2020/2818(RSP) | [ParlTrack]

Citation 1

— having regard to ~~Article~~ Articles 166 and 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Amendment 10 #

Recital A

A. whereas the green and digital transitions as well as demographic trends and globalisation are changing the nature of work, the content of jobs and the skills and qualifications required; whereas upskilling and re-skilling will be crucial to cope with the challenges and the opportunities generated by the accelerating macro trends and will be key to fill the widening skills gap in the EU labour market;

Amendment 100 #

Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls for the full implementation of the Professional Qualifications Directive, as the common training framework included can increase the number of professionals benefitting from the automatic recognition system and supports correlating it with the European Commission's development of a digital and pan-European EU Skills -Passport;

Amendment 101 #

Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to increase their efforts in order to retain foreign students after graduating from EU-university; stresses that granting graduates access to intra- EU mobility and valid jobseekers visa could increase the attractiveness of the EU as a whole;

Amendment 102 #

Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls, therefore, for the automatic recognition of higher education and secondary diplomas and the outcomes of learning periods abroad;

Amendment 103 #

Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls for the unblocking of the current Blue Card proposal in order to provide European companies with the competences necessary for them to remain or become competitive;

Amendment 104 #

Paragraph 6

6. ~~Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has accentu~~Calls on the European Commission and Member Stateds t~~he importance of digital skills, changed the skills demand on the labour market thus increasing the digital skills gap, and exacerbated pre- existing education inequalities~~o make it a priority to close the digital skills gap, by ensuring that vulnerable regions and deprived citizens, as well as those at the risk of social exclusion, including people with disabilities or coming from ethnic minorities have access to digital education and training, the minimum required hardware and widespread access to the Internet;

Amendment 105 #

Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of digital skills, changed the skills demand on the labour market thus increasing the digital skills gap, and exacerbated pre-existing education inequalities; underlines that equal opportunities for all are key, that incentives are needed to ensure the more vulnerable have access to computers, broadband connections, digital supports and other technological learning tools, and that support must be given to these categories to raise the digital skills they need to thrive and to avoid deepening inequalities, ensuring that no one is left behind;

Amendment 106 #

Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of ~~digital skill~~both basic and advanced digital skills and resilient education systems and their ability to adjust between in-person, distance and online and hybrid methods of teaching; further notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has, changed the skills demand on the labour market thus increasing the digital skills gap, and exacerbated pre-existing education inequalities;

Amendment 107 #

Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of digital skills, changed the skills demand on the labour market thus increasing the digital skills gap, and exacerbated pre-existing education inequalities; highlights the need for highly-skilled specialists to be trained and equipped with digital skills and innovative and entrepreneur thinking;

Amendment 108 #

Paragraph 6

Amendment 109 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Regrets that gender gaps persist in women’s access to skills development and participation in the labour market;[1] underlines that the main challenges women face include barriers to education and training in STEM subjects, sociocultural and economic constraints, especially in rural and informal economies, and a severe lack in promoting women’s equal opportunities to choose often male dominated occupations; calls for the Commission to encourage mentoring networks, thereby allowing more female role models to encourage women to make alternative choices to classically gender stereotyped occupations;[1] ILO Policy brief, August 2020;

Amendment 11 #

Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the 'European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience' has been delivered in full compliance with the European Pillar of Social Rights and notably with its first principle which establishes that 'everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market';

Amendment 110 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Recalls that except of the digital skills gap, the COVID-19 crises revealed also the lack of internet connection and digital tools among vulnerable groups of persons like persons coming from disadvantaged background, minorities or persons with disabilities; believes that strengthening of the digital skills must be accompanied by the increased access to the internet and digital tools with the special attention to the most vulnerable groups;

Amendment 111 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Underlines the significant role of digital solutions such as teleworking, for which the development of digital skills is crucial; stresses the numerous opportunities it offers to improve the working conditions of employees, including for employees close to the age of retirement, as well as to provide a more inclusive work environment, especially for work-life balance purposes and people with disabilities;

Amendment 112 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes with great interest the opportunity provided by the spread of digital work for the social inclusion for people with disabilities and calls for a particular focus to be places by the Commission in its recommendations to Member States on ways to improve their access to digital skilling or re-skilling, coordinating it with the new needs of the emerging global digital economy;

Amendment 113 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Regrets that austerity measures caused cuts in investments in public education and training programmes and led to growing inequalities, preventing many young and adult learners to have access to quality education and training opportunities, thus widening skills gaps;

Amendment 114 #

Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to support the offer of training for workers in receipt of short-time work or partial unemployment allowances including via the SURE scheme and on Member States to offer suitable training measures for affected workers;

Amendment 115 #

Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on employers to adapt workplace practices that capitalise on the skills of the workforce and supporting skills development through focus on the education of the next generation of managers on issues regarding the deployment of organisational practices leveraging skills utilisation and development, as well as on backing national governments and social partners in developing networks and support structures to advice organisations on the most suitable combination of workplace practices for their circumstances;

Amendment 116 #

Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Notes that in the context of rising teleworking, the Commission and Member States must make skills fostering this new way of work central to their strategies; underlines that tele-education and tele- schools pose challenges to both educators and recipients of education alike and that the skills needed to deliver tele-education and the training of trainers and educators are a short-term priority for Europe at this time;

Amendment 117 #

Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Has no doubt that guidance is crucial to support motivated, smart career choices and prevent early leaving from education and training, and that support during studies and training is also key to a successful learning path and skills development;

Amendment 118 #

Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Calls for the facilitation of recognition and portability of attainments in the field of non-formal and informal learning, including those developed in digitally-enabled employment forms such as platform work;

Amendment 119 #

Paragraph 6 d (new)

6d. Reminds the importance of a European legislative framework that has the aim of regulating telework conditions and the right to disconnect across the Union and ensure decent working and employment conditions in the digital economy driven by the acquisition of new skills;

Amendment 12 #

Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas education in the digital age includes digital formal education but also the informal and non-formal education in technical, soft and citizen skills throughout the European citizens' lifetime;

Amendment 120 #

Paragraph 7

7. Calls for immediate and bold European ~~and~~ national and local measures to put digital skills at the heart of the education and training policies, making digital skills, IT tools and internet access available for all, improving digital skills of teachers and trainers and equipping schools, training institutions and universities with the technologies and the digital infrastructure necessary to allow for online and distance learning; supports the envisaged actions by the Commission as set out in the Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027;

