TVET policies and programmes are of core importance to ensure that all people can enjoy inclusive skill development leading to both individuals’ affirmation and the creation of diversified learning environments.  As reported by Srinvas Reddy, Chief of the ILO Skills and Employability Branch, “inclusive skills development and lifelong learning opportunities are vital to prevent people from being left behind, to maintain people’s employability, and to ensure that economies and enterprises recover promptly from the crisis”.  (Guide on making TVET and skills development inclusive for all, ILO Skills and Employability Branch, 2020).

Yet, as a result of rapid and increasing societal changes – as the digital transformation, climate change, globalisation and demographic trends – in-depth transformation have been taking place in the labour market creating further constraints to inclusion and societal wellbeing. This condition has been further amplified by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the so called ‘lockdown generation’.

The AER has been actively working on societal challenges throughout the past years. In 2018, it adopted a Position to express the need for new solutions (societal innovation) to societal and territorial challenges while ensuring quality public services and jobs.

In this context, public authorities, VET experts, and civil society organisations have a primary role in re-defining and improving the TVET system at the local level and developing societal innovation to ensure that learning opportunities address everyone’s needs and specific conditions.

The webinar aims to contribute to foster inclusive TVET systems and skill development by offering first hand insights from the European Commission, as well as a space for the exchange of knowledge and practices among policymakers, VET experts and practitioners.

AGENDA: 

• 10.00 – 10.05: Housekeeping rules and quick presentation of the Skillnet project, Valentina De Vico, Communication Manager, Skillman Team
• 10:05 – 10:15 Opening – Social Inclusion in the TVET sector and opportunities at the EU level, Joao Santos, Senior Expert, European Commission
• 10:15 – 10:25 Social Innovations in TVET and Inclusiveness Assessment Aurora Carrasco Minguez/Alicia Garcia-Madrid Colado, European Network of Innovation for Inclusion (ENII)
• 10:25 – 10:35 Social Innovation Practice ‘B-WISE:  Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), Konstantina Leventi, European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
• 10:35 – 10:45 Social Innovation Practice ‘VETEREALITY’, Massimo Aloe, REATTIVA
• 10:45 – 10:55 Q&A
• 10:55 – 11:00 Closing Remarks

The event is part of the Skillnet webinar series AER is organising, which provides an opportunity for mutual learning around topics identified by AER members.

You can find the presentations of the webinar here! 

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.