background report The European Social Fund: education and lifelong learning

Transcription

1 background report The European Social Fund: education and lifelong learning

2 Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission may be held responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this publication. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to numbers or these calls may be billed. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server ( European Union, 2010 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER IMPORTANT NOTE This study is produced by Bernard Brunhes International (BBI, under the contract Reporting on ESF interventions in the EU. The report was written by Donal McAnaney and Mark Delmartino in co-operation with João Nunes and the support of BBI s team of researchers: Livia Di Nardo, Georgios Voudouris, Bruno Vilela and Tanja El-Nemr. A brochure summarising the findings of this study is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish at

3 Table of Contents Introduction 3 A. SCOPE OF THE STUDY 3 B. THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND: FRAMEWORK & ACHIEVEMENTS 4 C. APPROACH 11 Chapter 1: Education and Lifelong Learning in the European Union 14 A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Definitions of education, lifelong learning and qualifications EU policies on education and lifelong learning 16 B. EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LIFELONG LEARNING AND THEIR LINK TO THE WORLD OF WORK 21 C. EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING AS A TARGET OF ESF SUPPORT Legal bases ESF support to developing lifelong learning national strategies 25 Chapter 2: ESF Interventions and Achievements in Education and Lifelong Learning 26 A. INTERVENTIONS AND FINANCES Education and lifelong learning in ESF Education and lifelong learning in ESF Considerations on education and lifelong learning in ESF 29 B. OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS 30 1.Participations Participant profiles 32 C. TYPOLOGY OF INTERVENTIONS ESF interventions ESF interventions Broad spectrum measures and priorities 39 D. FORMAL EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS IN ESF Reported achievements Typology of ESF supported interventions 42 E. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INTERVENTIONS IN ESF Reported achievements Typology of ESF supported interventions 47 F. CONTINUING EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN ESF Reported achievements Typology of ESF supported interventions 54 G. DEVELOPING EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING SYSTEMS IN ESF Reported achievements 63 H. HORIZONTAL THEMES IN ESF Gender and equality between men and women Information and communications technology Combating early school leaving Widening participation in lifelong learning and preventing social exclusion 90 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning 1

4 Chapter 3: Conclusions 95 Annexes 100 ANNEX 1: ESF EXPENDITURE AND BUDGET ANNEX 2: ESF VOCABULARY 102 ANNEX 3: LIST OF RELEVANT ESF MEASURES 103 ANNEX 4: STANDARDISED INDICATOR NAMES 119 ANNEX 5: LIST OF RELEVANT ESF PRIORITY AXES 124 Index of figures and tables The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

5 Introduction A. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This research report presents the interventions of the European Social Fund (ESF) in the area of education and lifelong learning. It is one of a series of 22 studies describing what ESF does and achieves on a range of policy topics or target groups. In addition to this background report, which exists only in English, a summary fiche (brochure) containing the main findings of the study is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Polish. ESF is one of the Structural Funds of the European Union (EU) and is devoted in particular to promoting employment. As they are closely related to the main goal of the Fund, education and lifelong learning have received a lot of attention and support throughout the Member States. The implementation of ESF is structured along seven-year programming periods. This report contains information on the ESF interventions in the programming periods and Since 2000, the EU has grown from 15 to 27 Member States and so has the involvement of the respective countries in ESF. Romania and Bulgaria only participate in the current programming period Following this introduction, the report consists of two chapters and a conclusion. Chapter 1 defines education and lifelong learning for the scope of this study and puts them in a wider context. Particular attention is given to terminology, to statistics on adult participation in education and lifelong learning activities, and to the way in which education and lifelong learning are addressed in various ESF Regulations. A detailed description of ESF interventions and achievements in the field of education and lifelong learning constitutes the second and core chapter of this report. The first parts of the chapter concern the overall finances, interventions and achievements for all relevant measures and priorities. Education and lifelong learning take up a considerable part of the entire ESF funding scheme and therefore the findings of this study are compared to the findings related to the ESF achievements as a whole. On the basis of its contents, each measure and priority axis was allocated to one or more key concepts: formal education; vocational education and training; continuing education and lifelong learning; and education and lifelong learning systems. Each of these concepts is then looked at from a double perspective: a description of the main reported achievements and a qualitative review of the types of intervention. The final section of the chapter looks at a number of horizontal themes which were identified in measures across all key concepts: gender issues; information and communications technology (ICT); early school leaving; and social exclusion prevention. The concluding section contains a summary of the findings and analyses the continuity that exists in the ESF assistance on education and lifelong learning across the two programming periods. Introduction 3

6 B. THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND: FRAMEWORK & ACHIEVEMENTS The ESF is one of the EU s Structural Funds set up to reduce the gap in living standards between regions and between people and to promote economic and social cohesion across Europe. The ESF is devoted to promoting employment in the EU. It helps Member States make Europe s workforce and companies better equipped to face new and global challenges. The ESF was created in 1957 at the time when the European Economic Community was established. While the overall purpose of the Fund has remained unchanged, its objectives and scope of application have been adapted to socio-economic developments. The ESF strategy and budget is negotiated and decided between the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission. On this basis, seven-year Operational Programmes (OPs) are planned by Member States together with the European Commission. Programming Period In the period , the Structural Funds were grouped around 3 Objectives 1 : Objective 1 promoted the development of regions where the GDP per capita was below 75% of the EU average, outlying regions (e.g. Azores) and sparsely populated regions in Finland and Sweden; Objective 2 supported areas adjusting to change in the industrial and services sector, rural areas in decline, urban areas in difficulty, and economically depressed areas heavily dependent on fisheries; Objective 3 provided funding throughout the EU to help adapt and modernise policies and systems of education, training and employment. Objectives 1 and 2 were financed by the ESF in combination with other Structural Funds. Objective 3 was financed solely by ESF. ESF supported activities related to five Policy Fields: (i) the development and promotion of active labour market policies; (ii) the promotion of equal opportunities for all in accessing the labour market, with particular emphasis on those exposed to social exclusion; (iii) the promotion and improvement of training, education and counselling as part of lifelong learning policy; (iv) the promotion of a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce; and (v) the improvement of women s access to and participation in the labour market. Across all programmes, the ESF has also addressed three horizontal themes: (i) support for local initiatives concerning employment; (ii) the social and labour market dimensions of the information society; and (iii) equal opportunities for women and men as part of the mainstreaming approach. Between 2000 and 2006 a total of 212 OPs 2 were implemented by either regional or national authorities in the Member States. In 2000, the ESF was open to 15 Member States. Additional OPs were set up in 2004 to accommodate the priorities of 10 new Member States. The distribution of the programmes and the total ESF co-funded expenditure per Objective is presented in Figure < 2. The research is based on data collected for 207 OPs covering the years 2000 to The remaining programmes are technical assistance OPs and a specific transnational OP promoting the peace process in Northern Ireland. This OP is not included in figure 1. The Equal Operational Programmes are not covered. 4 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

7 Figure 1: Number of OPs and total ESF co-funded expenditure per Objective in the ESF period ESF co-funded in billion Number of OPs Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Source: EC Structural Fund Database (SFC), situation in September 2008 ( ) Between 2000 and 2006, over 75 million participants 3 were involved in ESF funded activities. Because it is very likely that some people have benefited more than once from ESF funded interventions, it is more correct to refer to over 75 million participations. Figure 2: Average yearly participation per Member State ES FR PT DE IT GB EU 25 PL GR IE SE BE AT FI CZ NL HU SK SI LV LT DK EE LU CY MT Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports This corresponds to approximately a fifth of the total population between years 4 in the 25 EU Member States. Participants may have benefited from more than one ESF intervention. In the case of Portugal, no aggregated data were available so data from the different years were added up. In Spain, participants could be funded under national and regional programmes. Furthermore, for the Netherlands limited data is available. 3. The findings are based on a total of 1,567 measures of which 1,260 have reported on participants. 4. Eurostat, Europe in figures, Eurostat Yearbook 2008, < Introduction 5

8 Figure 3: The proportion of the yearly average of ESF beneficiaries per Member State in relation to the total population between years per Member State 16,0% 14,0% Proportion on ESF beneficiaries per MS in 2006 (yearly values) EU Average 12,0% 10,0% 8,0% 6,0% 4,0% 2,0% 0,0% PT ES IE FR GR SE BE FI SI AT LV IT UK DE SL CZ LU PL HU LT NL EE MT CY DK Source: Eurostat 2008 and for ESF, data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports On an annual basis, ESF reached on average nearly 4% of the total EU-25 population between years in the 25 EU Member States. In most of the Member States the yearly proportion of the active population benefitting from ESF money was lower. Exceptions to this were Portugal, Spain, Ireland and to a lesser extent France, Greece and Sweden. New Member States started later with the programming and this may explain the lower proportion of the active population addressed through ESF. Moreover in some Member States Operational Programmes focussed more on assistance to systems and structures than in others. The total ESF community expenditure was 54 billion in the period This amount was matched, through the basic principle of co-funding within ESF with about 51 billion from the public and private sectors in the Member States concerned. A detailed breakdown of the financial allocations per Member State is available in Annex 1. 6 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

9 Figure 4: Total ESF co-funded expenditure per Member State: proportion between ESF and Member State funds 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% SE FI BE DK FR AT GB LU DE NL CY EU 25 IT IE ES PT EE CZ SK PL LT SI MT LV HU GR ESF community expenditure ESF national expenditure Source: EC Structural Fund Database (SFC), situation in September 2008 ( ) The average percentage of the total ESF co-funded expenditure committed by Member States to ESF activities was 51.3%. The share of the ESF budget that each Member States received depended on several factors, such as the size of the population and the objective covered 5. On average the new Member States received a higher share of ESF funding, which can be explained by the need for these countries to catch up with the global European economy. Funding was allocated to Member States where support was most needed to ensure that the whole of EU moved forward. The average total expenditure per ESF beneficiary was 1,306 ( 669 was the average ESF expenditure per beneficiary). Some Member States like Denmark and Germany, but also the Netherlands and United Kingdom exceeded this average amount considerably. This may reflect a stronger focus of the Operational Programmes on assistance to systems and structures. 5. Priority Objectives in have been defined on the basis of the per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Objective 1 territory were the ones with a GDP lower than 75% of the Community average, Objective 2 programmes were aimed at helping regions with indications of industrial decline; Objective 3 programmes were not geographically targeted and delivered the European Employment Strategy. < leg/en/lvb/g24203.htm> Introduction 7

10 Figure 5: Total ESF co-funded expenditure per participant per Member State (in ) Expenditure per participant EU 25 Average ESF expenditure per Participants in DK DE NL GB SE EE FI LT IT GR LU PL BE MT HU SK AT PT LV IE CZ FR ES SI CY Source: EC Structural Fund Database (SFC), situation in September 2008 ( ) data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports The ESF supported two types of interventions, assisting people and systems. Actions targeting the enhancement of systems (e.g. capacity building in Public Employment Services or the modernisation of vocational education and training systems) will ultimately address individual beneficiaries, too. However, such programmes tend not to have the same number of participants as those interventions directly aimed at e.g. training disadvantaged sections of the population in acquiring a better position for the labour market or supporting researchers to pursue part of their work in another region or country. Member States implementing more system-related interventions had a relatively lower number of participants and therefore the average ESF budget spent on each participant may be somewhat higher. Figure 6: ESF community expenditure per participant per Member State (in ) ESF Expenditure per participant in EU 25 Average ESF expenditure per participant in DK EE NL DE LT GB GR PL SE IT MT HU FI SK LU LV PT CZ AT BE IE ES SI FR CY Source: EC Structural Fund Database (SFC), situation in September 2008 ( ) data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

11 The ESF Regulation strongly reflected the EU s commitment to eliminate inequalities between women and men following a combined approach of gender mainstreaming and specific activities for women in different fields. ESF resulted in a balanced participation of women and men: 52% of the participants are women and 48% are men. Figure 7: Gender breakdown of ESF participants men 48% women 52% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Most Member States had a balanced division of male and female participants. Seven Member States had a proportion of female participants exceeding 55% (Malta, Poland, Lithuania, Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Austria where 64% of the participants were women). 37% of the ESF participants were young people (< 25 years) while 7% were beneficiaries aged 50 years and older 6. ESF helped to prepare young people to find suitable work and to succeed in their jobs. It assisted older workers to stay in employment, by e.g. re-skilling programmes. ESF addressed both employed and unemployed people: 54% of ESF participants were unemployed, of whom 25% were long term unemployed, 42% short term unemployed and 33% were not further specified. 38% were employed people of whom 4% self-employed. Another 7% of the participants were inactive, e.g. students. Figure 8: Status of ESF participants in the labour market Inactive 7% Employed 38% Unemployed 55% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports These two percentages were calculated independently. For the calculation of the proportion of young people and older persons, the maximum number of data was used for each of the respective categories. The proportions were calculated on the basis of all measures including data on young people on the one hand and on older persons on the other hand. Introduction 9

12 Furthermore, 700,000 projects were funded. The majority of these projects were reported by Operational Programmes in Italy and Germany. In Germany, most of the 170,000 projects funded through ESF were situated in the priority promotion of the work force potential and of equal opportunities, while in Italy about 400,000 projects were spread over various programmes and priorities. Not all Member States have reported in the same way on results, meaning that in practice the scope and size of the results are expected to be higher. The success rate of participants gaining a qualification was on average 34%. Success rates above 75% were achieved in Greece (97%), Estonia (89%) and Latvia (85%) 7. 22% of the participants were integrated into the labour market. Particularly high success rates were reported by Portugal (91%) and Slovakia (72%) 8. The success rates were largely influenced by the type of target group ESF addressed, i.e. groups at risk for which it is difficult to, for example, (re)integrate into the labour market. Moreover, not all measures aimed at the achievement of a formal qualification or at an immediate integration in the labour market. The creation of 600,000 jobs with ESF funds was reported particularly in Spain and Greece. In Spain 152,227 jobs were created leading to self-employment. In Greece the majority of jobs were created in the framework of the programme employment promotion and vocational training. This programme was entirely devoted to job creation, including actions aiming at combating (long-term) unemployment, creating conditions to ensure job positions in enterprises and strengthening the acquisition of work experience. About 200,000 jobs were safeguarded as a result of ESF interventions. Finland and France reported particularly good results. The results in France were mainly related to the programme Midi-Pyrénées. Programming Period In the current period , the Structural Funds are concentrated around 3 new Objectives: (i) Convergence concerns the least developed regions, comparable to the old Objective 1, and aims to help the least-developed Member States and regions catch up more quickly with the EU average by improving conditions for growth and employment; (ii) Regional Competitiveness and Employment concerns the rest of the EU and aims to strengthen the competitiveness, employment and attractiveness of all regions; and (iii) European territorial cooperation aims at strengthening cross-border, trans-national and interregional cooperation through joint local and regional initiatives. The ESF is supporting activities under the first two Objectives that relate to the following Priorities: (i) adaptability of workers and enterprises; (ii) improved access to employment and the sustainable inclusion in the labour market of jobseekers and inactive people; (iii) reinforcing the social inclusion of disadvantaged people with a view to their sustainable integration in employment and combating all forms of discrimination in the labour market; (iv) enhancing human capital by promoting reform in education and training systems, as well as networking activities between higher education institutions, research centres and enterprises; and (v) promoting good governance, partnership and the involvement of social partners. Moreover, ESF addresses additional priorities under the Convergence Objective: (i) expanding and improving investment in human capital, in particular by increasing the 7. These rates have been calculated on the number of measures on which data on participants gaining a qualification have been reported. 8. These rates have been calculated on the number of measures on which data on participants integrated into the labour market have been reported. 10 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

13 participation in education and training through the life-cycle and by developing human potential in research and innovation; and (ii) improving the institutional capacity and efficiency of public administrations and public services at national, regional and local level. The current programming period features 117 OPs for all 27 Member States, including Bulgaria and Romania which did not participate at all in the previous ESF period. Half of the programmes concern Regional Competitiveness and Employment (59 OPs), while 42 OPs belong to the Convergence objective. The remaining 16 OPs contain initiatives for both objectives. The total co-funded budget available for ESF related interventions in the period is 117 billion, of which 76 billion is contributed by the ESF. A detailed breakdown per Member State is available in Annex 1. The programming, implementation and financing procedures for the period were simplified for all Structural Funds. In so far as the ESF is concerned, the current period features a strong link with the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs: the ESF is supporting Member States policies to comply with the guidelines and recommendations adopted in the European Employment Strategy. The most important ESF concepts and documents across the programming periods are described in Annex 2. In 2007 and 2008 more than 6 million participants entered ESF funded interventions. There were slightly more women (52%) than men (48%). 22% of the participants were unemployed and further 8% long-term unemployed; 14% were inactive and 18% in education or training. The remaining 36% were employed and 2% self-employed. Of this group of ESF participants in the period , 30% were younger than 25 and 4% were 50 years and older. The largest group of participants in this period (47%) has a higher secondary or post-secondary (non-tertiary) educational degree. Also in this programming period the ESF funding targets people in society who are more vulnerable to unemployment and social exclusion. 13% of the participants belong to one of the vulnerable groups (minorities, migrants, disabled). C. APPROACH This study describes the ways in which Member States used the financial means offered by ESF to promote education and lifelong learning. It does not attempt to make any evaluation or judgement about the effectiveness of planned versus realised initiatives but rather to offer an overview - as comprehensive as possible - of the initiatives carried out across the Member States, and of their achievements. The research work took place in three stages. First, all measures elaborated and implemented by Member States during the programming period were checked on their relevance for this study. The selection of measures was made by identifying key words in the title and by reviewing the content of each measure. In parallel, this selection was cross-checked with measures funded either completely or in part under the policy field lifelong learning. As a result of this exercise a final list of relevant measures was drafted (please see Annex 3). Introduction 11

14 Secondly, the ESF programming and implementation documents related to the selected measures were screened for relevant quantitative and qualitative information. The latter was provided mainly through the Operational Programmes and Programme Complements (PC) that described planned interventions, while the Annual Implementation Reports (AIR) contained primarily quantitative information in the form of outcome indicators. Other outcome related information was found in the (updated) Mid-Term Evaluations (MTE). The third step consisted in processing the collected information. All outcome indicators of the relevant measures have been collected, reviewed, standardised and processed. The results of this quantitative research constitute the backbone of this study and are presented in section 2B of this study insofar as they cover the entire range of measures and priorities. The standardisation of indicators was necessary to obtain results that are comparable across programmes and Member States. The methodological approach to this research stage is thoroughly described in Annex 4. The qualitative information has been reviewed and on the basis of its content, each measure has been allocated to one or more key concepts, which imprint the basic structure of this report: Formal education (section 2D); Vocational education and training (section 2E); Continuing education and lifelong learning (section 2F); Education and lifelong learning systems (section 2G). Moreover, measures with particular relevance for the following themes were earmarked: gender; ICT; early school leaving; social exclusion. While reported as part of the four key concepts, they have been also addressed separately as horizontal themes in section 2H. Please see Annex 3 for the results of the allocation of measures to both key concepts and horizontal themes. The budgetary information was gathered from the EC Structural Funds database (SFC). The figures presented in this report in relation with the programme finances reflect the situation as available on 2 September All such information refers to the expenditure claimed by the Member States, not to amounts budgeted or disbursed. Most of the information here relates to the ESF programmes in the programming period. However, this study also pays attention to the developments and interventions in the current programming period The EC has made available a series of documents on the current ESF programming period, in particular the summaries (in English) of the individual Operational Programmes, the allocation of planned interventions to priority themes, and the foreseen budget per programme and per theme. The research has started from the accumulated list of OPs that were mentioned under one or more of the following priority themes: Priority theme n 62: development of lifelong learning systems and strategies in firms; training and services for employees to step up their adaptability to change; promoting entrepreneurship and innovation; Priority theme n 72: design, introduction and implementation of reforms in education and training systems in order to develop employability, improving the labour market relevance of initial and vocational education and training, updating skills of training personnel with a view to innovation and a knowledge based economy; 12 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

15 Priority theme n 73: measures to increase participation in education and training throughout the lifecycle, including through action to achieve a reduction in early school leaving, gender-based segregation of subjects and increased access to and quality of initial vocational and tertiary education and training; Priority theme n 75: education infrastructure. The allocation of the ESF community budget to the above priority themes forms the source of the financial data on the current programming period. Furthermore a key-word search has been performed on the OP summaries - and where necessary double-checked in the full text of OPs - to identify relevant education and lifelong learning related interventions in the period and to allocate the priority axes to the four above-mentioned key concepts. The budget information for is taken from the SFC2007, as available in May 2009, and refers to the amounts budgeted. The list of relevant programmes and priority axes and their allocation to key concepts is provided in Annex 5. The aim of the research was to gather all ESF measures and priority axes explicitly mentioning education and lifelong learning among their (planned) interventions. For both financing periods the identification of relevant information has been done as thoroughly as possible in order to provide a comprehensive report. Nevertheless, given the large quantity and variety of source documents, individual relevant activities might have been overlooked. However, the margin of error should be fairly small and hence would not affect the overall picture presented in this report. Introduction 13

16 Chapter 1: Education and Lifelong Learning in the European Union A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Intensified global competition, high numbers of low skilled workers in the workforce and an ageing population are some of the challenges facing Europe. Structured action in the field of education and training can help prepare individuals for today s society and are vital for Europe s future competitiveness and innovation 9. Education and training rank among the highest political priorities for the Member States of the European Union. Acquiring and continuously updating and upgrading a high level of knowledge, skills and competences is a prerequisite for the personal development of all citizens and for their participation in all aspects of society, from active citizenship through to labour market integration. Lifelong learning (LLL) has emerged as an overarching strategy for enabling citizens to meet new challenges 10. Member States agreed to put in place by 2006 coherent and comprehensive national LLL strategies. Implementing such strategies, however, remains a challenge Definitions of education, lifelong learning and qualifications This study addresses a variety of issues across the broad domain(s) of education, training and learning. In order to ensure a common understanding of the terminology, the most important concepts are described in this section. The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) defines education as all deliberate and systematic activities designed to meet learning needs. Education consists of two sub-fields: formal and non-formal education 12. Formal education refers to the system of schools, colleges, universities and other formal educational institutions that normally constitute a continuous ladder of full-time education for children and young people, generally beginning at age five to seven and continuing up to 20 or 25 years old. Such education takes place in the formal diploma-based system of education, such as primary and secondary level education, and university diploma or degree courses. 9. <http.//ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc60_en.htm> 10. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus 8/ COM (2008) 865 final. Commission Communication on an updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, December Most of the definitions related to education and learning were taken from the European Report on Quality Indicators of Lifelong Learning, EC, Brussels, June 2002; from the OECD Handbook for internationally comparative education statistics, 2004; and from Eurostat, Statistics in focus 44/ The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

17 Non-formal education comprises any organised and sustained educational activities that do not correspond exactly to the above definition of formal education. Non-formal education may therefore take place both within and outside educational institutions and cater to persons of all ages. This form of education is not necessarily diploma-based. It often consists of short courses taken for either job or personal reasons at employment services, adult education institutes, folk high schools, language schools, etc. Learning is viewed from the perspective of the individual as any improvement in behaviour, information, knowledge, understanding, attitude, values or skills. Informal learning consists of all intended learning activities and/or situations that cannot be classified as formal or non-formal education. Informal learning activities are characterised by relatively low level of organisation and may take place at the individual level (e.g. self-directed learning) as well as in groups of people (e.g. at the workplace or in the family). Some of these settings, such as computer based learning modules or other structured learning material may to a large extent be similar to non-formal programmes, while others, such as learning within the family or by visiting cultural events, can hardly be captured statistically. Initial education typically takes place in an organised, structured setting (formal education) and usually includes early childhood programmes and compulsory schooling as part of the preparation for the initial entry into work. Continuing education (also called further education in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) covers the learning activity of those returning to education after having left formal education. In most countries adult education falls into this category. However, it is not normally considered to include basic instruction (e.g. literacy) or vocational training programmes. Instead, as the term suggests, it is assumed that the student already has an education and is simply continuing it. Vocational education or Vocational Education and Training (VET) prepares learners for jobs that are based in technical or practical activities, traditionally non-academic and related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation. It leads to national recognised qualifications. Vocational education can be at the secondary or post-secondary level and can interact with the apprenticeship system. However, it is rarely considered in its own form to fall under the traditional definition of higher education. While traditional educational institutions have been and still are primarily concerned with transmitting knowledge, modern learning opportunities and the lifelong learning approach put the emphasis on the development of individual capabilities and personal learning competences. At the heart of the LLL concept is the idea of enabling and encouraging people to learn how to learn. 13 Lifelong learning comprises learning for all citizens regardless of age, educational attainment, employment or social status, and in all contexts, i.e. formal, non-formal and informal. The aim of such learning is to improve one s knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/ or employment related perspective. Learning activities do not only take place in different phases over the lifecycle (lifelong learning), but also in a multitude of settings and situations in real life (life-wide learning). 13. The description of lifelong learning is taken from the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cedefop - developing lifelong learning: < the Commission Communication on making a European area of lifelong learning a reality; and the OECD Ad hoc group on LLL, Chapter 1 General Context 15

18 A qualification is the formal outcome of an assessment and validation process which is obtained when a competent body determines that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards, which are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competences 14. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a common European reference framework which links countries qualifications systems together, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more transparent and understandable across different countries and systems in Europe. The EQF emphasises the results of learning rather than focusing on inputs such as length of study. Learning outcomes are specified in knowledge, skills and competences. Knowledge is the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study. In the framework of EQF, knowledge is described as theoretical and/or factual; Skills constitute the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. In the framework of EQF, skills are described as cognitive or practical; Competence is the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/or methodological abilities, in an ongoing lifelong learning process, in work or study situations of professional and personal development. In the context of EQF, competence is described in terms of responsibility and autonomy. 2. EU policies on education and lifelong learning The responsibility for education and training (ET) policies lies with the Member States. EU s role is to support the improvement of national systems through complementary tools, mutual learning and exchange of good practice. Policy cooperation on ET has supported national reforms of LLL and qualification systems, the modernisation of higher education and the development of European instruments promoting quality, transparency of qualifications and mobility in learning 15. The performance in education and training of the EU zone levels with the best in the world such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US and Korea. However, the overall performance of the EU conceals a wide divergence between individual Member States. Moreover, there are still important inequities in European educational systems: One in seven of years old achieve only compulsory education or less; year olds are three times more likely to participate in LLL if they have completed at least upper secondary education; One in seven of the 4-year olds are not enrolled in education. Many of these are in high need categories, such as children with migrant background or from families with low socio-economic status; Gender inequalities remain: boys do less well at reading and have more special education needs. Girls do less well at mathematics and are underrepresented among mathematics, science and technology (MST) students and graduates. 14. Most of the definitions on qualifications and EQF come from the EC 2008 Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning, April 2008 and the Joint Council/commission report on the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme, February COM (2008) 865 final. Commission Communication on an updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, December The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

19 Five reference levels of European average performance (so-called European benchmarks ) have been set in the policy areas where progress is needed in education and lifelong learning across the EU. A first series of benchmarks were set under the Education and Training 2010 work programme 16. In May 2009, Member States agreed to the following reference levels to be reached by : Not more than 10% early school leavers; The percentage of low-achieving pupils in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15%; At least 95% of children between 4 years old and the age for starting compulsory education should participate in early childhood education; The share of year olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40%; 15% of the adult population should participate in lifelong learning. There are significant differences between Member States and fields. Finland, Denmark. Sweden, the UK, Ireland, Poland and Slovenia exceed the composite objective of the five benchmarks, while countries like France, the Netherlands and Belgium have not made progress. Participation in LLL is becoming a reality in Sweden, the UK and Denmark, countries which have developed comprehensive and coherent LLL learning strategies. Slovenia, Finland, Austria, Belgium and Spain are following closely behind. Overall, ET in the EU is improving slowly but steadily. There has been a reduction from 17.6% (2000) to 14.9% (2008) in early school leaving, the number of upper secondary graduates has increased from 76.6% to 78.5% in the same period and also the participation in adult education has risen from 7.1% to 9.5%. 18 Only the MST benchmark is likely to be exceeded by 2010, while low performance in reading literacy actually increased between 2000 and The 2008 Spring European Council therefore urged Member States to take concrete action to reduce substantially the number of people who cannot read properly and the number of early school leavers, to improve the achievement levels of learners with a migrant background or from disadvantaged groups, to attract more adults into continuing education and training and to further facilitate geographic and occupational mobility. The existing benchmark foresees a participation rate of 12.5% of adults (25-64 years) in lifelong learning. While there has been reasonable progress towards meeting this benchmark since 2002, on current trends the benchmark is likely to be achieved by about Given technological and demographic trends and the inevitable impact of the current economic downturn on jobs, it is even more urgent to upgrade and update the skills of adults. In its Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, the Council decided that by 2020, an average of at least 15% of adults (25-64) should have participated in education and training during the four weeks prior to the survey. 19. In 2008, 9.5% of the population aged participated in LLL over the four weeks prior to a survey in the EU Differences between countries were very significant, ranging from 32.4% in Sweden and 30.2% in Denmark to 1.4% in Bulgaria and 1.5% in Romania. Only seven countries had already reached the 2010 target of 12.5% in 2006 and no 16. < 17. Council conclusions 2009/C-119/02, on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020), May < 19. Council conclusion 2009/C-119/02, May Council conclusion 2009/C-119/02, May 2009 Chapter 1 General Context 17

20 other Member State has reached the benchmark since. 21 On average more women (10.4%) than men (8.8%) were taking part in LLL. While the participation rates decreased significantly with age across all EU27, it remained high throughout the age groups in countries like Denmark and Sweden, which is consistent with a deeply embedded LLL culture (DK and SE) 22. The following figures and table provide a more detailed overview of the participation rate per Member State, per type of education, per gender and per age group. The higher figures are due to the longer period under consideration: instead of one month, people were asked to indicate their participation in any type of education, training or learning in the twelve months prior to the survey. Figure 9: Percentage of population years old involved in education and training Formal education 1.4% 1.6% 0.8% 0.6% 22.5% 7.3% 7.8% Informal learning Non formal education Not in education, training or learning: 58% Source: Eurostat LFS, Ad hoc module on lifelong learning 2003 Figure 9 refers to data from the Labour Force Survey % of the EU25 population aged years old participated in some form of education, training or learning activity over the twelve months preceding the survey: 4.4% were in formal education, 16.5% participated in non-formal education, and nearly one third declared having taken some form of informal learning. Behind these overall data are very significant differences between Member States, ranging from a participation rate of 12% (Hungary) and 17% (Greece) to 82% in Luxembourg and Slovenia and 89% in Austria. The most important variations are seen when comparing rates by age: half of the year olds participated versus only 30% of year olds; and by educational attainment: 69% of the people with high education attainment participated, but only 23% of people with low education attainment < 22. European Commission, European Employment Observatory, Review Autumn 2007, Trends and policies of LLL and skills development across 30 European countries, March Eurostat, Statistics in Focus 8/ The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