Amendment 121 #

Paragraph 7

Amendment 122 #

Paragraph 7

7. Calls for immediate ~~and bold European and national measur~~European national, regional and local measures and resources to put digital skills at the heart of the education and training policies, ~~making digital skill~~while safeguarding a high level of reading and mathematical skills among learners, making digital skills, IT tools and internet access available for all, improving digital skills of teachers and trainers and equipping schools, training institutions, VET providers and universities with public and independent online learning platforms and other technologies and the digital infrastructure necessary to allow for online and distance learning, as well as blended learning; supports the envisaged actions by the Commission as set out in the Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027;

Amendment 123 #

Paragraph 7

7. Calls for immediate and bold European and national measures to put digital skills at the heart of the education and training policies, making digital skills available for all, improving digital skills of teachers and trainers and equipping schools, training institutions, organisations active in the field of adult education, and universities with the technologies necessary to allow for online and distance learning; supports the envisaged actions by the Commission as set out in the Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027; underlines the importance of incentives for the development of digital learning content and core curricula modules in line with labour market needs, focusing on digital and green skills, including through on-line training platforms;

Amendment 124 #

Paragraph 7

7. Calls for immediate and bold European and national measures and evaluation mechanisms to put digital skills at the heart of the education and training policies, making digital skills available for all, improving digital skills of teachers and trainers and equipping schools, training institutions and universities with the technologies necessary to allow for online and distance learning; stresses, in this regard, the importance of a genuine lifelong learning approach; supports the envisaged actions by the Commission as set out in the Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027 and calls for stronger cooperation between the Commission and the Member States in this area;

Amendment 125 #

Paragraph 7

7. Calls for immediate and bold European and national measures to put digital skills at the heart of the education and training policies, making digital skills, IT tools and internet access available for all, improving digital skills of teachers and trainers and equipping schools, training institutions and universities with the technologies necessary to allow for online and distance learning; supports the envisaged actions by the Commission as set out in the Skills Agenda and the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027;

Amendment 126 #

Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Deplores the fact that we still have in Europe children without any access to education, as well as pupils and students without any or adequate access to digital education due to a lack of any or adequate digital equipment, software or internet connection; reiterates the need to improve connectivity at all levels, in particular in rural and remote areas where it is often lacking, and to increase access to digital equipment; points to the cutting-edge innovation in educational computers, tablets and software in Europe;

Amendment 127 #

Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Underlines that the consequences of COVID-19 offer a unique opportunity to accelerate the digital and technological revolution in lifelong learning, which can break physical barriers, where possible, and increase significantly its reach and impact; encourages Member States and education providers to increase location- less learning opportunities, allowing students in remote and rural areas or abroad to access courses around the EU without location constraints;

Amendment 128 #

Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Stresses that European and national measures, including educational programmes and targeted investments, should be developed and implemented with the ultimate aim of ensuring the citizens' readiness and preparation for future jobs which require digital skills, in order to seize the full potential of the digital transition in the EU labour market and make full use of new working methods by companies, such as telework;

Amendment 129 #

Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission to promote sustainable investment in quality apprenticeship provision, adult participation in lifelong learning and employee training as priorities within the European Semester and the Social Scoreboard.

Amendment 13 #

Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas formal education and training systems are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to the full range of individual and social needs and demands in an ever changing world;

Amendment 130 #

Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Points out the need to further clarify the European Universities initiative and its ambition to set standards for higher education in the EU; reiterates that successful cooperation between universities has always relied on bottom- up approach, academic independence and excellence and that the Bologna process accounts for a major tool in terms of university cooperation in the EU and beyond;

Amendment 131 #

Paragraph 8

8. Notes that the green transition is an important driver of labour demand across all sectors and can create millions of jobs; recalls that a successful transition to a green economy needs to go hand in hand with skilling, re-skilling and upskilling measures to develop the skills, knowledge and competence required by a green economy; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s actions to support the acquisition of skills for the green transition; calls for swift action to avoid skills bottlenecks in this area and allow the EU to remain a global leader in the green economy;deleted

Amendment 132 #

Paragraph 8

8. Notes that the green transition is an very important driver of labour demand across all sectors and can create millions of quality jobs; recalls that a successful socially just transition to a ~~green~~fully renewables-based, highly resource and energy-efficient, climate-neutral and circular economy needs to go hand in hand with skilling, re-skilling and upskilling measures to develop the required skills, knowledge and competence ~~required by a green economy; welcome~~s; calls in this respect on the Commission~~’s actions to~~ to be more ambitious by improving its overall action, including stepping up its support for the acquisition of skills ~~for the green transition~~needed to achieve a socially just transition to a fully renewables-based, highly resource and energy-efficient, climate-neutral and circular economy by 2040; calls for swift action to avoid skills bottlenecks in this area and allow the EU to remain a global leader in the green economy;

Amendment 133 #

Paragraph 8

Amendment 134 #

Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Stresses that 90% of jobs require basic digital skills[1] and women only represent17% of people in ICT[2]studies and careers in the EU[3]and only 36% of STEM[4] graduates[5], despite the fact that girls outperform boys in digital literacy[6]; underlines that work is needed to break this gender imbalance; [1] European Commission, ‘ICT for Work: Digital Skills in the Workplace’, 2017. [2]Information and Communications Technology. [3] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/product s-eurostat-news/-/EDN-20180425-1. [4] Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. [5] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/9540ffa1-4478-11e9- a8ed-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. [6] 2018International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS).

Amendment 135 #

Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Highlights that student and teacher mobility is one of the main tools to exchange ideas, best practices and increase the quality of skills training across the Union; insists that such mobility has to be accessible and inclusive; notes that, while physical mobility should always take a prime role, virtual learning will become increasingly important as a complement and, as evidenced by COVID-19 measures, also as a replacement in extremis;

Amendment 136 #

Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Notes that creative and artistic skills are essential for the economy and call for the introduction of a more horizontal approach by the Skills Agenda in order to include them into all curricula;

Amendment 137 #

Paragraph 9

9. Stresses that the implementation of the Skills Agenda requires appropriate funding both on the European ~~and~~ national and local level; expects that the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and Next Generation EU will provide for significant resources for skills development; recalls that the main ~~competence~~responsibility for up- and reskilling lies with the Member States and companies and calls therefore on Member States to invest more in skills development and education budgets since important human capital investment is key to ensure sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience; encourages companies to ensure up-reskilling and re-skilling their workforce and enhance provision of apprenticeship in line with the Quality Framework for Traineeships and European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships; calls in this regard on the Commission to review existing European instruments such as the Quality Framework for Traineeships and the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships and to insert quality criteria for the offers, including the principle of fair remuneration for trainees and interns, access to social protection, sustainable employment and social rights; stresses that these criteria would ensure their the transition into stable, quality employment and helps to ensure gender-balanced opportunities for people across sectors, opportunities that offer long-term security, social protection and equal and decent working conditions, and that do not contribute to the creation of precarious employment;

