Individuals, when looking for a job, or making decisions on learning, studying or working, need access to information and guidance on what opportunities are available, on how to assess their skills and on ways to present information about their skills and qualifications.
(2)
Differences in definitions, document formats, languages as well as assessment and validation methods all pose considerable challenges for individuals, employers, competent authorities and bodies. Those challenges arise mainly when individuals move between countries, including third countries, but also when they are looking for a new job or engaging in learning and career management. Clear and widely disseminated information, a shared understanding and improved transparency of skills and qualifications are important in order to address those challenges.
(3)
The New Skills Agenda for Europe, adopted by the Commission on 10 June 2016, invites Member States, social partners, industry and other stakeholders to work together on ten actions to improve the quality and relevance of skills formation, to make skills more visible and comparable and to improve skills intelligence and especially information for better career choices. A revision of the Europass framework was proposed as one of the ten actions that offer a key route to achieving and supporting those objectives.
(4)
Decision No 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) established a framework to address the challenges relating to job seeking, engaging in learning and career management. The aim of that Decision was to achieve better transparency of qualifications and competences through a portfolio of documents known as ‘Europass’, which individuals can use on a voluntary basis. That Decision also established national bodies, known as National Europass Centres, in order to implement the Europass framework.
(5)
To achieve its main objective, the Europass framework focuses on tools for the documentation of skills and qualifications. Those tools have become widely used through the Europass internet-based information system.
(6)
The National Europass Centres provide support to users and promote the documentation of skills and qualifications. The Euroguidance Network, which promotes the European dimension in guidance and provides high quality information on lifelong guidance and transnational mobility for learning purposes, has also contributed to the development of information provision regarding Union tools for skills and qualifications. The European Qualifications Framework National Coordination Points support national authorities in referencing national qualifications frameworks or systems to the European Qualifications Framework (‘EQF’) and focus on bringing the EQF closer to individuals and organisations. Support for, and greater coordination of, those national services should be ensured in order to enhance their impact while respecting the diversity of national systems.
(7)
In its report to the European Parliament and the Council of 19 December 2013 on the evaluation of Europass, the Commission concluded that the National Europass Centres' mission of raising awareness of Europass and providing the necessary information to interested parties was a satisfactory model for the implementation of Europass. The Commission further concluded, however, that most Europass tools still did not reach all potential users and had an unequal reach in terms of geography and age group, and that better coordination and integration of services supporting guidance and mobility within the Europass framework would enable more potential users to be targeted.
(8)
Evidence shows that Europass is used by social groups with high digital literacy while less advantaged groups, such as people with lower levels of education, older persons or long-term unemployed persons are often not aware of the existence of Europass and its tools and therefore cannot benefit from it.
(9)
The Europass portfolio is one of a number of tools and instruments that have been put in place at Union level to improve transparency and understanding of skills and qualifications.
(10)
The Europass portfolio comprises five document templates. The Europass Curriculum Vitae (CV) template allows individuals to complete their CVs in a standardised format. Since the Europass CV was first established in 2004, more than 100 million Europass CVs have been created online. Two qualification supplement templates, namely the Europass Diploma Supplement and the Europass Certificate Supplement, offer information on the content and learning outcomes associated with a qualification and on the education system of the country issuing the qualification. The Europass Language Passport is used to describe language skills. The Europass Mobility template describes the skills acquired abroad on mobility experiences for learning or work.
(11)
The Council Recommendation of 22 May 2017 (4) provides a common reference framework to help individuals and organisations compare different qualification systems and the levels of qualifications from those systems.
(12)
The Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 (5) invited Member States to have in place, by 2018, in accordance with national circumstances and specificities, and as they deem appropriate, arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning, which enable individuals to have their knowledge, skills and competences, which have been acquired through non-formal and informal learning, validated, and to obtain a full qualification, or, where applicable, partial qualification.
(13)
The Council Resolution of 28 May 2004 on strengthening policies, systems and practices in the field of guidance throughout life sets out the key objectives of a lifelong guidance policy for all citizens of the Union. The Council Resolution of 21 November 2008 (6) highlights the importance of guidance for lifelong learning.
(14)
The Learning Opportunities and Qualifications in Europe portal gives access to information on learning opportunities and qualifications offered in different education systems in Europe and on the comparison of national qualifications frameworks using the EQF.
(15)
The EU Skills Panorama provides information on skills for different occupations and specific industries, including demand and supply at national level.
(16)
The analysis of job vacancies and of other labour market trends is an established way of developing skills intelligence to understand the issues of skills gaps and shortages as well as qualification mismatches.
(17)
The multilingual European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations classification (‘ESCO’), developed and continuously updated by the Commission, in close cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, aims to promote the transparency of skills and qualifications for education and training, as well as for work-related purposes. Following appropriate testing, and having due regard for the position of Member States, ESCO could be used by the Commission within the Europass framework; the use of ESCO by Member States is on a voluntary basis, following testing with, and evaluation by, the Member States.
(18)
The European network of employment services (‘EURES’), established by Regulation (EU) 2016/589 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), is a cooperative network for exchanging information and facilitating interaction between jobseekers and employers. It provides free assistance to jobseekers who wish to move to another country and assists employers who wish to recruit workers from other countries. Synergies and cooperation between the Europass and EURES portals could reinforce the impact of both services.
(19)
Labour market processes such as the publication of job vacancies, job applications, skills assessments and recruitment are increasingly managed online through tools that use social media, big data and other technologies. Candidate selection is managed through tools and processes that seek information on skills and qualifications acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings.
