28 June 2018

Social partners of the tech & industry sector join the European Alliance for Apprenticeships

And pledge to promote high-quality and effective Vocational Education & Training (VET)

Ceemet and industriAll Europe, the representative European social partners in the metal industry, have long been jointly advocating for first-class vocational education and training (VET) strategies to support the Metal, Engineering and Technology-based (MET) sector in thriving in, and adapting to a fast-evolving world.

European Alliance for Apprenticeships

As they join the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, industriAll Europe and Ceemet give a further push to the promotion of quality and effective apprenticeships schemes and the improvement of VET image and attractiveness towards youth, hence taking up the skills challenge in the MET industries.

Highlight of the the social partner conference was the official signing of the Pledge on apprenticeships by Ceemet and industriAll Europe (see Attachements). With this pledge, industriAll Europe and its 181 trade unions affiliates in 38 countries as well as Ceemet and its member organisations in 22 countries of which 20 are in Europe commit to promote quality and effective apprenticeship schemes in the MET sector throughout Europe.

We did not wait for European policy-makers to finally put a great focus on skills, as has been the case in the past couple of years, to stress how instrumental it is for our sectors to secure a highly skilled workforce thanks to initial and continuing vocational education and training”, said Luc Triangle, industriAll Europe General Secretary.

VET and apprenticeships schemes should become more effective and qualitative as they lead to good jobs in an internationally competitive industry. Within the current digital transformation of industry, social partners are the closest to the real challenges and needs that workers and employers face. Specific agreements like the one presented at the conference, show how tailor-made solutions can be achieved through a structured exchange. These initiatives must be rolled out across Europe.” concludes Uwe Combüchen.