26 Amendments of Dominique BILDE related to 2015/2257(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas learning mobility and training mobility have repeatedly proven their potential to contribute to high-quality education and employability, particularly in the context of successive European Union programmes in the field of education and training; whereas, however, mobility alone will not solve the problem of unemployment, in particular among young people, in Europe and needs to be backed up by better strategies for learning basic skills and measures to enhance the status of apprenticeships and vocational training, in particular in the eyes of society;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas non-formal and informal learning have an important contribution to make in tackling current challenges in lifelong learning, such as early-school leaving, unacceptable numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and skills shortages and mismatches, as well as the administrative and financial problems faced by firms wishing to offer apprenticeships to young people; points out that labour shortages are a particular problem in the arts and craft sectors which are of key importance for the EU economy and for bolstering the international reputation of European know-how;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas recent socio-economic developments accentuate the need to make lifelong learning and vocational education and training (VET) systems not only more efficient, but also more accessible and inclusive with respect to disadvantaged groups and people with special needs, in particular people with disabilities, whose social and economic inclusion depends to a large extent on their inclusion in the labour market;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the regional and local level is pivotal to exploring new paths for mobility and is crucial to establishing contact with entrepreneurs, all types of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – with a view to helping them to deal with the administrative and other formalities involved in taking on one or more apprentices, which often prove too complicated for them – and the relevant trade unions, and engaging them in promoting the mobility of young people and apprentices;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas entrepreneurs and trade unions must be part of the reflection on mobility structures and more generally on apprenticeships and vocational training, since they are directly involved and in the best position to provide information on the specific needs of each economic sector;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges the important role and the results of existing programmes and initiatives for mobility; stresses, nonetheless that those programmes alone will not be enough to bring down unemployment in Europe and that the first thing to do, with due regard for the specific features and needs of each Member State, is to overhaul apprenticeship and vocational training systems in order to tailor them more closely to real economic needs;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that the existing mobility initiatives have contributed to improving not only learners’ civic values and sense of belonging to Europe, but also their academic skills and job prospects, more specifically those skills linked to problem- solving capacity, planning and structuring, capacity to act and adapt in face of new situations, decision making, knowledge of foreign languages, and communication, as well as those related to personal skills that impact employability such as confidence, motivation, curiosity, critical thinking and assertiveness; draws attention, nonetheless, to the risk of a ‘brain drain’ depriving Europe of the manpower it needs for growth, and calls therefore for Member States to conduct, in conjunction with the Commission and the other relevant institutions, in-depth discussions on viable solutions to this problem;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Singles out certain problems in the implementation of mobility actions in Erasmus+, such as reduced funding, complex financial and administrative rules that are unsuited to cluster projects, problems with the use of electronic tools for mobility management, and insufficient information and training targeted at school and colleges staff and the staff of firms involved in mobility initiatives; stresses that most of these problems could be addressed by regional and local authorities, who are ideally placed to act as intermediaries between private citizens and other stakeholders;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the key aspects that need to be taken into account when assessing the success of the implementation of mobility actions: learners’ economic capacity to engage in mobility; recognition of studies between countries, whether via credits or certificates; level of language knowledge; organisation of the curricula or studies; and the actions' long-term economic benefits for each Member State;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Eencourages the European Union to take action within the bounds of its powers in this area to define a statute of the ‘European Apprentice’;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that early school leaving is one of the most distinct problems faced by mobility target groups, and that better vocational options lead to fewer dropouts from education and training; emphasises, nonetheless, that further studies or training must be geared to the learner's own needs and those of the economy, and that young people should be encouraged to move into sectors that are hiring and that offer long-term career prospects;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that a number of factors that impact the expectations of young people being trained in VET systems can be identified, in particular socioeconomic factors, family typology and a lack of guidance (and tutorial) tools once compulsory secondary education has been completed or during vocational training courses; calls, accordingly, for great care to be taken to ensure that access to such programmes is not confined to people whose social and family backgrounds make it easier for them to move around because of their and that special attention is paid to young people from rural and/or outlying areas;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the role ofat, provided they are tailored to local economic and social conditions, educational systems in better equipping students with both academic and transversal skills, and thereby enhancinge their aptitude to match labour market needs;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Encourages the creation of a framework that identifies as clearly and precisely as possible the mobility options for young people in VET, mainly through cross- platform campaigns launched by public authorities, with the coordinated participation of all stakeholders who play an active role in, and have an influence on, VET; stresses that, prior to the launch of those campaigns, information should be provided to young people on the career