(20)
Formal, non-formal and informal learning currently also takes place in new forms and settings, and is offered by a variety of providers, particularly through the use of digital technologies and platforms, distance learning, e-learning, peer-to-peer learning, massive open online courses and open educational resources. Furthermore, skills, experiences and learning achievements are acknowledged in different forms, for example digital open badges. Digital technologies are also used for skills obtained through non-formal learning such as youth work and volunteering.
(21)
For the purposes of this Decision, skills are understood in a broad sense covering what a person knows, understands and can do. Skills refer to different types of learning outcomes, including knowledge and competences as well as ability to apply knowledge and to use knowhow in order to complete tasks and solve problems. In addition to the acknowledged importance of professional skills, there is an acknowledgement that transversal or soft skills, such as critical thinking, team work, problem solving and creativity, digital or language skills, are increasingly important and are essential prerequisites for personal and professional fulfilment and can be applied in different fields. Individuals could benefit from tools and guidance on assessing and describing those and other skills.
(22)
Traditionally, individuals have presented information on their acquired skills and qualifications in a CV and in supporting documents such as certificates or diplomas. Now, new tools are available which can facilitate the presentation of skills and qualifications by using varied online and digital formats. The new tools can also support self-assessment by individuals of skills acquired in different settings.
(23)
The Europass framework should respond to current and future needs. Users need tools to document their skills and qualifications. In addition, tools for assessment of skills and self-assessment of skills, as well as access to relevant information, including information on validation opportunities and guidance, can be beneficial for making decisions on employment and learning opportunities.
(24)
Union tools for skills and qualifications should adapt to changing practices and advances in technology in order to ensure they remain relevant and beneficial to users. This should be achieved by, among other things, creating innovative features, such as interactive tools, editing and design of documents, by seeking to ensure more comprehensive, effective and efficient tools and simplification, as well as increased technical interoperability and synergies between related tools, including those developed by third parties, and by taking into account the specific needs of people with disabilities. In addition, authentication measures could be used to support the verification of digital documents on skills and qualifications.
(25)
The Europass framework established by Decision No 2241/2004/EC should therefore be replaced by a new framework to address evolving needs.
(26)
The new Europass framework should meet the needs and expectations of all individual end-users, such as learners, job seekers, including unemployed persons and workers, as well as of other relevant stakeholders, such as employers (in particular small and medium-sized enterprises), chambers of commerce, civil society organisations, volunteers, guidance practitioners, public employment services, social partners, education and training providers, youth organisations, youth work providers, responsible national authorities and policy makers. It should also consider the needs of third country nationals arriving or residing in the Union to support their integration.
(27)
The Europass framework should evolve in order to allow for the description of different types of learning and skills and, in particular, those acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
(28)
The Europass framework should be developed through a user-centric approach based on feedback, and through requirements gathering, including through surveys and testing, with attention paid to the particular current and future needs of Europass target groups. Europass' features should in particular reflect the Member States' and the Union's commitment to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the labour market and to information and communication technologies and systems. Europass tools should be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, thereby enabling them to be more accessible to users, in particular to persons with disabilities.
(29)
Updates and changes to the Europass framework should be made in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, such as employment services, guidance practitioners, education and training providers, the social partners such as trade unions and employers' associations, and in full respect of ongoing political cooperation, such as the Bologna Process in the European Higher Education Area. Constructive collaboration between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders is of paramount importance to the successful development and implementation of the Europass framework.
(30)
Relevant Union law on personal data protection and national implementing measures should apply to the processing of personal data that are stored and processed pursuant to this Decision. Users should have the possibility to restrict access to their personal data.
(31)
Participation in the framework should be open to members of the European Economic Area which are not Member States of the Union, acceding States, candidate States and potential candidate States for accession to the Union, given their long-standing interest and cooperation with the Union in this field. Participation should be in accordance with the relevant provisions of the instruments governing relations between the Union and those countries. Information on skills and qualifications provided through the Europass framework should come from a wider range of countries and education systems than those of participating countries and reflect migration movements from and to other parts of the world.
(32)
The Commission should ensure the coherent implementation and monitoring of this Decision through a Europass advisory group composed of representatives of the Member States and relevant stakeholders. The advisory group should, in particular, develop a strategic approach to the implementation and future development of Europass, and advise on the development of web-based tools, including through testing, and on information provided through the Europass online platform, in cooperation with other groups, where relevant.
(33)
Co-funding for the implementation of this Decision is provided, inter alia, by the Union programme Erasmus+, as established by Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8). The committee created under that Regulation is involved in strategic discussions on the progress of Europass implementation, and on future developments.
(34)
Since the objective of this Decision, namely the establishment of a comprehensive and interoperable framework of tools and information, in particular for transnational employment and learning mobility purposes, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the effects of the action, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.
(35)
As a general principle, the obligations and administrative and financial burdens on the Member States should be balanced with regard to costs and benefits.
(36)
The activities carried out in the context of this Decision should be supported by the expertise of the Union agencies, in particular by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, within their domains of competence.
(37)
Decision No 2241/2004/EC should therefore be repealed, without prejudice to the validity or status of previously issued Europass documents. All established Europass document templates should be maintained within the new framework until such time as necessary changes or updates are made in accordance with this Decision. In order to ensure a smooth transition to the Europass online platform, the Europass internet-based information system established by Decision No 2241/2004/EC should continue to operate until the Europass online platform is set up and becomes operational,
