Lene OftedalEuropean Commission

Athens, 17.October 2011

Modernisation of Higher Education

2

Overview

1. The Challenge: a Europe with increasing (and unmet) skills needs

2. A European Response: Europe 2020

3. An EU Reform Agenda for the Modernisation of Higher Education

4. The Erasmus Programme – past and future

3

A Europe with increasing (and unmet)

skills needs

1 - The Challenge

The EU labour market 10 years from now?

Employment in 2020: 235 million (~ pre-crisis peak)

Jobs becoming more knowledge- and skills-intensive

Globalisation and technological advances => changes in sectoral structure and demand for new types of skills

By 2020 35% of all jobs will require high-level qualifications

A need for higher education attainment level in Europe

Source: Cedefop, data for EU 27 + Switzerland and Norway

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1996 2001 2006 2015 2020

High

Medium

Low

Past and future structure of jobs by education attainment level

According to the forecasting of future skills needs up to 2020 carried out by Cedefop in February 2010, there will be:

•15,6 millions new jobs in the EU for graduates from the tertiary level and

•3,7 million new jobs for secondary level graduates.

+ 15,6 million high qualified level

+ 3,7 million qualified at medium level

Improve education pathways

Up skilling

A need for higher education attainment level in Europe

Source: Cedefop, data for EU 27 + Switzerland and Norway

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1996 2001 2006 2015 2020

High

Medium

Low

Past and future structure of jobs by education attainment level

+ 15,6 million high qualified level

+ 3,7 million qualified at medium level

In contrast, those with no or low formal diplomas will have to compete for fewer jobs; almost 12 million fewer.

-12 million qualified at low level

A need for higher education attainment level in Europe

Source: Cedefop, data for EU 27 + Switzerland and Norway

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1996 2001 2006 2015 2020

HighMediumLow

Past and future structure of jobs by education attainment level

+ 15,6 million high qualified level

+ 3,7 million qualified at medium level

-12 million qualified at low level

The forecasts of future skills needs show a greater demand for medium and high level qualifications up to 2020 combined with a need to replace a significant number of people leaving for retirement and to react to evolving skills requirements.

The forecasts of future skills needs show a greater demand for medium and high level qualifications up to 2020 combined with a need to replace a significant number of people leaving for retirement and to react to evolving skills requirements.

In conclusion, the demand for medium-level VET qualifications will increase.

Moreover, also the content of the jobs will change: The future low-carbon economy and the need to equip people with skills for "green" jobs will imply changes in every workplace, being a comparable phenomenon to the ICT boom in the past years.

Not enough people have high level education...

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Europe 2020:

a strategy forsmart,sustainable

andinclusive

growth

2- Europe´s Response

A new political context

Europe 2020 (adopted June 2010)

defines a strategy for recovery and “smart, sustainable and inclusive” growth in the next decade, including headline targets

Youth on the Move (adopted September 2010)

one of 7 Europe 2020 flagship initiatives

focused on education and training and youth employment – calls for an updated modernisation agenda for HE

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What can the European Commission do?

Education Policy = national competence

Open Method of Coordination with Member States

Strategic reflection and policy shaping

Specific initiatives and instruments

What the EU does in What the EU does in Higher EducationHigher Education

1. Modernisation agenda for higher education - part of the Lisbon strategy

2. Commission = member of the Bologna Process -(inter-governmental, 47 countries): curriculum reform, quality assurance, recognition etc.

3. EU funding programmes - Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Marie Curie Actions, R&D funds (FP7)

Europe 2020 targetsEarly School Leaving (Age 18-24 without upper secondary qualification)

Higher Education Attainment (Age 30-34 with HE qualification)

2010 2020

14.1%

10% at most

2010 2020

33.6%

40% at least

More people should reap the benefits of a university educationHow will Europe reach the 40% benchmark?

Make Higher Education attractive and widen participationReduce drop-out ratesMore flexible pathways and attendance modes

National targets appropriate for own circumstances

University is not for everyone - Vocational education and training should be a valuable alternative

Progress towards the 40% target

5047 46 46 46

44 44 4341

40

3534

3028

24 2422

20 20 19 18

35

2628

32

4145 44

60

40

47

43 42

46

4040

50

44

40

45

40 40 42 (*)

3532

36

30

38 (*)

40 40

32

27

33

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

IE DK LU SE FI CY BE LT FR UK NL ES EE PL SI EU LV DE EL BG HU AT PT SK CZ IT MT RO

Hig

her

educ

ation

att

ainm

ent

% 3

0-34

yea

r ol

ds

2010 attainment level Europe 2020 target Europe 2020 national target

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

NL LU AT CY UK DK CZ DE RO SI SE FI BE IT FR EU PL BG HU PT EL IE SK EE LT LV ES

An

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plo

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Low er Secondary Upper Secondary Tertiary

Higher education shields against unemployment

Annual unemployment rates by highest level of education attained (2010)

3 - Agenda for Modernising Higher Education

...how can higher education be responsiveto the needs of society and the labour market but also shape the future?