21 Figure 10: Participation in formal or non-formal education and training age (%), 2007 Source: Eurostat, Adult Education Survey Regular monitoring of performance and progress is an essential part of the EU policies on ET. It allows strengths and weaknesses to be identified and provides guidance on future strategy. The adult education survey was developed between European countries and Eurostat 24 and conducted for the first time between 2005 and The aim of the survey was to gather comparable data on adult participation in lifelong learning. Figure 10 presents results for 17 EU countries with a combined population of 413 million. More than a third of the EU population between years participated in formal or non-formal learning activities in the twelve months prior to the survey. The adult education survey points to other country differences in participation rates: low rates are found in Hungary, Greece, Poland and Italy. High rates are in Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom. 24. Eurostat, Statistics in focus 44/2009. Chapter 1 General Context 19

22 Table 1: Participation in formal or non-formal education and training by country, sex and age, 2007 SEX AGE country total male female years years years EU avg BG DE EE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT HU AT PL SK FI SE UK NO Source: Eurostat, Adult Education Survey Table 1, which is taken from the same survey, confirms that young people participate more and that there is a minor difference in participation between men and women 25. The basis for European co-operation in Vocational Education and Training (VET) was laid out in the Copenhagen Declaration, which was endorsed in November 2002 by the Education Ministers of 31 European countries, social partners and the European Commission. The Copenhagen Declaration is the starting point of the Copenhagen Process. A central part of the process is the development of common European frameworks and tools to enhance the transparency, recognition and quality of competences and qualifications, and thus making the mobility of learners and workers easier. The most important of these tools are the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), Europass, the European Credit System for VET (ECVET) and the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET (EQARF). The quality of Vocational Education and Training systems, covering initial and continuous vocational education and training, is closely linked to the quality of VET teachers and trainers, and hence to the quality of their formal education and of their continuous professional development throughout their career. The Leonardo da Vinci strand of the Lifelong Learning Programme provides important financial support for the implementation of the VET policies Eurostat, Statistics in focus 44/ < 20 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

23 B. EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LIFELONG LEARNING AND THEIR LINK TO THE WORLD OF WORK The Council Resolution of 2007 on education and training (ET) as a key driver of the Lisbon strategy points to a number of policy developments that should make all citizens better qualified and thus better able to participate actively in social and economic development 27 : Making improved provision for early childhood education; Encouraging the acquisition of key competences; Increasing the attractiveness of VET; Developing lifelong guidance; Increasing access to and excellence in further and higher education; Expanding adult learning; Improving the quality of teacher education. A large majority of people who participate in lifelong learning activities do so in non-formal ET and over 80% of the non-formal activities are job-related. About 6% participate in formal education and training. The main reasons for participation are to do a better job and to improve career prospects. Employers (40%) and non-formal educational institutions (17%) are the most significant providers of non-formal ET. About 60% of employed participants are sponsored fully or partly by employers. Nearly two thirds of the population do not participate in formal or non-formal ET. More than 70% of people with low education or those in low-skilled blue collar professions do not participate in any education and training. The two most important obstacles to participation are work schedules and family responsibilities. There are however major gender differences in obstacles to participation. In countries with high participation rates, there are more women than men involved in lifelong learning: for instance, Estonia, Finland and Latvia have over 10% more participation among women 28. There are a variety of obstacles and issues on both demand and supply side of lifelong learning, which prevent further adult participation in LLL and skills development: What follows is taken from a series of national articles 29 on lifelong learning and skills development written in 2007 by the SYSDEM expert network 30 : The cost of training is often considerable, both in terms of financial resources and opportunity costs; There are doubts about the benefits of LLL and its necessity for career development; Low-skilled people lack motivation and have low aspirations to even consider LLL as appropriate to their lives; Many low-skilled people are unable to participate because they lack basic numeracy and literacy skills; The emphasis on initial training in the LLL offer is in contrast with the aspirations of highly skilled people for a tertiary degree; 27. Council Resolution 2007/C-300/01 on education and training as a key driver of the Lisbon strategy, November Eurostat, Statistics in focus, 44/ European Commission, European Employment Observatory, Review Autumn 2007, Trends and policies of LLL and skills development across 30 European countries, March SYSDEM is a network of independent labour market experts. Created in 1989, the network reports on employment and labour market policy developments and statistical trends. Chapter 1 General Context 21

24 Often there is no correlation between participation in training and any subsequent increase in wages: the return on investment of time and money is not visible; The lack of time to participate in training: difficulties combining training, work and private life; There is an unwillingness on the part of some employers to support learning activities among employees; Costs of training increase the reluctance of employers to invest in staff training in industries with high staff turnover; Size of enterprises: small enterprises face challenges in financing and releasing staff for training; Employers are mostly focused on training their highly skilled employees; There is a reluctance of governments and public authorities to support LLL: little public support, no special financial incentives; There is a lack of effective systems for information and guidance on LLL opportunities; LLL systems lack the flexibility to meet the demands of modern workers for flexible learning times, locations and modes of delivery; The complicated structure of LLL systems makes it difficult for adults to access the provision; There is a lack of validation of learning; The supply of LLL opportunities varies geographically: the main coverage is in larger cities or particular regions. Lifelong learning can also contribute to the employability of job seekers. A person s capability of gaining employment depends on his or her knowledge, skills and attitudes, as well as on labour market rules and institutions. A person with the same knowledge and skills might fare very differently in different national or regional labour markets. Given that most European countries achieved virtually universal enrolment in primary and lower secondary schooling, policies that increase the quality of schooling in terms of cognitive and non-cognitive skills may bring considerable benefits in the long run 31. The level of prior educational attainment is a significant determinant of participation in learning later in life. People with tertiary degrees participate five times more than people with primary education. Almost 108 million people still have low educational attainment - about one third of the labour force. The educational attainment of the working age population (25-64 year olds) has improved considerably since Higher educational attainment partly explains the improvement in the EU employment rate since According to recent projections, in 2015, around 30% of jobs are expected to require qualifications on the level of higher education and almost half will require at least medium level qualifications at upper secondary education levels. Specific targets were set by successive European Councils on employment rates overall (70%), of women (60%) and of older workers (50%). At the European Spring Council meeting in March 2006, the heads of state and governments underlined the importance of further promotion of flexicurity and of facilitating the transition from education to employment. 32 The 2007 Communication towards common principles of flexicurity presents a comprehensive policy framework with a strong focus on LLL and activation policies in order to allow firms and workers to adapt quickly to an economic environment characterised by rapid change and growing uncertainty Joint Council/Commission report on the implementation of the ET 2010 work programme, February Joint Council/Commission report on the implementation of the ET 2010 work programme, February European Commission, Employment in Europe 2008, Chapter 5: Education and employment: different pathways across occupations, October The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

25 A recurrent and shared concern of policy-makers in the fields of education and employment is the perceived mismatch between workers education and skills levels, and actual job requirements in the labour market. In this context, actions to strengthen the relationship between education and the world of work and to improve the efficiency of job matching intend to facilitate labour market and school-to-work transitions, raise productivity levels, and produce more stable and high-value jobs. These issues hold a high profile in the European Employment Strategy as reflected by the EC 2007 Communication on the integrated guidelines for growth and jobs, particularly in guidelines 20 and 24 to improve the matching of labour market needs and adapt ET systems in response to new competence requirements. Moreover, the EU has recently launched an initiative aimed at better identifying future job demands and the respective skill requirements 34. Skills upgrading is critically important for Europe s future: so too, especially today, is a better match between skills and labour market needs. The New Skills for New Jobs initiative stresses the need for more effective ET policies and the modernisation of labour markets through flexicurity policies. It proposes a concerted effort towards a comprehensive assessment of future skills and labour market needs, in partnership with Member States, companies and other stakeholders 35. C. EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING AS A TARGET OF ESF SUPPORT 1. Legal bases The European Social Fund is mentioned under title XI of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union 36 : Article 162 states that in order to improve employment opportunities for workers in the internal market and to contribute thereby to raising the standard of living, a European Social Fund is hereby established (...) it shall aim to render the employment of workers easier and to increase their geographical and occupational mobility within the Union, and to facilitate their adaptation to industrial changes and to changes in production systems, in particular through vocational training and retraining. Education and training are mentioned under title XII of the Treaty. According to article 165, the Union shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity. Union action shall be aimed at (...) encouraging mobility of students and teachers, by encouraging inter alia, the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study, promoting cooperation between educational establishments, developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education systems of the Member States (...). 34. European Commission, Employment in Europe 2008, Chapter 5: Education and employment: different pathways across occupations, October COM (2008) 868 final. Commission Communication on New Skills for New Jobs. Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs, December All references to the Treaty are taken from the Official Journal of the European Union, 2008/C115 of 8 May Chapter 1 General Context 23

26 Article 166 stipulates that the Union shall implement a vocational training policy which shall support and supplement the action of the Member States, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training. Union action shall aim to facilitate adaptation to industrial changes, in particular through vocational training and retraining, iimprove initial and continuing vocational training in order to facilitate vocational integration and reintegration into the labour market, facilitate access to vocational training and encourage mobility of instructors and trainees and particularly young people, stimulate cooperation on training between educational or training establishments and firms, develop exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the training systems of the Member States. Education and lifelong learning are prominently present in the legal documents governing the European Social Fund (ESF). With regard to the programming period , it is stated that 37 the Fund shall support and complement the activities of Member States (...) in the following policy fields (...): (c) promoting and improving training, education, counselling as part of lifelong learning policy (...) to facilitate (...) integration into the labour market, (...) maintain employability, and promote job mobility. ESF continues to support education and lifelong learning interventions in the current programming period : Within the framework of the Convergence and Regional competitiveness and employment objectives, the ESF shall support actions in Member States under the priorities listed below: (a) increasing adaptability of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs (...) in particular by promoting (...) lifelong learning and increased investment in human resources (...) through the development and implementation of systems and strategies, including apprenticeships, which ensure improved access to training (...), the development of qualifications and competences, the dissemination of information and communication technologies, e-learning, (...); (d) enhancing human capital, in particular by promoting: (i) the design and introduction of reforms in education and training systems (...), the improvement of the labour market relevance of initial and vocational education and training and the continual updating of the skills of training personnel (...); (ii) networking activities between higher education institutions, research and technological centres and enterprises. Within the framework of the Convergence objective, the ESF shall support actions in Member States under the priorities listed below: (a) expanding and improving investment in human capital, in particular by promoting: (i) the implementation of reforms in education and training systems, especially with a view to raising people s responsiveness to the needs of a knowledge-based society and lifelong learning; (ii) increased participation in education and training throughout the life-cycle, including through actions aiming to achieve a reduction in early school leaving and in gender-based segregation of subjects and increased access to and quality of initial, vocational and tertiary education and training; (iii) the development of human potential in research and innovation, notably through post-graduate studies and the training of researchers. 37. EC Regulation 1784/1999 on the European Social Fund, article 2 (words in bold by the author). 38. EC Regulation 1081/2006 on the European Social Fund, article 3 (words in bold by the author). 24 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

27 2. ESF support to developing lifelong learning national strategies Across Europe, there is room for improvement in national and regional adult education and training systems. Informal and non-formal learning needs to be recognised and high quality training institutions should be in place to deliver adult education and training. ESF has in many cases a key role to play in addressing these challenges. According to the EC, 16 Member States had explicit lifelong learning strategies in place in ; six Member States 40 were developing a strategy and a further five had LLL policies in place 41, but no explicit strategy. Only four Member States had national qualification frameworks in place (France, Ireland, Malta and the UK), although the majority of Member States were undertaking development work 42. Joining up education and training policy in a LLL perspective involves negotiations between many different stakeholders, including the social partners. The above-mentioned articles by the SYSDEM experts show that the ESF has been contributing to the development of such LLL strategies 43 and continues to do so in the current programming period One of the key issues perceived by some of the new Member States is not to over-estimate the amount of resources coming from the ESF, but rather to try and achieve an optimal balance between external and internal funding. The afore-mentioned EU initiative New Skills for New Jobs is fully within the scope of the ESF. Several Member States have already identified the development of policies and services to address skills needs and labour market mismatches as a priority in their ESF programming 44. The Council, moreover, invited the Member States to consider the use of financial resources from the structural funds, in accordance with national priorities, for the support of partnerships between ET institutions and employers Member States with an explicit national LLL strategy: AT, BE, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GR, HU, LV, LT, SI, SE, SK, UK. 40. Member States who are developing a LLL strategy: BG, CY, IE, MT, PL and RO. 41. Member States with LLL policies but no strategy: FR, IT, LU, NL and PT. 42. The information on the LLL strategies and the NQF was taken from the European Employment Observatory 2007 and the SEC (2009) 1598, Commission Staff Working document accompanying the COM (2009) 640 on Key competences for a changing world. 43. European Commission, European Employment Observatory, Review Autumn 2007, Trends and policies of LLL and skills development across 30 European countries, March COM (2008) 868 final. Commission Communication on New Skills for New Jobs, December Council Conclusions 9876/09 on enhancing partnerships between ET institutions and social partners in the context of lifelong learning, May Chapter 1 General Context 25

28 Chapter 2: ESF Interventions and Achievements in Education and Lifelong Learning A. INTERVENTIONS AND FINANCES Lifelong learning and human capital are policy fields and priorities in ESF and programming periods. There are other interventions relevant for this study to be found under other policy fields and priorities. 1. Education and lifelong learning in ESF The approach adopted to identify the measures relevant for this study has been described in section 1C. A total of 558 measures across 178 OPs have been retained for this study. By way of comparison, a total of 429 measures have been allocated to the policy field 23 lifelong learning. Table 2 below summarises the most important administrative and financial data related to E&LLL in the ESF programming period and compares the data to the performance of each Member State within the entire ESF scheme. The table shows that in the programming period : All 25 Member States addressed the topic of education and lifelong learning through ESF; Six out of seven OPs addressed the topic of education and lifelong learning; More than one out of three measures contain relevant interventions; The selected measures represent 41% of the total ESF, national and private expenditure in the programming period. The real degree of expenditure on E&LLL may be somewhat lower, though, because not all measures addressed exclusively education and lifelong learning; In absolute figures, Germany, the UK, Portugal and Italy spent most on measures addressing education and lifelong learning; In relative figures, Malta, Portugal, Ireland and the Netherlands dedicated the highest proportion of their ESF expenditure to education and lifelong learning. The above-mentioned caveat applies also in this case; Sweden and Spain used ESF to a lesser extent for education and lifelong learning. 26 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

29 MS Table 2: Measures, Operational Programmes and Expenditure (in million) E&LLL MEASURES TOTAL MEASURES % OPs E&LLL TOTAL OPs % E&LLL EXP. TOTAL EXP. % E&LLL EXP. AT % % 473 1,326 36% BE % % 741 2,416 31% CY % % % CZ % % % DE % % 9,213 20,930 44% DK % % % EE % % % ES % % 3,558 17,388 20% FI % % 1,099 2,365 46% FR % % 3,678 12,204 30% GR % % 2,309 4,783 48% HU % % % IE % % 1,376 1,778 77% IT % % 4,769 12,902 37% LT % % % LU % % % LV % % % MT % % % NL % % 1,813 2,458 74% PL % % 824 1,776 46% PT % % 5,875 7,073 83% SE % % 439 2,661 16% SI % % % SK % % % UK % % 6,702 13,285 50% EU % % 43, ,440 41% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports ESF interventions are budgeted and financed from a combination of at least two but often three sources. The ESF contribution provided by the EC and the national contribution provided by the national or regional authorities are often complemented by private sources of finance. The 43.7 billion spent on measures addressing lifelong learning and education in is broken down as shown in the figure below: ESF contributed 22.8 billion, while national and private contributions amounted to 17.9 and 3.1 billion, respectively. Figure 11: Expenditure breakdown 7% 41% 52% EC NATIONAL PRIVATE Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 27

30 2. Education and lifelong learning in ESF The approach adopted to identify the priority axes relevant for this study has been described in section 1C. A total of 318 priority axes across 106 OPs have been retained for this study. The table below summarises the most important administrative and financial data related to E&LLL in the current programming period and compares the data to the performance of each Member State within the entire ESF scheme. Table 3: Priority Axes, Operational Programmes and Budget (in million) MS E&LLL PA TOTAL PA % OPs E&LLL TOTAL OPs % E&LLL BUDGET 46 TOTAL ESF BUDGET AT % % % BE % % 248 1,073 23% BG % % 439 1,185 37% CY % % % CZ % % 1,639 3,775 43% DE % % 2,778 9,381 30% DK % % % EE % % % ES % % 2,241 8,057 28% FI % % % FR % % 1,378 5,395 26% GR % % 1,678 4,364 38% HU % % 1,781 3,629 49% IE % % % IT % % 2,431 6,938 35% LT % % 404 1,028 39% LU % % % LV % % % MT % % % NL % % % PL % % 3,727 9,707 38% PT % % 4,873 6,512 75% RO % % 1,577 3,684 43% SE % % % SI % % % SK % % 491 1,500 33% UK % % 1,600 4,475 36% EU % % 29,225 75,953 38% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports % The table shows that in the programming period : All 27 Member States are addressing the topic of education and lifelong learning through ESF; Nine out of ten OPs include the topic of education and lifelong learning; Half of the priority axes contain relevant interventions; The budget allocated to the four priority themes (62, 72, 73 and 75) represents 38% of the entire ESF budget. This figure gives a rather precise indication at the programming stage of how Member States intend to use the 46. Budget refers to priority themes 62, 72, 73 and The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

31 ESF contribution. Amounts refer to ESF contribution only, not to what Member States and private sources will contribute. The total budget for the entire ESF (ESF + national + private contributions) amounts to billion; In absolute figures, Portugal, Poland and Germany have allocated the largest amount of their ESF budgets to lifelong learning and education; In relative figures, Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands plan to dedicate the highest proportion of their ESF budget to education and lifelong learning; Sweden, Finland and Belgium plan to use ESF to a lesser extent for education and lifelong learning. The data available do not allow making a precise breakdown of the ESF budget dedicated to lifelong learning and education. Priority themes only indicate the ESF contribution, while priority axes cover too many other interventions. Nevertheless, if the latter are an indication of the relative share of ESF, national and private funding, then the 318 priority axes addressing (among other things) lifelong learning and education amount to a total of 90.4 billion and are broken down as follows: ESF is contributing 57.7 billion, while national and private budgets amount to 29.4 and 3.3 billion, respectively. Figure 12: Division of ESF E&LLL budget National Private 4% National Public 33% EC 63% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Considerations on education and lifelong learning in ESF Comparing the administrative and financial data for both programming periods, the following elements are noteworthy: All Member States are using ESF support to promote/implement national and/or regional education and lifelong learning policies; Education and lifelong learning are focal policy fields / priorities for ESF. Depending on how their relative share is calculated, it is fair to say that approximately 40% of all ESF interventions are related to this topic; Individual Member States invested in lifelong learning with the ESF support at considerably different levels: between 2000 and 2013 Portugal will have spent approximately 75% of its ESF allocation (consisting of EU, national and private funds) to education and lifelong learning, while Sweden will have spent less than 20%; Overall, the budget allocations foreseen under priority themes 62, 72, 73 and 75 (programming period ) seem to be in line with the level of spending on education and lifelong learning interventions in ESF Budget refers to priority themes 62, 72, 73 and 75 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 29

32 B. OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS In relation to the programming period , the selection of relevant measures for this study is based on what was announced in the planning documents of individual OPs. These offer a description of the then planned interventions. Throughout the period and after its end, managing authorities reported on the implementation of the measures. In most cases (458 out of 558 measures) data were provided on the outputs and results of the measures, in particular with regard to the number of people who benefited from interventions. With regard to the programming period , the selection of relevant priority axes for this study was based on what was announced in the Operational Programme documents of the individual OPs as these provide a description of the interventions to be implemented in the course of the programming period. At the time of drafting this study (November January 2010), managing authorities had reported on the achievements of their OPs in the years 2007 and The data presented relate to 183 out of 318 priority axes earmarked as relevant for this study. The available data on the current programming period need to be treated with caution because most priority axes do not exclusively address lifelong learning and education interventions and thus many of the reported participants may have benefited from ESF for other purposes than lifelong learning. The total number of participants in education and LLL-related priorities amounts to 83% of the total number of reported participants across all ESF priorities. By way of comparison, the budget for LLL interventions, which is taken as the sum of the budgets for priority themes 62, 72, 73 and 75 is about 40% of the total ESF budget. Secondly, the absolute figures should not be compared as such with similar data on the previous programming period. It is obvious that more robust results will be obtained after a few years, once the programmes are fully up and running. 1.Participations The 558 measures identified as containing interventions relevant to education and lifelong learning involved almost 33 million participations between 2000 and However, this figure should be treated with care. Firstly, these measures did not address exclusively lifelong learning and education. Secondly, it is not possible to identify how many individual persons have benefited from them as some participants may have participated in different years and/or have benefited from more than one ESF action. As a result, the term participations reflects the reality better and is preferred to participants within the scope of this section. The table below provides more detailed information on the number of participations and compares the achievements for E&LLL with the overall figures for ESF. In order to come to comparable data for old and new Member States - the latter having joined ESF only for the last three years of the programming period - the average number of participations per year is given. 30 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

33 Table 4: Average yearly participants per Member State (in thousands) MS participations E&LLL participations ESF participations per year (E&LLL) participations per year (ESF) % of total yearly participations in E&LLL measures AT 583 1, % BE 765 1, % CY % CZ % DE 3,662 6, % DK % EE % ES 6,842 22, ,618 27% FI % FR 4,393 15, ,274 28% GR 1,750 2, % HU % IE 1,291 1, % IT 2,842 6, % LT % LU % LV % MT % NL % PL 206 1, % PT 6,244 7, ,109 88% SE 121 1, % SI % SK % UK 2,245 4, % EU 32,875 75,513 5,119 11,838 43% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports The table shows that in the programming period : The share of yearly E&LLL participations in the entire ESF scheme (43%) is similar to the share of the E&LLL expenditure in the total ESF expenditure; Spain and Portugal feature the highest absolute numbers of (yearly) participations, while Germany, Portugal and the UK spent most on E&LLL interventions; The relative share of (yearly) E&LLL participations was quite high in a number of Member States. While this is in line with their relative attention to E&LLL in the case of Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands and Portugal, it is not the case of Greece (81%) and Slovakia (81%), whose relative share of E&LLL expenditure was considerably lower (48% and 29%, respectively). A few Greek measures reaching almost 700,000 students across the country with environmental education or alternative classes to combat school failure may explain this divergence. In Slovakia, 40,000 students and 30,000 employees attended career guidance or further education courses; On the other side of the continuum, there were only a very small number of people involved in E&LLL measures in Sweden. Poland on the other hand seemed to spend a relatively big share of its E&LLL funds on the education Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 31

34 system: 40% of all ESF expenditure went to E&LLL, while E&LLL measures account for only 18% of the (yearly) participations. In this particular case, part of the explanation may be that ESF support was used for training teachers, accrediting institutions and purchasing IT equipment. 2. Participant profiles Member States have provided to various extents additional information on participants, like gender, age, status in the labour market or education level. Though available data on the current period are relatively limited, they might confirm some of the findings and observations on the previous programming period with regard to the participant profiles. Gender Twenty Member States have provided sufficient data on gender, based on which the gender of almost 26 million participations could be determined. 50.2% of them were women. The number of women benefiting from LLL-related priorities is slightly higher than the number of men: 51.3% of reported participants are women. Across all ESF priorities, women represent 52.2%. Age Member States have mainly reported on the number of young participants (under 25 years old), whereas data on adult (26-54) and older (55-64) participants have been transmitted less frequently. There is information on the age of only 10.6 million participants in 15 Member States, which represents one third of all E&LLL participants. On this account, any extrapolations of reliable information on the relative share of each age group should be treated with care. Figure 13: Age breakdown >55 years old 4% years old 34% <25 years old 62% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports In relation with the programming period, Member States were asked to report on both younger and older categories. Collected data indicate that during the first two years of implementation 35% of participants in E&LLL related activities were between 16 and 25 years and 4% were older than The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

35 Educational attainment The level of education of participants in E&LLL related interventions has been mentioned in less than 10% of all cases and in 11 Member States. Overall, the three education levels (primary and lower secondary education; secondary and post-secondary education; third level education) are represented more or less equally, with a little emphasis on people with primary education. Figure 14: Educational level of particpants in ESF education and LLL interventions % 38% Primary or lower secondary education Upper secondary, post-secondary and vocational education Tertiary and post-tertiary education 30% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports These figures differ from the data on the overall ESF programme , where 48% of participants had a low educational attainment and only 22% had a tertiary degree. This difference can be explained through the prevalence of third level education participants is LLL. The initial findings for show a different picture. As mentioned in figure 15, half of the participants in E&LLL related interventions have upper-secondary or post-secondary education, 38% have primary education and only 12% a third level degree. The relative shares, moreover, do not differ that much between the overall ESF data and the data specifically addressing E&LLL priorities. Figure 15: Educational level of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions ISCED ISCED % ISCED % Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of EC Structural Fund database, Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 33

36 Status in the labour market Eighteen Member States indicated the status in the labour market for about 11 million participants. The figure below shows that the majority of participants had a job, while 23% of the participants were unemployed. The share of people reported as inactive is rather small and may not reflect their exact representation in E&LLL interventions because the key concept formal education addresses mainly students, who are inactive on the labour market.. Compared to the overall ESF statistics, E&LLL interventions cater much more for the employed and less for the unemployed. Figure 16: Status in the labour market of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions % 34% 57% total employed total unemployed total inactive Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports The findings for draw a different picture: Member States have been asked to report consistently on six categories: (long-term) unemployed, (self-) employed and inactive (in training). The results are shown in figure 17. Given the type of activities that were taken into account for both programming periods, this division is likely to be fairly representative for the previous period, as well. Figure 17: Status in the labour market of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions % 36% inactive employed unemployed 25% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of EC Structural Fund database, The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

37 Vulnerable groups About 400,000 participants in 15 Member States were reported as belonging to vulnerable groups like migrants, minorities and people with disabilities in the previous programming period. Most of them participated in German (158,000) and Spanish (122,000) programmes. Organisations More than 650,000 organisations were involved in education and lifelong learning measures. Among the 15 Member States which reported on the number of participating organisations for , Spain (with 12 measures, and over 300,000 organisations) and Germany (5 measures, almost 140,000 organisations) provided the highest figures, with the UK, Finland and Portugal together accounting for another 160,000 organisations. Because some of the measures belong to the same OP, for instance in the case of Thüringen (DE), the figures may not necessarily point to individual organisations. Result indicators In terms of result indicators for the period , 59 measures from 12 Member States reported a total of almost 50,000 jobs created. More than 21,000 of these jobs were created in the framework of the French OP Midi- Pyrénées. A total of 29 measures from 7 Member States reported almost 73,000 jobs safeguarded. More than 18,000 participants in the Bratislava OP (Slovakia) retained their jobs within 6 months after completing their involvement in an ESF supported activity. Finally, 5 measures from 4 Member States reported more than 37,000 workplaces created. The input from the Irish OP (32,000 places) is particularly noteworthy. 15 Member States reported 1.5 million participants gaining a qualification in ESF Portugal (615,000) and the UK (680,000) stood out as providers of qualification. Almost 1 million participants from 15 Member States were integrated in the labour market. The UK (420,000), Spain (406,000) and Hungary (86,000) reported the highest results. C. TYPOLOGY OF INTERVENTIONS As discussed in Chapter 1 section A, education and lifelong learning are broad concepts, which are sometimes used differently in different contexts. A systematic review of the ESF measures and priorities has lead to the conclusion that the E&LLL interventions can be allocated to one or more of the following four areas, which are called key concepts 48 for the purpose of this study: Formal education refers to any educational activities in the realm of primary, secondary and third level education including doctoral programmes, on the basis that these are often accessed prior to entering the labour market. Vocational education and training includes activities to upgrade and accredit technical and vocational skills targeted at specific occupations and which are generally targeted at jobseekers of all ages. 48. The definition of these concepts is provided in section 1A of this study. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 35

38 Continuing education and lifelong learning incorporate activities aimed at maintaining and upgrading the work skills of employed people to protect their employability and to improve the competitiveness of enterprises. Lifelong learning moreover targets atypical learners and those who have problems attending formal education or training. Education and lifelong learning systems refers to interventions aimed at improving national and regional systems of education and training, promoting recognition and accreditation of qualifications, developing networks, elaborating methodologies, and training educators and trainers. 1. ESF interventions The analysis of the selected measures showed that it would not be possible to allocate each measure to only one of the four key concepts. Some measures cover different issues. Therefore it was decided to set aside those measures which according to the analysis dealt exclusively with support to systems and structures (85 measures) and to allocate the measures dealing exclusively/mainly with support to people in the following way. Figure 18: Overview of measures per key concept Formal education 49 measures measures measures Vocational education and training Continuing education and lifelong learning System measures: 85 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports The diagram shows that the majority of measures addressed (a combination of ) VET and LLL interventions. It is important to note here that a lot of active labour market policies (ALMP) interventions with an explicit training component come under VET and that numerous in-company training schemes for workers were allocated to the key concept of continuing education and LLL. It is thus very likely that most of the labour market and in-company training interventions have also been reported in the studies on ALMP and on adaptability of enterprises and continuing training of workers. The overall data on expenditure and participants presented in sections 2A and 2B can be broken down per key concept, following the same allocation of measures, to partly overlapping key concepts. The result is shown in the following diagrams: 36 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

39 Figure 19: Overview of claimed expenditure per key concept Formal education 4.7bn 4.1bn 2bn 12.2bn 0.6bn 4.3bn 11bn Vocational education and training Continuing education and lifelong learning System expenditure: 4.7bn Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Figure 20: Overview of participants per key concept Formal education 3.7m participants 4.1m 1.1m 6.3m participants 0.3m 3.5m 10.6m participants Vocational education and training Continuing education and lifelong learning System participants: 3.3m Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Cost per beneficiary Section B of the introduction to this study mentioned that the average total cost per ESF beneficiary was 1,404. The average cost for E&LLL participants only is 2% higher: 1,328. However, this figure differs considerably when calculated separately per key concept: VET interventions and broad spectrum interventions are more expensive than in-company and formal education interventions. One possible explanation is that VET interventions which aim at qualifying people for the labour market last longer than training activities on the work floor. Formal education interventions on the other hand may target essentially entire education institutions rather than individual pupils and students, while individual beneficiaries are counted as participants. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 37

