COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 5 June 1989 on continuing vocational training (89/C 148/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Having regard to the conclusions of the European Council held in Hanover on 27 and 28 June 1988 and in Rhodes on 2 and 3 December 1988,

Having regard to the Council resolution of 22 December 1986 on an action programme on employment growth (1),

Having regard to the Council resolution of 3 November 1986 concerning the action programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (2),

Having regard to the conclusions of the Council of 15 June 1987 on the development of continuing vocational training for adult employees in undertakings (3),

Having regard to the views of the European Parliament on continuing vocational training,

Having regard to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Employment, particularly those held on 25 November 1988,

Having regard to the joint opinion of workers and employers of 6 March 1987 on training and motivation and information and consultation,

Whereas vocational training should be able to meet the needs of workers and firms, of the economy in general and of the large single market in particular;

Whereas continuing vocational training plays an important role in the strategy for achieving, by 1992, both the internal market, including its social dimension, and economic and social cohesion, as a determining factor in economic and social policy;

Whereas investment in the Community's human resources is an essential pre-condition for the successful achievement of these objectives;

Whereas investment, employment, labour and vocational training policies are clearly linked;

Whereas continuing vocational training performs four functions inside or outside firms, depending on the case, which complement one another: - that of ensuring permanent adaptation to the changing nature and content of occupations and hence the improvement of skills and qualifications which is so imperative for strengthening the competitiveness of European firms and their staff,

- that of promoting social conditions to enable large numbers of workers to overcome a lack of prospects for improving their qualifications and improve their situation,

- that of prevention, to forestall any negative consequences of completion of the internal market and to overcome the difficulties arising in sectors or undertakings undergoing economic or technological restructuring,

- that of integrating the unemployed, in particular the long-term unemployed;

Whereas, in the context of the social dialogue, workers and employers have agreed to pay special attention to questions of education and training ; whereas the Council intends to take the results of such proceedings into consideration, (1) OJ No C 340, 31.12.1986, p. 2. (2) OJ No C 287, 14.11.1986, p. 1. (3) OJ No C 178, 7.7.1987, p. 5.

Whereas it is important to take account of the views of all those concerned by vocational training, particularly of workers and employers, in endeavouring to achieve, at all levels, better forecasting of future trends with regard to qualifications and greater convergence between vocational training objectives and employment objectives;

Whereas this dialogue and these efforts by workers and employers and public authorities should be aimed primarily at improving access to vocational training;

Whereas all workers, whether or not they are in employment, should, in the light of requirements, have access to continuing vocational training, and benefit therefrom ; whereas the conditions under which this objective may be achieved require appropriate examination,

HEREBY ADOPTS THIS RESOLUTION:

I. The Council invites the Member States, with due regard for the powers under national law of the parties concerned, to take or promote measures to: 1. encourage continuing vocational training to be made a more integral part of the short and medium-term development strategies of firms, branches and sectors in order to strengthen economic competitiveness;

2. integrate continuing vocational training into local, regional and national employment policies with a view to better forward management of employment;

3. strengthen training infrastructures, particularly in disadvantaged regions, so as better to achieve the objective of economic and social cohesion;

4. promote greater interaction between basic training and continuing vocational training and ensure that the latter leads to qualifications likely to be recognized by employers and the labour market;

5. develop specific forms of linked work and training, ensuring a fair balance between activities carried out within the undertaking and those conducted outside;

6. encourage public and private training organizations to diversify the training they offer and to adapt it to the particular requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises;

7. develop the preventive function of continuing vocational training by making it more accessible to categories of workers whose jobs are threatened as a result of economic or technological restructuring;

8. encourage steps to ensure that workers, whether or not in employment, can adapt to the consequences which technological change and sectoral restructuring have for employment and qualifications, so that they can take advantage of all the potential offered by technological and industrial innovation;

9. distribute fairly the organizational and financial burdens of continuing vocational training;

10. extend access of workers, whether or not in employment, to continuing vocational training by supporting the implementation of training measures and programmes inside and outside the firm, in particular measures aimed at workers in small and medium-sized enterprises;

11. integrate continuing vocational training measures into economic and social development schemes, particularly in regions whose development is lagging behind or regions in industrial decline, by promoting partnerships between the public and private sectors which include employers and workers' representatives, if they so desire, and all other interested parties;

12. strengthen the managerial, administrative and innovative skills of executive and supervisory staff in small firms;

13. encourage all workers, whether or not in employment, to make an effort to adapt and take vocational training in order to acquire better qualifications;

14. ensure, pending completion of the internal market, which will create positive new prospects for employment, that any adverse short-term effects resulting from the completion of the internal market are anticipated, inter alia, by continuing vocational training;

15. promote continuing vocational training for all workers, either employed or self-employed, whether or not in employment, and for employers and members of cooperatives;

16. encourage dialogue between workers and employers at all appropriate levels, in order to promote the implementation of the above measures on continuing vocational training.

II. The Council requests the Commission to lay before it as soon as possible an action programme on continuing vocational training aiming at: 1. identification and assessment, with the national authorities and in consultation with workers and employers, of existing measures to promote continuing vocational training;

2. support for schemes, including transnational schemes, to increase awareness and motivation in respect of continuing vocational training, particularly among executive and supervisory staff and workers in small and medium-sized enterprises;

3. reinforcing, with the help of existing mechanisms, the monitoring of qualifications at all levels, particularly in relation to new jobs, with a view to mutual recognition of qualifications;

4. continuing promotion, through the exchange of experience and support for innovative projects, of the development of transnational and transfrontier partnerships between public and private vocational training bodies and between undertakings, having regard to the specific needs of small and medium-sized enterprises;

5. support, as far as possible within the framework of the Structural Fund, the development of appropriate technical aid apparatus to help the regions of the Community which do not yet have sufficient infrastructure and experience in the field of continuing vocational training;

6. support for the transfer and spread, in particular transnationally, of innovations in continuing training equipment and methods, using where appropriate multimedia distance training systems;

7. examination of the conditions which, in accordance with requirements and for all those concerned, will enable the provision of information about continuing vocational training, access to such training and the benefit thereof, and in particular retraining leading to qualifications outside and/or during working time, to be made effective.

The proposal for an action programme should take account of the opportunities afforded by the Structural Funds, especially the European Social Fund, and by the Comett and Eurotecnet programmes.

III. The Council invites the Commission to submit to it, no later than three years after the adoption of this resolution, a report on the implementation of this resolution.