Amendment 138 #

Paragraph 9

9. Stresses that the implementation of the Skills Agenda requires appropriate funding both on the European and national level; expects that the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and Next Generation EU will provide for significantly increased resources for skills development, with an adequate budget assigned to relevant programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe; recalls that the main competence for up- and reskilling lies with the Member States and calls therefore on Member States to invest more in skills development and education budgets since important human capital investment is key to ensure sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience; calls on the Member States to prioritise reskilling and upskilling in their recovery and resilience plans; calls on Member States to ensure the Just Transition Fund and ESF+ supports integrated plans at local level to help upskilling and reskilling especially for the most vulnerable groups – including people at risk of becoming unemployed- to ensure every person in vulnerable sectors can requalify and develop new skills to remain active in the labour market and benefit from the green and digital transitions; points out the potential of Individual Learning Accounts, a funding mechanism key to the Skills Agenda implementation, as a step towards universal lifelong learning entitlements, which provided the quality of the education and training offered be high;

Amendment 139 #

Paragraph 9

Amendment 14 #

Recital B

B. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated changeds in the world of work and reinforced the need to ~~update the skills set~~invest in digital and technological skills as well as sof ~~the European workforce, in particular as regards digital and technological skills as well as~~ t skills such as resilience and adaptability; whereas the pandemic has disrupted educational and training activities, particularly affecting VET learners, and lead to increasi~~lience and adaptability;~~ ng unemployment, in particular among young people who struggle to transition from education to work;

Amendment 140 #

Paragraph 9

Amendment 141 #

Paragraph 9

Amendment 142 #

Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on Member States to ensure the Just Transition Fund and ESF+ have sufficient funding and support integrated plans at local level to help upskilling and reskilling especially for the most vulnerable groups, including people at risk of becoming unemployed,- to ensure every person in vulnerable sectors can requalify and develop new skills to remain active in the labour market and benefit from the green and digital transitions;

Amendment 143 #

Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on Member States to ensure the Just Transition Fund and ESF+ supports integrated plans at local level to help upskilling and re-skilling especially for the most vulnerable groups – including people at risk of becoming unemployed - to ensure every person in vulnerable sectors can requalify and develop new skills to remain active in the labour market and benefit from the green and digital transitions;

Amendment 144 #

Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls for the potential of programs such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, Creative Europe, the Digital Europe Programme and the Youth and Children Guarantees to be continuously explored by Commission and Member States in order to foster permanent skilling correlation with job market needs;

Amendment 145 #

Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Emphasises the potential opportunities offered by the Erasmus + programme especially in the adult education field, and the need to reinforce its 2021-2027 budget;

Amendment 146 #

Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Calls for the establishment of paid educational leave policies in line with the ILO Paid Educational Leave Convention to allow workers to attend training programs during work hours and at no personal cost in order to promote lifelong learning; calls on the Member States to ensure access to training to unemployed workers by granting subsidies such as unemployment benefits, so that also the unemployed and workers with atypical forms of employment have the opportunity to access education, training and lifelong learning; such benefits should include the training expenses and a training allowance to replace their lost earnings during the period of training;

Amendment 147 #

Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Calls for the establishment of paid educational leave policies in line with the ILO Paid Educational Leave Convention that allows workers to attend training programmes during work hours and at no personal cost in order to promote lifelong learning;

Amendment 148 #

Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Encourages the Commission and Member States to ensure the availability of vocational and career guidance for youth that includes the development of entrepreneurial skills;

Amendment 149 #

Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Underlines the importance for corporate investment in formal and informal training and in life-long learning to ensure fair training and workforce transitions and the promotion of training and learning during working hours; points out that employees should be able to participate in the redistribution of company profits amongst others through investment in skills, and that companies should grant paid leaves with the right of return and means of subsistence with allowances to replace their earnings;

Amendment 15 #

Recital B

B. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has changed the world of work, a~~nd reinforced~~ccelerating redundancy and obsolescence of many jobs and increasing dramatically the need to update the skills sets of the European workforce, in particular as regards digital and technological skills as well as resilience and adaptability;

Amendment 150 #

Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Notes that the main source of EU education funding is the European Social Fund+ and stresses the importance of ensuring that these funds remain available for this purpose, especially in times of crisis;

Amendment 151 #

Paragraph 10

10. Underlines the need for education and lifelong learning systems to be inclusive and accessible for all to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities; calls on the Commission and in particular the Member States to ensure equal access to quality education and to facilitate access to skills development for ~~disadvantaged groups and vulnerable citizens;~~ all, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, and including low- qualified/skilled adults and people with a migrant background; calls the Commission to address the Skills Agenda from a social inclusion approach in order to build sustainable and resilient education systems; encourages the involvement various educational stakeholders at local or regional level, in particular social services, civil society and non-formal education providers to increase outreach and inclusiveness of education offers;

Amendment 152 #

Paragraph 10

10. Underlines the need for education ~~and~~, outreach, guidance and motivation strategies as well as lifelong learning systems to be inclusive, flexible and accessible for all, in order to promote both labour market competitivity and social inclusion and equal opportunities; calls on the Commission and in particular the Member States to ensure equal access to quality education and to facilitate access to skills development for disadvantaged groups ~~and~~, vulnerable citizens and adult learners;

Amendment 153 #

Paragraph 10

10. Underlines the need for education and lifelong learning systems to be inclusive and accessible for all to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities; calls on the ~~Commission and in particular the~~ Member States to ensure equal access to quality education and to facilitate access ~~to skills development~~ for disadvantaged groups and vulnerable citizens to skills development, as they are liable to be unemployed and less qualified, while also taking into account gender and geographical factors;

Amendment 154 #

Paragraph 10

Amendment 155 #

Paragraph 10

10. Underlines the need for education and lifelong learning systems to be of high quality inclusive and accessible for all to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities; calls on the Commission and in particular the Member States to ensure equal access to ~~quality~~ education and to facilitate access to quality programmes for skills development for disadvantaged groups and vulnerable citizens; calls for the Member States to ensure support from social services to identify and reach those that are furthest from labour market; underlines the need for innovative local solutions to re-think how to address the skills gap and mismatch;