40 Table 5: Index cost per participant expenditure (in million) participants (in millions) cost per participant index cost per participant Total ESF 105,440 75,5 1, Total E&LLL 43,653 32,9 1, Formal education 4,709 3,7 1, VET 12,247 6,3 1, Continuing education and LLL 11,032 10,6 1, Systems 4,689 3,3 1, Broad spectrum measures 600 0,3 1, Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports ESF interventions Many of the lifelong learning themes supported by ESF during the period continue to be addressed in the current programmes in a total of 318 priority axes. A similar division has been adopted to categorise current education and lifelong learning related interventions. It has not been possible to allocate each priority axis to only one of the four key concepts. Priority axes are large management units covering various policies and topics. Nevertheless, identification has been made of where emphases are placed and where significant resources are allocated. This resulted in the following division. Figure 21: Overview of priority axes per key concept Formal education 44 priority axes priority axes priority axes Vocational education and training Continuing education and lifelong learning System priority axes: 47 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme documents The diagram shows that most priority axes address more than one key concept, which could be explained through the size and scope of priority axes. Nevertheless, the key concept that occurs most frequently in priority axes is continuing education and LLL. Compared to the previous programming period, there are more so-called broad spectrum measures, i.e. priorities covering all key concepts. 38 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

41 3. Broad spectrum measures and priorities There are a number of measures and priorities in which formal education, VET and continuing education are addressed in a coordinated manner. In the previous programming period, there were 8 such measures from 8 Member States (Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Sweden) covering the broad spectrum of E&LLL interventions, including activities addressing the education system. These measures spent altogether a claimed 600 million and reportedly reached well over 300,000 participants. In many cases the reason for bringing together all themes in one measure may have been of a practical and administrative nature. Some Member States only had one OP (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland) while other OPs covered a particular geographical area (e.g. Madeira, Aland). Broad spectrum measures often provided assistance to reforming and developing systems of lifelong learning, systems of delivery as well as to enhancing of knowledge, skills, competences and qualification of students, jobseekers and workers. These types of actions often combined vocational guidance and counselling services with the delivery of education and training in order to develop learners abilities in relation to the labour market, distance learning and support transfer to further and higher education or employment. The target beneficiaries were also diverse and incorporated both employed and unemployed people, students and early school leavers, older workers and vulnerable groups. Lifelong learning actions succeeded to increase the competitiveness of enterprises, to protect the jobs of low skilled workers, to extend the working life of older employees, to improve the employability of young people and the unemployed, enhance the knowledge and skills of graduates and to provide open and flexible opportunities to gain skills and achieve certification. The measure in Norra Nörrland (Sweden) for example addressed the general preconditions for lifelong learning at all levels. It aimed to increase the number of people in the region gaining higher education, and encouraged educational choices on other than the traditional gender-related grounds. The actions taken achieved positive effects for remote hinterland areas and islands and increased regional employment and growth. In addition to system actions, education and training were offered in the general educational system and through distance learning. The measure included activities carried out by universities and other educational bodies 49. The Latvian measure Development of Education and Continuing Training 50 also contained a broad range of activities. In relation to formal education and training it addressed the improvement of learning opportunities in key sectors, the development of new and the updating of existing courses, the introduction of improved methods and practice with specific emphasis on teaching quality in natural science, technology and mathematics at secondary level, the improvement of higher professional programmes in science and technology and of doctoral level programmes. Other activities focused on the consolidation of LLL networks and capacity building, on public discussions about LLL, and on bettering economically relevant continuing education programmes. Participants could gain IT skills, participate in e-learning and distance education, while educators and trainers were given the opportunity to develop their competences. Last but not least, special attention was paid to building new links between social SE161DO001 Norra Norrland, measure 3, LV161DO001 Latvia, measure 3.2 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 39

42 partners and educational institutions. There were participants in this measure, out of whom were students and teachers teachers were trained within 152 projects of them completed training in career counselling services students gained a qualification and 2000 students in secondary vocational education and higher education establishments completed practical experience (within 183 projects). Also 120 people completed doctorate or post-doctoral studies. Furthermore, 142 projects developed new higher education programmes and 60 projects developed new secondary education study programmes in economically important sectors. 82 projects developed new programmes in vocational education. 8 projects provided assistance for lifelong learning and 38 developed continuing education programmes. 98 projects provided practical experience in enterprises for teachers and academic personnel while assistance for doctorate and post-doctoral studies was the target of 5 studies. Training was also provided to 800 representatives of the social partners, 150 regional state authority employees and life-long learning coordinators. 6 lifelong learning networks were established. In the current programming period, there are 25 priorities from 21 OPs and 9 Member States (Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Portugal) covering the broad spectrum of E&LLL interventions, including activities addressing the education system. Data available for 14 priorities indicate that during the first two years of implementation, approximately 900,000 participants were reached, of whom more than 500,000 women. D. FORMAL EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS IN ESF Formal education refers to the system of schools, colleges, universities and other formal educational institutions that normally constitute a continuous ladder of full-time education for children and young people, generally beginning at age five to seven and continuing up to 20 or 25 years old. Such education takes place in the formal diplomabased system of education, such as primary and secondary level education, and university diploma or degree courses. It generally refers to general education and includes the compulsory period of education that operates in all Member States. It also covers what is often termed as initial higher and professional education that is offered through tertiary education at undergraduate and post graduate level. 1. Reported achievements A total of 101 measures belonging to 59 OPs from 19 Member States addressed formal education in the programming period. An overview of these measures can be found in Annex 3. As mentioned in section 2C.1, a distinction has been made between the 49 measures from 11 Member States that exclusively address formal education and the 52 measures in which formal education is one of the aspects in the spectrum of education and lifelong learning. This section will deal with the exclusive measures, while the typology concerns all relevant measures. With regard to the current programming period, formal education is mentioned in 83 priority axes from 63 OPs in 24 Member States. An overview of these priority axes can be found in Annex 5. As mentioned in section 2C.2, most priority axes are not focussed exclusively on formal education, but also cover other aspects of education and lifelong learning. 40 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

43 A total of 44 measures from 10 Member States have reported almost 3.7 million participations in formal education related interventions in ESF , as table 6 shows in more detail. Table 6: Participants in formal education interventions (in thousands) MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS CZ 41 IE 229 PT 924 ES 88 IT 1,427 UK 193 GR 462 NL 65 EU 3,667 HU 98 PL 140 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Data on Italy comes from 17 regional programmes, while the Portuguese participants were all reported under 2 measures of the Education OP. There is information on age for only 400,000 participants from 3 Member States (Italy, Poland and the UK). While the available data may be too small to come to robust conclusions, they do point to an almost 95% involvement of young people up to 25 years of age. This conclusion is quite obvious, given that formal education comprises the regular education pathway of primary, secondary and third-level education that usually takes place within the first 25 years of one s life. Exceptions to the rule are in this case interventions addressing PhD students or people involved in second chance schooling. Information on the status in the labour market is available for just under 100,000 participants from 2 Member States (Italy and the UK). The figures at hand, while too small to reach firm conclusions, indicate that 34% of participants were inactive, 56% were unemployed and 10% employed. One would have expected a more substantive share of the inactive population, certainly by comparison with the number of unemployed people, given that formal education addresses a situation which often precedes professional life. Only two Member States (Hungary and Italy) provided information on the educational level of 265,000 people. Also in this case, the available data do not allow for getting a fully reliable picture. Still, they indicate that 90% of participants had a low level of education, while 5% of participants had secondary or third level education. These proportions are unlikely to reflect the reality, especially when compared to the prominence of formal education interventions in both secondary and higher education institutions, as described in the programming documents. In two Hungarian OPs a total of 48,000 participants were integrated in the labour market through grant projects (strengthening cooperation of higher education institutions with local actors, Regional Development OP) or obtained a variety of positive outcomes (employment, improved labour market position or a qualification), from their involvement in higher education (Human Resource Development OP). Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 41

44 2. Typology of ESF supported interventions Generally speaking, the actions undertaken in the field of formal education could be classified on the basis of whether they were implemented at second or tertiary levels of education. In one case the ESF support focused on kindergartens and primary schools. A project in Poland proposed to enhance options for younger learners, to respond to students with special educational needs, provide specialist equipment, and to introduce multimedia and the internet into schools and libraries 51. In another case the target was a younger population which included learners between 6 and 9 years in the formal education system and actions focused on introducing vocational and educational elements in an integrated curriculum 52. Apart from these specific cases the majority of activities could be described under the headings of Secondary and Tertiary Education. Actions to support transition from one level to another and to the labour market were also identified and these have been described separately in section 2D2.3. At secondary level substantial resources and effort were allocated to combating early school leaving and at both levels actions were carried out to widen participation to education and combat exclusion. These are described in section 2H dealing with horizontal themes Secondary education Although ESF support was distributed throughout the lifelong learning system there was a tendency to focus upon either secondary or higher education, most probably because increasing knowledge and skills for the labour market through lifelong learning was of high importance in all OPs. Lifelong learning actions often targeted education and skill development to strengthen regional competitiveness by offering new educational programmes more relevant to local labour markets. For example, in Poland the focus was on reducing the educational gap between urban and rural areas in terms of primary and secondary schooling 53. The majority of beneficiaries in secondary education were young people who had not yet entered the labour market. However, activities to benefit upper secondary schools for adults, learning centres and specialised training courses were also implemented. The types of interventions that ESF supported by at secondary education level included: Broadening learning opportunities: This category of actions aimed at providing a greater diversity of options in formal education, e.g. basic and transferrable skills, language studies and courses in new technologies and informatics, natural sciences and mathematics Introducing vocational options : The introduction of more vocationally oriented choices was a frequent goal of activities, and was done through the promotion of non-traditional career choices and encouraging entrepreneurship among others. The delivery of vocational courses and training qualifications for young people in schools, the supply of vocational orientation (e.g. counselling) and of programmes combining school and work, and training secondary school students for a job on the labour market were typical actions PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development, measure 2, PT161PO013 Alentejo, measure 3, PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development, measure 2,1 54. For example: 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society, measure 1,2 and 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion, measure 14, For example: 2000SE162DO004 Södra, measure 2,1 and 1999BE161DO001 Hainaut Obj.1, measure 5,4 42 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

45 Creating access to alternative learning systems, such as personalised training plans, placement support and the application of experiential programmes were frequent accompanying actions at secondary level Tertiary education ESF actions in the tertiary or higher education sector enhanced knowledge and skills in the areas of research, science, and technology, supported knowledge transfer towards the productive sector and helped keep higher education young graduates in their region. The ESF support also contributed to widening participation in higher education. Beneficiaries of the initiatives at this level included students at different stages of post compulsory and higher education including young people transferring to post-secondary education, students in universities at undergraduate, master and PhD levels, young graduates, people with out-of-date qualifications and post-doctoral researchers. The ESF assistance to a more relevant and higher quality further and higher education translated into strengthening systems of provision, developing new courses and materials, upgrading the competences of teaching staff, and developing the management capacity of further and higher education providers. These activities are described in detail in Section 2C5. As regards to primary goal of enhancing the knowledge and skill base of the community and of supporting the transfer of knowledge to enterprises, it was reached mainly through: Research oriented activities: These types of actions frequently involved learning opportunities at an advanced level for postgraduates, researchers and students pre and post-phd, e.g. advanced training modules in research and development, which in some cases were offered by a combination of universities, training centres and research institutes. The link between research and education and business was secured by providing researchers with scholarships in businesses or by hiring of PhD holders in enterprises. Undergraduates benefited from training in personal and professional competences, and research incentives in the fields of social sciences and economics were also offered 57. Programme provision activities, such as delivery of new undergraduate programmes and postgraduate studies including master courses and PhD programmes. New educational options such as courses in advanced technology were created in sectors more relevant to the labour market based on the analysis of future skills needs, often giving students access to higher level education in their own region. Last but not least, the ESF support was used for the enrichment of existing curricula with more practice-oriented training Transition The transfer from the world of education to the world of work was also addressed by ESF supported actions. These interventions were targeted at both those completing secondary education and those graduating from universities with the purpose of better preparing them for their integration into working life. Assistance was provided for the 56. For example 2000FR162DO019 Picardie, measure 2,2 57. For example: 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation, measure 1,1 and 2003HU161PO001 Hungary Regional Development, measure 3,3 58. For example: 1999PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 1,2 and 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna, measure 3,7 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 43

46 continuation of studies towards higher education and facilitating transfer from school to work. Typical actions involved the provision of grants for specialist education/training courses linked directly to labour market needs, customised pathways using individualised training and placement plans adapted to the needs of the learner and of the labour market and offering certification to facilitate the passage between secondary education and tertiary or between secondary education and the open labour market. Other actions included the provision of mentoring support in the year after basic education, offering alternative opportunities for those at risk of leaving school without a qualification and cooperation between the business community and schools for post-school work experience and internships 59. Another focus was upon offering options more closely related to employment including internships to facilitate transition to work, flexible third cycle training modules linked to the world of work, the integration of in-company training in the regular higher education curricula and advanced professional education for students in industry Formal education in ESF ESF support for actions in formal education has been targeted at a broad range of potential beneficiaries, and cover both low skilled and highly skilled unemployed people, formal education at all levels and people of all ages. Many current measures specify interventions to increase the participation of vulnerable groups in education. Improved awareness of and access to learning and training opportunities are often an aspect of formal education actions. Both secondary education and higher education have been prioritised. At one end of the spectrum formal education activities target pre-qualified education for people with low skill levels, unemployed persons, disabled persons, migrants and other disadvantaged groups (like ex-offenders), while at the other end of the spectrum they support post-graduate further education, including for highly qualified women, and provide individual support for PhD students and research groups. While in a minority of cases actions have been targeted at pre-school and primary education, for example in Bavaria 61, the majority of initiatives in formal education have been planned at secondary, post-secondary, further and higher education levels. At secondary level interventions emphasise the integration of occupationally relevant elements into the curriculum including opportunities to gain work skills, assisting students in making better career choice decisions and making available to those completing secondary education complementary actions that aid the transition between school and training. An example of one strategy in this regard is promoting self-employment within the educational system, particularly through school-work rotation 62. Other mechanisms adopted are integrating apprenticeships and education for young people and delivering dual certification education and training courses. Post-secondary education actions include the development of advanced specialised schools, the use of new methods and forms of teaching, including open and distance education e-learning and providing more occupationally relevant options in further education such as specialised technological courses and scientific further education. 59. For example: 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3, measure 3,32 and 2000ES161PO002 Cantabria, measure 41, For example: 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1, measure 3,2 and 2003LV161DO001 Latvia, measure 3, DE052PO002 Bayern OP IT052PO016 Sardegna OP 44 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

47 A wide diversity of study programmes at higher education level are planned, including Bachelor, Master and PhD study programmes, providing tertiary professional education options and creating high level educational pathways through scholarships and specialised courses. These include postgraduate studies in the scientific and technological fields and scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop research and technological development projects. Actions also support incentives to increase the motivation of students to follow master and doctoral studies, training in research and development and grants for post-graduate studies. New programmes of study relating to the needs of the economy, regional and local labour market needs and a knowledge-based society are planned. Educational programmes and courses are planned in a wide range of fields including ICT, communications and management skills, sustainable development, and language skills. A particular emphasis has been placed on developing human potential in research and innovation e.g. postgraduate scholarships promoting specialisation in fields that can support the regional system of innovation and research 63. Actions to support graduates completing tertiary education are also planned such as continuing education courses in universities for students and graduates who require labour market skills or who face unemployment after finishing university. An instance of this is Finland where post graduation support was provided to graduates including offering opportunities for higher education/phd studies outside the region 64. E. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INTERVENTIONS IN ESF Vocational education and training (VET) activities refer to those learning opportunities that focus on developing knowledge and skills to prepare participants to access specific occupations within the labour market. The term includes pre-vocational, initial and technical vocational training, apprenticeships and certification for advanced occupations. 1. Reported achievements 250 measures in 143 OPs from 24 Member States (all except for Slovenia) addressed the VET sector in ESF in the previous programming period. An overview of these measures can be found in Annex 3. As mentioned in section 2C.1, a distinction can be made between the 137 measures that exclusively address vocational education and training and those in which VET is one of the aspects in the spectrum of education and lifelong learning. This section will deal with the exclusive measures, while the typology concerns all relevant measures. With regard to the current programming period, VET is mentioned in 121 priority axes belonging to 60 OPs from 21 Member States. An overview of these priority axes can be found in Annex 5. As mentioned in section 2C.2, most priority axes are not focused exclusively on VET, but also cover other aspects of education and lifelong learning. 63. For example 2007IT051PO005 Puglia OP FI052PO002 Finland: Åland OP Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 45

48 A total of 102 measures from 18 Member States have reported 6.3 million participations in VET related interventions in ESF , as the table below shows in more detail. Table 7: Participants in vocational education and training interventions (in thousands) MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS AT 105 GR 414 PL 29 BE 233 HU 12 PT 1,840 CZ 28 IE 76 SE 1 DE 1,032 IT 29 UK 432 ES 1,773 LU 14 EU 6,302 FI 26 MT 2 FR 253 NL 4 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports There is information on the age for more than 2.6 million participants. The overwhelming majority of participants were under 25 years old. While one may expect to find more young inactive or unemployed people in VET interventions, the available figures are most likely not in line with reality. ESF Managing Authorities mainly reported on young participants, while data on adult and older participants were less frequently transmitted. There is data on 2.3 million young people from 39 measures, but only 18 measures out of 102 report on the age group and 10 measures mention older workers. Measures reporting on all three age categories, as in the case of the Finnish Objective 3 programme (measure 2.22: activation towards vocational training and reducing dropouts in education and training) provide a more balanced picture: 54% young persons, 21% adults (up to 40 years) and 25% of people over 40 years of age. This more balanced picture seems to be confirmed by the overall available data for 2007 and 2008, when 35% of all participants in education and LLL related activities were between 16 and 25 years and 4% were older than 55. There is information on the status in the labour market for 1.8 million participants. The majority was either unemployed or inactive at the time of their ESF involvement, which is in line with expectations, given that VET measures mainly support unemployed people in finding a job or facilitate the transition of youngsters from school to work. A considerable share of employed people is due to the particular situation in Portugal where basic ICT competences were reportedly offered to more than 700,000 employed people. This figure in itself represents 39.5% of the reported universe. 46 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

49 Figure 22: Status in the labour market (VET interventions) 19% 45% Inactive Employed Unemployed 36% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Three Member States (Belgium, Germany and Portugal) provided information on the educational level of 350,000 participants. While the available data may be too small to come to robust conclusions, the data mentioned in the figure below do indicate that VET interventions reached people from different levels of education attainment, in particular those with low levels of education. Figure 23: Educational level (participants in VET interventions) 15% Primary or lower secondary education 51% Upper secondary, post-secondary and vocational education Tertiary and post-tertiary education 34% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Typology of ESF supported interventions Vocational Education and Training (VET) activities have long been at the centre of ESF support to jobseekers and the unemployed. Actions were implemented to provide VET options relevant to the needs of the labour market, to improve qualifications and make better use of human resources. VET activities aimed to improve employability, increase social integration, support economic cohesion and promote equal opportunities. Primary VET objectives focused on providing training leading to qualifications for jobseekers, improving skills for working life, and facilitating occupational mobility. Both basic training, including key transferrable skills, and specific training with greater potential for job creation in sectors of national, regional and local strategic relevance were implemented. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 47

50 VET was used in combination with other forms of assistance such as grants and subsidies to increase the insertion of the unemployed in the open labour market, to create a skilled supply of labour for enterprises and to promote the formation of SMEs and self-employment options. From a regional perspective, VET was in many situations an integral part of overall regional development strategies to promote a regional balance, to enhance economic and local development in both urban and rural areas and to upgrade and develop the skills of the workforce in disadvantaged and underdeveloped areas. Another important role of VET was to combat economic and social exclusion and improve access to the job market for the long-term unemployed and to those people who were distant from the labour market by helping them to develop economically relevant skills. A wide range of jobseekers, unemployed and economically inactive people were targeted by VET actions including: Young people including first time jobseekers and students who had finished or were about to finish secondary school or university, sailors and those leaving military services 65 ; Adults experiencing short term unemployment as a result of labour market factors including redundant workers and job returners, people who were unemployed for up to 12 months, long term unemployed adults, older unemployed people and adults who did not complete their basic education and lacked basic qualifications 66 ; People who for a variety of reasons were at a considerable distance from the labour market including young and adult migrants, people living in disadvantaged urban areas, people living in rural or remote areas including islands and young and adult jobseekers in need of (basic) education and training, young people experiencing social, economic or other difficulties, young people with personal or family difficulties 67 ; People with disabilities with specific requirements for supports or interventions to participate in VET, people with moderate to severe impairment wishing to access the open labour market, people needing adapted services and young people from special needs institutions making the transition from school to work 68 ; Early school leavers who had not finished compulsory education, young people with limited schooling, disaffected learners, those who experienced special difficulties at school, people of all ages who abandoned school without any qualification and who needed access to specialised programmes of initial basic and further VET in order to integrate in the labour market or enable them to continue their studies 69. VET actions could be classified under two primary headings Employability and Economic Development and Promoting Social Cohesion. Employability actions focused on improving access to VET opportunities, enhancing the labour market relevance of knowledge and skills and making opportunities for advanced training available. Actions in support of economic development and social cohesion involved support for: job creation, community development, improving the supply of relevant skills, and enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship. 65. For example: 2000ES053PO306 Pais Vasco Obj. 3, measure 4,4 66. For example: 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj. 3, measure 3, For example: 2000FR162DO003 Lorraine, measure 1, For example: 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1, measure For example: 1999DE053DO001 Germany SPD Obj.3, measure 30,6 48 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

51 2.1. Employability A central pillar of ESF action on employability was facilitating the (re)integration of jobseekers into the labour market through VET programmes matched to the needs of employers and the individual needs of the jobseekers. VET and qualification measures frequently aimed to create new professional opportunities through training linked to the specialised and professional competences required in the labour market, to enhance participation in fields where job seeker interest was low but highly valued in the labour market. VET was particularly important in sectors where unemployment was increasing and job profiles changing such as the agricultural sector as a way to provide vocational qualifications and skills in new professions to redundant and inactive people and to people looking for their first job but without a qualification. As a general rule, VET courses where possible were designed to lead to nationally recognised qualifications and linked to other (re)insertion interventions including job finding support, vocational information and counselling services and employment subsidies. VET was made available through a variety of modes of delivery including centre-based training, training in enterprises, workshops and internships and community based training. Employability focused VET actions included: Access to VET opportunities: Actions to make it easier for people to access VET were supported. Typical activities involved providing guidance and training in new vocational skills to school leavers unprepared to get and keep a job and to graduates seeking work in growth sectors of the economy. A continuum of learning steps were addressed including social development, enhancing motivation, pre-vocational training, VT, job search, support in job seeking and settling into employment, providing training opportunities through a more modern apprenticeship system and delivering a broader range of options including socio-cultural, scientific, technologic and practical training opportunities 70. Labour market relevance: Substantial effort was allocated to providing VET options that were more closely linked to employment opportunities particularly at a local level. In some cases this involved small scale actions to support employment and develop the skills in areas in need of development. In other cases it included the provision of VET in cooperation with the business community, alternating between centre based and incompany training or between formal education and training institutions offering training in basic educational competences and professional training in line with labour market needs 71. Activities often entailed promoting training initiatives within companies such as practical training where trainees could acquire professional skills and expertise in advanced production techniques or matching skills to the demands of industry and enhancing basic and transferrable skills. A comprehensive approach to offering VET adapted to the skills required for specific jobs included a combination of job coaching, the use of ICT to facilitate access to the information society, training relevant across the lifespan and the improvement of coping skills; Advanced training opportunities: Advanced VET options were also expanded in specialist areas including the diversification and upgrading of the skills of the graduates in employment sectors needing expertise in research 70. For example: 1999GB161PO007 Northern Ireland, measure 2,1 and 1999BE161DO001 Hainaut obj. 1, measure 6,1 71. For example: 2003PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development, measure 2,2 and 2000GR161PO008 Crete, measure 6,2 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 49

52 and innovation and offering advanced training within scientific and technologic fields using integrated scientific work experience in post-secondary training through scholarships or other types of support Economic development and promoting social cohesion Improving the skill base and reservoir of qualified human resources through VET was an important method of promoting social cohesion. VET helped to decrease regional disparities in the qualifications of jobseekers and was utilised to create the conditions in which people gained the skills to enable them to participate in the process of territorial development. For example VET and the development of entrepreneurial competences played an important role in improving the economy in the Sami area and preventing population decline 73. In the case of Gozo (Malta), VET tailored to specific target groups, and improved access to quality training, contributed to developing the labour market particular in the areas of tourism and crafts 74. The targeted application of VET actions was important in creating the conditions for more and better employability in demanding economic and social circumstances such as regions with large numbers of young and unqualified jobseekers employment, areas with high rates of unemployed migrants, refugees or travelling groups and sectors with particular employment problems arising from economic restructuring and de-industrialisation. Other objectives included improving the qualifications of the active population and strengthening the competitiveness of local business by using new HR and job creation approaches. Systems of integrated interventions in areas of high unemployment including training orientation, re-training, employment and self-employment were established 75. VET and internships were used to improve the qualifications of human resources in local administration institutions and other entities in which local governments are stakeholders as a basis for regional and local development. VET activities were also directed towards building the capacity of community based groups in Community Economic Development Areas. For example in one programme in the UK there was a particular focus on disadvantaged and excluded people to address barriers to employment 76. Economic development was an element of the majority of VET activities. These included: Support for job creation and community development: VET options were often an element of local initiatives for employment and a sustainable business environment. For example, the provision of training or re-training was combined with counselling, vocational orientation, subsidised employment and self-employment to combat unemployment and social exclusion. New training centres delivering integrated vocational training in cooperation with business and linked to local labour market needs were established. VET opportunities were provided in key areas for job creation in the local labour market including courses in culture and heritage, handicrafts and traditional crafts, hospitality and tourism, sports, the environment, ecological issues and environmental protection, the media, the service sector, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and mining For example: 1999IT161PO003 Italy Research, Technological Development and Advanced Training, measure 3, FI161DO001 Pohjois-Suomen (North Finland), measure 2, MT161DO001 Malta, measure For example: 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training, measure 2, GB162DO009 London, measure 1,3 77. For example: 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3,2 and 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, measure 2,4 50 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

53 Improving the supply of skills: VET was an important mechanism in increasing the supply of more up to date advanced skills for which there was less job seeker demand but labour market demand. Innovative learning methodologies and practices were used to promote technological specialisation, provide training in foreign languages and deliver new courses relevant to the emerging needs of business. The range of courses available was broadened in cooperation with the social partners in skills relevant to the demands of industry 78. Enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship: A valuable role for VET was encouraging more positive attitudes to enterprise, the provision of training in rural and urban entrepreneurship and training in setting up/taking over enterprises and self-employment. These types of VET opportunities included training in multimedia applications, animation, information technology and telematic services, telecommunications, electronics, biotechnology and the Information Society. VET interventions were also used to support the take up of technology and the upgrading of production processes Vocational education and training in ESF ESF actions in the current period particularly emphasise the delivery of quality VET to meet the demands of the labour market, new training options relevant to productive sectors that are considered to be important for the future, technical specialisations and professional training for the acquisition of essential work competences and activities to promote increased participation among the general population in vocational education over the lifespan. VET actions supported by ESF in the current programming period are targeted primarily at jobseekers, the unemployed and economically inactive individuals including young people, older long-term unemployed, participants in employment schemes, people in receipt of social benefits, people in temporary jobs or who have been made redundant and people with low skill levels. The participation of vulnerable groups in VET is a prevailing theme in ESF supported actions with specific reference to early school leavers, people with disabilities, young people with specific mental and/or physical problems, minorities, members of the Roma community and other disadvantaged groups. Past ESF actions have addressed the acquisition of basic and transferrable skills and more advanced technical skills relevant to employers needs. A continuum of interventions have been planned including courses for older people who left school without basic competences for accessing the labour market, programmes leading to a nationally recognised or other entry-level qualifications and demand oriented courses adapted to the requirement of a knowledge-based society. The provision of training in ICT continues to be a central theme in VET actions including training and support for business start-ups using ICT and e-learning skills. Transition from school to work is supported by training in work skills and the provision of information and coaching about VET options during the transition phase. More flexible VET opportunities through modular courses and mechanisms of assessing both formal and non formal competences have been introduced particularly for the long-term unemployed. 78. For example: 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System, measure 41,12 and 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg, measure 1, For example: 2003MT161DO001 Malta, measure 2,1 and 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society, measure 4,5 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 51

54 VET courses with a certified training component and an internship or apprenticeship period in companies, programmes to increase professional skills for work with cooperating businesses and enterprise-related training positions are commonly planned activities. A particular target for interventions to support integration between high-level training and the labour market are jobseekers with higher level skills using scholarships to support postdoctoral traineeship, training initiatives to enhance the quality and number of researchers, apprenticeships and practical training in science institutions and enterprises. An emphasis on foreign language training and language courses related to work experience in other countries such as training of researchers in a foreign language is evident. Training in national language learning for migrants is also planned. Particular fields and sectors that have been specified in VET actions include vocational training in international business, marketing and office skills supported by transnational work experience opportunities and occupational orientation for technical and natural scientific jobs. The promotion of entrepreneurial, business and financial management skills and the establishment of a self-employment culture for individuals aiming to establish SMEs are also targeted. Other areas of focus are encouraging the employment of artists through qualification and training, international initial vocational training in the catering trade, and courses in hotel management and tourism, healthcare, the social field, agriculture and fisheries, environmental protection and energy. F. CONTINUING EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN ESF Continuing education and lifelong learning focuses on three central strands: upgrading workforce skills and knowledge, organisational capacity building and learning throughout the lifespan. The first of these covers the learning activity of those returning to education after having left formal education. The second comprises measures to increase the competitiveness of enterprises and support innovations. The third addresses learning for all citizens regardless of age, educational attainment, employment or social status, and in all contexts, i.e. formal, non-formal and informal. The aim of such learning is to improve one s knowledge, skills and competences within a personal or employment related perspective. In the framework of this study, learning activities aimed at refreshing or advancing the skills of those who have already obtained employment in order to protect their workability, learning activities to enhance the competiveness of enterprises and learning interventions targeting atypical learners by providing flexible and alternative methods of learning are reported. 1. Reported achievements 252 measures in 135 OPs from all 25 Member States addressed the issues of continuing education and lifelong learning in ESF in the previous programming period. An overview of these measures can be found in Annex 3. As mentioned in section 2C.1, a distinction can be made between those 165 measures that exclusively addressed continuing education and LLL and those in which these themes were one of the aspects in the spectrum of 52 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

