1. Policy Documents, Frameworks and Reports: Horizontal Themes

Title: Description:

Europe 2020 Launched in 2010, Europe 2020 is the EU’s ten-year growth strategy that through a series of targets

and flagship initiatives aims to achieve growth that is smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive.

Headline targets include: 75% employment among 20-64 year-olds; 3% investment of EU GDP in

research and development; a reduction in early school leaving to below 10%; completion of third-

level education by at least 40% of 30-34 year olds; and 20 million fewer people in or at risk of

poverty and social exclusion: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm;

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/european-semester_en

Education and

Training 2020 (ET 2020)

ET 2020 is a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training that builds on

its predecessor (ET 2010) and which provides common strategic objectives for Member States,

namely: making lifelong learning and mobility a reality; improving the quality and efficiency of

education and training; promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; and enhancing

creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training. Notable

targets, include: at least 95% of children (from 4 to compulsory school age) participating in early

childhood education; fewer than 15% of 15-year-olds under-skilled in reading, mathematics and

science; fewer than 10% of young people dropping out of education and training; at least 40% of

people aged 30-34 having completed some form of higher education; and, at least 15% of adults

participating in lifelong learning: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-

framework/index_en.htm. In 2015, in the Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the

Implementation of ET2020 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:

OJ.C_.2015.417.01.0025.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2015:417:TOC), a series of six new priorities was

confirmed for the period up to 2020, which centred on: relevant and high-quality knowledge, skills

and competences; inclusive education, equality, equity, non-discrimination and the promotion of

civic competences; open and innovative education and training; strong support for teachers,

trainers, school leaders and other educational staff; transparency and recognition of skills and

qualifications; and, sustainable investment, quality and efficiency of education and training systems.

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Education and Training Monitor (2016)

The Education and Training Monitor (http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/et-monitor_en.htm), is an annual publication that captures the evolution of education and training in the EU. The Monitor charts

EU and country progress towards: Europe 2020 targets on early school leaving and tertiary educational attainment; Education and Training 2020 benchmarks for participation in early childhood education and care, adult learning and for tackling underachievement in basic skills and increasing the employability of graduates. Cross-cutting priority themes are also covered such as the financing of education and the professional development of teachers. Presented in the form of an EU Overview Report and individual country analyses, the Monitor fuels the debate on priority themes for education and training, informs national education reform debates, and stands as a reliable and up-to-date source of information for peer learning among EU Member States.

New Skills Agenda for Europe

In 2016, the New Skills Agenda for Europe (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223) proposed a series of 10 actions to be taken forward over the next two years, with a view to achieving: improvement in the quality and relevance of skills formation; greater visibility and comparability of skills; and, improved skills intelligence and information to enable better career choices. Among the targeted 10 actions, initial plans centred on: introducing a Skills Guarantee (subsequently renamed as “Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults”); reviewing the European Qualifications Framework, establishing a Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition and developing a Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills. Beyond these initial actions, there are ambitions for revision of the Europass Decision; for introduction of a skills profile toolkit for third country nationals; for making VET a first choice (enhancing opportunities for work-based learning and promoting greater visibility of VET); for a review of the recommendation on key competences; for improving graduate tracking; and, finding effective ways to address the brain drain.

Rethinking Education

Adopted in 2012, the Commission Communication on Rethinking Education (http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/strategic-framework/rethinking-education_en.htm) stresses the importance of education and training as a vehicle for growth and confirms six development priorities for Member States (promoting excellence in VET; improving the performance of student groups with a high risk of early school leaving and low basic skills; strengthening the provision of transversal skills that increase employability such as entrepreneurial initiative, digital skills and foreign languages; reducing the number of low-skilled adults; scaling-up the use of ICT-supported learning and access to high-quality OER; revising and strengthening the professional profile of all teaching professions) alongside a number of a number of key actions at EU-level (e.g. accelerated improvements in WBL; partnerships between education, industry and research; opening up education).

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Recognition and

Transparency

Numerous tools and instruments have been developed and introduced, in recent years, with a view

to facilitating recognition and transparency, including the European Qualifications Framework

(http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/search/site?f[0]=im_field_entity_type%3A97# ), Europass

(http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu), the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System or ECTS

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/ects_en.htm), European Quality Assurance in VET or EQAVET

(http://www.eqavet.eu/gns/home.aspx) and the European Credit Transfer System for VET or ECVET

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/ecvet_en.htm).