Amendment 156 #

Paragraph 10

Amendment 157 #

Paragraph 10

Amendment 158 #

Paragraph 10

Amendment 159 #

Paragraph 10

10. Underlines the need for education and lifelong learning systems to be inclusive and accessible for all, particularly with regards to NEETs, disabled and homeless people, to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities; calls on the Commission and in particular the Member States to ensure equal access to quality education and to facilitate access to skills development for disadvantaged groups and vulnerable citizens;

Amendment 16 #

Recital B

B. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has changed the world of work and reinforced the need to update the skills sets of the European workforce, in particular as regards digital and technological skills as well as resilience and adaptability; whereas these needs will be even more urgent with the bigger use of the Artificial Intelligence which might completely change the work patterns and substitute some types of activities;

Amendment 160 #

Paragraph 10

Amendment 161 #

Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Recalls that measures have to be taken so that the impact of the crisis does not widen gender inequality, mitigating the disproportionate and long-lasting impact on women's rights, incomes and social protection and preventing further inequalities and discriminations in the world of work, paying particular attention to the highly gendered labour market, the digital and green transition, and the unequal distribution of unpaid domestic and care work; highlights that skilling, upskilling and re-skilling play a key role to reduce the gender gap in employment and calls on the EU and the member states to ensure that women access quality lifelong learning and training, particularly after periods of absence for care reasons, taking strong measures to overcome the lack of time and resources and addressing gender bias and gender stereotypical choices in sectors where women are under-represented such as the digital and green sectors;

Amendment 162 #

Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Underlines that education participants potential can be boosted through practice and stresses in this context the importance of increasing the influence of employers on the model of the vocational education system; emphasises that employers are to play an important role in providing opportunities for teachers and trainers, internships in enterprises, and thus to contribute to increasing the professional competences of teachers and trainers; calls for closer cooperation between business and education at all levels by providing internship and apprenticeship programmes in companies for VET learners and students;

Amendment 163 #

Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Stresses the importance to reach people in rural and remote areas and make up-skilling and reskilling opportunities more accessible and designed for people working in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and other jobs in these regions, and to provide them with green, digital and all the necessary skills to better grasp present and future opportunities offered by the green and blue economy, and to allow them to give an important contribution to the preservation of the environment;

Amendment 164 #

Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Recalls therefore that out-of- school programmes and non-formal and informal learning, including volunteering activities, are important to provide adaptable learning opportunities and new skills and knowledge to the majority of people who are beyond the reach of formal education;

Amendment 165 #

Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls for the avoidance of stereotypes and gender stereotyping through training because it is linked to employability and creates a vicious circle, thus perpetuating a pronounced segregation of labour;

Amendment 166 #

Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Underlines the need to increase attractiveness of the teaching profession and treating teachers' high social status as a strategic direction for action in individual countries of the European Union; stresses that attracting the best candidates for the teaching profession, improving qualifications and upskilling of senior teachers should be treated as priority by the Commission and the Member States;

Amendment 167 #

Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Underlines that the main competence for up- and re-skilling lies with the Member States, in order to achieve the twin ecological and digital transitions, there is a real opportunity and benefit to developing a pan-EU high-tech skills One-Stop-Shop that coordinates best practice, industry-led high-tech up/re- skilling which is data driven for the determination of skills needs across the EU;

Amendment 168 #

Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Stresses the importance of transversal, interpersonal and intercultural skills, in addition to digital and technical skills, in ensuring a rounded education for individuals, in tackling present and future global challenges and in supporting the digital and green transitions, making them more inclusive and fairer;

Amendment 169 #

Paragraph 10 c (new)

10c. Emphasises the need for investment in education and training and gender-sensitive recruitment and selection processes across private and public sectors, and particularly in future- oriented sectors such as STEM and the digital sector where women are underrepresented; highlights in that regard that discrimination on grounds of gender damages not only the individual but also society as a whole;

Amendment 17 #

Recital B

B. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has changed the world of work and reinforced the need to update the skills sets of the European workforce, in particular as regards digital and technological skills as well as resilience and adaptability; whereas the enforced lockdown during the COVID-19crisis provides the opportunity for workers to update their skills;

Amendment 170 #

Paragraph 10 d (new)

10d. Underlines that the important role of the EU instruments, such as Youth Guarantee, Erasmus Programme and European Solidarity Corps among others, in insuring the development of quality skills development and promotion of learning mobility opportunities;

Amendment 171 #

Paragraph 11

11. Notes the Commission’s envisaged actions to promote Skills for Life, in particular the updating of the European Agenda for Adult Learning; encourages the Commission to deepen this focus by embedding life skills into all sectors of education and training; Stresses that life skills are also to be understood outside of labour market needs; underlines that all citizens should have access to skills for personal development, in order to be empowered in today's fast changing societies; reminds that this is particularly important to support citizens’ resilience in times of crisis, where attention is also paid to wellbeing; calls on the Commission and Member States to give specific attention to the development of soft skills such as analytical skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship skills, teamwork, communication, adaptability, creativity, innovation and critical thinking, which will become even more important ~~in the~~for active citizenship and the world of work post- COVID-19 ~~world of work;~~ ; stresses that these life skills shall be promoted as well among teachers and trainers that need to have the right competences and the necessary equipment and resources to teach those skills; highlights that non-formal and informal learning environments are important for these and other skills to be developed and acquired;

Amendment 172 #

Paragraph 11

11. Notes the Commission’s envisaged actions to promote Skills for Life, in particular the updating of the European Agenda for Adult Learning; calls on the ~~Commission and~~ Member States to give specific attention to the development of soft skills such as analytical skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship skills, teamwork, communication, adaptability, creativity, innovation and critical thinking, which will become even more important in the post- COVID-19 world of work;

Amendment 173 #

Paragraph 11

11. Notes the Commission’s envisaged actions to promote Skills for Life, in particular the updating of the European Agenda for Adult Learning; calls on the Commission and Member States to give specific attention to the development of soft skills such as analytical skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship skills, teamwork, communication, adaptability, creativity, innovation ~~and~~, critical thinking and language skills, which will become even more important in the post- COVID-19 world of work;

Amendment 174 #

Paragraph 11

11. Notes the Commission’s envisaged actions to promote Skills for Life, in particular the updating of the European Agenda for Adult Learning; calls on the Commission and Member States to give specific attention to the development of soft skills such as analytical skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship skills, teamwork, communication, cooperation, responsibility, adaptability, creativity, innovation and critical thinking, which will become even more important in the post- COVID-19 world of work;