55 education and lifelong learning. This section will deal with the exclusive measures, while the typology concerns all relevant measures. With regard to the current programming period, continuing education and LLL is mentioned in 193 priority axes belonging to 93 OPs from 27 Member States. An overview of these priority axes can be found in Annex 5. About 40% of these priority axes also cover other aspects of education and lifelong learning. A total of 136 measures from 22 Member States have reported 10.6 million participations in continuing education and LLL related interventions in ESF , as the table below shows in more detail. Spain and Portugal reported the largest numbers of participants. In view of the country s size and its limited period of eligibility for ESF, the number of participants in Slovenia is also noteworthy. Table 8: Participants in continuing education and lifelong learning interventions (in thousands) MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS AT 32 FR 99 PL 37 BE 424 GR 307 PT 2,854 CY 4 HU 7 SE 20 CZ 8 IE 354 SI 81 DE 445 IT 567 SK 12 EE 17 LU 1 UK 788 ES 3,675 MT 5 EU 10,549 FI 244 NL 573 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports There is information on the age for almost 2 million participants. About 60% of these participants were between 26 and 54 years old. This figure represents data from 26 measures and is somewhat below the expectation, given the types of interventions that fall under this key concept. The share of young participants (32%) seems an overrepresentation of reality, which may be due to ESF requirements in the previous programming period to report above all on young people (33 measures provided data). The real share of older participants is likely to be in line with, or somewhat higher than, the reported 9% (with 22 measures providing data). There is information about the status on the labour market for almost 7 million participants, 94% of which relate to (self-) employed people. This share matches the type of interventions. The 4% of unemployed and 2% of inactive people mainly cover adults involved in lifelong learning initiatives. Only 6 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the UK) provided information on the educational level of 1.5 million participants. The available data show that there are as many participants with primary as with secondary educational levels (37% each), while 26% of the participants had third level education. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 53

56 Figure 24: Educational level (participants in continuing education and LLL interventions) 27% 36% Primary or lower secondary education Upper secondary, post-secondary and vocational education Tertiary and post-tertiary education 37% Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports In Spain, various regional measures and one national measure aimed to secure the updated skills of the workforce, including of almost 36,000 migrants and people with disabilities, the overwhelming majority belonging to the latter group. 2. Typology of ESF supported interventions Continuing education and training actions were primarily targeted at workers within the private sector and public sector employees. These interventions served many functions including protecting the employability of workers, extending the working life of older workers, improving the competitiveness of business with a particular emphasis on small and medium sized enterprises and modernising and improving the operation of public services. Continuing education and lifelong learning actions could be classified in terms of whether they were targeted at individual workers, at building organisational capacity or atypical learners. In all three cases flexible approaches to delivery are required. The majority of actions were offered to people at work. The focus of these actions was divided between upgrading the skills and knowledge of the workforce, in support of organisational change and restructuring or extending the working life of at risk workers, and organisational capacity building, to promote competiveness, strengthen entrepreneurship and support the modernisation of the public and voluntary sectors. Actions to encourage learning throughout the lifespan generally addressed the challenge of delivering learning opportunities to all and involved the accreditation of informal learning, alternative and flexible methods of delivery and back to education initiatives for adults. While continuing education and training was offered in all economic sectors, employees in a number of areas relevant to regional and local development were specifically targeted. Sustainable environment: Typical continuing training actions in the environmental sector included the upgrading of training and knowledge of people working in the environmental sector through revised and modernised training programmes and raising awareness of the benefits of international cooperation For example: 2000FR162DO004 Limousin, measure 2.3 and 1999FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland), measure The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

57 Tourism, culture and leisure: In a number of cases continuing training opportunities were aimed at workers in the tourism, natural and cultural heritage sectors to provide transferrable skills such as the use of ICT, foreign language competence and to improve skills for marketing of culture. Other actions focused on upgrading the skills of the local workforce in handicraft and traditional occupations through training in marketing and product promotion. Continuing training options were also offered to workers in local associations, public administration, universities and trade unions in areas of economic activity to attract new business such as the leisure sector 81. Technology and the information society: Many continuing training opportunities aimed to upgrade the qualifications of workers in technological innovation and telecommunications and to offer training and development courses introducing the concepts of the Information Society 82. Agriculture, fisheries and the marine: The qualifications of agricultural advisers and farmers were improved and the capacity in enterprises in the agricultural, maritime and fisheries sectors was enhanced Upgrading workforce skills and knowledge A wide range of general and specific company training was delivered with the support of ESF during the period. It was accompanied by improvements to lifelong learning systems including the development of networks, creating links between education and training organisations and the business community and training trainers and consultants (e.g. external counsellors providing advice on continuing education plans/ policies in companies) to deliver lifelong learning opportunities in enterprises often in cooperation with social partners. The provision of company- based lifelong learning was accompanied by activities to raise the awareness of workers, employers and stakeholders about the importance of continuous training in the enterprises, supporting training needs assessments and promoting training plans in companies. Distance learning, individual open learning methods, self-directed learning and e-learning were incorporated into many in-company training actions. Continuing training and development opportunities were offered in a wide range of formats and served a number of purposes in the private sector. They were particularly important in assisting enterprises to cope with the challenges resulting from a requirement to restructure productive and business processes. Improving or adapting the skills of workers with insufficient or inappropriate qualifications through vocational or workplace specific training assisted them to deal with changing workplace practices and job demands and helped businesses in crisis to respond more quickly and effectively. 81. For example: 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo, measure 2.3 and 2000FR162DO017 Ile-de-France, measure 2,3 82. For example: 1999GB053PO001 East Wales, measure 4,3 and 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia, measure 3, For example: 2000BE162DO009 Rural Dinant-Philippeville, measure 3,2 and 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana, measure 43,2 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 55

58 2.1a. Organisational change and restructuring ESF-supported actions in the field of continuing education and training that facilitated organisational change and restructuring included: Organisational change: Continuing training actions supported the introduction of new models of organisation and work management, prepared SMEs and micro enterprises to respond to economic changes and the skill requirements of new work processes and modernisation and assisted workers to adapt to evolving work demands and deal with the negative social and economic consequences of restructuring 84. Supporting SMEs and social enterprises: Actions to promote a culture conducive to modernisation and development within SMEs and social enterprises were supported. These included carrying out training needs audits with support from larger companies, mentoring and tailoring training options to the needs of the selfemployed and workers in SMEs and microenterprises in order to facilitate their adaptation to the demands of modern productive systems and reinforce job stability 85. Improving the relevance of the skills and competence of workers: An important role for continuing training was ensuring that workers, in enterprises facing the challenge of modernisation, had access to appropriate learning opportunities. This involved carrying out a reassessment of skill demands of affected workers and providing in response training in new qualifications and skills. These were often accompanied by other interventions such as counselling, mentoring, outplacement and job finding support, vocational information and counselling and employment subsidies to reorient workers affected by restructuring. Projects also aimed at improving qualifications and competences of workers in SMEs undergoing change with particular emphasis on those with no, low or out-dated skills, older workers, shop stewards and workers from ethnic minorities. In some instances actions aimed to enhance the employability of workers who were required to seek new employment or to retain their current positions including making training available to part-time, casual and seasonal workers and new employees. Language learning opportunities were also made available to such workers b. Extending working life Another function of continuing education and training in companies was to better qualify workers at risk of losing employment as a result of labour market conditions, or a lack of appropriate skills and qualifications, in order to promote and protect their employment position. For example a comprehensive continuing training measure in Finland which aimed at raising the age of retirement and improving the labour supply offered older people with training opportunities leading to qualifications to improve their labour market mobility. New models of continuing training were introduced that developed work-life skills relevant to a rapidly changing labour market, linked training to working life, developed forecasting, information and guidance services, supported self-directed training leading to a qualification, created opportunities for job rotation, provided ICT training and apprenticeships. Forecasting skills to direct the development of training and education services and an interactive information and guidance system for enterprises and those who organise training and education were other targets for intervention For example: 2000ES053PO311 Spain Entrepreneurship and Lifelong Training, measure 3,1 and 1999BE053DO004, Wallonie-Bruxelles, measure 1, For example: 2000DE051PO007 Germany, measure 4,7 and 2000ES161PO002 Cantabria, measure 43,2 86. For example: 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg, measure 3,37 and 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands, measure 1, FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj. 3, measure 3,32 56 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

59 Other continuing training and development activities supported by ESF and aimed at upgrading the skills of workers to improve their labour market flexibility, enhance job tenure and extend working life included: Enhancing learning opportunities in companies: Actions to support the development of a learning culture in companies included providing training and advice to enterprises to assist them to develop training plans, using social partner agreements to support in-company training to update key and basic skills of employees of SMEs, providing advice and guidance to managers in the implementation of learning organisation methodologies and validating skills to limit the negative effects resulting from labour market flexibility by enhancing the employability of workers 88. Improving the skills and knowledge of leaders: Learning opportunities were offered to managers and the selfemployed in order to create opportunities to understand new management and technological methods, to update their knowledge and skills and to provide them with the skills to carry out training needs appraisals, organise on-site training and develop management competences 89. Targeting specific groups: Certain groups of workers were specifically targeted by continuing training actions. Training in key skills was made available to older workers, workers with most need for qualifications and employed women, temporary workers and the self-employed 90. Creating new learning opportunities for workers: Continuing professional development options were made available to employed people in both urban and rural areas in emerging sectors of economic activity. Training was provided in traditional professions to protect the local economy and the employability of employed people was reinforced through systematic courses on the use of new equipment, technologies and production processes. Important mechanisms in the delivery of continuing training opportunities included individualising training offers for workers with the cooperation of technical institutes and vocational training providers and the creation of flexible lifelong learning options targeted at employees wishing to access further training to improve their employability and adaptability including modular training and vocational education through a number of different languages Organisational capacity building Another major function served by continuing training and education was increasing the competiveness of local businesses, encouraging enterprise and building organisational capacity. This involved improving company processes, strengthening entrepreneurship and building organisation capacity. The provision of lifelong learning was used as a support for competitiveness by improving the competence of management and staff, analysing the skill requirements of business start ups and self-employment and contributing to succession planning within companies. 2.2a. Promoting competitiveness and strengthening entrepreneurship Continuing training supported innovation in SMEs by offering advanced skills training to managers and staff in conjunction with staff exchanges with research institutions. Improving competitiveness and productivity within SMEs was a frequent objective. Sectors targeted included high performance engineering, the creative industries, health, food and drink, textiles and environmental technologies. 88. For example: 2000DE051PO007 Germany Obj. 1, measure 4,7 and 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3, measure 3, For example: 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana, measure 43,2 and 1999FI162DO002 Länsi-Suomen (West Finland), measure 1,3 90. For example: 2003HU161PO001 Hungary Regional development, measure 3,4 and 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg, measure 3, For example: 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj. 3, measure 3,32 and 1999IT161PO009 Puglia, measure 3,8 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 57

60 Promoting competitiveness Actions to maintain the competiveness of enterprises included the delivery of training to supervisors and staff in ICT, higher level skills, offering tailored recruitment and training packages for new employees and providing tailor made programmes based on an assessment of local labour market needs to support changes in corporate technologies and enhance entrepreneurial knowledge. EU related information and improved occupational safety and health were other topics addressed. The prior learning of workers was accredited and in-company training infrastructures were strengthened through training needs analysis, quality assurance measures and the introduction of training standards. Best practice workshops were offered and innovative training approaches were used to train workers and develop management capacity 92. Strengthening entrepreneurship A wide variety of continuing training and development actions in companies were focused on strengthening entrepreneurship and the capacity for innovation. Many activities specifically targeted SMEs and micro-enterprises. In additions to direct training in innovative methodologies, support was provided for the dissemination of a culture of technological and scientific innovation, training for self employment and enterprise creation. Staff working in social enterprises also benefited. Entrepreneurship was developed within educational institutions and increased co-operation between enterprises and educational institutions in research and innovations was used to improve access to training and change attitudes towards training and entrepreneurship. New modules based on research into labour market needs were delivered to SMEs and start ups and the number and quality of continuing education programmes, retraining opportunities and coaching support available to newly created SMEs and young entrepreneurs was increased 93. Facilitating knowledge and technology transfer Continuing training and development in companies was an important strategy in facilitating knowledge and technology transfer to the productive sector and raising the know-how of companies in order to be internationally competitive. Providing training to managers, key staff and creators of enterprises in high level skills and modern working practices assisted in building the capacity of business. SMEs were targeted by training actions covering management methodologies and strategic knowledge and skills. Actions to support knowledge transfer included providing training to researchers in public centres and SMEs, making learning opportunities in business and technical expertise available to companies operating in the service sector and delivering new teaching and learning materials to improve the application of research in business. Training was offered in key regional areas of production using regional features as a basis and skill development initiatives such as mentoring and individual skill projects were introduced. High level skills development was provided to workers in growth sectors and training for excellence with a focus on scientific and technological knowledge and management skills was offered to staff in enterprises and universities For example: 2000GB162DO004 East Midlands, measure 1,5 and 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3,4 93. For example: 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles, measure 3,33 and 1999DE161PO001 Berlin, measure 4, For example: 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands, measure 1,7 and 1999FI161DO002 Itä-Suomen (East Finland), measure 2,1 58 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

61 2.2b. Continuing education in the public and NGO sectors Employees in the public sector also benefitted from lifelong learning opportunities with the support of ESF including training for those involved in the preparation and implementation of ESF to better manage programmes 95, assisting in the modernisation of public services and building public sector capacity to organise and deliver public services more efficiently. In Estonia a Public Service Academy was established providing internships and specific training to administrators 96. Learning opportunities ranged from initial/basic vocational training to continuing and advanced training options. The final objectives of these actions were to improve the quality of local public management, provide better services to citizens and enterprises and improve the qualifications of personnel in local administration institutions and other entities in which local governments were stakeholders such as NGOs. Modernising the public sector A wide range of continuing education and training actions were targeted at the public sector in support of modernisation. Typical activities involved training workers in local and regional public administration including directors and other people with responsibility positions to enhance their knowledge of more efficient processes and support the management of change processes. Specialist training in the social, economic and cultural dimensions of internationalisation was provided to public administration staff and the competence of public sector workers in low skilled occupations relevant to regional economic strategy was upgraded. Training courses and seminars were organised, counselling was made available, specific curricula and training materials were developed and competence standards were established for members of the civil service in ministries at middle and higher levels, those responsible for administering EU membership and directors of government administrations. The administrative modernisation of public services was also supported by offering opportunities to gain appropriate qualification to all categories of staff in public administration. The capacity of inclusion counsellors and staff working at unemployment services was enhanced through the provision of specific skills development programmes 97. Training in health, social and welfare assistance issues Public sector workers in the health and social care sectors were specifically targeted by a range of actions including training for intermediary bodies dealing with provision of social housing, upgrading the knowledge, skills and attitudes of personnel working in psychiatric hospitals and the improvement of the qualifications of social sector workers 98. Training in new methods and techniques of social care and support was provided to staff working in welfare services, including executives in the fields of administration, management and the operation of welfare systems, in order to improve their contribution to services and the effectiveness and efficiency of services CZ161PO004 Czech Republic Joint Regional Operational Programme, measure 3, EE161DO001 Estonia, measure 1,4 97. For example: 1999PT161PO012 Algarve, measure 1,3 and 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1, measure 1,2 98. For example: 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention, measure 4,1 and 2000FR162DO017 Ile-de-France, measure 2,3 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 59

62 Other interventions in the public sector The range of fields in which continuing professional development was offered to public administration staff was extensive. Beneficiaries included public sector workers in the area of urban development, the management of natural resources, in particular water, the cultural sector and Post Office employees. Other actions of interest included training to improve the capacity of staff in NGOs and public services to deal with issues of legality and security particularly in the schools systems, the police force and security personnel to promote and support legality. Continuing education and training in the public sector was utilised to improve the effectiveness of regional planning, the use of infrastructure, local development strategies and the integration of local services in a Knowledge based Society 99. Upgrading the skill base of NGOs Workers in NGOs were also targeted by continuing education and training actions promoting the effectiveness of the voluntary sector. In particular, training was delivered to those involved in NGOs in the field of health to enhance their technical, scientific, behavioural and management skills with a particular emphasis on health promotion and continuing care Learning throughout the lifespan Continuing training and education actions also focused on atypical learners and adults in need of second chance education. Actions promoting training for adults throughout the lifespan were often central to interventions aimed at promoting learning for all ages. A key aspect of many actions was delivering education and training through new forms of learning, in order to encourage participation in lifelong learning and to improve access to the labour market. One broad measure in support of a national learning strategy included all-age advice and guidance, learning partnerships and networks, new materials, the use of ICT, workplace learning initiatives, a credit-based qualifications framework and community based learning 101. Many of the actions focused on learning through the lifespan are described in the section on widening participation below (Section 2H). Nevertheless, it is important to review here the range of lifelong learning activities that targeted adults without primary or secondary qualifications with a view to entering in VET including low skilled workers, older workers, disabled people, women and people in regions in need of development. Lifelong learning actions that focused on the delivery of learning opportunities for all included: Using alternative methods of delivery including Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) open and distance learning and blended education 102 ; 103 Providing opportunities to obtain qualifications in age appropriate contexts ; 104 Delivering open and informal education through new, non-class-based forms of education ; 99. For example: 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society, measure 4,6 and 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 6,8 = 3, For example: 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention, measure 4, GB053PO001 East Wales Obj.3, measure 3, For example: 1999GB053PO002 Scotland, measure 4, For example: 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3, For example: 2000FR162DO002 Auvergne, measure 3,5 60 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

63 105 Supporting public cultural institutions to play a greater role in adult education and training ; Implementing back to education initiatives using flexible learning opportunities to balance learning with family and employment responsibilities 106 ; Enhancing adult participation in training to prevent social and labour market exclusion focusing on ICT competences and languages 107 ; 108 Increasing access to learning opportunities to improve basic competences in literacy ; Encouraging the participation of adults in learning activities to help them reintegrate in the formal education and training system 109 ; Providing greater flexibility through individualised learning, ICT support and formal and informal methods in the supply of education and training in line with labour market needs for disadvantaged groups 110 ; 111 Placing a greater emphasis on lifelong learning through new further education programmes Continuing education and lifelong learning in ESF a. Actions in support of continuing training and LLL In-company training actions supported by ESF in the current programming period continue to address the provision of training of workers by making lifelong learning systems and strategies available in enterprises. Actions are particularly focused on training and support in sectors with key economic importance. They target enterprises in general and SMEs and microenterprises specifically. The delivery of programmes is underpinned by activities to improve awareness of, and access, to learning and training during working life including incentives to firms in order to increase their responsibility for initial and ongoing training and increasing the participation for workers in training opportunities. Support for at risk workers Workers in the private sector are a priority of current initiatives. Learning and training programmes in enterprises address a number of target groups including employed people with low skill levels and vulnerable employees as a result of specific needs and characteristics. Tailored training activities based on an analysis of skill needs, and in-company and external learning options to increase the competences of the adult working population are central to many ESF supported continuing education actions. The use of innovative learning delivery approaches and methodologies for identifying and addressing skills needs and language learning are frequent aspects of in-company training. For example one measure supports pilot projects directed to adults and older workers involving educational paths including vocational guidance activities concerning the opportunities of active ageing 112. Cooperation between training and development agencies, social partners and enterprises underpins continuing training and development actions For example: 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3, For example: 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland, measure 1, For example: 1999IT161PO006 Calabria, measure 3, For example: 1999IT161PO007 Campania, measure 3, For example: 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia, measure 3, For example: 2003SI161DO001 Slovenia SPD, measure 2, For example: 2003SK053DO001 Bratislava Region SDP Obj. 3, measure 2, IT052PO016 Sardegna OP Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 61

64 Promoting competiveness and building capacity A pervasive theme in ESF supported continuing training and development actions is building the capacity of business and supporting competiveness. The sustainability of existing companies through making vocational training available to both highly qualified senior male and female employees and offering advanced qualifications through links with research institutes and technological centres are part of the strategy. Continuing training programmes address managers to disseminate strategic management, new management thinking, managing organisational change and development and improve the international competences of companies. Interventions also aimed at consolidating local market opportunities and strengthening non-academic training provision through technological transfer, research and socio-economic development processes. Support for innovation Boosting a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation is another core theme in ESF supported continuing training and development. Interventions address the skills and competences of people running micro-enterprises and SMEs and individual self-employed people in order to increase business capacity in the medium and long run and to engage young people in entrepreneurship. An example of such an approach is the establishment of an agency offering tailor-made entrepreneurial learning opportunities for staff of SMEs and micro-enterprises Research, technological development and innovation are supported through a range of learning activities including the organisation of seminars and workshops for the business community related to the research and development and specific training in innovative processes to increase productivity. Continuing education in the public sector There appears to be less emphasis in the current period on continuing training and development for public sector workers although training for employees in schools and educational institutes and continuing education for health care professionals are specified. 2.4b. Learning through the lifespan An emphasis on the provision of lifelong learning and in particular informal learning to enhance the employability of the long-term unemployed with low skills is a continuing priority in the current programme Actions are targeted at a variety of target groups mainly those not well served by formal education and training systems. These include atypical learners, women, unemployed people seeking to work abroad and those who have difficulty accessing learning through mainstream channels and during normal hours. Opportunities customised to the needs of people with specific learning needs as a result of disability, ethnic origin, age, early school leaving, social disadvantage and low skill levels are planned. Actions in informal learning aim to create alternatives within the educational and training systems to address literacy problems, the acquisition of key competences and social skills. Non-formal and informal education options include 113. ES 2007ES051PO006 Asturias OP 62 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

65 practical courses, access to training tools and digital methods, distance learning and e-learning, the validation of acquired competences and informal learning and modular adult education courses. An important goal is achieving continuity and establishing compatibility between the sectors of formal, non-formal and informal education. G. DEVELOPING EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING SYSTEMS IN ESF In parallel to the delivery of the wide range learning opportunities described above, ESF allocated support to activities aimed at improving systems of provision and accreditation. These addressed improvements in procedures and structures, the integration of systems and developing networks, training educators and trainers, developing new modes and methods of delivery, programme development and systems to accredit skills and competences. 1. Reported achievements 85 measures in 68 OPs from 15 Member States exclusively addressed the issue of education and lifelong learning systems in ESF in the previous programming period. More than half of the relevant measures (297 out of 558) addressed part of their interventions to the improvement of the education, training and LLL system. An overview of these measures can be found in Annex 3. With regard to the current programming period, education and lifelong learning systems are mentioned in 47 priority axes belonging to 34 OPs from 15 Member States. Again, more than half of the relevant priorities (186 out of 318) contain references to systemic action. An overview of these priority axes can be found in Annex 5. A total of 58 measures from 14 Member States have reported almost 3.3 million participations, as the table below shows in more detail. Table 9: Participants in system interventions (in thousands) MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS MS PARTICIPANTS BE 55 FI 46 IT 83 CZ 9 FR 1,091 PT 92 DE 1,154 GR <1 SE 20 DK 5 HU 30 UK 1 ES 69 IE 632 EU 3,289 Source: Data compiled by BBI on the basis of ESF Operational Programme reports Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 63

66 The figure for Germany is composed of 11 national and regional measures. Most participations were reported in Brandenburg, Thüringen and under the national objective 3 EPPD. More than one million participations were reported in measure 3.5 of the French national objective 3 programme alone (title: improve the information, the individualisation of the education and by applying new technologies, develop the access to validation). The participations in Ireland all relate to four measures from the Employment and HR development OP addressing various areas of systemic support: educational disadvantage, adult literacy, quality assurance certification and equal opportunities education. Measures from 7 Member States report on the age of about 1.8 million participants: 58% of those reported were between 16 and 25, while 39% were between 26 and 54 years. There are details regarding the status in the labour market of just over 1 million participants from 11 Member States: the vast majority were unemployed, while 23% were employed and 9% inactive. The proportion of employed people seems rather low, given the type of activities (e.g. training the trainers, building institutional capacity) expected under systemic measures. Data on educational level are too sparse (representing less than 5% of the total number of participations) to make any qualified assumptions. In Scotland networks and partnerships were supported under measure 3.1 aiming at modernising the learning industry. In the Hungarian Regional Development OP, more than participants gained a qualification under a measure aiming to build the capacity of local public administration and non-governmental organisations. 2. Typology of ESF supported interventions Actions to enhance lifelong learning systems could be classified in terms of the aspects of the system upon which they focused. These included improvements in procedures and structures, the integration of systems and developing networks, training educators and trainers, developing new modes and methods of delivery, programme development and the recognition of skills and competences Improvement of procedures and structures 16 Members States 114 and 27 Operational Programmes explicitly addressed the reform and improvement of formal education and VET systems. Some actions focused on specific aspects of a system such as the transfer from school to the labour market or improved access to training and continued education, while others adopted a system wide approach to system reform. Promoting lifelong learning and increased relevance of training content were often at the heart of system change. Formal education system Enhancements in the formal education system included the development of new approaches to improving access to education, changing attitudes towards learning and updating existing courses, methods and practice AT, BE, CY, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, HU, IT, LU, LV, PT, SE, SK 64 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

67 A good example of this was a system wide measure in Latvia aimed at the improvement of teaching quality in natural science, technology and mathematics at secondary level, the improvement of higher professional programmes in science and technology, improving the quality of doctoral level programmes, enhancing LLL networks and public discussion on LLL 115. In Portugal ESF support was allocated to creating a more dynamic system of advanced training and qualification in post-secondary education as well as assuring that the training on offer was expanded in priority domains. Generating convergence between different models of advanced training in order to promote mobility between the higher education system and the scientific system was another objective. Innovative projects with new methodologies and practices in the learning process to promote the quality of post-secondary education were also supported 116. VET systems Improvements in VET addressed vocational training sub-systems and training structures to enhance the provision of qualifications to employed persons and to those entering the labour market and to increase the number and quality of further education programmes and retraining opportunities with an emphasis on the programmes for newly created SMEs and enterprises undergoing restructuring. In most cases the reform of VET systems had the objective of increasing relevance to the needs of local and regional enterprises, orienting systems towards the needs of the labour market and the emerging demands of a knowledgebased economy. In another example the major aim was to contribute to the development of the VET system by improving quality and contributing to a national policy of lifelong learning in cooperation with VET institutions and the social partners. 117 Building the capacity of learning systems Building the capacity of learning systems took various forms including increasing, expanding or introducing new and enhanced system elements or reforming existing systems and structures. Actions to increase system capacity included increasing or expanding the learning opportunities on offer in continuing education, launching new training programmes at a higher level, expanding training capacity in vocational education and new university programmes. Management capacity in higher education was developed and teaching quality at secondary level was improved. Other actions involved developing support systems for accessing learning such as increasing opportunities for people at a disadvantage by providing transport, introducing new systems for accreditation, strengthening training and advice systems, enhancing the coordination of supervision and guidance systems and improving the quality of training structures through the establishment of new training centres and developing the capacity of existing providers LV 2003LV161DO001 Latvia, measure 3, PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation, measure 4, DK053DO001 Denmark Obj. 3, measure 3,3 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 65

68 One broad measure (East Wales) aimed to develop new and improved guidance, education and training systems, introduce new forms of learning and encourage participation in LLL to improve access to the labour market as part of a National Learning Strategy. It included all-age advice and guidance, learning partnerships and networks, new materials, ICT, workplace learning initiatives, credit-based qualifications framework, beneficiary tracking, advice for ethnic minorities and disabled people, bi-lingual initiatives, environmental and community based learning 118. Learning system reform Actions aimed at system reform included reforming and developing educational programmes, re-organising school structures, converting existing curricula to more practice-oriented training, introducing short cycle competence courses for graduates and developing new training material. An example of reform of educational programmes at all levels was implemented in Greece. This involved the enlargement of higher education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, developing educational materials at secondary education level, and reforming courses in technical and higher education institutes with an emphasis on studies in more specialised areas in sectors relevant to the labour market 119. A number of Member States used ESF to update systems of qualification and certification in VET and continuing professional development. Other actions concentrated on setting up a National System of Qualifications and VET to address the problem of low qualifications Integration of systems and networking 92 Operational Programmes in 18 Member States included activities aimed at integrating systems to create more effective delivery of relevant and responsive learning opportunities 121. Networking and information exchange systems are important system integration mechanisms. An important precondition for lifelong learning at all levels is the development of networks between enterprises and educational systems. Exchange between business, public service organisations, education and training providers and research institutes is important to the enhancement of economic life and activity. An example of one type of approach to integrating systems implemented in La Réunion was the provision of training through internships in enterprises in key fields. This supported an increase the business and technical expertise in companies, the improvement of applied research, technology transfer and cooperation between education, research and working life. This increased the capacity to deliver VET and higher professional education to students in industry. In one instance this included an incentive policy to insert these graduates into enterprises using individual allowances and grants GB 1999GB053PO001 East Wales Obj.3, measure 3, GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 2, For example 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 1, measure 41, AT, BE, CY, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IT, LU, LV, MT, PT, SE, SK FR161DO001 La Réunion, measure 14.6: research and development of high educational track 66 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

69 2.2a. Creating closer links between learning systems and business Integrating systems of education and training with business and industry served a number of important goals. It supported the development of modern VET approaches, assisted in preventing early school leaving and improving the employment of graduates. Creating links between systems was used to combat unemployment by offering VET developed in line with the needs of the local labour market. Significant targets included workers in micro and SMEs, self-employed and in Social Economy. In one instance, in Wallonie-Bruxelles closer links were created between the education and training systems and business, and were used to identify the demands for labour supply, identify training opportunities and encourage requests for training within companies. The results were disseminated to all stakeholders and used strengthen links between training schemes, education, business and the economic world 123. In another case in Scotland systems support to business development involved building the capacity of providers (the Learning Industry) to deliver training in support of business objectives. 124 Links to business were also important in identifying and developing quality standards and competences in higher VET and played an key role in promoting training for excellence with a focus on scientific and technological and management training. Increased co-operation between enterprises and educational institutions in R & D was also used to create a new educational programme 125. One aim of developing closer links between business and the learning sector was to develop knowledge of new and high technology skill demands and to enhance advanced training in ICT. In Portugal, this was complemented by making technicians with advanced knowledge available to support the development strategies of companies, in order to improve their competitiveness. Thus while developing highly qualified human resources in ICT, this measure met the specific and immediate needs of the companies 126. This approach was used to promote the cooperation of enterprises and educational providers in the field of research and development with the aim of helping small and medium sized enterprises who often lack the resources to do so. In East Finland links to business were used to develop the expertise and competence of the workforce in companies in key regional areas of production, to develop new models of working life and training, to improve the ICT capabilities of business b. Developing integrated learning systems The integration of systems was adopted as a strategy to strengthen training and advice systems and to develop training plans within businesses and SMEs, to improve labour market flexibility of workers, enhance mobility and provide opportunities for outplacement and corporate training BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3, measure 3,31: Coordination support and improvement of systems GB053PO002 Scotland Obj. 3, measure 3,1 Modernising the Learning Industry 125. For example: 2000SE162DO003 Norra, measure 2,1 Knowledge-driven development PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 6,1: Developing Technological and innovative skills for ICT FI161DO002 Itä-Suomen (East Finland), measure 2,2: Developing expertise and increasing the competence of the workforce: to increase the supply training that promotes change in working life in key regional areas of production and in sectors of businesses and technical expertise serving companies Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 67

