ETUCE: Participates in the implementation process of the EU 2020 and Education and Training 2020 flagship initiatives, among others, via active representation in Open Method of Coordination Working Groups of the European Commission; Monitors EU initiatives on linking education and employment, skills and jobs, learning and job forecasting and on youth employment. Participates in setting up and monitoring the implementation of EU policy on all prioritised areas of education, for instance learning mobility, teaching languages, entrepreneurship education, maths and science education, education for sustainable development, etc. Advocates the provision of quality education and monitors the set-up of quality assurance mechanisms at European and national levels; Carries forward and seeks new opportunities for cooperation with other unions and professional organisations working on education, such as the EFEE; ETUC, EPSU, ESU, ATEE, etc  

ETUCE advocates quality provision of knowledge, skills and competence development across the education and training sectors and we are actively engaged in following up on the EU policy on skills upgrading and skill forecasting. Furthermore, ETUCE monitors how skills and competences are supported by ICT.

Membership

ETUCE has been represented in the Clusters (from 2003), then  in Open Method of Coordination Working Groups (from 2010), and now in Technical Working Groups of the European Commission, DG EAC  on education and training. At the present ETUCE works on development of skills and competences in the following working groups:

  • Vocational Education and Training
  • Adult Learning
  • School Policy – Early School leaving
  • School Policy – Teacher education
  • Modernisation of Higher Education
  • Transversal Skills – entrepreneurship
  • Transversal Skills – ICT
  • Transversal Skills – languages
  • Digital and Online Learning

Project

In the framework of Co-Reg-LLS project (2008-2010) a Joint Guidelines of teacher unions (ETUCE), student organisations (OBESSU)  and employers in education (EFEE) were developed. The Joint Guidelines define how to improve school education contribution to the achievement of key competences for LLL as defined in the 2006 European Reference Framework.

A booklet with five success stories on implementation of national LLL strategies and stakeholders' involvement was also drafted:

Involving Education Stakeholders in Trans-Regional Cooperation : The Challenge of Implementing Lifelong learning Strategies

More information
ETUCE Circular, 02/2014: Working on transversal skills
ETUCE Circular, 01/2014: Report from the European Commission's Thematic Working Groups
ETUCE Circular 1/2014: PISA 2012 results
ETUCE Circular 1/2014: OECD Skills Outlook 2013: First results from the Survey on Adult Skills (PIAAC)
ETUCE Circular 2/2012: Creative Classrooms – Creative Learning Environments
ETUCE Circular 2/2012: Teachers of Mathematics, Science and Technology
ETUCE Newsletter 2/2011: On the way to PISA: 1st International Summit on the Teaching Profession