Amendment 175 #

Paragraph 11

11. Notes the Commission’s envisaged actions to promote Skills for Life, in particular the updating of the European Agenda for Adult Learning; calls on the Commission and Member States to give specific attention to the development of soft skills such as analytical skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurship ~~skills~~and financial skills, empowerment, teamwork, communication, adaptability, creativity, innovation and critical thinking, which will become even more important in the post- COVID-19 world of work;

Amendment 176 #

Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Whereas these tools allow us to develop the self-knowledge needed to nurture essential principles and values and transcend our own private and selfish interests, resulting in a more humane society;

Amendment 177 #

Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Whereas technical capacity building should, in the service of human virtue, help to strengthen the human character and spirit;

Amendment 178 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age; calls on the ~~Commission and~~ Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay in the labour market;

Amendment 179 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, ~~including at~~anchoring life-long learning culture from a young until an older age; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay in the labour market;

Amendment 18 #

Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the already increased importance of digital skills and digital literacy, accelerated the digital skills demand on the labour market thus increasing the divide between the countries, regions and citizens who had access to adequate digital education or skills training, as well as required technology components and good Internet connections and those who did or do not, leading to a widening digital gap;

Amendment 180 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age and combating unemployment among elderly people in the EU remains important; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay in the labour market;

Amendment 181 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in individualized upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and ~~stay~~thus stay active in the labour market; reach good quality of life and the sufficient level of independence; underlines that special attention should be paid to the improvement of digital skills and guaranteeing internet access and improving digital infrastructure, in particular in rural and remote areas;

Amendment 182 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay longer in the labour market; underlines that older generations are also a precious resource in terms of experience, which should be encouraged to be shared to increase skills in younger generations of workers;

Amendment 183 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay in the labour market; notes in this regard the role of community centres, libraries and tailored distance learning solutions in order to make lifelong learning more accessible to older people;

Amendment 184 #

Paragraph 12

12. Points out that in an ageing society, it is crucial to ensure learning throughout life, including at an older age; calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater attention to older workers and to ensure that they can participate in upskilling and re-skilling programmes allowing them to adapt themselves to changing skills needs and stay in the labour market; notes that digital technologies can offer new methods and opportunities for adult and elderly people's education too;

Amendment 185 #

Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Underlines the need of increasing the number of children under the age of 3 in early childhood education and care (ECEC), and putting a greater emphasis on development from the first years of a child's life, research skills and a creative approach to learning about the world; points out that early start of pre-school education has a significant impact on achieving better outcomes in the later stages of education, and the imbalance in participation in ECEC can contribute to the diversification of opportunities and educational activities of children from the earliest stages of development;

Amendment 186 #

Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Highlights the importance of education and skills to address gender bias and support gender equality; stresses the need to reduce the gender gap in different fields, in particular STE(A)M and traditionally (fe)male occupations; calls on the Commission to consider the gender dimension and ensure gender- balanced participation in actions under the Skills Agenda;

Amendment 187 #

Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Regrets that people with disabilities continue to be disadvantaged in the labour market and that too often their lack of access to education and training may be responsible for their exclusion from the labour market;

Amendment 188 #

Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the need for a swift implementation of the actions announced by the Commission to meet the skills needs of the labour market and to contribute to a swift recovery from the COVID-19 crisis; calls on the Commission to provide a clear timeline of the envisaged actions;

Amendment 189 #

Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the need for a swift implementation of the actions announced by the Commission, within specified timelines, to meet the skills needs of the labour market and to contribute to a swift recovery from the COVID-19 crisis;

Amendment 19 #

Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas key competences are crucial in the knowledge society and in a lifelong learning context, as they guarantee more flexibility in adapting to changing societies and labour markets;

Amendment 190 #

Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls for support for the development of the EuroSkills initiative by financing joint projects, exchanging experiences, building the potential of institutions providing training for the needs of EuroSkills, creating EuroSkills- master classes, industry campuses for talented youth, training system for trainers and industry experts;

Amendment 191 #

Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Underlines the need for solutions aimed at enabling companies and private employers to encourage and support at- work trainings and training leave, including by examining training vouchers or the automatic recognition of at-work acquired skills;

Amendment 2 #

Citation 3 a (new)

— having regard to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Paid Educational Leave Convention of 1974;

Amendment 20 #

Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas numerous inequalities persist in the access to education and skills for vulnerable groups in society, as well as between genders, with citizens stemming from different ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or women being less likely to have the opportunity to learn new skills;

Amendment 21 #

Recital C

C. whereas individuals need to be equipped with the skills required by the labour market ~~and~~in order to have, inter alia, the ability to quickly adapt to changing skills demands throughout their lifetime and with skills needed to reinforce their democratic and civic values and become proactive citizens; whereas 37% to 69% of tasks in the EU could be automated throughout many sectors, leading to a significant change in the performance on the job14; __________________ 14 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId =en&catId=89&newsId=9150&furtherNew s=yes

Amendment 22 #

Recital C

C. whereas individuals need to be equipped with the skills required by the labour market and the ability to quickly adapt to changing skills demands throughout their lifetime; whereas 37% to 69% of tasks in the EU could be automated throughout many sectors, leading to a significant change in the performance on the job14; ~~__________________ 14~~ whereas according to Eurofound research 28% of workers report having the skills to cope with more demanding duties; __________________ [1] https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsplangId =en&catId=89&newsId=9150&furtherNe ws=yes 14 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId =en&catId=89&newsId=9150&furtherNew s=yes

Amendment 23 #

Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas upskilling and reskilling is not only an individual but also a social responsibility, as low level of basic skills and low participation of adults in training activities reduce their work opportunities in the labour market, generating social and economic inequalities and contributing to high levels of poverty;

Amendment 24 #

Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the ambition of the European Deal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and the target to cut Co2 emissions with 60% by 2030 will mean a transition to a climate-neutral, circular, energy-efficient economy; whereas this will fundamentally impact all sectors of the economy and re-skilling of the workforce and a focus on green skills in all educational paths will be crucial to accomplish a just transition that leaves no one behind;

Amendment 25 #

Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas already 85% of citizens used the internet in 2019 and only 58% possessed at least basic digital skills1a; whereas the employment landscape is rapidly evolving and it is estimated that 65% of today´s children entering primary school will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that still do not exist1b; __________________ 1aDigital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020, European Commission 1bThe World Economic Forum, "The future of jobs" September 2018