70 Learning as a support for entrepreneurship was at the core of integration activities which developed new modules, carried out research into labour market needs, and provided training to both employed and economically inactive and support to new business start-ups. Training programmes to enhance competitiveness, job creation, the adaptability of enterprises particularly SMEs were developed. Training programmes to change corporate technology, develop individual employees and enhance productivity and competiveness of industry were also delivered. Other system integration initiatives supported surveys of skill and training needs, actions to stimulate business demand for training including roundtables and fostering links between business and education. Not only was the integration of systems used as a method for widening and diversifying the offer of second and third cycle training, but it was also used to develop strategies to prevent early school leaving by creating and developing a culture of LLL and increase access to training and training offer. It contributed to the restructuring of systems of higher vocational training and university education by integrating in-company training into regular higher education curricula and setting up flexible second and third cycle training modules to link up with the world of work. It was also directed to improving the employability of unemployed, especially youngsters including a personalised approach for people at risk of social exclusion and early school leavers, training for young people (16-26 years old), facilitating the integration of foreign workers and the reduction of unemployment. The integration of systems was implemented through a range of approaches including in-company training needs analysis, the development of training plans in companies, the dissemination of findings and fostering a training culture in companies and supporting job coaching, reduced hours and tele-working. Additional approaches included support and advice of HR development needs, training opportunities for workers, strengthening incompany training infrastructure and training in diversity. Other useful strategies involved the establishment of integrated vocational training centres which delivered practical training in cooperation with businesses. These centres were accessible by public transport, closely linked to local labour market needs and organised work internships during education, involving people from industry as teachers. 2.2c. Networking and partnerships Activities aimed at the integration of systems frequently adopted a strategy of networking between (higher) education institutions and industry and between employment and training structures in order to coordinate actions. In other cases partnerships between education and training institutions and ICT and multimedia providers were the focus of action. Networking of education institutions and cooperation between regional experts were supported as were networks of learners and learning partnerships. For example in Hungary a network of institutions to pursue internet based, blended education focused on primary and secondary education and VET was developed 128. Third-cycle university networks and networks of higher education, in particular in the social and cultural field were also supported HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

71 Cooperation between education and business and access for business to academic institutions were supported through information technology. In Greece the aim was to connect all education levels (primary/secondary/tertiary/ technical) with the labour market 129. In Hungary links to the world of work were developed to keep higher education young graduates in the regions 130. Other actions related to setting up a network involving formal education and VET providers, linking school education to training in companies, enhancing links between social partners and educational institutions and the cooperation between schools and local firms. Learning partnerships between employers and SMEs were supported including inter-company training centres, the creation of entrepreneur associations for continuous training and the development of centres and clusters of expertise for training entrepreneurs. Other networking activities included promoting co-operation between local administration and non-governmental organisations, setting up dialogues between the various social, institutional and territorial stakeholders, enhancing LLL networks, creating a network of initial training, etc. Models and methods were developed in co-operation with authorities, enterprises and with other bodies for recognising the problems of students just finishing their basic education and especially the vocational basic training, and for analysing the necessary further measures to address their needs. 2.2d. Promoting learning organisations System improvements in continuing VET were accomplished through training in a dual (work-education) system and developing integrated vocational qualifications in industry and service sectors. Training in enterprises was one important approach which included the provision of practical training opportunities in companies and actions to improve awareness of vocational training. Other initiatives involved training workers in company restructuring and the development of management capacity. Innovative projects included dissemination of research and best practice, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, new systems of accountability, learning journeys and festivals and learning partnerships. Other actions included internships to facilitate transition to work, training for young graduates in enterprises, training in personal and professional competences and research in the fields of social sciences and economics involving under-graduates. It also involved workplace based training for unemployed people and promoting the quality of training and youngsters employability through internships in the framework of technology courses in secondary school. One example was a job rotation action with the aim of improving access for persons in long-term unemployment to the job market and enabling people who had been ill for a long time and who had a job to which they could not return to try another job. At the same time, preconditions were created for lifelong learning and improved supply of know-how. Small and medium sized enterprises were given priority in the job rotation project. They also had an opportunity to broaden their pool of recruits and minimise the risk of a competence gap. The activities were planned locally GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 2, HU161PO001 Hungary Regional development, measure 3, FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj. 3, measure 3.2: Promotion of occupational mobility and strengthening the integration between education/ training and working life: The self-motivated training of adults aiming at a degree is supported for promoting the vocational mobility. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 69

72 Many actions were especially directed to SMEs and included continuous training for entrepreneurs, raising awareness of entrepreneurs of the importance of lifelong learning and increasing the number and quality of lifelong learning opportunities with an emphasis on newly created SMEs and enterprises undergoing restructuring. Job creation was enhanced through better coordination between the national science and research systems and firms. This contributed to the training and mobility of researchers in public centres and firms (especially SMEs). The provision of scholarships and training for researchers and students pre and post-phd in cooperation with enterprises was another action. New qualifications aimed at improving the strategic competences of enterprises were introduced. The promotion of the concept of LLL was progressed through holding best practice workshops, increasing access to training for adults (in particular basic competences in literacy, ICT and languages) and offering individual training packages for workers. The establishment of a knowledge resources centre (for information, research, documentation) 132 and the transfer of knowledge between learning providers and jobs providers to create a broader economic structure and boost the competitiveness of companies and were other actions supported Training of trainers 17 Member States included the training of trainers or teachers as a central element of their support to vocational training and education systems Operational Programmes contained activities to upgrade and improve the competences of those responsible for facilitating learning and the acquisition of skills. Training of trainers activities supported a range of other system improvement initiatives such as building the capacity of training providers and commissioners, and improving delivery of learning opportunities for diverse beneficiary groups, creating a continuum of provision of education and learning, updating qualification and certification systems and reinforcing of the regional educational systems. These activities supported broader employment and training measures including preventing unemployment, ensuring that vocational training opportunities were in line with the needs of the labour market and also relevant to the emerging needs of business. The educators, trainers, teachers and technicians targeted by these measures worked in both formal and informal learning systems. Training of trainer actions were targeted at pre-school, primary and secondary school teachers, lecturers in third level colleges and universities, staff in secondary technical and vocational education and further vocational education facilities. In the informal learning sector recipients included adult educators, trainers/facilitators in youth affairs, workplace trainers and trainers providing LLL second chance opportunities in social integration centres for ex-addicts, disabled and people with mental health problems. In some instances consultants for SMEs, social partners and facilitators of organisational change were targeted PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development, measure 4, AT, BE, CY, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IT, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT BE162DO009 Rural Dinant-Philippeville, measure 3,2 improvement of qualifications 70 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

73 Enhancing the relevance of learning systems Increasing relevance to beneficiary needs was frequently the purpose of training of trainers activities including equipping educators and trainers to respond better to the needs of jobseekers, to facilitate gender sensitive learning opportunities and to respond more flexibly to people with no qualifications or who were in need of a second chance in terms of education. In addition, the competences of teachers were upgraded in order to respond to the integration needs of certain learners and to prepare them to deal with people with specific challenges such as drug addicts, long-term unemployed, people with disabilities and disadvantaged persons. Responding to the needs of older learners and extending working life were other themes addressed by training of trainers activities such as learning opportunities in ICT with a special focus on older people and people with low education. Some Member States took a comprehensive view of training of trainers. For example in Portugal one measure covered capacity building, accreditation, training the trainers, updating skills in schools, formal education, VET and targeted primary and secondary school teachers, kindergarten educators, first cycle of primary school teachers and university teachers 135. Modernising learning systems Training of trainers activities contributed to the improvement of structures and modernisation of systems for training young people who left school without proper qualifications and preventing early school leaving. An example of this was the development of an upper secondary school for adults integrated with youth education, a learning centre and specialised training courses 136. Information and new technologies were often the subject of training schemes of educators and trainers in order to ensure that they had the skills to use technology as a learning tool and to impart IT skills to their students and trainees. In one instance training of trainers actions supported the introduction of a national level diploma to certify practical knowledge in new technologies and to assure access to it independently of geographic or social position 137. Teachers themselves were also the target of activities to support life-long learning, enhance training and requalification, update technical, scientific and pedagogic skills and increase the mobility of teachers within the education system. People with responsibility for organising education and training systems were also targeted including managers and administrators of VET institutions, training authorities at regional and provincial level, agents of local administration and other entities in which local governments were stakeholders. The objective of these measures was to develop the essential skills of all agents involved in employment and training policies PT051PO001 Portugal Education, measure FI053DO002 Åland Obj. 3, measure PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 1.1 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 71

74 Preparing educators, trainers, managers and administrators to meet the challenges of administrative modernisation and reorganisation of services was a frequent goal of training of trainers initiatives. In this regard many activities focused on training in information technology, innovation and the Information Society. New methods of teaching were also addressed including training technologies and methods, e- learning modules and courses, hard and soft skills, training methods and practice, the teaching of natural science and mathematics at secondary level, and the improvement of higher professional programmes in science and technology. Upgrading teacher training systems Actions focused on upgrading teacher training systems through a number of methodological approaches including teacher training organised in partnership with business and social partners, involving people from industry as teachers, developing a training of trainers network, putting in place a system for accrediting trainers, creating a register of trainers and required competences, and training the administrators and managers of the system for accredited programmes 138. Other activities involved developing new teaching qualifications and the training of academic staff, R&D staff and managers 139. Other actions equipped trainers to offer a wider range of learning opportunities in areas such as foreign language teaching, environmental issues, tourism, hospitality, agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries and the nautical sector, cross-border cooperation and strengthening expertise concerning Russia and the Baltic Sea 140. In Portugal training for agents in the agricultural sector to educate farmers was put in place 141. The measure contributed to increasing entrepreneurial and technical capacity through VET to update their technical, technological, organisational and commercial skills. Other training of trainer actions at both initial and continuing professional development levels aimed at updating the ability of educators and trainers to provide a personalised service to the people who need it including sign language training, to provide language courses for migrants 142 and to promote the gender equality in formal education in support of equal opportunities Creating open and flexible learning systems 12 Member States 143 developed open and distance learning programmes in the framework of 22 Operational Programmes including e-learning methods and tools to promote more flexible and responsive learning opportunities. Distance self-directed training and e-learning initiatives were used to promote access to vocational training for people independently of their current personal circumstances or work conditions. The primary objective was to make flexible training opportunities available to those who could not participate in vocational training in normal 138. For example: 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training, measure 3, For example: 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD Measure, measure FI 1999FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland) OP PT061PO007 Portugal Agriculture Measure, measure 2, PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development, measure 4, BE, EE, ES, FI, FR, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, PL, SE 72 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

75 school hours. Support to systems facilitated the design and development of new distance and web based teaching and learning materials to facilitate people to gain qualifications or to achieve further certification. As such these actions were part of both labour market integration measures and measures to assist workers to enhance their skills and to improve the competitiveness of enterprises. Distance learning tools were also used to improve access to training and to change attitudes towards training and entrepreneurship in business and to create programmes that corresponded more closely to the needs of local and regional enterprises. Distance and electronic learning tools provided new ways to educate and train both recent graduates and the unemployed. In one case training technologies, methods and materials using ICT were targeted at older people and those with low education using the internet. In another measure innovative training systems were developed including individualised, open and distance learning to support the delivery of training in rural areas. ESF also supported actions to create the general preconditions for lifelong learning at all levels with an emphasis on distance learning delivered to remote areas and islands. Workers involved in local development were trained through individual open and distance learning methods. E-learning was also used to strengthen cooperation between work life and training institutions. Educational services of added value using distance learning and tele-education mechanisms and actions were put into practice to make LLL more readily available. New technologies in the form of training software and educational networking tools were applied as facilitators in primary and secondary education. Formal education and training in key sectors were enhanced by the introduction of e-learning and distance education which facilitated the delivery of VET and higher professional education to students in industry. Higher education at both university and non-university level were also augmented by the development of web-based courses targeted at young people in post-secondary school level, young graduates, researchers and company managers. In the adult learning sector open and informal education were consolidated by promoting new, non-class-based forms of education through pilot training projects involving accreditation of prior learning (APL), e-learning and distance learning. These projects were targeted at adults without primary or secondary qualifications to assist them to obtain qualifications in age appropriate contexts and as a result to become eligible for entry into formal VET programmes. Potential beneficiaries included low skilled workers, older workers, disabled people, women, and people in regions in need of development. Access to continuing and adult education included the introduction of distance education supported by subsidies, equipment grants, the development of new courses and methods, pilot projects and the establishment of centres for distance learning in villages 144. These actions were accompanied by research and analysis to identify targets of participants, studies and evaluations of learning needs and in some cases by the introduction of competence based assessment systems and improved PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development, measure 2,1 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 73

76 opportunities to gain recognition for existing skills including competency frameworks to recognise prior learning, e-learning models and other innovative training approaches Programme development 20 Member 145 States and 67 Operational Programmes included actions to develop new training programmes, to create new qualifications and to reform or establish systems of validation and accreditation. The development of new programmes and qualifications served a number of purposes, most frequently related to designing training programmes in response to changing labour market demands. Improved and more relevant qualifications were considered important in supporting the better use of productive resources and enhancing training in sectors with an undersupply of qualified people. Other functions served by the development of new qualifications included improving labour market mobility, improving the strategic competence of enterprises, improving the capacity of public administration and limiting the number of graduates going abroad. In some cases programme development involved introducing modularised methodologies leading to partial certification. In Portugal a diploma of basic competence was developed at national level to certify practical knowledge in new technologies. In order to achieve results a network of credible reputable entities to oversee the training and evaluation of candidates was created 146. Expanding learning options New programme development was an important factor in an overall strategy for competence development in terms of increasing the supply of degrees and advanced training, new study programmes in higher education and broadening the range of qualification in key specialisations. It was also used to widen and diversify courses available at second and third cycle training and enhance economically relevant continuing education programmes. In this context some activities set out to gather information about new professions and develop training opportunities in these areas. This was accompanied by surveys of the skills and training needs and expectations of employers and in-company training needs analysis. Some Member States used ESF support to strengthen their monitoring systems and implement projects with the aim of gathering knowledge about future needs for qualifications. In a number of cases systems for forecasting and the anticipation of labour market developments were established to contribute to the creation of new professional and job profiles and direct the development of training and education services. These developments took place at all levels of the education and training system including pre-school, primary and secondary education, vocational training, tertiary education and doctoral level programmes 145. AT, BE, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LV, MT, PT, SE, SK PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 1,1 74 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

77 ESF was also used to support the establishment of new institutions including a public service academy in Estonia 147 and integrated VT centres delivering practical training in cooperation with business linked to local labour market needs in Hungary 148. Other actions included the introduction of new undergraduate programmes, the establishment of regional academic institutes, the development of post-graduate studies in more specialised areas in sectors relevant to the labour market, the adaptation of National Qualification Frameworks and new systems of continuing education. Meeting the needs of learners New courses and qualifications were not only developed in response to the changing needs of local and regional labour markets, but also directed to a range of target beneficiaries. These included both individuals and organisations. New courses were developed for students who had finished or were about to finish secondary school or university, including recent graduates. Some qualifications and courses were targeted at persons at risk of unemployment, in order to facilitate their adaptation to the requirements of the labour market and entrepreneurs in different sectors. Other new programmes were developed with persons with a low level of qualifications and skills, early school leavers and those searching for their first job in mind. Civil servants and employees of public administration as well as local associations, trade unions, other non-profit public and private entities were also specified in the context of new programme development. More relevant qualifications Actions targeted at the modernisation of the vocational education and training systems involved a wide variety of activities such as the development of new qualifications and professions, developing systems for forecasting employment trends and skill requirements and the development of job profiles and information about new professions. For example in Belgium, an observatory to monitor the job market and anticipate new skills arising from technological and organisational changes in response to local, national and international developments was established 149. Projects were carried out to change the structure of occupational qualifications, to develop new qualifications and to increase the supply of advanced training. The capacity of providers and commissioners of training was also enhanced. In one instance access to qualifications was supported by creating qualification managers (external counsellors) to provide advice on continuing education plans/policies in companies Systems to recognise and accredit learning ESF also supported actions to validate programmes and to structure levels of certification. These actions often complemented programme development and other system improvements including the training of trainers. The improvement of vocational training systems concentrated on reforming certification procedures and systems of certification. The development of national systems for recognising of degrees, the accreditation EE161DO001 Estonia, measure 1, HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3, BE053DO001 Bruxelles-Capitale Obj. 3, measure 5, AT162DO001 Kârnten, measure 3,1 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 75

78 of training structures and the accreditation and certification of courses often involved the participation of schools and training authorities 151. For example in the Czech Republic the establishment of a further vocational educational infrastructure included new qualifications, a system of verification of certification, new programmes and training of staff 152. Another measure in Spain addressed a vocational training sub-system relating to occupational and continuous training and set up a National System of Qualifications and VET with particular emphasis on lower qualifications 153. The strengthening of systems for recognising skills and competences was an important element in a broader measure which included the establishment of a regional observatory to monitor developments in work and training, support skills validation centres, and develop opportunities for the recognition of skills acquired through open and distance learning 154. In Greece the establishment of a system of National Accreditation for Continuing Vocational Training and accompanying support services underpinned the accreditation of bodies and structures, the accreditation of staff and the accreditation of programmes 155. Another measure in Hungary involved the development of a new qualifications system and integrated VET centres. It reviewed the existing vocational qualifications system from the perspective of employment structures and new modularised programmes. The aim was to support the continuous adaptation of the National Qualification System with an emphasis on lower qualifications 156. In Ireland the development of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a Quality Assurance system to ensure high quality awards for both university and non-university education and training was central to the national strategy for improving lifelong learning systems 157. The creation of a National System of Accreditation, Validation and Certification of Competence was an important strategy in Portugal in reducing the deficit of qualifications and contributing to the certification of adult population 158. The validation and certification of competences was applied to knowledge and skills acquired in diverse professional and social contexts ESF support to lifelong learning systems in During the period all but one Member State allocated ESF support to reforming, modernising or developing lifelong learning systems and structures. Similarly, all Member States apart from Denmark have addressed the renewal or development of lifelong learning systems of provision in the current period For example 1999IT161PO006 Calabria, measure 3, CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1, measure 3, ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 1, measure 41, For example 1999FR161DO003 Corse, measure 5,4; 2000FR161DO003 Martinique, measure 8,6 and 1999FR053DO001 France SPD, measure 3, GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training, measure 3, HU051PO001 Hungary HRD, measure 3, IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1, measure 29B PT051PO001 Portugal Education, measure 2, PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development, measure 4,2 76 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

79 15 Member States have planned actions in 45 Operational Programmes during the current programming period to enhance both their systems of lifelong learning provision in terms of diversifying education and training options and modes of delivery and their systems for recognising competences, validating programmes and accrediting learning often within the context of a national framework of qualifications Operational Programmes contain actions focusing specifically on restructuring systems of delivery Operational Programmes include system actions that only focus on developing systems of validation and accreditation 162. The relevant OPs are presented in Annex 5. Many of the actions planned are continuous or complementary to actions carried out in the previous period although in some Member States support and certain types of actions, are clearly developments and progressions from earlier initiatives and activities. A wide range of new approaches and strategies are also evident. It is difficult to map actions in each of the periods at the level of the OP given the fundamental changes in the framework governing both ESF periods, but actions in support of system reform and development in the period can be reviewed using similar key concepts to those used to structure actions and measures in the preceding period. This section provides an overview of the current ESF programme from the perspective of support to lifelong learning systems used to analyse the previous programming period. 2.7a. Improvement of procedures and structures Reforms in formal education, VET and continuing training are prevalent themes in the current programmes. The primary mechanisms for promoting lifelong learning are the upgrading of systems of education and training, improving the delivery infrastructure, specifying education/training system objectives and establishing mechanisms for implementation and control. Modernising the education and training system is central to ESF Operational Programmes in many Member States. This involves supporting the reform of regulations, new pedagogical and organisational models and learning polices, actions to improve the general education system, the improvement of education institutions and of the apprenticeship system, making the transition into vocational training or employment easier and in some Member States improving the dual vocational training system 163. The reform of training systems and the renewal and improvement of educational institutions are planned. Particular goals for systems improvement actions include support for the development of national systems for lifelong learning and innovation in educational processes. While many actions are targeted at the formal system of education, i.e. reforms related to secondary education, VET, language learning and higher education, there are also a range of initiatives that aim to develop informal learning opportunities AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, EE, ES, FR, GR, IT, PT, RO, SI, SK, UK 161. AT, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, HU, IT, LT, LU, LV, MT, PL, SE, UK 162. BE, BE, DE, ES, ES, GR, IE, IT, NL 163. For example, 2007DE052PO004 Bremen OP Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 77

80 Support for the re-organisation of the formal education and training systems Actions in support of structural improvements in education and training aim to enhance quality, stimulate entrepreneurship and strengthen its links to the labour market. They include improvements at university level such as the introduction of VET courses at universities, a coordinated system framework for tertiary education and the development of human resources in research and development. Administrative decentralisation reforms to strengthen lifelong learning provision at local level are planned including increasing the supply of learning opportunities by establishing local learning centres/access points and supporting the innovation and diversification of training provision in response to regional needs. The development of innovative models, integrated pathways of education and training and work experience for people aged over 18 in order to enable the acquisition of baseline and operative skills are also planned. Support for informal learning Many actions supporting the acquisition of competences through non-formal and informal learning in continuing education are envisaged. These often involve reforms to education and training systems, training of trainers, tutors and other educators, recognising acquired skills and informal learning and flexible vocational and adult education and training opportunities. 2.7b. Integration of systems and networking The integration of systems and developing links and networks continue to be important priorities for ESF supported actions. Interventions to improve links with enterprises in order to integrate education, training and labour policies are frequent. Establishing networks amongst schools, training institutions, universities, research centres are also planned. These include cooperation between the administrators of education and training institutions to disseminate the use of ICT within educational processes. Creating closer links between learning systems and business Actions supporting links between learning systems and business aim to enhance the relevance of learning opportunities to the needs of enterprises and the labour market by strengthening the ties between the R&D sector and business and fostering links between training institutions, enterprises and the labour market. Integrating learning systems Actions to create more integrated learning systems operate at the policy level in relation education, training and labour policies and at the level of provision with a focus on incentivising companies to offer training by developing better quality and more relevant training programmes. Improvements to the integration between education systems, vocational training, university and work through establishing integration focal points are proposed. 78 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

81 Networking and partnerships Actions to strengthen learning networks and promote learning partnerships are planned including networking between enterprises, public employment services and education and training providers. Attention is given to stimulating cooperation between business, education and research institutes with the specific aim of adapting professional competences to the economic needs of the region. Other envisaged activities aim at encouraging partnerships to enhance knowledge transfer and transition from university to employment and support networks and partnerships with the final goal of meeting the demand for highly skilled technicians. Specific networking actions focus on linking environmental education centres to create more effective environmental training. Other networking actions include trans-national and inter-regional initiatives for the development of models of intervention to improve educational/working paths and exchange good practices and inter-institutional and trans-national partnerships to introduce innovations and good practices with reference to education, training and lifelong learning policies. Learning organisations The creation of a learning culture within organisations is supported by implementing exchange projects for teaching staff, researchers and graduate students between different research institutions and enterprises, promoting processes of organisational and technological transfer and innovation, and the development of high-level qualifications and expanding links to business to professionalise support structures. 2.7c. Training of trainers Actions to upgrade the skills, knowledge and attitudes of educators, trainers and those responsible for the administration of learning systems continue to be a priority. This involves specific professional training cycles and training options for teachers and trainers leading to further qualifications in teaching methods. An important aim of the training measures for trainers, tutors and other educators is to improve teaching and training practice so as to achieve better outcomes in terms of individual learner success by developing the competence of educational/ training staff, development agents and public administration trainers. Specific actions aimed at the professional development of educators, trainers and administrators of learning systems and institutions include: Enhancing the relevance of learning systems: Actions to enhance the relevance of learning systems include improving the intercultural and linguistic competency of teachers at primary and secondary school level, workshops, conferences and other dissemination initiatives to raise awareness of the culture of innovation amongst educators and trainers and activities to stimulate and improve the capacities of tutors and trainers involved in adult continuous learning activities. Modernisation of learning systems: The modernisation of learning systems is supported by a range of actions including the definition of a set of competence standards for the integrated governance of the educational, training and labour systems, enabling teachers to better utilise ICT (e-learning and blended learning) and the dissemination of quality and project management techniques. Training activities targeting administrative staff and executives involved in planning, organising, managing, monitoring and evaluation in order to improve Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 79

82 the quality of the educational provision are prioritised as are measures to refresh, re-qualify and develop staff working within integrated education and training systems. Upgrading teacher training systems: The upgrading of the skills of educators, teachers and trainers is supported through improving the initial training and continuing professional development of teachers and trainers particularly in the use of new methods, teaching innovation and more effective professional practice. 2.7d. Creating open and flexible learning systems Actions to encourage the development and utilization of more open and flexible learning systems including e-learning are also planned in the current ESF period. These include making distance and e-learning more attractive and of higher quality, establishing and strengthening regional systems of distance training and creating new learning materials that can be delivered in new ways (online, distance learning, workplace learning) and that take into account different cultural and skills backgrounds. 2.7e. Programme development Actions to develop new and improved learning content and methods and diversify options in initial, vocational and further education and training are planned in the current period. Programme development actions aimed at expanding learning opportunities and renewing education and training options include: Expanding learning options: The expansion of learning opportunities is supported by the creation of new course materials and training methodologies, increased availability of language learning opportunities, the design and implementation of work related skills training programmes and providing training options addressing production process systems in enterprises. Meeting the needs of learners: Lifelong learning programmes to meet the needs of employees and entrepreneurs, non-graduates and people with low levels of educational attainment are planned. A major goal is to adapt the training supply to provide innovative educational options to respond to individual needs and the expectations of enterprises and to develop vocational, initial and adult education systems that are attractive to students, employers and educational institutions. More relevant qualifications: The development of initial vocational education opportunities with transnational and intercultural components is set up. Relevance is also accomplished through the introduction of an ecological-gap or social-gap year, support for the adaptation to a knowledge society through continuous training, the development of a system to link competence, formative credits and a register of qualifications and training programmes, scholarships for students and tutors in priority economic sectors. 2.7f. Validation and accreditation ESF support during this period has also been allocated to actions for the development and improvement of lifelong learning systems in relation to accreditation, standards and qualifications. In a number of cases a national approach is adopted through the development and implementation of a National System of Qualifications and Professional Training or a National Qualifications Framework (NQF). 80 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

83 Substantial support has been allocated to the establishment of national systems of professional standards and certification of competences including skills recognition, validation and certification (RVCC) systems. The aims of these activities include strengthening systems for the accreditation of skills and competences and the recognition of training credits consistent with national and EU systems, increasing the responsiveness of these systems to labour market needs and creating access to qualification opportunities through the creation of entry level qualifications. Overall improvement and development actions include updating national qualifications and accreditation systems for skills and competences and putting in place system governance actions aimed at improving the operation of accreditation systems. In other cases the establishment of a regional system for the accreditation of competences and the acknowledgement of training credits is offered assistance. Systems to recognise and accredit professional and educational standards at a regional level are planned and will be evaluated alongside mechanisms to ensure the maintenance of the systems put in place. Another target for ESF support is the validation of competences and skills acquired through informal learning. The objectives here are the development and implementation of competence-based national qualification systems and the design of tools and standards for the certification of competences. The recognition of competences acquired through non-formal learning address the needs of all learners including employed people (both private and public sector employees) and the unemployed, young students and adult learners. Other specific beneficiary groups include those vulnerable to social exclusion, people with low skill levels, people with disability, women, older people and migrants. Procedures to recognise and accredit skills acquired through work experience and in-company training schemes are being introduced and financial aid for the preparation of a personal portfolio is planned. These actions are supported by complementary activities that promote the transparency of competence based qualifications and inform people about the availability of key qualifications that are congruent with the European Reference Framework for key competences. 2.7g. Quality and standards of provision Establishing standards and improving the quality of lifelong learning systems of provision are important themes in the current ESF programme. Actions to address system quality and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of provision are more clearly specified in the current period. These include: Quality in formal education systems: The quality of formal education provision is to be enhanced by putting in place quality standards for education systems, developing internal evaluation systems for general education and improving the school system through promoting quality learning pathways to meet local needs. The quality of school administration and management is to be enhanced and a system to accredit high quality educational bodies and agencies introduced. Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 81

84 Quality in vocational education and training systems: Actions to develop and improve vocational education system standards are planned including improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of training, university and vocational systems and establishing systems for the accreditation of training agencies. Integrating education and training standards: Common standards are planned that cover both formal education and vocational training systems to facilitate education/training mobility and new forms of organisation and good practices within public education and training institutions are to be developed. 2.7h. Research, innovation and evaluation Actions to promote research, to encourage innovation and evaluate existing provision in terms of the learning needs of workers and the unemployed and the skill demands of the labour market are more evident in many Member State programmes in the current period. Among the activities planned are: Surveys of learning needs: A number of surveys are proposed to analyse educational and professional needs to support the innovation of educational methods and instruments such as research into continuing education to support the development of innovative educational offers for people with low levels of educational attainment Innovation in learning systems: Innovations in learning systems include the development, testing and sustainable implementation of new applied (further) education units and life-long learning activities in universities and the evaluation of educational pathways integrated into research and innovation activities. New forms of organisation and good practices within public education and training institutions are also planned. Monitoring and evaluation of learning systems: Actions to govern the delivery of lifelong learning are an important component of the current programme. These actions include among others building a national system of vocational education and training statistics, and establishing an Observatory of Human Capital. The Observatory would detect school and university problems and would monitor the match between regional demand for labour and the skills of those leaving schools and universities. At the same time the newly created body will evaluate interventions with the final goal of strengthening the quality, access to and participation in lifelong educational and training integrated pathways for adults, leading to the acquisition of professional competences. Evaluation activities are also important in promoting and supporting the demand for education/training such as an evaluation of the introduction of individual financing ( vouchers ) for access to lifelong learning opportunities, an evaluation of an integrated system of information, vocational guidance, tutoring, competence accreditation and recognition, coaching and the evaluation and benchmarking of interventions to support reform processes such as refresher courses for staff with different levels of responsibility in the education and training systems. 82 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

85 H. HORIZONTAL THEMES IN ESF Four horizontal themes were identified as being integral to education and lifelong learning activities supported by the ESF: gender; ICT; early school leaving; and widening participation & combating exclusion. While these themes have been dealt with in brief in earlier sections of this report, it is worthwhile examining how these topics have been addressed by ESF in more detail. 1. Gender and equality between men and women Gender relevant actions were evident in all four key concepts: formal education; VET; continuing education and lifelong learning; education and training systems improvement Gender and equality between men and women Among the measures identified for education and lifelong learning, 37 measures from 33 OPs in 14 Member States contained gender relevant interventions reaching almost 1.4 million participants, of which 58% were women. ESF support allocated to lifelong learning actions promoted equality of opportunity between men and women, combating occupational segregation and improving skill levels and quality of achievement in secondary and higher education, VET and continuing education and training. Actions addressed the relevance of skills, barriers to learning such as lack of childcare, the provision of vocational training and mentoring in occupations in which women tended to be underrepresented, training in entrepreneurial skills for women, the qualifications of childcare workers, promoting gender diversity policies in the workplace and integration pathways for women returning to the labour market. Gender balance in formal education Actions to promote the gender equality in formal education involved awareness raising, counselling actions and the introduction of new education material/programmes with emphasis on gender equality. In Greece actions were implemented to promote the participation of women in undergraduate, postgraduate and research studies. It included an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research, raising the awareness of gender issues, and new programmes in science and technologies addressed to women 164. In Italy a variety of professional opportunities were developed for women by orienting programmes towards nongender typical professions and by promoting entrepreneurship amongst women. Female pupils, women at work with limited schooling and inactive women wanting to reintegrate on the labour market were addressed GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 4, IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme, measure 1,17 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 83

