Education & Training

2023 EDUCATION & TRAINING

On 24 January 2023, Ceemet and ECEG (European Chemicals Employers) organised a joint event on “career guidance in a changing world of work – the case of the MET and chemical industries”. This event that took place in the European Parliamen was hosted by MEP Sylvie Brunet, Renew Europe, France.

2022 EDUCATION & TRAINING

On 9 November 2022, Ceemet adopted its position paper on tackling labour and skills shortages in the MET industries. As all sectors of the economy, the MET industries are facing the double and increasingly aggravated challenge of labour and skills shortages. Whereas skills shortages have been an issue for the MET industries for many years, labour shortages are more of a recent phenomenon.

2022 EDUCATION & TRAINING

As with all sectors of the economy, the current skills shortages and skills gaps are hindering the competitiveness of European MET industries and thus the creation of quality jobs. Moreover, millions of European MET jobs are in a transformation process, in particular in the automotive industry. MET companies have, therefore, a pressing need to easily find and access the rightly skilled workforce that can support the industries in a smoother transition towards a green and digitalised economy. In this light, the need for up-skilling and re-skilling the workforce is today more relevant than ever. As part of its objectives to support the workforce to up-skill and re-skill and remain employable all along their career, the Commission recommends Member States to adopt a European approach to micro-credentials. Ceemet is convinced that “developing a European approach to micro-credentials” can certainly be an added value tool to support the workforce to be trained on labour market needs and to foster a culture of lifelong learning.

2022 EDUCATION & TRAINING

On 10 December 2021, the European Commission issued a proposal for a Council Recommendation on Individual Learning Accounts. Ceemet fully shares the Commission’s objectives aimed at supporting Member States’ reforms in order to increase participation rates of adults in training, reduce skills gaps and boost individual incentives and motivation to seek training. However, we do not believe that establishing ILAs, as the Commission recommends Member States to do, will be the adequate tool to achieve the above objectives. Above all, we consider that ILAs will not be the solution to increase the motivation of workers to participate in training and to foster labour market relevant training. We also fear that ILAs might not be the adequate tool to address the skills gap as they will not ensure, in our opinion, the market relevance of training

2021 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) are set to be part of a Commission proposal for the Council in November/December 2021 based on the outcomes of public consultations. In this 1st phase response Ceemet explains why ILAs might not offer the adequate solution to address the objectives and barriers mentioned in the consultation document.

2020 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes the possibility of contributing to the debate on the update of the Skills Agenda. The majority of the initiatives add value to the debate on skills, but would have more effect if they had been better coordinated.

2019 EDUCATION & TRAINING

A highly skilled mobile workforce is the basis for an internationally competitive industry that provides quality jobs. Ceemet and its members will support the European Commission’s ambition to work towards a European Education Area (EEA). Investing in people and their education and removing the obstacles that hinder (learning) mobility across Europe should be a shared goal of all stakeholders.

2018 EDUCATION & TRAINING

As employers of the Metal, Engineering & Technology-based industries, representing the biggest manufacturing industry in Europe, Ceemet is convinced that a good education policy including excellent Vocational Education and Training (VET), that meets the labour market needs is also key to an effective and sustainable social policy. With this paper, Ceemet seeks to actively shape the future of VET.

2017 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes the objectives of the New Skills Agenda for Europe to ensure that the right skills are available within the EU labour force. We share the Commission’s view that there is a need to increase the level of basic skills in Europe, that Vocational Education and Training (VET) should be a first choice and that digital skills are of crucial importance. However, we have reservations with some of the tools proposed to attain these objectives, e.g. Upskilling pathways: New Opportunities for Adults, formerly known as the Skills Guarantee.

2015 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes the Vocational Education & Training (VET) strategy that was agree in Riga. It re-focuses of the medium-term deliverables in VET, stressing the necessity of excellence in VET. But Ceemet minds to be cautions against pushing apprenticeships as a panacea for youth unemployment.

2013 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes Commission ́s renewed efforts to speed up and catalyze education reform, but stresses the need to properly involve industry representatives and warns against oversimplifying benefits of dual systems.

2013 EDUCATION & TRAINING

While much of the discussion on Continuing Education & Training (CET) centers on increasing uptake, Ceemet would like the debate to focus more on the impact of CET. The Metal, Engineering and Technology-based (MET) industry is a key driver of Europe’s economy and skilled and motivated people are pivotal in keeping manufacturing innovative and competitive. It is therefore absolutely essential that CET supports growth and jobs. It will only do so if better understood and targeted to the needs of the labour market and learners.

2011 EDUCATION & TRAINING

In the context of a globalized economy, there is consensus on the fact that only high value-added business strategies based on high value-added products, services and solutions are sustainable for European industry. Against this background, the importance of the education sector and the Higher Education (HE) sector in particular for a robust, sustainable industry must not be underestimated.

2011 EDUCATION & TRAINING

The Commission launched the flagship initiative by setting out 13 key actions aimed at reforming labour markets, upgrading skills and matching them with market demand. Ceemet welcomes the target to achieve by 2020 an employment rate for women and men of 75 % for the 20-64 years age group and agrees that the fact that the New Skills and Jobs Agenda reiterates the importance of strengthening flexicurity policies, recognises their positive effects during the crisis and proposes reinforcing its four components.

2010 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Skills shortages can be overcome by a joint effort. All stakeholders should together do its fair share to close the skills gap an keep Europe's industry competitive.

2010 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes the overall positive messages regarding Vocational Education & Training (VET) included in the communication on “A new impetus for European cooperation in Vocational Education and Training to support the Europe 2020 Strategy”. While the European Commission acknowledges the role it can play in facilitating cooperation and encouraging modernisation and greater uptake of VET (both iVET and CVET), it also rightly underlines that this role is mainly to support and supplement the work of national governments and stakeholders.

2009 EDUCATION & TRAINING

For companies it is essential to have a highly skilled, committed and adaptable workforce. Against this background, Ceemet sees in “learning mobility” an important tool contributing to: the preparation for mobility of workers and the development of important soft skills (language, culture, adaptability) which are important in a globalised, technologically fast-paced industry.

2007 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet supports the objectives of enhanced mobility and improved transparency of qualifications and welcomes a concept promoting the “learning outcomes” approach as described in the consultation document. However considering the number of questions raised by the concrete implementation of European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training” (ECVET), Ceemet believes it is crucial that beforehand pilot projects and studies on ECVET are conducted and that their results are accessible and thoroughly discussed.

2007 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet welcomes the main goals of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), namely a greater transparency and improved comparability of the qualifications in the different European vocational and higher education systems. However, Ceemet would like to underline that the EQF can only be of indicative and voluntary nature.

2005 EDUCATION & TRAINING

Ceemet wonders if there is truly a need for an European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning. For companies, it is the transparency and the comparability of occupational qualifications of employees which are more important.