Amendment 26 #

Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas critical thinking is besides the technological and digitals skills one of the key skills people need in the digital era; whereas there is a clear need to strengthen critical thinking among all groups of citizens in order to enable them to enjoy the full potential of the digital tools and protect them from their dangers;

Amendment 27 #

Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the current generation of young people are highly skilled; whereas skilling, reskilling and upskilling are not the only answer to the lack of jobs for young people; whereas the creation of quality and sustainable jobs, on the other hand, is key to their stability;

Amendment 28 #

Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas modern, innovative and inclusive education systems with digital technologies at their core are well placed to prepare new generations of professionals for future challenges and opportunities;

Amendment 29 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to quality and inclusive skilling, upskilling and re-skilling ~~opportunitie~~provisions for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in deprived urban areas, rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience; whereas Eurofound research shows that inequality in workers’ access to training has increased[1]; [1] https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/def ault/files/ef_publication/field_ef_docume nt/ef19004en.pdf Eurofound (2019), How your birthplace affects your workplace

Amendment 3 #

Citation 12 a (new)

— having regard to the European Commission communication entitled ‘A New Industrial Strategy for Europe’ which states that ‘the twin ecological and digital transitions will affect every part of the economy, society and industry, which competitiveness depends on recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce and is foreseen that in the next five years alone, 120 million Europeans will have to up- skill or re-skill,

Amendment 30 #

Recital E

Amendment 31 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in sparsely and depopulated rural orand remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 32 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities, to information on skills resources and the need for them, counselling, education and vocational training for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 33 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to quality and inclusive skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in deprived urban areas and rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 34 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in deprived urban areas, rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 35 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups, elderly people and people living in rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 36 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in rural or remote areas and islands, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience;

Amendment 37 #

Recital E

E. whereas equal access to skilling, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities for all people, including for vulnerable groups and people living in rural or remote areas, is crucial for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, in particular in terms of increasing educational, professional and social activity in all social groups, especially among people with low skills or at risk of social exclusion;

Amendment 38 #

Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas in some EU countries the amount of time children devoted to school activities halved during the COVID-19 crisis; whereas closure of education and training institutions, even if temporary, can have significant consequences for learners, negatively impact the learning outcomes and increase existing inequalities1b;

Amendment 39 #

Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas, unlike the compulsory school system, adult learning is a voluntary commitment entered into out of personal or professional motivation, which represents more of a challenge for education and training providers;

Amendment 4 #

Citation 12 b (new)

— having regard to the European Commission communication entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ which states that ‘in order to make all of the change referenced above possible, pro-active re- skilling and up-skilling are necessary to reap the benefits of the ecological transition',

Amendment 40 #

Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas having up to date skills facilitate people to stay employed in the labour market and to be socially included, which is fundamental also for the mental health and lives of millions of our citizens;

Amendment 41 #

Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas skills development and lifelong learning must be accompanied by other employment measures to ensure high-quality jobs, as well as fair wages and working conditions;

Amendment 42 #

Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas there is no such thing as different skills by sex but there are gender differences in terms of choice and career development;

Amendment 43 #

Recital F

F. whereas education, training and skills policies are in the competence of the Member States; whereas the EU plays an important role in supporting, coordinating and complementing the actions of the Member States in these areas; whereas Union programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps play an important role in the upskilling of young people;

Amendment 44 #

Recital F

F. whereas education, training and skills policies are in the competence of the Member States; whereas the EU plays an important role in supporting, coordinating and complementing the actions of the Member States in these areas; whereas, however new challenges require the mobilisation of European tools and supporting policies within the European Education Area;

Amendment 45 #

Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas digital technologies should however be perceived as a tool to provide quality education and training; whereas in the future there would be an increased need for digital skills (coding, logistics and robotics) which will concern not only the IT education courses but will touch upon the curriculum as a whole;

Amendment 46 #

Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas opportunities of digitally- enabled training and skills development should be better explored and facilitated, for example online training for vulnerable groups or staff of SMEs requiring more flexible training provision in close cooperation with the responsible regional institutions and bodies;

Amendment 47 #

Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the participation rates in the early childhood education and care in Europe for children under 3 are still below 33% in half of the EU countries1c; __________________ 1cKey Data on Early Childhood Education and Care Education and Training in Europe, 2019 Edition Eurydice Report, p. 26

Amendment 48 #

Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas according to Eurofound, skills implications related to the deployment of digitally enabled business models, such as platform work, should be better explored and strategically addressed, be it tackling skills mismatches and deskilling or skills development such as for transversal and entrepreneurial skills;

Amendment 49 #

Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas in 2019, 10.2 % of 18-24 year olds in the EU had completed at most a lower secondary education and were not in further education or training (early leavers)1d; __________________ 1dhttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/Early_leavers_from_ education_and_training#Overview

Amendment 5 #

Citation 13 a (new)

— having regard to the Council conclusions of 14 December 2017 on a renewed EU agenda for higher education1a, __________________ 1a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52 017XG1214(01)&from=EN

Amendment 50 #

Recital F c (new)

Fc. whereas the important role played by workplace learning for skills utilisation and development has long been recognized, the ECS 2019 shows that only a minority of organisations coherently combines workplace practices that optimise skills use and support skills development;

Amendment 51 #

Recital F c (new)

Fc. whereas in 2017, 72% of teachers in Europe were women; whereas among teachers working in the EU 9% were under 30 years old, while 36% were aged 50 or older1e; __________________ 1e https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/product s-eurostat-news/-/EDN-20191004- 1#:~:text=Among%20teachers%20workin g%20in%20the,were%20aged%2050%20o r%20older.&text=In%20all%20EU%20M ember%20States,in%202017%20were%20 predominantly%20female.

