Underlining skills development and digital literacy, the Council of the European Union, in its configuration as Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council meeting, adopted new Council conclusions on 24 February.

In response to the 2014 Annual Growth Survey and the Commission’s communication on Opening Up Education (see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, September 2013), the new Council conclusions strongly underline the need for action in order to tackle insufficient digital skills and Europe’s skills mismatch in education to employment transition (see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, November 2013). In consequence, the Council of the European Union agrees to focus on:

• Long-term investment in the modernisation of education and training;
• Strengthening of lifelong learning programmes;
• Promoting work-based learning schemes; and
• Modernising and improving educational methods through ICT infrastructure investments and digitally supported teaching methods.

Council conclusions are political statements without binding legal effect. However, they set the direction of policies and often ensure and set out the framework for cooperation between member states and the Commission in educational matters. 

EYCS Council conclusions

European Commission - Press release