not a cost.

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