Amendment 52 #

Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the Commission Communication entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’, which places skills at the heart of the EU policy agenda and ensures that the right to training and lifelong learning~~, enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights,~~ becomes a reality across the Union; ~~welcomes~~takes note of the 12 flagship actions set out in the Communication;

Amendment 53 #

Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the Commission Communication entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’, which places skills at the heart of the EU policy agenda and ensures that the right to quality and inclusive training and lifelong learning, enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights, becomes a reality across the Union; welcomes the 12 flagship actions set out in the Communication; calls on the Commission to conduct research on how to achieve such a right and introduce a stronger monitoring mechanism which requests Member States to set up national action programmes and to present regular national reports on how this right is being ensured;

Amendment 54 #

Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the Commission Communication entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’, which places skills at the heart of the EU policy agenda and ensures that the right to training and lifelong learning, enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights very first principle, becomes a reality across the Union; welcomes the 12 flagship actions set out in the Communication and the quantitative objectives on existing indicators set for 2025;

Amendment 55 #

Paragraph 1

Amendment 56 #

Paragraph 1

Amendment 57 #

Paragraph 1

Amendment 58 #

Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Highlights the importance of access to training and re-skilling of workers in industries and sectors that need to undergo fundamental changes with a view to a green and digital transition; highlights that qualifications and certified competences provide added value to workers, improving their positions in the labour market and can be transferred in labour market transitions; calls for public policy on skills to be oriented to recognition, certification and validation of qualifications and competences; stresses that skills based compensation systems should be established in companies accessing public funds for upskilling workers and in agreement with workers representatives, as this system would ensure that there is a return in that public investment;

Amendment 59 #

Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to provide broad accessibility to skilling and upskilling for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, low-skilled adults, minorities, including the Roma, as well as people with a migrant background;

Amendment 6 #

Citation 17 a (new)

— having regard to the European Working Conditions Survey[1], [1]Sixth European Working Conditions Survey – report. Eurofound, https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/def ault/files/ef_publication/field_ef_docume nt/ef1634en.pdf

Amendment 60 #

Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors involved in skills development in particular social partners and all levels of government, etc. is crucial to ensure that the workforce has the skills needed on the labour market; in this regard, highlights the need to collect up-to-date data and information regarding skills needs and demand on the labour market; supports the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to ~~bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of~~enhance companies’ actions for upskilling and re- skilling Europe’s workforce; calls for Local Pacts for Skills to better reach people from sectors hit the most by COVID-19 crisis and help them requalify to remain active in the labour market;

Amendment 61 #

Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors and between all levels of government involved in skills development is crucial to ensure that the workforce has the skills needed on the labour market; in this regard, highlights the need to collect up-to-date data and information regarding skills needs and demand on the labour market; supports the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to ~~bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of~~enhance companies’ actions for upskilling and re- skilling Europe’s workforce, and calls for Local Pacts for Skills to better reach people from sectors hit the most by COVID-19 crisis and help them requalify to remain active in the labour market;

Amendment 62 #

Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors at local, regional, national and European level, involved in skills development is crucial to ensure that ~~the workforce has~~everyone can acquire the skills needed on the labour market~~; in this regard,~~ and in society at large; highlights the need to collect up-to-date data ~~and~~, information and forecasts regarding skills needs and demand on the labour market, including at local level; supports the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of upskilling and re-skilling Europe’s workforce and enhance companies’ action in this regard; calls to put in place Local Pacts for Skills to better reach people from sectors hit the most by COVID-19 crisis and help them requalify to remain active in the labour market; calls on companies to ensure up- /reskilling their workforce and enhance the provision of apprenticeships in line with the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships;

Amendment 63 #

Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors involved in skills development is crucial to ensure that ~~the workforce~~individuals hasve the skills needed onboth for the labour market and for strengthening social and democratic values to become proactive citizens; in this regard, highlights the need to collect up-to-date data and information ~~regarding~~on skills needs and demand on the labour market and on social skills gaps in order to improve educational opportunities on, inter alia, equality, intercultural dialogue, fundamental rights and the fight against any form of discrimination; supports the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of upskilling and re-skilling Europe’s citizens and workforce;

Amendment 64 #

Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors involved in skills development is crucial to ensure that the workforce has the skills needed on the labour market; in this regard, highlights the need to collect up-to-date data and information regarding skills needs and demand on the labour market; ~~supports~~considers that a careful assessment should be made of the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of upskilling and re- skilling Europe’s workforce;

Amendment 65 #

Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that skills and lifelong learning are vital for sustainable growth, productivity, investment, and innovation and therefore are key factors for the competitiveness of businesses, especially SMEs; Emphasises that close cooperation and exchange of best practices between all relevant actors involved in skills development is crucial to ensure that the workforce has the skills needed on the labour market; in this regard, highlights the need to collect up-to-date data and information regarding skills needs and demand on the labour market; supports the launch of the Pact for Skills, aiming to bring together all stakeholders which share the objective of upskilling and re-skilling Europe’s workforce;

Amendment 66 #

Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls the strategic importance of the initiatives such as EuroSkills and WorldSkills which are model examples of building partnerships between enterprises, government, regional and educational authorities;

Amendment 67 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that ~~moderniz~~improving vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET systems and programmes need to be targeted, well- designed and inclusive in order to provid~~ing~~e all learners with the skills and social competences set to thrive in the labour market, supporting their access to quality job opportunities as well as strengthening their civic and democratic values;

Amendment 68 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizsing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for ~~the green~~coherent green awareness and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market;

Amendment 69 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people ~~and~~, adults and elderly people for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market;

Amendment 7 #

Citation 17 b (new)

— having regard to Eurofound research on the impact of digitalisation on skills use and skills development[1], [1]Impact of computerisation on job profiles (changing tasks within occupations – hence requiring different types of skills): https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/def ault/files/wpef19007.pdf

Amendment 70 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners and VET teachers with the skills set to thrive in the labour market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the EU resources for promotion of VET and encouraging employers to create internship and apprenticeship programs for students of vocational schools and to organize competitions and industry tournaments for students;

Amendment 71 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to ensure that core age and older workers maintain and develop required skills to safeguard employability and extend working life and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners with the skills set to become active and democratic citizens and to thrive in the labour market;

Amendment 72 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted and learner-centred, allowing for flexible individual pathways, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market and in society;

Amendment 73 #

Paragraph 3

Amendment 74 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, tailored, accessible, permeable, and interconnected at EU level, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market; and their lives;

Amendment 75 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market; recalls that modernizing of the VET programmes must go hand in hand with increasing the attractiveness of these programmes for young people so they opt for them not because their results are not good enough for university but because they are interested in the vocational training itself;

Amendment 76 #

Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that modernizing vocational education and training systems is key to prepare young people and adults for the green and digital transitions and to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the Commission proposal for a ‘Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’; stresses that VET programmes need to be targeted, providing learners with the skills set to thrive in the labour market; highlights the importance of best practices related to dual education systems and VET which could contribute to structural changes in the labour market and lead to higher levels of youth employment;

