Good education is our future capital. A purposeful and sustainable education is the basis for Europe’s prosperity. SMEs already contributes greatly to that as practical trainers, guaranteeing that in Europe skilled people work excellently. However politics must be more active, especially for the “dual system” work-based learning. In all Member States we have untapped potential in the field of professional qualifications which need to be used better through funding programs for exchange and co-operation.
ERASMUS FOR ALL
Europe benefits from the fact that every year thousands of students learn to know – thanks to the ERASMUS program – the great European diversity. In addition to students, young people should also be encouraged to undertake vocational training through an exchange in other European countries for the purpose of learning and working at the same time. That’s why the ERASMUS+ program for people in professional training should be facilitated, granting support to sending and welcoming institutions.
As an example of what could work, the pilot programme “MobiliseSME”, an ERASMUS for SMEs and their employees, has been successfully set-up and tested by European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME. Many medium-sized companies already today operate far beyond their own national borders. The more competently the employees are trained for international markets, the better the chances for SMEs and for the whole European economy.
– Raise standards together
Comparability of school and vocational education in Europe ends too often at the national borders. To improve this, general learning levels must be increased all over Europe, and national education systems need to become more comparable. That’s how all countries will excel in education.
– Extend digital education throughout Europe
In the future, more than eight out of ten people will work with digital skills (BPM survey 2018). That’s why we have to set the course already today so that future generations can take the opportunities digitalisation offers. From the European side, incentives to the modernization of national education systems should be increased. Here what counts is to learn specifically from digital pioneer countries, and for example, exchange and compare results during a mandatory European Congress for Digital Education.
– Intensify school cooperation
Many European schools already have today partnerships within the Union. A year abroad extends not only language skills, but also promotes cultural exchanges. This also benefits the economy in the end. That’s why cooperation among schools should be more strongly supported by European programmes.