Entrepreneurship

Education

The Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan (http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/promoting-

entrepreneurship/action-plan/index_en.htm) centres on three core pillars, namely: entrepreneurial

education and training; the creation of an environment where entrepreneurs can flourish and grow;

and developing role models and reaching out. In 2006, initiative and entrepreneurship was

confirmed as one of eight key competences for lifelong learning. More recently, in 2013, a Guide for

Educators ( http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/7465/attachments/1/translations

/en/renditions/native&usg=AFQjCNEAZENuwg06uXIDQR_CK8zmSko5Lw&sig2=kjtnBVqQOeVNEhNW

eBUSrw&cad=rja) was produced, in which examples of practice are provided in the fields of school

education, VET and higher education, with a view to reinforcing entrepreneurship education.

Information and

Communications

Technology (ICT) and

Open Education

Resources (OER)

In the Commission Communication of 2013 on Opening up Education (http://eur-

lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52013DC0654), information and communications

technology (ICT) and open educational resources (OER) are confirmed as opportunities for reshaping

EU education, targeting innovative organisations, innovative teachers and innovation for learners

and confirming the role of EU funding programmes in achieving these goals. In The Future of

Learning: Preparing for Change (http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC66836.pdf), future labour market and

education landscapes are envisaged, and related policy level implications presented, as part of a

vision of the future of learning that relies on personalisation, collaboration and informalisation

(informal learning). Beyond this, Open Educational Resources and Practices in Europe is formed by a

series of papers presenting visions for school education, higher education and lifelong learning

(http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/OEREU.html). Also relevant are Upscaling Creative Classrooms

in Europe, in which the creative classrooms concept is presented and explored

(http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/SCALECCR.html) and DIGCOMP: A Framework for Developing

and Understanding Digital Competence in Europe (http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC83167.pdf).

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Education and

Migrants

With a view to facilitating the integration of refugees in education, training, employment and society,

a number of reports and initiatives are brought together under the heading of Education and Migrants

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/migration/index_en.htm) with existing good practices

presented, separately, for the fields of Higher Education, School Education, VET and Adult Education

and for Multilingualism, more generally. Notably, many areas of the Erasmus+ Programme now also

include direct priorities for the development of systems, practices and staff working with and for

refugees and migrants in Europe.

Citizenship and Common Values

Following an informal meeting of EU Education Ministers in the spring of 2015, and in response to the terrorist attacks in France and Denmark earlier that year, the Declaration on Promoting Citizenship and the Common Values of Freedom, Tolerance and Non-discrimination through Education (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/education/news/2015/documents/citizenship-education-declaration_en.pdf) was released. Often referred to as the Paris Declaration, this calls for renewed efforts to reinforce the teaching and acceptance of common fundamental values, laying the foundations for more inclusive societies through education, starting from an early age. At national level, target actions centre on: strengthening the key contribution that education makes to personal development, social inclusion and participation; inclusive education which combats racism and discrimination, promotes citizenship and teaches understanding; strengthening the ability to think critically and exercise judgement; combating geographical, social and educational inequalities (and reducing early school leaving); encouraging dialogue and cooperation among all education stakeholders, including parents and families; and, empowering teachers so that they are able to take an active stand against all forms of discrimination. At European level, the focus is on: ensuring that children and young people acquire social, civic and intercultural competences, by promoting democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as active citizenship; enhancing critical thinking and media literacy; fostering the education of disadvantaged children and young people, ensuring that education and training systems address their needs; and, promoting intercultural dialogue through all forms of learning in cooperation with other relevant policies and stakeholders.

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Multilingualism In November 2012, a Commission Staff Working Document was produced to accompany the official Communication on Rethinking Education, drawing on the results of the European Survey on Language Competences, and with a specific focus on Language Competences for Employability, Mobility and Growth (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52012SC0372). This document confirmed the significance of language skills as a key dimension for the modernisation of European education and training and their importance in a modern European economy. Complementing this, a report entitled Languages for Jobs - Providing Multilingual Communication Skills for the Labour Market (http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/strategic-framework/documents/languages-for-jobs-report_en.pdf) confirms an increased demand for language skills, a continuing need for learner and teacher mobility and the need to more formally recognise and accredit language skill, including within migrant groups and communities. More recently, in 2014, the Council Conclusions on Multilingualism and the Development of Language Competences, confirms the importance of language development and invites Member States to adopt and improve measures for language learning and teaching and to develop appropriate methods for assessing language proficiency.

