EUROPEAN COOPERATION ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING: ET 2020 STRATEGY

Abstract

The Education and Training 2020 work programme (ET2020) was adopted in May 2009. In line with the Europe 2020 growth strategy and building on the previous work programme ET2010, ET2020 defines the long-term strategic objectives of EU education and training policies: making lifelong learning and mobility a reality; improving the quality and efficiency of education and training; promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training. In the Europe 2020 strategy, which was adopted in 2010 in order to put Member States back on track, following the crisis shock in 2008, education was identified as one of the five areas which need specific measures to support economic recovery which could not be based exclusively on financial and budgetary reforms. The Council of the European Union emphasizes that education and training have an essential role to play in meeting the many socio – economic, environmental, demographic and technological challenges facing Europe and its citizens nowadays and in the future. Additionally, the Council claims that effective investment in human capital through education and training systems is an essential component of the Europe’s strategy to deliver the high levels of sustainable, knowledge-based growth and jobs that lie in the heart of the Lisbon strategy , at the same time as promoting personal growth, social cohesion and active citizenship. The value of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020) as an integrated framework. A holistic approach is crucial for building a bridge between education, training, youth work and the labour market, and for increasing dialogue among stakeholders. This approach implies collaboration involving formal, non-formal and informal education and training, the education and youth sectors, different levels of education. Researchers have emphasized the value of existing EU tools, cross-policy synergies and multi-professional cooperation, but also emphasized the need to improve the cooperation framework, by promoting networking, cross-sector collaboration and cooperative learning opportunities.