Ministers from EU Member States to enhance cooperation in vocational education
The ministers in charge of vocational education and training in the European Union will convene in Kalastajatorppa in Helsinki on 4–5 December for an informal ministerial meeting led by Mr Antti Kalliomäki, Finland’s Minister of Education and Science. The meeting will discuss the position of vocational education and training in Europe and adopt objectives for the next two-year period of European cooperation in the field of vocational education and training. The cooperation in this field is pursued within the Copenhagen Process, the counterpart of the Bologna Process in higher education. In addition to the ministers from the EU Member States, ministers from applicant countries and EEA countries will also participate in the meeting, together with representatives of the social partners and the European Commission.
At the meeting, the ministers will adopt a Helsinki Communiqué, outlining the common vocational education and training policy in the coming years. Topics to be discussed at the meeting will include ways of making it easier to compare vocational qualifications, removing obstacles to mobility and promoting policy in the field on the basis of research results and statistics. The aim is that the Copenhagen Process should ensure that people can acquire their vocational qualifications or a part of them in any Member State and that their qualifications should also be recognised in all EU Member States. This would help diversify the vocational and international skills of young people and mature students seeking vocational qualifications and it would also promote improved mobility on the European job market.
The Copenhagen Process was launched in 2002 when representatives of the EU Member States, the EEA countries, and applicant countries and representatives of the European social partners adopted the Copenhagen Declaration, proclaiming a commitment to cooperation and the priorities and strategies of the process. The aim of the Copenhagen Process is to improve the effectiveness, quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training, to promote development of the European job market and, consequently, to improve the competitiveness of the Member States.
The forthcoming meeting in Helsinki is the second follow-up conference of the Copenhagen Process.
In conjunction with the meeting, Minister Antti Kalliomäki and Commissioner Ján Figel' will be awarding quality awards to ten successful projects within the EU's Leonardo da Vinci Programme which have supported the aims of the Copenhagen Process. The aim of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme is to develop vocational education and training in Europe and it supports European cooperation projects that develop vocational education on the level of basic education, further education and supplementary education.
Further information:
- Timo Lankinen, Government Counsellor, tel. +358-9-160 77391
- Tarja Riihimäki, Counsellor of Education; tel. +358-9-160 77348
- Mikko Nupponen, Counsellor of Education, tel. +358-9-160 77944
- Tiina Palomäki, Press Officer, tel. +358 9 160 77484, mobile +358 40 704 2545
- The meeting website: http://www.minedu.fi/vet2006