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2. Policy Documents, Frameworks and Reports: Adult Education

Title: Description:

European Agenda

for Adult Learning

Building on the 2006 Commission Communication on Adult Learning: It is Never Too Late to Learn

(http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/lifelong_learning/c11102_

en.htm) and the subsequent Action Plan on Adult Learning: It is Always a Good Time to Learn

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0558:FIN:EN:PDF), the (renewed)

European Agenda for Adult Learning (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=

uriserv:OJ.C_.2011.372.01.0001.01.ENG) defines the focus for European cooperation in adult

education for the period 2012-2020. Issued in 2011, in the form of a Council Resolution, this strategic

document acknowledges past progress whilst recognising that falling numbers of adult learners make

2020 targets even more of a challenge, and confirms a European Agenda for Adult Learning with

priorities for the period 2012-2014 that centre on: [1] making lifelong learning and mobility a reality;

[2] improving the quality and efficiency of education and training; [3] promoting equity, social

cohesion and active citizenship; [4] enhancing the creativity and innovation of adults and their

learning environments; and [5] improving the knowledge base on adult learning and monitoring the

adult-learning sector. The Resolution also confirms the European Agenda as part of a longer term

vision for adult learning which, towards 2020, will endeavour to raise the sector’s profile with longer-

term priorities centred on improved access; learning outcomes; improved awareness; effective

lifelong guidance systems; validating non-formal and informal learning; second-chance opportunities;

key competences and basic skills; flexible learning arrangements and work-based learning; greater

employer awareness; access to higher education for non-traditional learner groups; greater

involvement of social partners and civil society; improved learning provision for seniors and adult

learning as a means of intergenerational solidarity.

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Survey of Adult Skills As a pre-empt to the launch of Education and Skills Online (http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac/

educationandskillsonlineassessment.htm), a web tool for adults wishing to self-assess their skills, the

Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DGEAC) published a short report, in 2013, presenting

the results of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-

framework/doc/piaac_en.pdf): as part of its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult

Competencies, known as PIAAC, the OECD collects and analyses data that assist governments in

assessing, monitoring and analysing the level and distribution of skills among their adult populations.

Released in October 2013, this report reflects on the implications of such data for European education

and training policy, and presents seven key findings, namely [1] 20% of the EU working age population

has low literacy and low numeracy skills; [2] education and skills increase employability: a challenge

for the one in four unemployed who has low literacy and numeracy skills; [3] the high-skilled are

progressing well through adult learning, but people with low proficiency are easily caught in a low

skills trap; [4] there are significant differences between individuals with similar qualifications across

the EU17 member countries: upper secondary graduates in some Member States score similar or

better than higher education graduates in others; [5] 25% of adults lack the skills to make effective

use of ICT; [6] the skills of a person tend to deteriorate over time if not used frequently; and [7]

sustaining skills brings significant positive economic and social outcomes.

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3. Policy Documents, Frameworks and Reports: Higher Education

Title: Description:

Supporting Growth and Jobs: an Agenda for the Modernisation of Europe's Higher Education Systems

Complementing broader strategic development priorities for Europe (Europe 2020), and for European education and training (ET 2020), and with a view to successfully achieving the target of 40% participation in tertiary education, the Commission published its Communication on Supporting Growth and Jobs: an Agenda for the Modernisation of Europe’s Higher Education Systems (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52011DC0567:EN:NOT) in 2011: hereafter, the Modernisation Agenda. Cognisant of the fact that Member States are responsible for delivering reforms in higher education yet equally aware of the fact that many challenges and policy responses transcend national borders, the Modernisation Agenda targets smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and relies on a number of reforms, such as: increasing the quantity of higher education graduates; enhancing the quality and relevance of human capital development; creating effective governance and funding mechanisms; and strengthening the knowledge triangle between education, research and business.

Specifically, the Modernisation Agenda confirms the following priority actions for national authorities and individual institutions: increasing attainment levels to provide the graduates and researchers Europe needs; improving the quality and relevance of higher education; strengthening quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation; making the knowledge triangle work: linking higher education, research and business for excellence and regional development; improving governance and funding. Relying on a range of different policy and budgetary instruments, the EU contribution is also confirmed in the Modernisation Agenda and centres on: supporting reform through policy evidence, analysis and transparency; promoting mobility; putting Higher Education at the centre of Innovation, job creation and employability; supporting the internationalisation of European higher education; strengthening the long-term impact and complementarity of EU funding; next steps towards smart, sustainable and inclusive European Higher Education. Towards the end of 2015, the European Commission launched a consultation to collect the views of stakeholders on the current situation of Europe’s HE systems and on perceived priorities for change. This consultation is expected to inform a Renewed Modernisation Agenda for Higher Education. Results of the public consultation on the EU’s Modernisation Agenda for HE, which informed development of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, can be found at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:cd0fa1ca-2ee9-11e6-b497-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_2&format=PDF.

