This compilation is based on information collected by EFIL from the monthly newsletter of EUCIS-LLL and from the European Youth Forum’s “Youth Policy Watch”, a bi-weekly bulletin. You can subscribe to the Youth Policy Watch directly from the Youth Forum website: http://www.youthforum.org and press@youthforum.org
- Italian presidency of the EU: the Education and youth priorities for the second semester 2014
The Italian presidency of the EU started on 1st July 2014 with an ambitious programme.
The priorities in the field of education and youth were presented in CULT Committee of the European Parliament on 4th September by the Minister for Education Stefania Giannini: funding of education and its impact on growth, better linking education, growth and development, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets, supporting teachers, bridging the digital divide, improving the efficiency of Erasmus+, internationalising education, etc. Mrs Giannini needs to answer MEPs’ questions on how these targets could be concretely achieved and how resources would be allocated.
- How to obtain skills and qualifications all over Europe: Commission’s new portal
The European Commission has released a new online portal “Learning Opportunities and Qualifications in Europe” aimed to guide learners through the various ways to obtain skills and qualifications all over Europe. They can also find information about recognition and transparency tools and processes, guidance services or EU programmes.
- Strengthening EU-China cooperation on education and training
In the framework of the “High-Level-People-to-People-Dialogue” Commissioner Vassiliou met on 6th September Chinese Vice-premier Liu Yandong (see press release) to reinforce cooperation on education, training, culture and youth including in the field of women’s rights. The Commissioner will notably promote the new generation of exchange programme such as Erasmus+ opportunities and the U-Multirank system.
- 2015 will be the European Year for Development
First proposed at CONCORD‘s 2011 General Assembly, the 2015 European Year for Development (see Commissioner Piebalgs’ statement) will be the first European Year to focus on ‘external action’ of the EU, following up on the actions undertaken in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals which deadline is precisely 2015. The initiative has received widespread inter-institutional support and 2015 should be the momentum for key external actions challenges, such as education and training.
- Unite for Quality Education campaign: Photo contest
Unite for Quality Education is a campaign of Education International (EI), the voice of teachers and other education employees across the globe, which goal is to raise awareness on the critical role quality education plays in the development of the individual and society and of the necessity to make it central in the post -2015 development agenda. A photo contest has been launched to showcase the importance of teachers, teaching tools and environments across the world.
- NECE conference on Citizenship Education (Vienna, Austria – 16-18 October)
The NECE (Networking European Citizenship Education) Initiative is holding a conference on “1914-2014: Lessons from History? Citizenship Education and Conflict Management”. It will ask how citizenship education can deal with the great variety of conflicts in and around Europe today. The event will offer a platform for pursuing current issues in citizenship education in Europe: are our current patterns of thinking and discourse still appropriate for dealing with the particular challenges and crises of the European democracies today?
- BRUSSELS, Belgium – 8th of October 2014 – ESN launched ErasmusIntern.org
The Erasmus Student Network is happy to announce the launch of Erasmusintern.org, this brand new, non-for-profit web platform provides an integrated marketplace that aims at bringing together internationally minded internship providers and individuals seeking an internship opportunity abroad.
The project has been developed under the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union and aims at supporting young people to have a mobility experience abroad by giving them easy access to companies all around Europe.
- Check the following publications:
“Measuring Innovation in Education” published by OECD
“Education at a Glance 2014” annual publication by OECD
The importance of competences in the languages of schooling for equity and quality in education and for educational success” book released by the Council of Europe
“Dual education: a bridge over trouble waters” study carried out by ICF International for European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education
“Mapping Youth Transitions in Europe” report from Eurofound 2014