prospects that VET can open up, placing the focus on sectors that are hiring, in particular in rural areas where demand is extremely high, so that students can choose their training pathways on the basis of the job prospects actually on offer;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Asks for complementary measures between the European Social Fund (ESF) and Erasmus+, and good coordination of all actions at all levels – national, regional and local planning, and calls on the Commission make sure that EU funding is disbursed to Member States and regional and local authorities in good time, as there have been major delays in payments;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the need to compensate for the obstacles that derive from the lower socioeconomic status of students in VET through measures such as a possible increase in the amounts of individual grants from the Commission, or an increase in the contributions made by Member States and regional and local administrations, intermediate institutions or NGOs, whether funded from their own budgets or via partnership schemes involving businesses, foundations and organisations that collaborate in the system of qualification and vocational training in their region or territory; maintains that priority should be given to making better use of the funding already available, in order to avoid duplication and waste;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that actions should be coordinated and new funding used in such a way as to build on the work of training centres and intermediate bodies representing firms and that resource allocation should factor in the time spent by such bodies on administrative, logistical and educational management and on end-of-project assessment activities;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Draws attention to the diversity and uneven development of validation and recognition systems between Member States, despite growing convergence in the last decade; stresses the need to facilitate the validation and recognition of skills and competences acquired in companies or training centres in different Member States by means of a clear comparative table of equivalences and skills which takes account of the specific characteristics of training in each State, local education systems and the duration of studies, in order to avoid any recognition which results in fresh disparities in practice;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to define and strengthen the role of intermediary institutions – both territorial and sectoral – involved in the preparation, management and follow-up of mobility, and to assist in the setting-up of such institutions at national, regional and local level; observes that, if these institutions are established, they must also make arrangements to prevent a brain drain, so that mobility generates genuine economic and social added value for Member States which invest considerable human and financial resources in it, but also for the students concerned who, in many cases, wish to put to use in their place of origin the know-how that they have gained abroad, but do not have the necessary information or encouragement to do so;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the need for such intermediary institutions with adequate budgetary and human resources to enable mobility organisation and management structures to guarantee the involvement of the network of vocational training schools, and to have the power and capacity to establish operational alliances and agreements with potential partners both at home and among the participating states in mobility programmes; considers that the equivalent regions or administrative entities remain the most appropriate structures to manage vocational training and apprenticeships, and encourages them to administer this field responsibly, in close cooperation not only with SMEs but also with schools and chambers of commerce and industry;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Encourages further measures to facilitate access by disadvantaged groups and people with special needs to Erasmus+ mobility actions; stresses in particular the special needs of people with disabilities, who should receive extra assistance in order to maximise their integration into social and economic life;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Supports all accompanying measures first of all to assist apprentices in their wish to go abroad and later to help them better communicate their acquired skills through mobility, and develop their self- assertiveness in order to make the richness of their experience visible and worthwhile; considers it necessary, in advance, to ensure full acquisition of basic knowledge by vocational training students or apprentices, who, in too many cases, have been guided in the direction of Vocational Education and Training because they were early school-leavers; stresses that it is also necessary, in conjunction with the teaching of basic knowledge, to upgrade the status of vocational careers, which should no longer be regarded as sidings into which people are shunted but appreciated for the technical know-how that they entail and their social and economic utility;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Emphasises the importance of quality teacher training and of monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance in the field, and the need to encourage inclusiveness and tolerance in mobility programmfor vocational training, like general education, to include civic education, which is vital for the integration of all into the life of society and the assimilation of European values;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises the need, at all levels, for good communication vis-à-vis entrepreneurs to have them on board for further recognition of the experienced acquired by the young people taking advantage of mobility schemes; recalls furthermore that, unfortunately, many SMEs which wish to train or recruit one or more apprentices are often discouraged by the administrative and financial constraints attached to this status; insists therefore that the associated procedures, at local, regional and national level, be simplified in order to facilitate links between vocational training students who are seeking apprenticeships and undertakings;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports all measures in line with Erasmus+ objectives taken by entrepreneurs to develop mobility schemes for young employees or apprentices either by branch of activity or in interaction with bodies representing the industries, such as chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of skilled and craft trades and the relevant trade unions;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Asks for the setting up of a one-stop- shop mechanism in each Member State, supplemented by a transnational coordination agency, for pooling data and communication tools in order to provide a convenient and efficient service for those seeking information and support on the various mobility programmes existing at EU, national, regional and local level;