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Erasmus

Impact Study

Considering the effects of mobility on the skills and employability of students and the

internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the Erasmus Impact Study (http://ec.

europa.eu/education/library/study/2014/erasmus-impact_en.pdf), of 2014, considers the significance

of student and staff mobility in the field of higher education. In a detailed report, both measurable

and perceived effects are presented in relation to participating students for different European

countries. This is complemented by labour market reflections on employability and by comparisons

among mobile and non-mobile staff, considering potential effects on the internationalisation of

participating HEIs.

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4. Policy Documents, Frameworks and Reports: School Education

Title: Description:

Improving the

Attainment of Young

People, particularly

those at Risk of Early

School Leaving

With a view to reducing the average share of early school leaving (ESL) to less than 10% by 2020,

education ministers agreed, in 2010, on a framework for coherent, comprehensive, and evidence-

based policies to tackle this. The Council Recommendation on Policies to Reduce Early School Leaving

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2011:191:0001:0006:EN:PDF) of 2011

provides a policy framework and support for the monitoring and identification of key factors

associated with ESL whereas the Commission Communication on Tackling Early School Leaving: A Key

Contribution to the Europe 2020 Agenda (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=

COM:2011:0018:FIN:EN:PDF), also 2011, confirms a need for action and suggests policies centred on

prevention, intervention and compensation. More recently, in 2013, the European Commission

published a report on Reducing Early School Leaving: Key Messages and Policy Support

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/doc/esl-group-report_en.pdf) in which 12

key policy messages confirm the required conditions for successful policies against ESL.

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Improving the

Attainment of Young

People with Low Basic

Skills

In addition to being pivotal to achieving the European Recommendation on Key Competences for

Lifelong Learning (http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth

/lifelong_learning/c11090_en.htm) itself a core objective of ET 2020, basic skills development for

young people and others is addressed in Council Conclusions on Increasing the Level of Basic Skills in

the Context of European Cooperation on Schools for the 21st Century (http://eur-lex.europa.eu

/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:323:0011:0014:EN:PDF) and the Council Conclusions on

Literacy (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:393:0001:0004:EN:PDF) of

2012. In the Final Report of the EU High-level Group of Experts on Literacy (http://ec.europa.eu

/education/policy/school/doc/literacy-report_en.pdf), of the same year, a single vision is presented in

which Member States recognise their obligation to ensure that all citizens of Europe are literate,

boosting innovation, prosperity and cohesion in society. In the Commission Staff Working Document

on the Assessment of Key Competences in Initial Education and Training (http://eur-

lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2012:0371:FIN:EN:PDF), produced to accompany

the Communication on Rethinking Education, the assessment of key competences is confirmed as a

key challenge for education and training.

Developing High

Quality and Accessible

Early Childhood

Education and Care

Services

Targeting the participation of at least 95% of pre-school children in early childhood education, by

2020, the European Commission has confirmed priorities that centre on improved access and

enhanced quality. In the Commission Communication on Early Childhood Education and Care

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0066:FIN:EN:PDF), and in the

related Council Conclusions on Early Childhood Education and Care (http://eur-lex.europa.eu

/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2011:175:0008:0010:EN:PDF), both released in 2011, access and

quality improvement goals are once again confirmed, with Member States invited to: analyse and

evaluate existing services at local, regional and national level in terms of their availability, affordability

and quality; ensure that measures aimed at providing generalised equitable access, and at reinforcing

its quality, are in place; and invest efficiently in early childhood education and care as a long-term

growth-enhancing measure.

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Revising and

Strengthening the

Professional Profile of

the Teaching Profession

In all areas of education and training, it is recognised that demands on teaching professionals are

increasing and changing with such actors increasingly called upon to play a role in the modernisation

of education yet with an associated need for the development and modernisation of their own skills.

