Stažuočių kokybės sistema
Opinion factsheet
Šioje svetainėje
- Švietimas ir kultūra
- Jaunimo politika
Opinion number:
CDR-0111-2014
Status:
Priimta
Objective
to highlight the views of cities and regions with regards to this policy field
to point out that local and regional authorities are often largely responsible for the implementation of employment and general and vocational education measures and that the regional aspect of these policy areas is very important
to point out that local and regional authorities are often largely responsible for the implementation of employment and general and vocational education measures and that the regional aspect of these policy areas is very important
Impact
This opinion had a limited impact at EU level:
Due to the timing of this dossier and of the European parliamentary elections, the EP did not react to this Commission proposal. As a result it was not possible for the CoR rapporteur to meet with EP stakeholders or rapporteurs or take part in EMPL committee meetings.
On the other hand, the Council reacted very quickly to this proposal and adopted it on 10 March, while the letter from the Commission formally consulting the CoR on the topic gave a deadline of 7 June 2014 (4 months after it was received on 7 February). As a result, the Council's adoption unfortunately came before the CoR was able to finally adopt its opinion on this dossier in the 2-3 April plenary session.
One of the main points of the opinion was to ask the Commission to improve and extend the scope of quality frameworks for traineeships (for instance to non "open-market" traineeships) in a new initiative. This opinion will therefore offer a solid basis to build upon for the CoR to react to future Commission initiatives on the topic, which is especially important as traineeships appear to be an issue of growing concern for policy makers and stakeholders.
Concerning his own country of Lithuania, however, the rapporteur informed the secretariat of the following relevant developments regarding traineeships:
Following the CoR Opinion on the Quality Framework for Traineeships, new law amendments will come into power in Lithuania from 01/01/2015. These amendments will give a possibility for young people to arrange their traineeships independently, to obtain working skills and to improve their chances of finding a job more easily.Until the end of the year 2014, traineeships were only possible at the companies that had signed trilateral agreements with education institutions and their students. Starting next year, young people will be able to conclude independently a direct contract of traineeship with an employer. Moreover, young people that go for voluntary traineeships will get a state-covered social and health insurance (including accidents at work and occupational diseases).
Due to the timing of this dossier and of the European parliamentary elections, the EP did not react to this Commission proposal. As a result it was not possible for the CoR rapporteur to meet with EP stakeholders or rapporteurs or take part in EMPL committee meetings.
On the other hand, the Council reacted very quickly to this proposal and adopted it on 10 March, while the letter from the Commission formally consulting the CoR on the topic gave a deadline of 7 June 2014 (4 months after it was received on 7 February). As a result, the Council's adoption unfortunately came before the CoR was able to finally adopt its opinion on this dossier in the 2-3 April plenary session.
One of the main points of the opinion was to ask the Commission to improve and extend the scope of quality frameworks for traineeships (for instance to non "open-market" traineeships) in a new initiative. This opinion will therefore offer a solid basis to build upon for the CoR to react to future Commission initiatives on the topic, which is especially important as traineeships appear to be an issue of growing concern for policy makers and stakeholders.
Concerning his own country of Lithuania, however, the rapporteur informed the secretariat of the following relevant developments regarding traineeships:
Following the CoR Opinion on the Quality Framework for Traineeships, new law amendments will come into power in Lithuania from 01/01/2015. These amendments will give a possibility for young people to arrange their traineeships independently, to obtain working skills and to improve their chances of finding a job more easily.Until the end of the year 2014, traineeships were only possible at the companies that had signed trilateral agreements with education institutions and their students. Starting next year, young people will be able to conclude independently a direct contract of traineeship with an employer. Moreover, young people that go for voluntary traineeships will get a state-covered social and health insurance (including accidents at work and occupational diseases).
Essential points
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
welcomes the QFT as a useful measure which seeks to ensure that traineeships efficiently ease education-to-work transitions and thus increase young people’s employability;
regrets that youth unemployment is still very high in the EU, particularly in some regions, and stresses the importance of active steps to combat it;
points out that the local and regional authorities are often largely responsible for the implementation of employment and general and vocational education measures and that the regional aspect of these policy areas is very important;
agrees with the Commission on the importance of traineeships;
shares the Commission's concern that traineeships are sometimes abused as a way of obtaining cheap or even unpaid labour;
regrets that the QFT does not recommend that traineeship providers guarantee appropriate social and health insurance, but merely calls on them to indicate in traineeship announcements whether provision is made for such insurance;
points out that the QFT does not address the question of unpaid or only partly paid traineeships;
regrets that the Council recommendation does not refer to traineeships undertaken as part of a course of study, formal education or vocational training; therefore calls on the Commission to put forward a separate proposal for a quality framework for these traineeships;
welcomes the fact that "the active involvement of employment services, educational institutions and training providers in implementing the Quality Framework for Traineeships" is to be promoted and stresses the important role of local and regional authorities in all three areas.