(02 July 2013) – The European Alliance for Apprenticeships is launched today. The Alliance will help to fight youth unemployment by improving the quality and supply of apprenticeships across the EU through a broad partnership of key employment and education stakeholders.
The Alliance will in particular identify the most successful apprenticeship schemes in the EU and apply appropriate solutions in each Member State. It wll promote measures which will be supported by the European Social Fund, the Youth Employment Initiative and Erasmus+, the new EU programme for education, training and youth.
The Alliance is supported by the first-ever joint Declaration by the European Commission, the Presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers and European level trade union and employer organisations: the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), BusinessEurope, the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public services (CEEP) and the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (UEAPME).
The Alliance will support national reforms seeking to set up or strengthen apprenticeship schemes. The Commission invites all potential partners to join the Alliance: public authorities, businesses, trade unions, chambers of commerce, providers of vocational education and training, youth representatives and employment services. It is encouraging them to make firm commitments on boosting public and private funding for apprenticeship-type schemes.