86 Gender balance in VET In combination with system reform and improvement actions to create more gender appropriate provision such as raising the awareness of educators and trainers about equal opportunities issues and challenges, VET actions made an important contribution to promoting equality between men and women and supporting inactive women wanting to (re)integrate into the labour market. Specific actions included combining training provision with access to childcare, providing qualification opportunities and counselling services for women seeking work for the first time or trying to return to employment and providing training opportunities addressed specifically to women. Actions to orientate women towards non-gender typical professions and provide training in atypical female jobs for young women were implemented. Personalised services to increase the employability of LTU women and (re) training and upgrading skills for women returners to the labour market were provided. Gender balance in continuing education and training Promoting equal opportunities between men and women and improving the position of women within business were incorporated into many continuing training and development actions. Amongst the actions which emphasised the participation of women in enterprises were offering innovative qualifications with particular attention to the potential of women and carrying out training needs analysis and competence development of employees in enterprises and the social economy with an emphasis on career opportunities for women. Other actions included providing training and continuing education on health and safety issues and equality between men and women, implementing interventions to improve women s position particularly in the public sector, using continuing training and development activities to keep older women at work longer. Learning throughout the lifespan Actions aimed at second chance education used new approaches to delivering lifelong learning opportunities for adults focused particularly on the needs of women in order to improve basic competences and to increase their employability. One in-company training action within the public sector focused on gender not so much as an employment issue but as a health issue. Continuing training and development was offered to personnel in the health sector including staff in the National Health Service and other health related agencies. Priority was given to executives with increased responsibilities, new staff in key positions in the sector. A special emphasis was placed on women s health issues 166. Gender balance in system improvement Gender equality was promoted at all levels of the lifelong learning system. The participation of women in undergraduate, postgraduate and research studies was promoted and a variety of professional opportunities for women were created. Actions were implemented to encourage people to choose higher education qualifications on other than traditional gender-related grounds. Mechanisms to bridge the gender gap by supporting flexible learning in terms of time and locations were also introduced For example: GR 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention, measure 4,1 84 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

87 Other strategies included an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research, raising the awareness of new researchers about gender issues and the establishment of special library resources and centres for gender issues 167. In Ireland a dedicated unit was established to monitor a gender perspective in all areas of education and information management systems for further education programmes in gender equality 168. Gender and equality in ESF The level of detail in the information available for the current programming period does not allow a clear perspective on education and LLL interventions with a specific gender related focus. In the current programming period, the participation of women in VET programmes is promoted through guidance and training programmes specifically aimed at the integration of women in the labour market and aimed at achieving higher participation of women in technical and scientific training. 2. Information and communications technology Information and Communications Technology (ICT) was a prevailing theme in the majority of OPs. ICT actions could be classified in terms of those which aimed to enhance the availability of learning opportunities and those in which ICT was the content Information and communications technology More than one out of five education and LLL measures had a clear ICT component. The 115 measures from 84 OPs in 19 Member States reported together almost 8.5 million participations, including more than 2 million participants from Spain and more than 1 million participants from France, the UK and Portugal. While the majority of actions targeted at new technology tended to provide support to systems in the form of training of educators and trainers in the use of ICT and investing in IT infrastructure for schools and colleges, ESF support was also allocated to promoting IT use in schools and making it more available to learners as a subject topic and an aid to learning. ICT was also used to improve access to training and continued education and support the transfer from school to the labour market. ICT in the provision of learning opportunities The application of new technologies involved the introduction of training software and educational networking tools in primary and secondary education and providing access to distance learning and tele-education mechanisms to make lifelong learning a reality for those experiencing difficulties in enrolling in full time education. The use of ICT and other technologies was an important theme in ESF supported VET actions as well, and contributed to the employability of the unemployed. ICT training was offered at a basic level and at an advanced level in response 167. For example: 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 4, IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1, measures 31A, 31B and 31B1 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 85

88 to the level of qualifications of participants. Specific courses in ICT literacy were organised for the unemployed. Training in the use of the internet was offered to older people and those with a low educational level. In one instance a diploma of basic competences at national level to certify practical knowledge in new technologies was offered 169. New certification opportunities in generic and vocational ICT skills were provided to promote participation in the Information and Knowledge Society and to reinforce personal and professional capacities. Advanced training in the area of ICT was also made available accompanied by scholarships for specialisations. With ESF assistance, VET played a key role in the execution and development of Digital Cities, Digital Regions, a Virtual Campus and other integrated projects 170. ICT was also utilised to strengthen the employment and retrain the population in small islands and in areas of low development by offering training in new technologies and multimedia 171. Entrepreneurial training was supported and more flexible access to training achieved by means of ICT services and modified training methods. Innovative training technologies, methods and materials were made available and learning environments improved using ICT. Information and Communications Technology played a substantial role in continuing training and development actions and was a strong component in in-company training. Training for staff and management in enterprises and the delivery of informal lifelong learning frequently incorporated training in the ICT field. ICT training was provided to workers in micro and SMEs, self-employed and the social economy. Advanced ICT training played an important role in the training of researchers. ICT was also used a mode of delivery of training including internet and blended approaches, e-learning and webbased modules. Priority was given to ICT in actions to improve the labour market mobility and job stability of workers. Junior and senior managers were also targeted for ICT training. Staff in public and private sector organisation, NGOs and social enterprises benefited from training in new technologies. Some examples of ICT learning actions included the provision of third cycle training vouchers, research and innovation training to qualify staff in jobs relating to new and high technology, and advanced training to entrepreneurs, managers and workers in companies in the field of ICT. Technicians with advanced knowledge supported ICT training and development strategies in companies, and thus helped enhance the adaptability of employees in terms of changing technologies. Measures directed to facilitate the adaptation of staff to the requirements of the labour market often emphasised new technologies across a range of sectors including agriculture, fisheries, tourism, computer aided engineering and manufacturing and telematics PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 1, PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society, measure 2, GR161PO010 South Aegean, measure The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

89 Some very specific continuing training actions were implemented. For example, one action aimed to improve business capacity in e-commerce and modern work practices while another action focused on specialist high-tech training for the police forces and security personnel 172. The improvement of ICT learning systems 18 Member States 173 and 66 Operational Programmes included actions incorporating information, communications and other new technology. ICT and technology interventions served a number of purposes including: Promoting ICT learning opportunities: A number of ESF supported actions focused on the dissemination of an ICT culture by promoting awareness of the importance of technology training and its benefits in schools, training centres and enterprises, its relevance to learning throughout adult life and creating a culture of technological and scientific innovation amongst the self employed and new enterprises including the social economy. ICT training as a support to innovation and modernisation: ESF actions were used to support technology and knowledge transfer to economically productive sectors, to developing training programmes to change corporate technologies and developing a strong ICT component in training within enterprises. In a public sector context, training in management and enhanced ICT knowledge and skills were important mechanisms in preparing vocational training staff, agents of local administration and other entities to meet the challenges of administrative modernisation and reorganisation of services. Actions were also aimed at enhancing the use of new technology in cultural and environmental projects and improving IT expertise in rural areas. ICT training as a support to system quality: Other ICT actions were intended to upgrade the quality of training, create more efficient administrative management processes, improve training technologies, methods and materials and bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas in primary and secondary schools. Target groups for ICT learning opportunities: ICT learning opportunities were developed to meet the needs of both organisations and individuals. From an organisational perspective SMEs, entrepreneurs, social partners, continuing education and training centres, schools, universities and regional or provincial administration were targeted. Individual beneficiaries included managers and others with leadership responsibilities, personnel and instructors in the IT sector, employed workers, teachers and trainers including primary and secondary techers, older people and those with low education using the internet, students with special educational needs. ICT as a mechanism for delivery of learning opportunities: Training was made more flexible by the use of IT services. ICT played an important role in providing training opportunities to those who could not take part in vocational training during normal school hours and in making academic institutions more available. Frequently these types of actions involved e-learning and distance education courses. Other actions aimed to enhance the role of educational technology in education, vocational guidance and counselling services. ICT competences were seen as key to developing a wide range of objectives including increasing access to training and expanding training offer for adults, developing a system of LLL and preventing social and labour market exclusion 174. In addition multimedia platforms to deliver programmes and improve learning environments and study methods were implemented. Innovative ICT training systems were used to support the introduction of individualised approaches to training delivery and execute innovative learning 172. IT 1999IT161PO004 Italy Security for Mezzogiorno s Development OP 173. AT, BE, CY, DE, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IT, LU, LV, PL, PT, SE, SK 174. IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria, measure 3,8 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 87

90 methodologies and practices. In one case ICT tools, specialist equipment, multimedia and the internet were installed in schools and their libraries. In another case specialised training in ICT was introduced in secondary and higher education to meet the needs of business. ICT as learning content: Courses and programmes to address the ICT knowledge and skill requirements of the labour market and particularly the needs of emerging sectors of the economy were developed with a view to improving the ICT capabilities of businesses. ICT qualifications were adapted to their needs and individual access to ICT training based on social partner agreements was organised. New and high technologies were incorporated into continuing education and training programmes to qualify the workforce for new types of jobs. Other courses focused on the Information Society and the needs of a knowledge-based economy, new media and biotechnology, informatics, etc. New curricula were developed for all levels of the LLL systems ranging from basic skills, ICT in pre-school, primary and secondary education and higher training. Technological specialisations were promoted in post-secondary training and advanced training. Building system capacity to deliver ICT learning opportunities: In order that ICT learning opportunities could be delivered effectively throughout the lifespan some Member States renewed the structures of education and research to support technology training more successfully. This involved building capacity to deliver ICT training in enterprises, improving systems of training in the ICT sector, introducing individual training pathways with an emphasis on ICT, providing internships in the ICT sector, improving of teaching quality in the field of technology. One improvement strategy involved creating links between education and training institutions and ICT and multimedia providers. Information and communications technology in ESF The level of detail in the information available for the current programming period does not allow a clear overview of education and LLL interventions with a specific ICT related focus. Nevertheless it is possible to state that the application of ICT to lifelong learning strategies and ICT as a content of education and training continue to be addressed in the current programming period. Particular activities planned include: Updating the competence of teachers and trainers through ICT training; Developing an electronic tool to increase access to information with respect to vocational education and work; Designing and implementing training courses in conjunction with economic incentives to promote cooperative research and ICT. 3. Combating early school leaving Lifelong learning actions in many Member States aimed to reduce drop outs from mainstream education and prevent academic failure. Actions were implemented within the school system and externally to provide early school leavers with the opportunity to access basic and vocational training in order to integrate in the labour market. The problem was addressed at the level of the system, the school, the family and the individual. Cooperation between schools, training bodies and local public institutions was central. The main intentions of early school leaving actions were to link those at risk of early school leaving to the world of work, support reinsertion, prevent early withdrawal, provide alternative options to early school leavers and provide support within the education system. 88 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

91 3.1. Early school leaving in ESF Just over 10% of all education and LLL measures contained reference to early school leaving. 57 measures from 52 OPs in 13 Member States reported more than 6.7 million participants in the period France (2.9 million), Germany (1.8 million) and Italy (0.9 million) reported most participants. Almost 85% of participants were younger than 25 years, reflecting the fact that early school leaving addresses youngsters of compulsory school age. In one case school completion for learners between 4 and 18 years in primary and secondary schools with low retention rates was targeted. Mechanisms involved in-school, after-school, holiday time, home, family and community support through local projects and a Stay in School Initiative empowering schools to tackle early school leaving 175. In Spain beneficiaries were between 16 and 21 and had specific difficulties in integration. The aim of many activities was to prevent early school leaving and encourage school drop-outs to return to education. Actions focused on pupils at risk, young school drop-outs and parents - in lower and upper secondary schools 176. Actions to prevent early school leaving were targeted at both the level of the system and the school such as improving the quality of compulsory education, setting up pilot projects to prevent early school leaving, combining periods of work and periods of training, support in the year after basic education and alternative ways for those at risk of abandoning school before finishing obligatory education to complete their studies. Actions were also addressed to improving VET systems to respond to the needs of early school leavers, to activate leavers without qualifications towards vocational training and encouraging those at risk of dropping out to finish their training. Activities to improve the educational chances of those at risk of leaving compulsory education early utilised new more flexible teaching methods, targeted programmes and pilot initiatives to prevent academic failure and drop outs including: Linking to the world of work: Linking education to the world of work was achieved through involving employers in the delivery of education, through courses with a training period in enterprises, giving those at risk of early school leaving the opportunity to attend workshops, work trials and undertake internships and supporting young people at risk in education to make the transition to the labour market; Supporting reinsertion: Creating second chance opportunities and modules in good citizenship for those who had withdrawn from education were frequent activities and included setting up reinsertion training pathways within the compulsory education system. Preventing early withdrawal: Actions to prevent school leaving included the provision of counselling and guidance to at risk students, through in-school and community actions to improve attendance and reduce truancy, by granting access to an alternative curriculum for underachievers at school, and by developing alternative learning methods and new education materials and more personalised teaching methods. Providing alternative learning options: Alternative options provided included the provision of information, advice and mentoring to at risk students and providing outreach programmes and pre-vocational training courses IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1, measure ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana, measure 41,15 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 89

92 Supporting those at risk of early school leaving: Certain actions targeted groups at particular risk of dropping out such as students with disabilities, members of the Roma community and immigrants in primary and secondary education. For example, support was provided to disabled young people, girls and those living in remote areas that could experience difficulties in continuing in compulsory study. Adopting a multi-agency approach and involving families and the community to remove barriers to participation in education was another approach. Early school leaving in ESF Early school leaving is mentioned explicitly under the human capital priority in the ESF Regulation. Actions to avoid early school leaving and school failure and to respond to those who have withdrawn from formal education continue to be important themes in both formal education and VET. Actions to raise participation rates in compulsory school, increase the numbers gaining secondary qualifications and decreasing early school leaving rates are complemented by interventions to provide advice and guidance to young people who have left school about what learning options are available to them. In Austria the reduction of early leaving in higher education has been targeted Widening participation in lifelong learning and preventing social exclusion Initiatives to support the widening of participation in lifelong learning as a mechanism for combating exclusion were frequently implemented at initial and VET levels. Widening participation was also a primary objective of system change. A particular emphasis of system change was enhancing the availability of learning opportunities to those for whom learning was a challenge on the basis of both personal and contextual characteristics. In the previous programming period, 102 measures from 72 OPs in 16 Member States addressed social exclusion within the broader framework of education and LLL. More than 9 million participants, in particular from France, Germany, Italy and the UK were involved in these measures. Nine Member States reported on the participation of more than 250,000 socially vulnerable persons, in particular migrants and people with disabilities Widening participation in formal education and preventing social exclusion Actions to widen access by vulnerable groups to educational qualifications were common. These were targeted at people at a disadvantage in the labour market, people with disabilities, learners with special educational needs, older learners, migrants and atypical learners. They involved the delivery of high quality, flexible and locally available lifelong learning opportunities addressing literacy and basic skill needs, knowledge of ICT and vocationally attractive skills. Innovative community and family based learning approaches were used to improve access to learning by removing barriers, providing support and adaptations to respond to special needs at the level of the organisation, classroom and the individual student AT052PO001 Austria Employment OP 90 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

93 Another group whose needs were addressed by actions to widen participation were learners in rural or isolated areas through the provision of scholarships to access secondary education and undertake further education covering books and materials, accommodation and other expenses. Pathways to post-secondary non-university education were developed. Counselling and guidance aimed at supporting access to higher education, post secondary non tertiary and tertiary education were provided and individual paths, scholarships and subsidies were offered. Other mechanisms included third cycle training vouchers and specialist training grants, opportunities for people with less attractive qualifications from an employment perspective to re-qualify in higher education, access to higher education through web-based courses, e-learning and distance education and supports for students from disadvantaged areas to access higher education. One measure in Ireland aimed at creating access to higher and further education for students with disabilities, from disadvantaged backgrounds and mature students including the Traveller community, ethnic minorities. It involved funding for equipment and support services, financial support, outreach activities, counselling and mentoring and funding support for the activities of the National Office of Equity of Access to Higher Education Widening participation in VET and preventing social exclusion VET provision was of particular relevance to vulnerable groups. VET courses were developed that were appropriate to the specific needs of individual learners who were at a disadvantage in the labour market including long term unemployed, young people without skills, immigrants, people with disabilities, prisoners and ethnic minorities. Many actions to prevent exclusion included activating people without qualifications through VET programmes tailored to their needs and which incorporated supports and incentives to improve participation in training and reduce the risk of people dropping out prior to finish their courses. In one case second chance training opportunities were created for adults with no qualifications including the members of the Roma community. Courses that involved socio-cultural development, technical and practical training leading to certification were developed 179. VET methods adapted to the characteristics of specific populations and customised to needs of the individual trainee were core to achieving better participation on the part of hard to reach groups. Activities included workshops relating to specific sectors where high labour demand was evident and the delivery of practical training in firms and social organisations. In the case of people with disabilities, one measure aimed at upgrading their qualifications, increasing participation in the labour market and creating arrangements to help them take up employment. To reach these objectives, VET was combined with counselling, advisory services, subsidies and support measures, flexible forms of employment including transport, information, subsidies for open employment and the provision of technical aids 180. The provision of sign language interpreters was another strategy for widening participation for trainees with hearing loss IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1, measure GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 1, PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development, measure 1,4 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 91

94 Other VET actions to increase participation included: Raising the profile of VET: Actions to promote the attractiveness and image and raise awareness of the benefits of vocational training were implemented. More attractive VET options for young people (16-26 years old) were created by focusing on their specific interests and previous educational experience using training clusters to offer support and information. Universal access to VET: VET options were combined with work-related experience and mentoring in cooperation with social enterprises and co-operatives for disadvantaged groups. Conditions for everybody to have access to vocational training, independent of their current personal or work conditions were provided including training opportunities in an informal setting to those who were unable to participate during normal hours and introducing complementary measures to provide individual access to training with a direct link to the labour market based on social partner agreements. Flexible modes of delivery: Ways to deliver VET flexibly and close to the workplace life were offered. Models and methods for recognising the problems of students just finishing their basic education and especially vocational basic training, and for analysing necessary measures to respond to their needs were developed in co-operation with authorities, enterprises and with other bodies. VET options which offered a modularised approach to training were made available. Learning pathways: An important component in actions to widen participation was the development of learning pathways. This involved supplementing basic training with training in life management skills and coping strategies, using person centred approaches to coordinating actions to achieve a gradual integration into the labour market, establishing courses in learning the national language to facilitate the integration of migrants and foreign workers and developing learning pathways and customised training to facilitate transfer from school to VET Widening participation in learning and preventing social exclusion through system change 21 Member States 181 and 69 Operational Programmes addressed the challenge of creating greater access to learning opportunities including more flexibility in training and continuing education programmes, creating training opportunities in enterprises for early school leavers, facilitating access by vulnerable groups to qualifications, developing the life management skills for vulnerable people and supporting equality of opportunities between men and women. Systems of education and training were reformed and remodelled in a number of ways to support access and new access mechanisms were introduced. One important strategy for creating the conditions to provide universal access to vocational training, independently of current personal or work conditions was to make training opportunities accessible to those who could not attend traditional forms of vocational training in normal school hours and consolidating open and informal education in terms of new, non-class-based forms of education through web-based modules and short duration courses in specific areas AT, BE, CY, CZ, DE, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, SE, SK 92 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

95 Lifelong learning systems were adjusted to respond more effectively to those at risk of social and labour market exclusion by reducing the deficit of qualifications and contributing to the certification of adult population. For example the quality of alternative learning systems was addressed by including Social Integration Centres for ex-addicts, disabled and people with mental health problems in a National Accreditation Systems for Continuing Vocational Training 182. Support systems were developed for academically weak students in primary, secondary and technical education using remedial education and creating all day schools 183. The training offer for adults was enhanced to include adult compensatory education in basic literacy, ICT and languages. In a pathways to employment approach a continuum of provision was established that ranged from providing career information, pre-training learning opportunities, access to vocational training, work preparation and the development of suitable training materials. Personalised approaches were developed which included vocational training, internships in enterprises in combination with a broad spectrum of social integration activities focusing on disadvantaged groups in society and socially threatened groups including young people, women and people at risk of social exclusion. Pilot projects with an emphasis on specific target groups were implemented including advice for ethnic minorities and disabled people, bi-lingual initiatives, environmental and community based learning. In one case environmental training was developed to meet the needs of children, youth, disabled or other specific groups 184. At all levels of the lifelong learning system actions to create alternate modes of access to education were evident. This involved delivering learning opportunities through alternative methods, making venues for learning activities accessible, encouraging participation of disadvantaged groups through raising the awareness of the benefits of education and providing personal assistants and financial incentives and by delivering education directly using ICT Widening participation in learning, ESF Activities to enhance the accessibility of learning opportunities for all and the creation of more inclusive education and training systems are a fundamental part of ESF supported actions. The enhancement of systems of provision is targeted at the involvement of hard to reach groups in educational opportunities, a reduction in early schoolleaving, the improvement of access to lifelong learning and reducing gender inequality in lifelong learning activities. Typical actions include: Measures to advance the willingness to learn in hard to reach groups; Developing support systems for students with special needs; Improving awareness of and access to learning and training; GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training, measure 3, For example: 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training, measure 1, FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland), measure 3.5 Chapter 2 ESF Interventions and Achievements 93

96 Adjusting the education and training system to the needs of those who are or might be at risk of being excluded from the labour market; Reducing early school leaving and gender inequality through lifelong learning activities; Exploring models for the establishment of a national high-profile non-academic training system; Reforming education provision and opening up new pathways into education and training for people generally but with additional activities for vulnerable groups; Providing gender conscious education information and counselling services. 94 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

97 Chapter 3: Conclusions 1. This report has analytically described the main interventions and achievements of the European Social Fund assistance to Member States in the policy areas of education and lifelong learning. The core basis for the research has consisted of the ESF funded programmes, measures, priority axes and interventions carried out during the programming periods and , with a more detailed focus on the former. In regard to the period, the selection of the relevant material has been made by reviewing titles and contents of all ESF measures and cross-checking them with the 429 measures falling entirely or in part under the lifelong learning policy field. As a result, an increased number of 558 measures (out of 1567) belonging to 178 Operational Programmes (out of 212) from all 25 EU Member States have been earmarked as relevant for the study topic, and make up the broad basis for analysis. The research on the current priority axes has started from the list of OPs mentioned under four priority themes (62, 72, 73, and 75). 318 priority axes (out of 633) belonging to 106 Operational Programmes (out of 117) from all 27 EU Member States have been identified for the period. 2. The financial information on the selected measures and priority axes have been gathered from the EC Structural Funds databases. According to information available on 2 September 2008, Member States had claimed 43.7 billion of expenditure (combining ESF, national and private contributions) on education and lifelong learning related measures in , which represents 42% of the expenditure claimed for the entire ESF. The Community ESF budget available for the above-mentioned priority themes in amounts to 29.2 billion, which represents 38% of the total ESF budget (i.e. not counting national or private contributions). 3. Overall, almost 33 million participations, an average of 5.1 million per year, have been reported in the ESF education and lifelong learning related interventions in This represents 42% of the total number of reported ESF participations 185. Available gender distribution of participants has pointed out to a balanced involvement of women (50.2%) and men (49.8%). Data about the current programming period, though not yet comprehensive indicate that the participation of women has slightly increased. Gathered information from October 2009 on 75% of the Operational Programmes reveals that at least 4.5 million participants (of whom 51.3% women) were involved in priority axes that related exclusively or in part to education and lifelong learning in 2007 and As regards age groups representation, 35% of participants in the current programming period are young (16-25 years), 61% are adults (26-54 years), and 4% are older people (55-64 years). The labour market status of participants also shows a fair allocation of resources: consistent reporting points that 25% of participants are unemployed (of which 5% are long-term unemployed), 36% are employed (of which 2% self-employed) and 39% inactive (of which 24% in training or education). The available data on the participants level of education indicate that in the previous period, 38% of participants had primary or lower-secondary education (ISCED 1+2), 30% had (post-) secondary education (ISCED 3+4) and 32% had third level education (ISCED 5+6In the current period, there are more participants with (post-) secondary education and less with higher education The term participation is used instead of participant because it is very likely that certain people have benefited more than once from ESF support. Chapter 3 Conclusions 95

98 5. ESF has supported a wide variety of interventions across the domains of education, training and lifelong learning. Based on content analysis, each measure and priority axis has been allocated to one of four key concepts: formal education, vocational education and training, continuing education and lifelong learning, and education and lifelong learning systems, or to a combination of these. Approximately 10% of all interventions from 2000 to 2006 addressed formal education: ten Member States invested 11.4 billion of ESF, national and private funds to reach 10.2 million people through 101 measures. ESF financed actions that helped improve the general level of educational attainment, promoted access to jobs and strengthened regional competitiveness by raising the qualification level of the labour force. Key goals related to secondary education included broadening learning opportunities, combating early school leaving and creating a greater diversity of more up to date vocationally oriented choices. Actions targeted at third level education enhanced the knowledge and skill base in the areas of research, science and technology, supported knowledge transfer to enterprises and widened participation in higher education. In the current programming period, 83 priority axes address formal education at least as a part of their range of interventions. 6. Vocational education and training (VET) includes activities to upgrade technical and vocational skills targeted at specific occupations. About 37% of all E&LLL interventions described in this study relate to vocational education and training: 18 Member States spent 21.2 billion of ESF, national and private funds to reach 14.2 million people through 250 measures between 2000 and The ESF was instrumental in increasing learning opportunities that matched the needs of the labour market. The Fund s assistance also improved the qualifications and employability of jobseekers, supported economic cohesion and promoted equal opportunities in training and employment. VET actions were combined with other interventions to support regional and local economic development and combat social exclusion. In the current programming period, 121 priority axes focus on vocational education and training as a part of their planned interventions. 7. The key concept of continuing education and lifelong learning incorporates activities aimed at maintaining and upgrading the work skills of employed people, at protecting their employability and at improving the competitiveness of enterprises. In the programming period, around 38% of all E&LLL interventions targeted continuing education and lifelong learning: 22 Member States spent 17.9 billion of ESF, national and private funds to reach 15.5 million people through 252 measures. Workers with no or low skills, or whose skills were out-dated, older workers and workers from ethnic minorities benefited from a wide range of activities with the final goal of extending their working life. Lifelong learning targeted these atypical learners and those who had problems attending formal education or training. Equally important, the creation of continuing education and training opportunities played a significant role in assisting businesses to cope with the challenges of restructuring and to introduce new models of work organisation and management. In what concerns the period, 193 priority axes include continuing education and lifelong learning in their interventions. 8. Nearly 15% of the interventions aimed at enhancing national and regional education and lifelong learning systems: 14 Member States used 4.7 billion of ESF, national and private funds to the final benefit of 3.3 million people through 85 measures. The funds were invested in more effective procedures and structures, in the integration of formal and informal learning systems and development of 96 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

99 networks, in training educators and trainers, in bettering methods of delivery, in new programme development and in improving systems for accrediting competences. The subsequent improvements enhanced access to education for hard to reach groups, helped change attitudes towards learning and updated existing courses, methods and practice. They also had a positive impact on the quality of teaching and on qualification structures. Links between business, education and research were strengthened. 47 priority axes have been identified to deal with system interventions in the current programming period. 9. Measures with particular relevance to gender, ICT, early school leaving and social exclusion were earmarked for the period and grouped as horizontal themes: 37 measures from 33 OPs in 14 Member States contained gender relevant interventions reaching almost 1.4 million participants, of whom 58% were women. Equal opportunities for men and women, gender balance and non-traditional career paths were frequently addressed through ESF, as was the labour market position of employed and unemployed women and the enhanced participation of women in LLL activities; 115 measures from 84 OPs in 19 Member States reported together almost 8.5 million participations in the ICT area, including more than 2 million from Spain and more than 1 million from France, the UK and Portugal; ESF measures approached ICT both as a learning content and as a learning delivery mechanism providing people with higher skills and qualifications in the labour market and preparing them to better respond to changing technologies; 57 measures from 52 OPs in 13 Member States reported more than 6.7 million participants in interventions preventing early school leaving. France (2.9 million), Germany (1.8 million) and Italy (0.9 million) reported most participants. Almost 85% of participants were younger than 25 years. ESF actions to prevent early school leaving worked as a leverage to combat social exclusion and were often implemented in combination with other mechanisms such as pathways to employment or individual learning plans; 102 measures from 72 OPs in 16 Member States tackled social exclusion. More than 9 million participants, in particular from France, Germany, Italy and the UK were involved in these measures. Nine Member States reported on the participation of more than 250,000 socially vulnerable persons, in particular migrants and people with disabilities. The contribution of ESF to promoting social cohesion was considerable at both local and regional levels, in the latter case notably for developing traditional skills and locally relevant industries in rural or remote areas facing significant structural and economic challenges. 10. The ESF has supported numerous activities aimed at meeting the European benchmarks on education and lifelong learning which the EU has set for 2010 and which have been recently updated until ESF actions have attempted to dismantle the existing bias towards the participation of more highly qualified learners in E&LLL initiatives. Many of them specifically targeted low skilled employed and unemployed people and introduced system improvement objectives to create more responsive and supportive delivery mechanisms. ESF has provided particular support to people with special learning needs in compulsory education systems; it has helped build mechanisms to develop basic and transferrable skills and has promoted the introduction of individual learning pathways, of mentoring for those at risk of withdrawing from learning and the establishment of alternative learning methodologies. Chapter 3 Conclusions 97

