Commission proposes to encourage apprenticeships in Europe
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community information document "Europass - Training" which would facilitate young Europeans undertaking apprenticeships outside their own Member States. The Commission's proposal, adopted on 12 November 1997 on the initiative of Commissioner Edith Cresson, envisages the promotion of "European pathways for work-linked training and apprenticeship". The "Europass - Training" document would be recognized officially in all Member States, and would attest that an apprentice had completed one or more European training pathways. Rather than create a new system, the European training pathways would include young people in apprenticeships and work-linked training under existing national training schemes at all levels. The scheme would be voluntary, like the existing Community support arrangements for transnational mobility during training under the LEONARDO DA VICNI programme. The training establishment in the country of origin and the host company or organization would be required to cooperate, with the training received in the host organization integrated into the programme of the original institution. The "Europass - Training" document describes the competences acquired by the apprentices and the work experience gained. It should serve as an advantage for the integration of participants into the labour market. The Commission will work in close cooperation with the Member States, social partners and the representative organizations of training establishments to ensure the quality of the scheme. The Commission's proposal is the first step in the follow-up to the Green Paper on Obstacles to Transnational Mobility, published in 1996. The Commission intends to present further proposals in the near future, addressing the removal of obstacles to mobility in the Member States, which will cover other categories of apprentices not yet covered by Community instruments.