In a 2012 Commission Staff Working Document, Supporting the Teaching Professions for Better

Learning Outcomes (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2012:0374:FIN

:EN:PDF), produced to accompany the official Communication on Rethinking Education and building

on the Council Conclusions on the Professional Development of Teachers and School Leaders

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:302:0006:0009:EN:PDF) of 2009, a

series of ten key policy pointers are confirmed in relation to the development of teachers and

trainers, school leaders and teacher educators. In the Council Conclusions on Effective Leadership in

Education (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/educ/139715.pdf)

of 2013, educational leadership is again confirmed as a policy priority. In the Council Conclusion on

Effective Teacher Education (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata

/en/educ/142690.pdf) of 2014, high quality teaching is confirmed as one of the key factors in

achieving successful learning outcomes with Member States invited to: ensure the adequacy of

teacher training programmes (including in terms of digital skills), promote the development of

competence training frameworks for teachers, and explore partnership-working in the development

of teacher education programmes. More recently, in 2015, a short report entitled Strengthening

Teaching in Europe (http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/policy/teaching-profession-

practices_en.pdf) confirms a number of interesting trends including, in some countries, higher entry-

level qualifications and increased requirements for school-based practice for those wishing to enter

the teaching profession. The same report also confirms that, among those consulted, 25% had

participated in mobility for professional purposes yet many also felt that demand for continuing

professional development remains high with a need to tailor this to meet the specific needs of

practising teachers. In its latest publication, The Teaching Profession in Europe: Practices, Perceptions,

and Policies (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Publications:

The_Teaching_Profession_in_Europe:_Practices,_Perceptions,_and_Policies) Eurydice analyses the

relationship between policies that regulate the teaching profession, and the attitudes, practices and

perceptions of teachers.

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5. Policy Documents, Frameworks and Reports: Vocational Education and Training

Title: Description:

Supporting

Vocational Education

and Training in Europe:

The Bruges

Communiqué

In December 2010, European Ministers for VET, European Social Partners and the European

Commission adopted the Bruges Communiqué on Enhanced European Cooperation in VET

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/publications/2011/bruges_en.pdf) for the period 2011-2020.

The Bruges Communiqué defines common objectives and priorities for 2020 and an action plan for the

years ahead, combining national measures with European support, and targeting the following 11

strategic objectives:

1. making I-VET an attractive learning option;

2. fostering the excellence, quality and relevance of I-VET and C-VET;

3. enabling flexible access to training and qualifications;

4. developing a strategic approach to the internationalisation of I-VET and C-VET and promoting

international mobility;

5. fostering innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, as well as the use of ICT (in both I-VET and

C-VET);

6. realising inclusive I-VET and C-VET;

7. greater involvement of VET stakeholders and greater visibility for the achievements of European

cooperation in VET;

8. coordinated governance of European and national instruments in transparency, recognition,

quality assurance and mobility;

9. intensifying cooperation between VET policy and other relevant policy areas;

10. improving the quality and comparability of data for EU policymaking in VET;

11. making good use of EU support.

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VET for Better Skills,

Growth and Jobs

In November 2012, a Commission Staff Working Document was produced to accompany the official

Communication on Rethinking Education with a specific focus on VET for Better Skills, Growth and Jobs

(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2012:0375:FIN:EN:PDF). This document

builds on past investigation and analyses involving the European Commission and Member States and

presents best policy practice alongside comparative data and research results, identifying possible

future steps for policy makers with a view to securing a positive VET contribution to economic

development and growth. Core topics include [a] VET as an Engine of Innovation and Growth; [b]

Financial Incentives for Individuals and Employers for C-VET; [c] State of Play of VET Systems in the EU

in View of Developing Excellence; and [d] Excellence in VET: Key Points and Lessons from Practice.

Work-based

Learning in Europe:

Practices and Policy

Pointers

Released in June 2013, Work-Based Learning in Europe: Practices and Policy Pointers (http://ec.

europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/doc/alliance/work-based-learning-in-europe_en.pdf) is

a Policy Handbook that focuses on Work-based Learning (WBL) in I-VET and brings together policy

guidance with concrete practices from Member States. Across five chapters, the handbook presents:

the three main WBL models in Europe (apprenticeships, on-the-job training and WBL in schools-based

programmes); the benefits of high quality WBL (e.g. right skills for companies and learners, relevant

and inclusive VET; partnership working); WBL success factors (governance, quality, partnerships);

tools for effective WBL; and a series of conclusions in which the need for a policy-level commitment to

WBL is stressed.

Riga Conclusions In June 2015, Ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training (VET) agreed on a new set of medium-term deliverables, for the period 2015-2020, entitled the Riga Conclusions (http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/doc/2015-riga-conclusions_en.pdf). Reinforcing the ET2020 vision for VET, a series of five priorities was confirmed, namely: [1] to promote work-based learning in all its forms, with special attention to apprenticeships, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship; [2] to further develop quality assurance mechanisms in VET in line with the EQAVET recommendation; [3] to enhance access to VET and qualifications for all; [4] to further strengthen key competences in VET curricula; [5] to introduce systematic approaches to, and opportunities for, initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors in both school and work based settings.

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