University = solution?

Photo courtesy of the University of Oulu

Students in Finland and Sweden can look forward to receiving a sword and hat upon graduation.

The rigidity of the educational system in Europe, which incorporates learning innovations at a snail's pace, was recognised as being at the core of the problem at the very beginning of negotiations. In her opening speech at the Council of the European Union, the chair of the Education to Employment panel Nadia Tjahja made the case for focusing "on an education that suits skills and personality", instead of herding all young people in a "one-size-fits-all" programmes.

The delegates quickly discovered that although they all shared a vision of improving the education system in Europe, their starting points differed. At graduation, for instance, Finnish and Swedish students are presented with a sword and a hat, while graduates from countries in southern Europe receive a laurel wreath and the first reminder of their five-digit loan. The situation is even graver for students who studied abroad as living costs pile up on top of tuition fees.

It is not only the end result that varies from country, but also the process itself. The terms "alternative education", "apprenticeship" and "applied science" carry one meaning in Finland, and another in Austria. As the Italian delegate Michele D'Aliessi commented: "What university means to you may not be what university means to me."

 
"I think universities should provide way more than just great content and knowledge of facts and models. They should be the centre of our personal development. Universities should evolve into teaching how to learn while helping young students to understand themselves and find out what they want to become." During the negotiations of continiuing education, D'Aliessi emerged as a strong supporter of the online educational models which have become popular in the last few years. Due to these self-study opportunities, students should in his vision of the near future "be autonomous in furthering their education thanks to online resources and MOOCs [massive open online courses]". He is already working on a non-profit project called Ympact to further the entrepreneurial education of young startup founders.

Counting (on) education

A holistic approach to education was one of the first points which united the diverse group of delegates and this is also evident in the recommendations. "The skills mismatch should be addressed at the EU level by promoting mobility, building the capacity of employment agencies and recognising skills acquired through informal education," the panel stated in one of its conclusions. Once again, Tjahja underlined the importance of synchronising learning process with work requirements. "We need to move away from the bias that university is the only way to be successful."

Photo: Petya Yankova (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Brainstorming educational policy.

The delegates found practical training a vital part of any curriculum. Hopeful glances were cast towards the Europe 2020 Quality Framework for Traineeships adopted in March this year, which still has the potential to become something more than an attractive online document with a promising title.

Emma McIlveen, a legal consultant from Northern Ireland, is looking forward to the implementation of her panel's recommendations.  "I would like to see the European Union encourage member states to better engage and work within the existing programmes and structures which have been established to address the skills mismatch. If this was done, I believe that young people would find it easier to transition from education to employment."

What emerged from the panel discussions was an underlying trust in European programmes such as Erasmus +, but also the concern that what is put down on paper by decision-makers does not reach Europe's young people. The prevalent sentiment was that there is still a lot to be done and young people should be at the forefront of both drawing up policies for education and employment and implementing them.

The first step in this direction is already being made. After the end of the council, delegates will meet and present their recommendations to local and national authorities. It is expected that the results of these meetings will be discussed and built upon at the second edition of the event. E&M will keep an eye out for developments because we believe in young people’s right to be heard.