100 The focus on early school leaving, on remedial education and school and community activities thereby helped reach notably groups at risk of social exclusion. Additionally, ESF actions aimed at widening access to, and participation in, post-compulsory education, VET and higher education. A recurring theme in ESF activities has been the creation of learning opportunities for inactive, unemployed and employed older people. Such actions addressed the emerging policy area of ageing and extending working life. 11. The Autumn 2007 Review of the European Employment Observatory presents a number of obstacles to the demand for, and supply of, LLL opportunities across Europe. ESF has tackled and continues to address many of these challenges. In general, ESF financing is vital to both defraying training costs of agencies and individual employers and to encouraging governments and public authorities to start up or further their support to LLL. ESF has supported actions to raise awareness of the benefits of LLL and system actions to create more attractive learning options. The motivation of low skilled workers has been boosted by developing new programmes adapted to their needs and by introducing procedures to accredit prior learning. Targeting basic skills, literacy skills and mechanisms to prevent school drop outs has provided young at risk students with the basic competences required to take advantage of LLL opportunities. The participation of highly skilled workers and managers in LLL opportunities has been encouraged through continuation courses, in-company training needs audits and non-formal continuing professional development. The needs of people who lacked the time to take part in more formal education and training or who had difficulties in balancing work with personal life have been met through flexible delivery methods, modular programmes and informal self-directed learning. ESF has also offered assistance to employers to foster a learning culture and develop learning partnerships in their enterprises. The ESF financial support and expertise has stimulated them to advance LLL options for their employees. 12. ESF has not only addressed obstacles to the demand for lifelong learning, but has also been instrumental in facilitating the supply of LLL. There has been an emphasis in ESF actions on creating more effective systems of information and guidance on LLL opportunities, in parallel with expanding the range of courses, programmes and non-formal learning opportunities. The increase in the supply of more relevant LLL opportunities has based on surveys of skill demands, and has been facilitated through the establishment of agencies to analyse labour market data, through support to LLL networks and learning partnerships and new programme development. LLL systems of provision have undergone reforms and modernisation, leading to the replacement of outdated and poorly planned procedures. LLL systems have received assistance for the training of trainers and educators, for the promotion of ICT, the adoption of national LLL strategies, the establishment of quality standards and the accreditation of high quality providers. The need for more transparent and accessible qualifications has been tackled through ESF actions to validate formal, non-formal, informal and prior learning, through the development of national qualification frameworks (NQF) and the introduction of procedures for competence-based assessment and certification of knowledge and skills. The geographical availability of LLL opportunities has widened thanks to ESF LLL initiatives to build up and implement distance and e-learning modes of delivery. 98 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

101 13. The financial support from the European Social Fund has been a major contributor to the development of LLL strategies in the Member States. The ESF contribution to this field has played a central role in enhancing the availability and quality of LLL and in addressing identified areas for improvement. The range of beneficiaries have included private, public and third sector organisations, institutions at all levels of education and training and diverse individuals in terms of backgrounds,, employment status, age and gender. To build on the achievements obtained to date, Member States should now face the challenge of striking an optimal balance between external and internal funding and of finding the most appropriate and effectual relationship between EU, the state, employers and individual financial responsibilities for funding LLL. Chapter 3 Conclusions 99

102 Annexes ANNEX 1: ESF EXPENDITURE AND BUDGET Operational Programmes co-funded expenditure claimed (in million) per Member State MS EU % National Public % National Private % Total AT 43.7% 48.7% 7.6% 1,326 BE 34.7% 55.3% 10.1% 2,416 CY 50.0% 50.0% 0.0% 22 CZ 69.8% 30.2% 0.0% 297 DE 46.5% 45.7% 7.8% 20,930 DK 41.5% 37.2% 21.3% 779 EE 69.3% 25.9% 4.9% 71 ES 60.4% 38.4% 1.2% 17,388 FI 31.4% 42.9% 25.6% 2,365 FR 43.4% 50.8% 5.8% 12,204 GR 78.6% 21.4% 0.0% 4,783 HU 75.6% 24.4% 0.0% 288 IE 53.9% 45.8% 0.3% 1,778 IT 52.7% 45.5% 1.8% 12,909 LT 74.6% 25.4% 0.0% 166 LU 45.3% 52.8% 2.0% 47 LV 75.2% 24.8% 0.0% 115 MT 75.0% 25.0% 0.0% 9 NL 49.6% 21.6% 28.8% 2,458 PL 74.3% 25.7% 0.0% 1,776 PT 62.2% 34.2% 3.6% 7,145 SE 31.3% 39.1% 29.6% 2,661 SI 75.0% 25.0% 0.0% 60 SK 74.0% 25.2% 0.8% 241 UK 44.1% 51.5% 4.4% 13,285 EU % 42.8% 5.9% 105, Operational Programmes co-funded expenditure claimed (in million) per Objective OBJ EU National Public National Private TOTAL 1 31,090 16, , ,954 2, , ,104 26,112 4,811 52,027 TOTAL 54,147 45,042 6, , The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

103 3. Operational Programmes co-funded budget (in million) per Member State MS EU % National Pubic % National Private % Total Budget AT 44.3% 46.4% 9.3% 1,184 BE 46.3% 49.8% 4.0% 2,320 BG 85.0% 15.0% 1,395 CY 80.0% 20.0% 150 CZ 85.1% 14.9% 4,436 DE 59.9% 30.6% 9.6% 15,666 DK 50.0% 33.4% 16.6% 510 EE 84.8% 11.2% 4.1% 462 ES 70.5% 28.4% 1.1% 11,426 FI 43.5% 56.5% 1,420 FR 52.5% 35.9% 11.6% 10,275 GR 76.2% 23.8% 5,726 HU 85.0% 15.0% 4,270 IE 27.6% 72.2% 0.2% 1,360 IT 45.3% 54.7% 15,321 LT 85.0% 8.7% 6.3% 1,210 LU 50.0% 50.0% 50 LV 83.8% 13.0% 3.1% 657 MT 85.0% 15.0% 132 NL 48.7% 27.4% 23.9% 1,705 PL 85.0% 15.0% 11,420 PT 70.7% 29.3% 9,210 RO 85.0% 15.0% 4,335 SE 50.0% 50.0% 1,383 SI 85.0% 15.0% 889 SK 85.0% 15.0% 1,764 UK 52.0% 46.9% 1.1% 8,598 EU % 32.1% 3.2% 117,275 Annexes 101

104 ANNEX 2: ESF VOCABULARY The table below compares a number of documents and concepts across the two consecutive programming periods PROGRAMMING PERIOD PROGRAMMING PERIOD The Community Support Framework (CSF) is The National Strategic Reference Framework the basic programming document agreed between (NSRF) is not a management instrument as the CSF the European Commission and the Member States, were in the preceding period. However, it defines setting out plans for Structural Fund support for policy priorities whilst suggesting the key elements objective 1 regions. It identifies the problems, the of implementation such as the list of operational strategy and the priorities for action and where money programmes and an indicative annual allocation should best be channelled. It must be supplemented from each Fund for each Operational Programme by more detailed Operational Programmes. CSF s are It is applied to the convergence and regional not compulsory for the objectives 2 and 3. competitiveness and employment objectives. It is optional for the territorial cooperation objective. The Operational Programmes (OPs) detail how and where funds will be spent, what the expected impact is and how the programmes will be monitored and evaluated. OPs may exist at a national or regional level. An OP can cover only one of the three Objectives. An An OP can cover more than one objective but can be OP can be financed by more than one Fund. financed by only one Fund. Priorities are a set of aims within a operational In the new programming period priorities are formally programme that have to be tackled through the called Priority Axes. implementation of specific Measures. Resource allocation (community and national cofinancing) is done at the level of the priority axes. Measures are the means by which a Priority is There are no measures in the implemented over several years and which enable Programming Period. Instead of this, the description operations to be financed. Measures are listed in of the priority axes contains an indicative list of the Operational Programmes, fully described in the actions. Programme Complements and reported on in the Annual Implementation Reports. Resource allocation (community and national cofinancing) is done at the level of the measure. Programme Complements (PC) provide further details on the implementation of the operational programmes such as the indicators that are used. Programme complements may be formulated as needed throughout the implementation of the OP. The Policy Fields refer to the five broad types of activities than can be financed with ESF. Most OPs are structured along these policy fields, one priority corresponding to one policy field. There are no Programme Complements for the Operational Programmes. Information that was contained in the PC such as about the indicators is now to be found in the OP itself. The types of activities that can be financed with ESF are called priorities. 102 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

105 PROGRAMMING PERIOD PROGRAMMING PERIOD Annual Implementation Reports (AIR) are prepared every year by the national or regional managing authorities and describe the progress on the implementation of the priorities and the financial implementation of the assistance. AIRs also report on the main socio-economic trends or on changes in national, regional or sectoral policies that are relevant to the implementation of the assistance. Indicators are used to indicate the outcomes of the ESF interventions. The types of indicators that are relevant to this study can be quite diverse in nature: (i) output indicators relate to the immediate consequences of an activity and are measured in physical or monetary units, e.g. number of people trained, number of firms financially supported. (ii) result indicators relate to the direct and immediate effects on direct beneficiaries brought by a programme. Result indicators can be of a physical (e.g. number of successful trainees) or financial nature (e.g. leverage of private sector resources); (iii) impact indicators refer to the consequences of the programme beyond the immediate effects on its direct beneficiaries. ANNEX 3: LIST OF RELEVANT ESF MEASURES ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender AT 1999AT161DO001 Burgenland 5.3 x x x x AT 2000AT162DO001 Kârnten 3.1 x x AT 2000AT162DO006 Steiermark 4.1 x x x AT 2000AT162DO008 Wien 3.1 x x AT 1999AT053DO001 Austria Obj x AT 1999AT053DO001 Austria Obj x x AT 1999AT053DO001 Austria Obj x x x BE 1999BE161DO001 Hainaut obj x x x x x x x BE 1999BE161DO001 Hainaut obj x x x BE 2000BE162DO002 Limburg 1.3 x x BE 2000BE162DO003 Province of Antwerpen 1.4 x x x BE 2000BE162DO004 Kustgebied-Westhoek 4.1 x x x BE 2000BE162DO009 Rural Dinant- Philippeville 3.2 x x BE 2000BE162DO009 Rural Dinant- Philippeville 3.3 x BE 1999BE053DO001 Bruxelles-Capitale Obj x BE 1999BE053DO001 Bruxelles-Capitale Obj x BE 1999BE053DO003 Vlaanderen Obj x BE 1999BE053DO003 Vlaanderen Obj x BE 1999BE053DO003 Vlaanderen Obj x BE 1999BE053DO003 Vlaanderen Obj x x BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj x x 1.12 x Annexes 103

106 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO004 Wallonie-Bruxelles Obj. 3 BE 1999BE053DO005 German-speaking Community of Belgium BE 1999BE053DO005 German-speaking Community of Belgium BE 1999BE053DO005 German-speaking Community of Belgium 1.13 x x 1.14 x 3.31 x 3.32 x x x 3.33 x x 3.31 x 3.32 x 3.33 x CY 2004CY053DO001 Cyprus Obj x x x x x CY 2004CY053DO001 Cyprus Obj x x x CY 2004CY053DO001 Cyprus Obj x x x CZ 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1 CZ 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1 CZ 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1 CZ 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1 CZ 2003CZ051PO001 Czech Republic HRD Obj. 1 CZ 2003CZ161PO004 Czech Republic Joint Regional Operational Programme CZ 2003CZ161PO004 Czech Republic Joint Regional Operational Programme 1.2 x 3.1 x x x x x 3.2 x x 3.3 x 4.2 x x x 3.2 x x 3.3 x x CZ 2003CZ053DO001 Prague Region Obj x x CZ 2003CZ053DO001 Prague Region Obj x DE 1999DE161PO001 Berlin 4.12 x DE 1999DE161PO001 Berlin 4.21 x x DE 1999DE161PO001 Berlin 4.31 x x DE 1999DE161PO001 Berlin 4.41 x x DE 1999DE161PO001 Berlin 4.51 x x DE 1999DE161PO002 Thüringen 4.12 x DE 1999DE161PO002 Thüringen 4.21 x x DE 1999DE161PO002 Thüringen 4.31 x x x DE 1999DE161PO002 Thüringen 4.41 x DE 1999DE161PO002 Thüringen 4.51 x x DE 1999DE161PO003 Sachsen-Anhalt 4.11 x x x DE 1999DE161PO003 Sachsen-Anhalt 4.12 x x 104 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

107 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender DE 1999DE161PO003 Sachsen-Anhalt 4.21 x x DE 1999DE161PO003 Sachsen-Anhalt 4.31 x DE 1999DE161PO003 Sachsen-Anhalt 4.51 x x x DE 1999DE161PO004 Mecklenburg - Vorpommern 4.31 x x x DE 1999DE161PO005 Land Brandenburg 4.4 x x DE 1999DE161PO005 Land Brandenburg 4.6 x x DE 1999DE161PO005 Land Brandenburg 4.7 x DE 1999DE161PO006 Sachsen 4.6 x x x x x DE 2000DE051PO007 Germany Obj x DE 2000DE051PO007 Germany Obj x x DE 2000DE051PO007 Germany Obj x x DE 2000DE051PO007 Germany Obj x x DE 2000DE162DO001 Rheinland-Pfalz 5.2 x DE 2000DE162DO001 Rheinland-Pfalz 5.3 x x DE 2000DE162DO002 Berlin West 2.42 x DE 2000DE162DO002 Berlin West 3.21 x DE 2000DE162DO003 Saarland 2.5 x DE 2000DE162DO006 Schleswig-Holstein 3.3 x x x DE 2000DE162DO007 Bayern 2.4 x DE 2000DE162DO007 Bayern 3.5 x x DE 2000DE162DO007 Bayern 5.4 x x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 1.7 x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 1.8 x x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 1.9 x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 1.10 x x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 1.11 x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 2.6 x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 2.7 x x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 4.2 x DE 2000DE162DO010 Niedersachsen 4.3 x x DE 1999DE053DO001 Germany SPD Obj x x DE 1999DE053DO001 Germany SPD Obj x x DE 1999DE053DO001 Germany SPD Obj x x x x DE 1999DE053DO001 Germany SPD Obj x x x DK 1999DK053DO001 Denmark Obj x DK 1999DK053DO001 Denmark Obj x x x DK 1999DK053DO001 Denmark Obj x EE 2003EE161DO001 Estonia 1.1 x x x x x EE 2003EE161DO001 Estonia 1.2 x EE 2003EE161DO001 Estonia 1.4 x x ES 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 1 ES 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 1 ES 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj x x x x Annexes 105

108 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender ES 2000ES051PO014 Spain Vocational Training System Obj x x ES 2000ES161PO002 Cantabria 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO002 Cantabria x ES 2000ES161PO002 Cantabria x x ES 2000ES161PO003 Andalucia x x x x ES 2000ES161PO003 Andalucia x x x ES 2000ES161PO003 Andalucia x x ES 2000ES161PO003 Andalucia x x x ES 2000ES161PO004 Asturias 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO004 Asturias x x ES 2000ES161PO004 Asturias x x x x x ES 2000ES161PO004 Asturias x x ES 2000ES161PO004 Asturias x x x ES 2000ES161PO005 Canarias 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO005 Canarias x x x ES 2000ES161PO005 Canarias x x ES 2000ES161PO005 Canarias x x ES 2000ES161PO005 Canarias x x x ES 2000ES161PO006 Castilla-La Mancha 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO006 Castilla-La Mancha x x ES 2000ES161PO006 Castilla-La Mancha x ES 2000ES161PO006 Castilla-La Mancha x x x ES 2000ES161PO007 Castilla Y León 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO007 Castilla Y León x x x x x ES 2000ES161PO007 Castilla Y León x x x ES 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana ES 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana ES 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana ES 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana ES 2000ES161PO009 Comunidad Valenciana 43.2 x x x x x x x x ES 2000ES161PO010 Extremadura 43.2 x ES 2000ES161PO010 Extremadura x ES 2000ES161PO010 Extremadura x x ES 2000ES161PO010 Extremadura x x ES 2000ES161PO010 Extremadura x x x ES 2000ES161PO011 Galicia 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO011 Galicia x x ES 2000ES161PO011 Galicia x x ES 2000ES161PO011 Galicia x ES 2000ES161PO011 Galicia x x x x ES 2000ES161PO012 Melilla 43.2 x x x ES 2000ES161PO013 Murcia 43.2 x x 106 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

109 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender ES 2000ES161PO013 Murcia x x ES 2000ES161PO013 Murcia x ES 2000ES161PO013 Murcia x x x ES 2000ES162DO003 Baléares 3.1 x x ES 2000ES162DO005 La Rioja 3.1 x x ES 2000ES162DO007 Navarra 3.1 x x ES 2000ES162DO008 Pais Vasco 3.1 x x x ES 2000ES053PO301 Aragon Obj x x ES 2000ES053PO302 Baleares Obj x x x ES 2000ES053PO303 Cataluña Obj x x ES 2000ES053PO303 Cataluña Obj x x x ES 2000ES053PO303 Cataluña Obj x ES 2000ES053PO303 Cataluña Obj x x x ES 2000ES053PO304 Comunidad De Madrid Obj. 3 ES 2000ES053PO304 Comunidad De Madrid Obj. 3 ES 2000ES053PO304 Comunidad De Madrid Obj. 3 ES 2000ES053PO304 Comunidad De Madrid Obj x x 4.1 x x 4.3 x 4.4 x x x ES 2000ES053PO305 Navarra Obj x x x x ES 2000ES053PO305 Navarra Obj x x x ES 2000ES053PO306 Pais Vasco Obj x ES 2000ES053PO306 Pais Vasco Obj x x x x ES 2000ES053PO307 La Rioja Obj x x x ES 2000ES053PO310 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 3 ES 2000ES053PO310 Spain Vocational Training System Obj. 3 ES 2000ES053PO311 Spain Entrepeneurship And Lifelong Training Obj. 3 FI 1999FI161DO001 Pohjois-Suomen (North Finland) FI 1999FI161DO001 Pohjois-Suomen (North Finland) FI 1999FI161DO002 Itä-Suomen (East Finland) FI 1999FI161DO002 Itä-Suomen (East Finland) FI 1999FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland) FI 1999FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland) FI 1999FI162DO001 Etelä-Suomen (South Finland) FI 1999FI162DO002 Länsi-Suomen (West Finland) FI 1999FI162DO002 Länsi-Suomen (West Finland) 4.1 x x 4.3 x 3.1 x 2.6 x x x 3.2 x x 2.1 x x 2.2 x x x 1.4 x x x 2.2 x x 3.5 x x x 1.3 x x x 2.2 x x x FI 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj x x x x Annexes 107

110 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender FI 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj x x x x FI 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj x x x x x FI 1999FI053DO001 Finland SPD Obj x x x FI 1999FI053DO002 Åland Obj x x x x FI 1999FI053DO002 Åland Obj x x x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion 14.1 x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion 14.4 x x x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion 14.6 x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion 14.8 x x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion 14.9 x x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion x x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion x FR 1999FR161DO001 La Réunion x x FR 1999FR161DO002 Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2.3 x x FR 1999FR161DO003 Corse 5.4 x x x FR 1999FR161DO003 Corse 5.8 x FR 2000FR161DO001 Guadeloupe 5.2 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 5.1 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 5.2 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 5.3 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 8.1 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 15.1 x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 15.2 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 15.3 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 15.4 x x FR 2000FR161DO002 Guyane 15.7 x FR 2000FR161DO003 Martinique 8.2 x FR 2000FR161DO003 Martinique 8.3 x FR 2000FR161DO003 Martinique 8.5 x x FR 2000FR161DO003 Martinique 8.6 x x FR 2000FR162DO002 Auvergne 1.2 x x FR 2000FR162DO002 Auvergne 3.4 x FR 2000FR162DO002 Auvergne 3.5 x x FR 2000FR162DO003 Lorraine 1.17 x x FR 2000FR162DO003 Lorraine 1.23 x FR 2000FR162DO003 Lorraine 1.24 x x x x FR 2000FR162DO004 Limousin 2.3 x x FR 2000FR162DO005 Pays de le Loire 5.2 x x x x FR 2000FR162DO005 Pays de le Loire 5.3 x x FR 2000FR162DO006 Poitou-Charentes 1.4 x FR 2000FR162DO007 Basse-Normandie 1.3 x FR 2000FR162DO007 Basse-Normandie 3.4 x x x FR 2000FR162DO008 Haute-Normandie 2.9 x FR 2000FR162DO008 Haute-Normandie 3.13 x FR 2000FR162DO008 Haute-Normandie 3.14 x x FR 2000FR162DO008 Haute-Normandie 4.18 x 108 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

111 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender FR 2000FR162DO009 Languedoc-Rousillon 6.1 x FR 2000FR162DO009 Languedoc-Rousillon 6.3 x x FR 2000FR162DO010 Champagne-Ardenne 2.7 x FR 2000FR162DO010 Champagne-Ardenne 3.5 x FR 2000FR162DO010 Champagne-Ardenne 7.9 x x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 1.3 x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 2.6 x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 3.11 x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 6.14 x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 6.15 x FR 2000FR162DO012 Franche-Comté 6.16 x FR 2000FR162DO013 Aquitaine 1.7 x FR 2000FR162DO014 Bretagne 1.1 x x FR 2000FR162DO014 Bretagne 1.2 x FR 2000FR162DO014 Bretagne 1.3 x FR 2000FR162DO015 Bourgogne 2.2 x x FR 2000FR162DO016 Centre 3.12 x x FR 2000FR162DO017 Ile-de-France 2.3 x FR 2000FR162DO018 Midi-Pyrénées 1.5 x x FR 2000FR162DO018 Midi-Pyrénées 2.9 x x FR 2000FR162DO018 Midi-Pyrénées 3.11 x FR 2000FR162DO018 Midi-Pyrénées 5.19 x x FR 2000FR162DO019 Picardie 2.1 x FR 2000FR162DO019 Picardie 2.2 x x FR 1999FR053DO001 France SPD Obj x x x x FR 1999FR053DO001 France SPD Obj x x GR 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training GR 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training GR 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training GR 2000GR051PO001 Greece Employment promotion and vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training 2.1 x x x 3.1 x 4.3 x x 4.4 x x 1.1 x x x x 1.2 x x x x 2.1 x x 2.2 x x x Annexes 109

112 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO002 Greece Education and initial vocational training GR 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention GR 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention GR 2000GR051PO003 Greece Health and Prevention 2.3 x x x x 2.4 x x x 2.5 x 2.6 x 4.1 x x x 4.2 x x x 2.4 x 4.1 x x 4.2 x GR 2000GR161PO002 Attica 3.1 x x GR 2000GR161PO004 Western Greece 5.2 x x GR 2000GR161PO007 Epirus 2.4 x x GR 2000GR161PO007 Epirus 5.2 x GR 2000GR161PO007 Epirus 5.3 x GR 2000GR161PO007 Epirus 4.13 x x GR 2000GR161PO008 Crete 4.5 x GR 2000GR161PO008 Crete 6.2 x GR 2000GR161PO008 Crete 6.3 x x GR 2000GR161PO010 South Aegean 4.1 x x x x GR 2000GR161PO010 South Aegean 5.8 x x GR 2000GR161PO013 Western Macedonia 5.8 x GR 2000GR161PO014 Central Macedonia 6.11 x GR 2000GR161PO016 Greece Competitiveness GR 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society GR 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society GR 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society GR 2000GR161PO023 Greece Information society 8.1 x x 1.2 x x x 2.5 x x x 4.5 x x x 4.6 x HU 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD 3.1 x x HU 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD 3.2 x x HU 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD 3.3 x x HU 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD 3.4 x x HU 2003HU051PO001 Hungary HRD 3.5 x x x x x 110 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

113 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender HU 2003HU161PO001 Hungary Regional development HU 2003HU161PO001 Hungary Regional development HU 2003HU161PO001 Hungary Regional development IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj x 3.3 x x 3.4 x 5 x x x x 9 x x 11a, 11b x x x x 13 x x 18 A,18 B x x 21 x x 22 x x 26 x x IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 29B x IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj x x x x IE 2000IE051PO001 Employment & HR Development in Ireland Obj. 1 31A,31B, 31B1 x x x IT 1999IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme IT 1999IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme IT 1999IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme IT 1999IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme IT 1999IT051PO013 Italy School National Programme IT 1999IT161PO001 Italy Technical Assistance and System Action IT 1999IT161PO001 Italy Technical Assistance and System Action 1.11 x x x 1.13 x x x 1.15 x x x 1.16 x x x x 1.17 x x x x x 2.1 x 2.2 x Annexes 111

114 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender IT 1999IT161PO002 Development of Italy Local Entrepeneurship IT 1999IT161PO003 Italy Research, Technological Development and Advanced Training IT 1999IT161PO003 Italy Research, Technological Development and Advanced Training IT 1999IT161PO003 Italy Research, Technological Development and Advanced Training IT 1999IT161PO004 Italy Security for Mezzogiorno s Development IT 1999IT161PO004 Italy Security for Mezzogiorno s Development 4.3 x 3.2 x 3.4 x 3.5 x x 1.5 x x 2.3 x IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria 3.5 x x IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria 3.6 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria 3.7 x x x IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria 3.8 x x x IT 1999IT161PO006 Calabria 3.14 x x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 3.6 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 3.7 x x x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 3.8 x x x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 4.4 x IT 1999IT161PO007 Campania 3.20 x IT 1999IT161PO008 Molise 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO008 Molise 3.6 x x x IT 1999IT161PO008 Molise 3.7 x x x IT 1999IT161PO009 Puglia 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO009 Puglia 3.6 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO009 Puglia 3.7 x IT 1999IT161PO009 Puglia 3.8 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO009 Puglia 5.3 x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 1.8 = 3.14 x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 2.4 = 3.15 x x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.2 x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.3 x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.6 x x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.7 x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.8 x x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.9 x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 4.6 x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 5.3 = 3.17 x x 112 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

115 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 6.4 = 3.18 x x x IT 1999IT161PO010 Sardegna 3.16 x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 1.8 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.6 x x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.7 x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.8 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 5.3 =3.19 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 6.7=3.20 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 6.8 = 3.21 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.13 x x x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.16 = 1.6 x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.17 = 2.4 x x IT 1999IT161PO011 Sicilia 3.19 x IT 1999IT161PO012 Basilicata 3.5 x IT 1999IT161PO012 Basilicata 3.6 x x IT 1999IT161PO012 Basilicata 3.7 x x IT 1999IT053PO002 Marche Obj x x IT 1999IT053PO002 Marche Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO002 Marche Obj x x IT 1999IT053PO002 Marche Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO003 Piemonte Obj x IT 1999IT053PO003 Piemonte Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO003 Piemonte Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO003 Piemonte Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO004 Emilia Romagna Obj x IT 1999IT053PO004 Emilia Romagna Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO004 Emilia Romagna Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO004 Emilia Romagna Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO005 Toscana Obj x IT 1999IT053PO005 Toscana Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO005 Toscana Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO005 Toscana Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO006 Bolzano Obj x IT 1999IT053PO006 Bolzano Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO006 Bolzano Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO006 Bolzano Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO007 Italy Ministry of Employment Obj. 3 IT 1999IT053PO007 Italy Ministry of Employment Obj. 3 IT 1999IT053PO007 Italy Ministry of Employment Obj. 3 IT 1999IT053PO007 Italy Ministry of Employment Obj x 3.32 x 4.41 x x 4.42 x x IT 1999IT053PO008 Trento Obj x IT 1999IT053PO008 Trento Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO008 Trento Obj x x x Annexes 113

116 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender IT 1999IT053PO008 Trento Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO009 Valle d Aosta Obj x IT 1999IT053PO009 Valle d Aosta Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO009 Valle d Aosta Obj x x IT 1999IT053PO009 Valle d Aosta Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO010 Lombardia Obj x IT 1999IT053PO010 Lombardia Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO010 Lombardia Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO010 Lombardia Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO011 Umbria Obj x IT 1999IT053PO011 Umbria Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO011 Umbria Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO011 Umbria Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO012 Abruzzo Obj x IT 1999IT053PO012 Abruzzo Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO012 Abruzzo Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO012 Abruzzo Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO013 Liguria - Obj x IT 1999IT053PO013 Liguria - Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO013 Liguria - Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO013 Liguria - Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO014 Veneto Obj x IT 1999IT053PO014 Veneto Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO014 Veneto Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO014 Veneto Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO015 Friuli Venezia Giulia 3.31 x IT 1999IT053PO015 Friuli Venezia Giulia 3.32 x x x x IT 1999IT053PO015 Friuli Venezia Giulia 3.33 x x x IT 1999IT053PO015 Friuli Venezia Giulia 3.34 x x x x IT 1999IT053PO016 Lazio Obj x IT 1999IT053PO016 Lazio Obj x x x x IT 1999IT053PO016 Lazio Obj x x x IT 1999IT053PO016 Lazio Obj x x x x LT 2003LT161DO001 Lithuania 2.4 x x x x x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.31 x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.32 x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.33 x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.34 x x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.36 x x x x LU 1999LU053DO001 Luxembourg 3.37 x x LV 2003LV161DO001 Latvia 3.2 x x x x x MT 2003MT161DO001 Malta 2.1 x x x MT 2003MT161DO001 Malta 2.3 x x MT 2003MT161DO001 Malta 4.2 x x NL 1999NL161DO001 Flevoland 1.5 x x x NL 1999NL161DO001 Flevoland 3.8 x 114 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

117 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender NL 1999NL161DO001 Flevoland 4.2 x x NL 1999NL053DO001 Netherlands Active Labourmarket Policy and Lifelong learning NL 1999NL053DO001 Netherlands Active Labourmarket Policy and Lifelong learning NL 1999NL053DO001 Netherlands Active Labourmarket Policy and Lifelong learning NL 1999NL053DO001 Netherlands Active Labourmarket Policy and Lifelong learning PL 2003PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development PL 2003PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development PL 2003PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development PL 2003PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources Development PL 2003PL161PO001 Poland Integrated Regional Development PL 2003PL161PO001 Poland Integrated Regional Development PL 2003PL161PO001 Poland Integrated Regional Development PL 2003PL161PO001 Poland Integrated Regional Development 2.3 x 3.5 x x x 3.6 x x 3.7 x x x 1.4 x x 2.1 x x x 2.2 x x x x x x 2.4 x x 2.1 x x 2.2 x 2.3 x 2.4 x PT 1999PT051PO001 Portugal Education 1.1 x x x x PT 1999PT051PO001 Portugal Education 1.2 x PT 1999PT051PO001 Portugal Education 2.1 x x x PT 1999PT051PO001 Portugal Education 2.2 x x PT 1999PT051PO001 Portugal Education 3.1 x x PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development 1.1 x x 1.2 x 2.1 x 2.2 x x Annexes 115

118 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development PT 1999PT051PO002 Portugal Employment, Training and Social Development 3.1 x x 4.2 x x 4.3 x 7.1 x x PT 1999PT061PO007 Portugal Agriculture 2.7 x x x PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO003 Portugal Science, Technology and Innovation PT 1999PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society PT 1999PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society PT 1999PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society PT 1999PT161PO004 Portugal Information Society 1.1 x 4.1 x x 4.2 x x x 4.3 x 4.7 x x 5.1 x x x 1.1 x x x 1.2 x x x 2.4 x x 6.1 x x x x PT 1999PT161PO005 Portugal Health 2.4 x PT 1999PT161PO008 Portugal Economy 2.4 x PT 1999PT161PO011 Açores 3.4 x x x PT 1999PT161PO012 Algarve 1.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO012 Algarve 2.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO012 Algarve 3.2 x x x PT 1999PT161PO012 Algarve 3.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO012 Algarve 3.7 x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 1.6 x x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 2.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 3.2 x x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 3.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 3.7 x x x x PT 1999PT161PO013 Alentejo 4.5 x x x 116 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