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A New Communication A Policy document

sets out key challenges, opportunities and recommending actions at EU and Member State level

guides EU spending priorities for Higher Education

Key Theme How to raise the numbers whilst maintaining

high quality provision?

Communication on Modernising Higher Education - adopted 20 September 2011

Key policy priorities

More graduates (including widening access + older learners)

Enhancing quality in human capital development (quality and relevance of courses and training)

International / cross-border cooperation and mobility (including within EU)

Education, research, innovation links (strengthening the knowledge triangle)

Funding and governance (how to diversify revenue, maximise efficiency, balanced autonomy)

Future EU contribution

Support to Member States and institutions (evidence base, exchange and policy learning to support national / regional / institutional activity)

Mobility (student and staff)

International cooperation (internationalisation agenda)

Reinforced + coordinated actions post 2013 (new Multi-annual Financial Framework - MFF)

4. Mobility - The Erasmus Programme

...past and futureEU co-operation should encourage and support competent national authorities responsible for qualifications to use these instruments through the creation of favourable conditions without administrative barriers for stakeholders and citizens.

Erasmus student mobility- reaching 3 million

Erasmus student mobility (2008/09 => 2009/10)

Student mobility 198 500 => 213 000 students (+7.4%)

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Studies: 168 000 => 178 000 mobile students (+5.7%) Average duration: 6.4 => 6.4 months Average grant: 253 => 236 € /month (-6.7 %)

Placements: 30 000 => 35 000 mobile students (+ 17.3%) Average duration: 4.4 => 4.24 months Average grant: 433 => 386 € /month (-10.9%)

Erasmus staff mobility - growth under LLP

Impact of Erasmus at the individual level - students

2525

Upgrading skills (intercultural, linguistic etc.)

Stimulating adaptability & flexibility

Promoting European citizenship

Enhancing employability

Easier to find a job

More international career and higher labour market mobility

Impact of Erasmus at the institutional level

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International offices & support services

Quality of teaching & learning => new teaching methods

Modernisation & internationalisation of curricula

More transparency (ECTS/DS etc.)

Research participation

University-business cooperation

Professionalization of management

Impact of Erasmus at the policy / system level

27

Internationalisation of higher education

Driving force behind Bologna Process

Continued impact (classification & ranking)

Worldwide interest in scheme

Flash Eurobarometer Student Survey Planning to study abroad vs real mobility levels

New Programme post-2013 Starting Points Show EU added value – show it is better to

spend a € on the European level than at home! Relevance: link policy and programme – show

systemic impact by putting our money at the service of our policies

Sustained impact at different levels: individual, institutional, systemic/policy

Erasmus has to continue to contribute to higher education internationalisation

Simplification, rationalisation Solid basis but adaptation and innovation

Youth in Action Programme

Internationalhigher education

Programmes (currentlyErasmus Mundus,

Tempus,Alfa, Edulink)

Erasmus

Grundtvig

Leonardo

Comenius

LifelongLearning

Programme:

A single integrated programme

Existing programmes

New Programme post-2013Structure

3

Education Europe

1.

LearningMobility

3.

Policysupport

2.Institutionalco-operation

Preparatory Sport

Education Europe 2014-2020

One programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sports

• Learning Mobility for all• Institutional cooperation and partnerships• Support for policy reforms• Support for meeting benchmarks and goals

in EU 2020 and the Bologna Process

Three main innovations:1. A significant budget increase

The Commission proposes to allocate €15.2 billion*, for 2014- 2020, to a new, Single Programme for education, training, youth and sports (plus the funds for international cooperation programmes, see below).

(nb. * Compared to €6.97 billion for the Lifelong learning programme 2007-2013)

2. A reinforced international dimension for Higher EducationThe new Education Europe programme will house all existing Higher Education programmes under one roof: Erasmus Global*, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and cooperation programmes with industralised countries

(nb. * Possible re-branding of « Erasmus Mundus »)

3. An “Erasmus for Masters” studentsCurrent EU instruments for student mobility do not specifically cater for Masters studies, which are increasingly long (2 years) and expensive. The Commission proposes to use the EU budget to (a) leverage funds from the private sector to provide loans to Masters students whilst (b) guaranteeing against the risk of default.

The EIT and the Marie Curie Actions:• The Commission proposes to reinforce and strengthen both of these initiatives under « Horizon 2020 », the future Common Strategic Framework for Research and Innovation funding.

Education Europe to support Europe 2020

• HE attainment 40 %• Universities to enhance Lifelong Learning• Flexible study pathways• Social inclusion benchmark• 20 % of all students mobile by 2020 –

Bologna benchmark

Thank you for your attention!

http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/com0911_en.pdf