Amendment 77 #

Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Underlines the paramount importance to provide active support to teachers and trainers by adopting an effective policy package to ensure that they are well prepared and upskilled for the digital and green transformation of schools and institutions; believes that educational trade union must be involved in defining the necessary skills and competences to be acquired by teachers and trainers within initial and continuous professional development in relation to the green and digital transition; believes that investments in public education must be highly increased and social dialogue with the trade unions must be a key pillar to guarantee adequate salaries, pensions and fair working conditions for professionals in the educational and training sectors;

Amendment 78 #

Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recalls that vocational skills are one of the driving forces of the European economy and calls for a correlation between conventional education and vocational education and training (VET), where the development of skills in this area, either as a central focus or a complementary part of the options available for both students and adults can boost available opportunities for job- seekers, would foster job mobility and improve labour market resilience in crisis situations;

Amendment 79 #

Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Believes that apprenticeships can play an important role in this regard as they prepare young people for jobs that are in high demand, and can thus contribute to their sustainable integration into the labour market;

Amendment 8 #

Citation 20 a (new)

— having regard the STOA study “Rethinking education in the digital age”[1], [1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank /en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ST U%282020%29641528

Amendment 80 #

Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Advises the Commission to provide recommendations to Member States that correlate VET with the Skills Agenda, bearing in mind national competences and the principle of subsidiarity, with a focus to improve early VET career guidance and maximise the number of opportunities European youth have for their skills development; welcomes in this aspect the input provided on the topic by CEDEFOP and EUROFOUND;

Amendment 81 #

Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to improve the system of skills anticipation to better identify emerging changes in skills needs, deliver ~~training relevant for the labour market~~generic, sectoral and occupation- specific skills where needed and minimise skills bottlenecks and skills imbalances; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s proposed actions to improve skills intelligence; underlines that strengthening career guidance ~~and~~from an early age and equal access to information and support for students and adult learners can help to choose suitable educational and vocational pathways leading to employment opportunities that match their interests, talent and competences reduceing skills mismatches; emphasises the importance of collaboration between employment services and social services to identify and support people who have recently lost or are at the risk of losing their job;

Amendment 82 #

Paragraph 4

Amendment 83 #

Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to improve, with the involvement of the social partners, the system of skills anticipation to better identify emerging changes in skills needs, deliver training relevant for the labour market and minimise skills bottlenecks and skills imbalances; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s proposed actions to improve skills intelligence; highlights that applying artificial intelligence and big data analysis to skills intelligence in the definition of new job profiles need to be monitored regularly and systematically to prevent bias and direct and indirect discrimination, and that corrective measures should be ensured; underlines that strengthening career guidance and equal access to information for students and adult learners can help reduce skills mismatches; emphasises the importance of integrated work between employment services and social services to identify and support people who have recently lost or are at the risk of losing their job;

Amendment 84 #

Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to improve the system of skills anticipation to better identify emerging changes in skills needs, deliver training relevant for the labour market and minimise skills bottlenecks and skills imbalances with the involvement of social partners; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s proposed actions to improve skills intelligence; underlines that strengthening career guidance and equal access to information for students and adult learners can help reduce skills mismatches; emphasises the importance of integrated work between employment services and social services to identify and support people who have recently lost or are at the risk of losing their job;

Amendment 85 #

Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to improve the system of skills anticipation to better identify emerging changes in skills needs, deliver training relevant for the labour market and minimise skills bottlenecks and skills imbalances; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s proposed actions to improve skills intelligence; underlines that strengthening career guidance and access to information for students and adult learners can help reduce skills mismatches; underlines the importance of lifelong guidance in the Skills Agenda and the need to improve the access to quality guidance;

Amendment 86 #

Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Welcomes the recommendation to Member States to strengthen early warning systems with the aim of identifying young people at risk of becoming NEETs; is convinced that preventive actions, such as skills assessments and career and vocational guidance, which focus on helping early school leavers into employment or education before they become unemployed, if appropriately conducted, and the provision of inclusive and non- discriminatory mainstream education could lead to a reduction in the number of NEETs in the longer term;

Amendment 87 #

Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses the need to boost the role of social partners by ensuring that the skills policy encourages collective agreements regarding the definition and regulation of skills and continuing training, by consulting with social partners the competency needs and the update of the curricula of education and training systems, and by co-designing with workers’ representatives on-the-job training to adapt it to the needs of the working force;

Amendment 88 #

Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to insert an indicator on skills gaps in the Social scoreboard, in line with the aims and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which can be useful for policy makers at national level to identify where more efforts are required and to better coordinate at EU level, tracking skills gaps evolutions and progresses, and incentivising an upward convergence among Member States;

Amendment 89 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the ~~mutual recognition of qualifications will~~portability and full recognition of skills and professional qualifications must be strengthened; emphasizes that reducing the amount of regulated occupational standards will stimulate mobility and overall competitiveness while helping to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches;

Amendment 9 #

Citation 31 a (new)

— having regard to its Resolution of 22 October 2020 on the future of European education in the context of Covid-19,

Amendment 90 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome ~~skills~~ shortages and ~~skills~~ mismatches in the labour market;

Amendment 91 #

Paragraph 5

5. ~~Is of the opinion that~~Highlights the need to ensure effective social dialogue on vocational education and training and adult learning to consolidate efficient governance of vocational training at all levels, as well as the need to respect full qualifications and recognition and validation of training, work experience, and non-formal and informal learning; is of the opinion that the recognition of training and the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches and enable adults to obtain full qualification;

Amendment 92 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches; emphasizes the importance of addressing skills shortages and mismatches by facilitating the mobility of learners and cross-border recognition of qualifications through a better use of tools such as the European Qualifications Framework, Europass CV, the European Credit Transfer System, Skills Panorama, ESCO, EURES, etc.;

Amendment 93 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of ~~qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches~~learning outcomes, qualifications and diplomas at all education levels, and progress in the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning, will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches and enable adults to obtain full qualification; welcomes the Commission Communication on achieving the European Education Area by 2025;

Amendment 94 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of qualifications and skills acquired while under employment in another Member State than the one of residence will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches, foster mobility and strengthen Europe's competitiveness;

Amendment 95 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches, more effectively using the skills already available, increasing mobility, making the EU labour market more integrated and resilient;

Amendment 96 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches; underlines that the current tools like new Europass and ECVET should be further improved and expanded;

Amendment 97 #

Paragraph 5

5. Is of the opinion that recognition of training and the mutual recognition of qualifications will help to overcome skills shortages and skills mismatches and enable adults to obtain full qualification;

Amendment 98 #