119 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender PT 1999PT161PO014 Centro 1.6 x x x PT 1999PT161PO014 Centro 3.2 x x x PT 1999PT161PO014 Centro 3.3 x PT 1999PT161PO014 Centro 3.7 x x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 1.4 x x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 2.4 x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 3.1 x x x x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 3.2 x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 3.3 x PT 1999PT161PO015 Lisboa e Vale do Tejo 3.9 x x PT 1999PT161PO016 Madeira 1.5 x x x x PT 1999PT161PO017 Norte 1.5 x x PT 1999PT161PO017 Norte 2.5 x x x PT 1999PT161PO017 Norte 3.2 x x PT 1999PT161PO017 Norte 3.3 x x PT 1999PT161PO017 Norte 3.7 x x PT 2004PT051PO001 Portugal Public Administration 2.1 x x x SE 1999SE161DO001 Norra Norrland 3.1 x x SE 1999SE161DO001 Norra Norrland 3.2 x x SE 1999SE161DO001 Norra Norrland 3.5 x x x x x x SE 1999SE161DO001 Norra Norrland 6.2 x x SE 1999SE161DO002 Södra Skogslänenregionen SE 1999SE161DO002 Södra Skogslänenregionen SE 1999SE161DO002 Södra Skogslänenregionen 2.1 x x x x 2.5 x x x 5.2 x x x x SE 2000SE162DO001 Öarna 2.1 x x x SE 2000SE162DO001 Öarna 2.2 x x x SE 2000SE162DO001 Öarna 2.3 x x SE 2000SE162DO002 Västra 2.1 x SE 2000SE162DO003 Norra 2.1 x x x SE 2000SE162DO004 Södra 2.1 x x SE 1999SE053DO001 Sweden Obj x x SI 2003SI161DO001 Slovenia SPD 2.3 x x x SK 2003SK051PO001 Slovakia HR Development SK 2003SK051PO001 Slovakia HR Development SK 2003SK051PO001 Slovakia HR Development SK 2003SK051PO001 Slovakia HR Development SK 2003SK053DO001 Bratislava Region SDP Obj. 3 UK 1999GB161DO001 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly UK 1999GB161DO001 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 1.3 x x x 3.31 x x 3.32 x x x 3.33 x x x 2.21 x x x 3.2 x x 3.3 x Annexes 117

120 ms cci title measure formal education VET continuing education and LLL systems early school leaving ICT widening participation and combating exclusion women and gender UK 1999GB161DO001 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 4.2 x x UK 1999GB161DO002 Merseyside 1.4 x UK 1999GB161DO002 Merseyside 1.12 x x x UK 1999GB161DO002 Merseyside 2.15 x x UK 1999GB161DO002 Merseyside 4.27 x UK 1999GB161DO003 South Yorkshire 3.11 x x x x UK 1999GB161DO003 South Yorkshire 3.12 x x x UK 1999GB161DO004 West Wales and the Valleys UK 1999GB161DO004 West Wales and the Valleys 2.4 x x x 4.3 x x UK 1999GB161DO005 Highlands & Islands 3.3 x x UK 1999GB161PO007 Northern Ireland 2.1 x UK 1999GB161PO007 Northern Ireland 2.4 x x UK 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands 1.5 x x UK 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands 1.6 x UK 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands 1.7 x x UK 2000GB162DO002 West Midlands 1.12 x x UK 2000GB162DO004 East Midlands 1.5 x x x UK 2000GB162DO007 East of England 2.3 x x UK 2000GB162DO009 London 1.3 x x x UK 2000GB162DO009 London 3.4 x UK 2000GB162DO010 South West of England 1.3 x x x UK 2000GB162DO010 South West of England 2.5 x UK 1999GB053PO001 East Wales Obj x UK 1999GB053PO001 East Wales Obj x x x x UK 1999GB053PO001 East Wales Obj x x x UK 1999GB053PO001 East Wales Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO002 Scotland Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO002 Scotland Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO002 Scotland Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x x x x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x UK 1999GB053PO003 England Obj x x x 118 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

121 ANNEX 4: STANDARDISED INDICATOR NAMES The indicators used in the report have been collected from the official ESF Operational Programme reports (Annual Implementation Reports and Evaluations). Each Member State defined a set of physical indicators to be able to monitor a programme s implementation and judge its performance against the objectives set 186. In each Operational Programme (and more specifically in the Programme Complements) a set of indicators have been defined and target levels that corresponded to the objectives of the programme have been assigned. There are three levels of indicators that were used for the analysis: output, result and impact indicators 187. In order to analyse all indicators from different Operational Programmes, a procedure was introduced to standardize the indicators names. This procedure consisted of inserting the indicator name in the database in its original language, then translate it into English and allocate it a name mentioned in the list below. Indicator name in its original language Ex: Anzahl der geplanten TeilnehmerInnen Indicator exact translation in English Ex: Number of planned male and female Standardised indicator s name Ex: Participants (TOTAL) 186. European Commission Directorate-General XVI Regional Policy and Cohesion: coordination and evaluation of operations The New Programming period : methodological working papers WORKING PAPER 3. Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation: An indicative methodology. (Brussels: 2000) < For a description of the differences between types of indicators see Annex 4 - ESF Vocabulary. Annexes 119

122 List of standardised output, result and impact indicator names: OUTPUT INDICATORS 188 Name of the standardised indicator Participants (TOTAL) Participants Participants (completing) Participants (interrupting) Participants (continuing the same activities) Definition Total participants of a measure or a priority starting the activities. Participants 189 starting the activities in a measure or a sub-measure (activity or action) Participants completing the activities in a measure or in a sub-measure (activity or action) Participants interrupting the activities in a measure or in a sub-measure (activity or action) Participants continuing the same activities even after the end of the implementation year Further specifications Characteristics of participants can be defined according to: - Gender (Male, Female, Both) - Age (<25, 25/50, >50) - Status in the Labour Market (Employed, Self employed (entrepreneurs), Unemployed, Short term Unemployed (less than 12 months), Long term Unemployed (more than 12 Months), Inactive, (all people who are not classified as employed or unemployed (among persons of years old), Inactive in training (mainly students), Workers with special status) - Educational level ( Primary or lower secondary, Upper secondary, Post-secondary non-tertiary, Tertiary, post-tertiary, other non-academic, Vocational Education, Lower than primary level) - Vulnerable groups (Minorities, Migrants, Disabled, Other disadvantaged groups, EU Citizens, Third country Nationals, Disabled+Migrants) - Status (Researcher, Students, Households, Apprentices, Teachers, Trainers, Managers, Social Workers, Health workers, Civil servants, Farmers) 188. Please note that some standardised indicators can be used at different levels, according to the context of the intervention Participants without specification are considered to be beneficiaries starting. 120 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

123 Name of the standardised indicator Organisations (TOTAL) Organisations Definition Total of organisations participating in a measure Organisations include all kind of organisations supported, helped or involved in ESF activities Further specifications Characteristics of Organisations are: Microenterprises, SMEs, Firms (size not specified), Large enterprises, Organisations not specified, Public Employment Services (PES), Schools or education institutions (referring to the individual schools/educational institutes or training organisations participating in a measure/being supported), non-profit organisations (community, voluntary, charity, NGOs) Systems + Structures Systems or structures supported by ESF Systems and structures can be: Educational (for measures addressing the creation or improvement of school or educational systems or parts of educational systems/structures in a specific area/region, i.e. the creation of new departments in Universities, new life-long education centers etc), Human Resource management, Other Initiatives implemented Partnerships Courses Curricula designed Services delivered Research and analysis Jobs created 190 Jobs supported Jobs safeguarded Qualifications achieved 191 Activities or initiatives implemented under a measure Partnerships or networks supported Training courses (Programmes) realised under a measure New educational or training a course of study developed (list of topics + objectives, teaching methods and contents) New services designed under ESF delivered to participants Studies, research realised Workplaces created Workplaces supported Workplaces safeguarded Number of qualification achieved by participants after the end of training activities (certifications) If those jobs refer to people placed into employment they could be used as result indicator and added to Participants integrated into the labour market. The indicator Jobs created is in fact used as Output or Result depending on the context Although in most of OPs it is listed as Output, Qualifications achieved can also be used as result indicator and analysed together with Participants gaining a qualification. Annexes 121

124 Name of the standardised indicator Projects funded (TOTAL) Projects funded Projects completed (TOTAL) Projects completed Start-ups supported Firms created Events organised Products new Scholarships Places created Days Hours Years Months Apprenticeship places created Apprenticeship places supported Incentives Equipment Definition Total projects of a measure or a priority funded. ESF projects funded (started) Total projects of a measure or a priority completed. ESF projects completed New Start-ups supported New firms created Events, conferences, meetings organised New products developed under a measure Scholarships funded under ESF e.g. at universities (for students), childcare, etc Days of activities Hours of activities (training, counselling, etc) Years of duration of activities or projects Months of duration of activities or projects New apprenticeship places created Number of apprenticeship places receiving ESF support Economic individual incentives (for training or business creation, self employment, etc.) New equipments purchased with ESF (e.g. PC stations, etc.) Further specifications Participants * days Training and work number of days * participants Participants*Hours Indirect Beneficiaries Participants * Hours of Activities For example: a measure is directed at students, but teachers are trained in order to teach the students. Teachers are therefore indirect beneficiaries. 122 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

125 Name of the standardised indicator Electronic tools Internships places created Vacancies notified to PES Action plans Definition Electronic/Virtual tools developed (portals, branch points, software etc) Traineeships-stages places created Vacancies about which the PES is informed, which is an indicator of measuring success of contacts with employers Individual action plans or employment plans for jobseekers produced Further specifications RESULT INDICATORS Name of the standardised indicator Positive outcomes on leaving Participants starting a training Participants integrated into the labour market Participants gaining a qualification Participants following insertion paths Start-ups existing after 1 year Definition This label is used for all results indicators for a measure, so all positive outcomes of the measure after the end of the activities After having benefited from counselling services or guidance activities People integrated into the labour market after the end of the activities Participants gaining a qualification after the end of training activities Participants following insertion paths in the labour market after the end of activities Number of start-ups that continue to exist 1 year after the creation Further specifications People integrated into the LM can be classified according to the time after completion of activities in which they have been integrated: 0-3 months after the end of the activities, 3-6 months after the end of the activities, 6-12 months after the end of the activities, more than 12 months after the end of activities, before the end of the programme Annexes 123

126 IMPACT INDICATORS Name of the standardised indicator Activity Rate Unemployment rate Start-ups existing after 2 years Unemployment rate of young people on the total Unemployment rate Long-term unemployed on the total unemployed Participants that consider an advantage participating in the measure Employment rate Students access to Internet index Productivity growth Participation in Lifelong learning (% of years age) Participants starting tertiary education Definition General activity rate of a country/ region/sector General unemployment rate of a country/ region/sector Number of start-ups that continue to exist 2 years after the creation The relation of youth unemployment rate (persons aged years) to the total unemployment rate (M/F) The relation of the long-term unemployed persons (12-24 months) to the total number of unemployed persons % of persons who consider that their participation in the Measure was advantageous for them General employment rate of a country/ region/sector The indicator measuring the students access to the Internet Participation in lifelong learning (% in the population of years) Share of persons who continue studies at the college among total of high school pupils -recipients of the scholarship in the last grade ANNEX 5: LIST OF RELEVANT ESF PRIORITY AXES MS CCI Title Priority Code AT 2007AT051PO001 Burgenland 1 AT 2007AT051PO001 Burgenland 2 AT 2007AT051PO001 Burgenland 3 AT 2007AT052PO001 Austria Employment 4 BE 2007BE051PO001 Hainaut 1 BE 2007BE051PO001 Hainaut 2 BE 2007BE051PO001 Hainaut 3 BE BE BE 2007BE052PO BE052PO BE052PO001 German-speaking Community of Belgium German-speaking Community of Belgium German-speaking Community of Belgium BE 2007BE052PO001 German-speaking Community of Belgium 4 BE 2007BE052PO002 Wallonie-Bruxelles The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

127 MS CCI Title Priority Code BE 2007BE052PO002 Wallonie-Bruxelles 2 BE 2007BE052PO002 Wallonie-Bruxelles 3 BE 2007BE052PO005 Vlaanderen 1 BE 2007BE052PO005 Vlaanderen 2 BG BG BG 2007BG051PO BG051PO BG051PO001 Bulgaria Human Resources Development Bulgaria Human Resources Development Bulgaria Human Resources Development BG 2007BG051PO001 Bulgaria Human Resources Development BG 2007BG051PO001 Bulgaria Human Resources Development BG 2007BG051PO001 Bulgaria Human Resources Development BG 2007BG051PO001 Bulgaria Human Resources Development CY 2007CY052PO001 Cyprus Employment, Human Capital and Social Cohesion CZ 2007CZ052PO001 Praha Adaptability 17.1 CZ 2007CZ052PO001 Praha Adaptability 17.3 CZ 2007CZ05UPO001 Czech Republic Human Resources and Employment 4.1 CZ 2007CZ05UPO001 Czech Republic Human Resources and Employment CZ 2007CZ05UPO001 Czech Republic Human Resources and Employment CZ 2007CZ05UPO001 Czech Republic Human Resources and Employment CZ 2007CZ05UPO002 Czech Republic Education for Competitiveness CZ 2007CZ05UPO002 Czech Republic Education for Competitiveness CZ 2007CZ05UPO002 Czech Republic Education for Competitiveness CZ 2007CZ05UPO002 Czech Republic Education for Competitiveness CZ 2007CZ05UPO002 Czech Republic Education for Competitiveness DE 2007DE051PO001 Brandenburg 1 DE 2007DE051PO001 Brandenburg 2 DE 2007DE051PO001 Brandenburg 3 DE 2007DE051PO002 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern A DE 2007DE051PO002 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern B DE 2007DE051PO002 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern C DE 2007DE051PO003 Niedersachsen - Region Lüneburg A DE 2007DE051PO003 Niedersachsen - Region Lüneburg DE 2007DE051PO003 Niedersachsen - Region Lüneburg a 4.2b a 7.4b B C Annexes 125

128 MS CCI Title Priority Code DE 2007DE051PO004 Sachsen 1 DE 2007DE051PO004 Sachsen 2 DE 2007DE051PO004 Sachsen 3 DE 2007DE051PO004 Sachsen 5 DE 2007DE051PO005 Sachsen-Anhalt 1 DE 2007DE051PO005 Sachsen-Anhalt 2 DE 2007DE051PO005 Sachsen-Anhalt 5 DE 2007DE051PO006 Thüringen A DE 2007DE051PO006 Thüringen B DE 2007DE051PO006 Thüringen C DE 2007DE052PO001 Baden-Württemberg A DE 2007DE052PO001 Baden-Württemberg B DE 2007DE052PO002 Bayern B DE 2007DE052PO002 Bayern C DE 2007DE052PO003 Berlin B DE 2007DE052PO003 Berlin C DE 2007DE052PO004 Bremen A DE 2007DE052PO004 Bremen B DE 2007DE052PO005 Hamburg B DE 2007DE052PO005 Hamburg C DE 2007DE052PO005 Hamburg D DE 2007DE052PO006 Hessen A DE 2007DE052PO006 Hessen B DE 2007DE052PO007 Niedersachsen (except for Region Lüneburg) A DE 2007DE052PO007 Niedersachsen (except for Region Lüneburg) DE 2007DE052PO007 Niedersachsen (except for Region Lüneburg) DE 2007DE052PO008 Nordrhein-Westfalen 1 DE 2007DE052PO008 Nordrhein-Westfalen 2 DE 2007DE052PO008 Nordrhein-Westfalen 3 DE 2007DE052PO009 Rheinland-Pfalz A DE 2007DE052PO009 Rheinland-Pfalz B DE 2007DE052PO010 Saarland A DE 2007DE052PO010 Saarland B DE 2007DE052PO010 Saarland C DE 2007DE052PO011 Schleswig-Holstein A DE 2007DE052PO011 Schleswig-Holstein B DE 2007DE052PO011 Schleswig-Holstein C DE 2007DE05UPO001 Germany Federal State A.1 DE 2007DE05UPO001 Germany Federal State A.2 DE 2007DE05UPO001 Germany Federal State C.1 DE 2007DE05UPO001 Germany Federal State C.2 DK 2007DK052PO001 Denmark More and better jobs 01 DK 2007DK052PO001 Denmark More and better jobs 02 EE 2007EE051PO001 Estonia Human Resource Development 1 B C 126 The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

129 MS CCI Title Priority Code EE 2007EE051PO001 Estonia Human Resource Development EE 2007EE051PO001 Estonia Human Resource Development ES 2007ES051PO002 Castilla La Mancha A1 ES 2007ES051PO002 Castilla La Mancha A2 ES 2007ES051PO002 Castilla La Mancha A3 ES 2007ES051PO003 Extremadura A1 ES 2007ES051PO003 Extremadura A2 ES 2007ES051PO003 Extremadura A3 ES 2007ES051PO004 Galicia A1 ES 2007ES051PO004 Galicia A2 ES 2007ES051PO004 Galicia A3 ES 2007ES051PO005 Andalucia A1 ES 2007ES051PO005 Andalucia A3 ES 2007ES051PO006 Asturias B1 ES 2007ES051PO008 Melilla B1 ES 2007ES051PO008 Melilla B2 ES 2007ES051PO008 Melilla B3 ES 2007ES051PO009 Region De Murcia B3 ES 2007ES052PO001 Canarias D1 ES 2007ES052PO001 Canarias D3 ES 2007ES052PO002 Castilla y Leon D3 ES 2007ES052PO003 Comunidad Valenciana D1 ES 2007ES052PO003 Comunidad Valenciana D3 ES 2007ES052PO004 Aragon C1 ES 2007ES052PO004 Aragon C2 ES 2007ES052PO004 Aragon C3 ES 2007ES052PO005 Baleares C1 ES 2007ES052PO005 Baleares C3 ES 2007ES052PO006 Cantabria C1 ES 2007ES052PO006 Cantabria C3 ES 2007ES052PO007 Cataluña C1 ES 2007ES052PO007 Cataluña C2 ES 2007ES052PO007 Cataluña C3 ES 2007ES052PO008 Madrid C1 ES 2007ES052PO008 Madrid C2 ES 2007ES052PO008 Madrid C3 ES 2007ES052PO009 Navarra C2 ES 2007ES052PO010 Pais Vasco C1 ES 2007ES052PO010 Pais Vasco C2 ES 2007ES052PO011 La Rioja C1 ES 2007ES052PO011 La Rioja C2 ES 2007ES052PO011 La Rioja C3 ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability A1 ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability 2 4 A3 Annexes 127

130 MS CCI Title Priority Code ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability ES 2007ES05UPO001 Spain Employment and Adaptability FI 2007FI052PO001 Mainland Finland 2 FI 2007FI052PO001 Mainland Finland 3 FI 2007FI052PO002 Finland: Åland 1 FR 2007FR051PO001 Martinique 1 FR 2007FR051PO001 Martinique 2 FR 2007FR051PO002 Guadeloupe 2 FR 2007FR051PO002 Guadeloupe 3 FR 2007FR051PO002 Guadeloupe 4 FR 2007FR051PO003 Guyane 1 FR 2007FR051PO003 Guyane 2 FR 2007FR051PO003 Guyane 3 FR 2007FR051PO004 Réunion 1 FR 2007FR051PO004 Réunion 2 FR 2007FR052PO001 French National OP 1 FR 2007FR052PO001 French National OP 2 FR 2007FR052PO001 French National OP 3 FR 2007FR052PO001 French National OP 4 GR 2007GR05UPO001 Greece Human Resource Development 02 GR 2007GR05UPO002 Greece Education and Lifelong Learning GR 2007GR05UPO002 Greece Education and Lifelong Learning GR 2007GR05UPO002 Greece Education and Lifelong Learning GR 2007GR05UPO002 Greece Education and Lifelong Learning GR 2007GR05UPO003 Greece Public Administration Reform GR 2007GR05UPO003 Greece Public Administration Reform HU 2007HU05UPO001 Hungary Social Renewal 2 HU 2007HU05UPO001 Hungary Social Renewal 3 HU 2007HU05UPO001 Hungary Social Renewal 4 HU 2007HU05UPO001 Hungary Social Renewal 5 IE 2007IE052PO001 Ireland Human Capital Investment 1 IE 2007IE052PO001 Ireland Human Capital Investment B1 B3 C1 C3 D1 D The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

131 MS CCI Title Priority Code IT 2007IT051PO001 Campania 01 IT 2007IT051PO001 Campania 02 IT 2007IT051PO001 Campania 04 IT 2007IT051PO002 Calabria 01 IT 2007IT051PO002 Calabria 02 IT 2007IT051PO002 Calabria 03 IT 2007IT051PO002 Calabria 04 IT 2007IT051PO003 Sicilia 01 IT 2007IT051PO003 Sicilia 03 IT 2007IT051PO003 Sicilia 04 IT 2007IT051PO003 Sicilia 05 IT 2007IT051PO004 Basilicata 01 IT 2007IT051PO004 Basilicata 02 IT 2007IT051PO004 Basilicata 03 IT 2007IT051PO004 Basilicata 04 IT 2007IT051PO004 Basilicata 05 IT 2007IT051PO005 Puglia 01 IT 2007IT051PO005 Puglia 02 IT 2007IT051PO005 Puglia 04 IT 2007IT051PO005 Puglia 05 IT 2007IT051PO006 Italy Governance and System Actions 03 IT 2007IT051PO006 Italy Governance and System Actions IT 2007IT051PO007 Italy Competences for Development IT 2007IT052PO001 Abruzzo 01 IT 2007IT052PO001 Abruzzo 02 IT 2007IT052PO001 Abruzzo 03 IT 2007IT052PO001 Abruzzo 04 IT 2007IT052PO001 Abruzzo 05 IT 2007IT052PO002 Emilia Romagna 01 IT 2007IT052PO002 Emilia Romagna 02 IT 2007IT052PO002 Emilia Romagna 04 IT 2007IT052PO002 Emilia Romagna 05 IT 2007IT052PO003 Friuli Venezia Giulia 01 IT 2007IT052PO003 Friuli Venezia Giulia 02 IT 2007IT052PO003 Friuli Venezia Giulia 03 IT 2007IT052PO003 Friuli Venezia Giulia 04 IT 2007IT052PO004 Lazio 01 IT 2007IT052PO004 Lazio 04 IT 2007IT052PO005 Liguria 01 IT 2007IT052PO005 Liguria 02 IT 2007IT052PO005 Liguria 03 IT 2007IT052PO005 Liguria 04 IT 2007IT052PO006 Lombardia 01 IT 2007IT052PO006 Lombardia 03 IT 2007IT052PO006 Lombardia Annexes 129

132 MS CCI Title Priority Code IT 2007IT052PO006 Lombardia 05 IT 2007IT052PO007 Marche 01 IT 2007IT052PO007 Marche 02 IT 2007IT052PO007 Marche 03 IT 2007IT052PO007 Marche 04 IT 2007IT052PO007 Marche 05 IT 2007IT052PO008 Molise 01 IT 2007IT052PO008 Molise 02 IT 2007IT052PO008 Molise 04 IT 2007IT052PO009 Bolzano 01 IT 2007IT052PO009 Bolzano 02 IT 2007IT052PO009 Bolzano 03 IT 2007IT052PO009 Bolzano 04 IT 2007IT052PO009 Bolzano 05 IT 2007IT052PO010 Trento 01 IT 2007IT052PO010 Trento 02 IT 2007IT052PO010 Trento 04 IT 2007IT052PO011 Piemonte 01 IT 2007IT052PO011 Piemonte 04 IT 2007IT052PO011 Piemonte 05 IT 2007IT052PO012 Toscana 01 IT 2007IT052PO012 Toscana 02 IT 2007IT052PO012 Toscana 04 IT 2007IT052PO012 Toscana 05 IT 2007IT052PO013 Umbria 01 IT 2007IT052PO013 Umbria 02 IT 2007IT052PO013 Umbria 03 IT 2007IT052PO013 Umbria 04 IT 2007IT052PO014 Valle d Aosta 01 IT 2007IT052PO014 Valle d Aosta 02 IT 2007IT052PO014 Valle d Aosta 03 IT 2007IT052PO014 Valle d Aosta 04 IT 2007IT052PO014 Valle d Aosta 05 IT 2007IT052PO015 Veneto 01 IT 2007IT052PO015 Veneto 02 IT 2007IT052PO015 Veneto 03 IT 2007IT052PO015 Veneto 04 IT 2007IT052PO015 Veneto 05 IT 2007IT052PO016 Sardegna 01 IT 2007IT052PO016 Sardegna 04 IT 2007IT052PO016 Sardegna 05 IT 2007IT052PO017 Italy Systemic Actions 03 LT 2007LT051PO001 Lithuania Human Resource Development 1 LT 2007LT051PO001 Lithuania Human Resource Development LT 2007LT051PO001 Lithuania Human Resource Development The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

133 MS CCI Title Priority Code LT 2007LT051PO001 Lithuania Human Resource Development LU 2007LU052PO001 Luxembourg 1 LU 2007LU052PO001 Luxembourg 2 LU 2007LU052PO001 Luxembourg 3 LV 2007LV051PO001 Latvia Human Resources and Employment 1 LV 2007LV051PO001 Latvia Human Resources and Employment MT 2007MT051PO001 Malta Empowering people for more jobs and a better quality of life MT 2007MT051PO001 Malta Empowering people for more jobs and a better quality of life MT 2007MT051PO001 Malta Empowering people for more jobs and a better quality of life MT 2007MT051PO001 Malta Empowering people for more jobs and a better quality of life NL 2007NL052PO001 Nederland 1 NL 2007NL052PO001 Nederland 2 NL 2007NL052PO001 Nederland 3 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 02 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 03 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 04 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 05 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 06 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 07 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 08 PL 2007PL051PO001 Poland Human Resources 09 PT 2007PT051PO001 Azores EP1 PT 2007PT052PO001 Madeira Human Potential Valorisation and Social Cohesion EP1 PT 2007PT052PO001 Madeira Human Potential Valorisation and Social Cohesion PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP1 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP2 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP3 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP4 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP6 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP8 PT 2007PT05UPO001 Portugal Human Potential EP9 RO 2007RO051PO001 Romania Human Resources Development 1 RO 2007RO051PO001 Romania Human Resources Development RO 2007RO051PO001 Romania Human Resources Development EP2 2 3 Annexes 131

134 MS CCI Title Priority Code RO 2007RO051PO001 Romania Human Resources Development SE 2007SE052PO001 Sweden 1 SE 2007SE052PO001 Sweden 2 SI 2007SI051PO001 Slovenia Human Resources Development 1 SI 2007SI051PO001 Slovenia Human Resources Development SI 2007SI051PO001 Slovenia Human Resources Development SK 2007SK05UPO001 Slovakia Education SK 2007SK05UPO001 Slovakia Education SK 2007SK05UPO002 Slovakia Employment and Social Inclusion SK 2007SK05UPO002 Slovakia Employment and Social Inclusion UK 2007UK051PO001 Highlands and Islands of Scotland UK 2007UK051PO001 Highlands and Islands of Scotland UK 2007UK051PO001 Highlands and Islands of Scotland UK 2007UK051PO002 West Wales and the Valleys 1 UK 2007UK051PO002 West Wales and the Valleys 2 UK 2007UK052PO001 East Wales 1 UK 2007UK052PO001 East Wales 2 UK 2007UK052PO002 Lowlands and Uplands of Scotland 1 UK 2007UK052PO002 Lowlands and Uplands of Scotland UK 2007UK052PO002 Lowlands and Uplands of Scotland UK 2007UK052PO003 Northern Ireland 001 UK 2007UK052PO003 Northern Ireland 002 UK 2007UK05UPO001 England and Gibraltar 1 UK 2007UK05UPO001 England and Gibraltar 2 UK 2007UK05UPO001 England and Gibraltar 4 UK 2007UK05UPO001 England and Gibraltar The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

135 Index of figures and tables FIGURES Figure 1: Number of OPs and total ESF co-funded expenditure per Objective in the ESF period 5 Figure 2: Average yearly participation per Member State 5 Figure 3: Figure 4: The proportion of the yearly average of ESF beneficiaries per Member State in relation to the total population between years per Member State Total ESF co-funded expenditure per Member State: proportion between ESF and Member State funds 6 7 Figure 5: Total ESF co-funded expenditure per participant per Member State (in ) 8 Figure 6: ESF community expenditure per participant per Member State (in ) 8 Figure 7: Gender breakdown of ESF participants 9 Figure 8: Status of ESF participants in the labour market 9 Figure 9: Percentage of population years old involved in education and training 18 Figure 10: Participation in formal or non-formal education and training age (%), Figure 11: Expenditure breakdown 27 Figure 12: Division of ESF E&LLL budget Figure 13: Age breakdown 32 Figure 14: Educational level of particpants in ESF education and LLL interventions Figure 15: Educational level of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions Figure 16: Figure 17: Status in the labour market of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions Status in the labour market of participants in ESF education and LLL interventions Figure 18: Overview of measures per key concept Figure 19: Overview of claimed expenditure per key concept Figure 20: Overview of participants per key concept Figure 21: Overview of priority axes per key concept Figure 22: Status in the labour market (VET interventions) 47 Figure 23: Educational level (participants in VET interventions) 47 Figure 24: Educational level (participants in continuing education and LLL interventions) 54 Index of figures, tables and insights 133

136 TABLES Table 1: Participation in formal or non-formal education and training by country, sex and age, Table 2: Measures, Operational Programmes and Expenditure (in million) Table 3: Priority Axes, Operational Programmes and Budget (in million) Table 4: Average yearly participants per Member State (in thousands) 31 Table 5: Index cost per participant 38 Table 6: Participants in formal education interventions (in thousands) 41 Table 7: Participants in vocational education and training interventions (in thousands) 46 Table 8: Participants in continuing education and lifelong learning interventions (in thousands) 53 Table 9: Participants in system interventions (in thousands) The European Social Fund: Education and lifelong learning

137 135

138 What ESF does for you ESF: active labour market policies and public employment services ESF: adaptability of enterprises and continuing training of workers ESF: developing human potential in research and innovation ESF and labour mobility ESF: education and lifelong learning ESF: women, gender mainstreaming and reconciliation of work and private life ESF and Roma ESF: sustainable development and eco technologies ESF: migrants and minorities ESF: urban areas and local employment ESF and older workers ESF and health ESF and entrepreneurship ESF and young people ESF and disabled ESF and institutional capacity ESF and social inclusion ESF and equality mainstreaming ESF and social partners ESF support to building partnerships ESF and culture Check the latest on these publications at