Trade unions have a direct role to play in securing wider access to training in the workplace and helping workers to update and upgrade their skills.

Following the launch of the European Commission’s New Skills Agenda for Europe, in 2016, the ETUC welcomed the proposal for a Skills Guarantee to help low-skilled adults to acquire a minimum level of literacy, numeracy and digital competence. However, the agenda offered no specific support to enable part-time or temporary workers to develop their careers. The ETUC is calling for adequate EU funding, social dialogue, and paid educational leave for workers.

The ETUC represents member organisations on several European Commission bodies, such as: European Commission Advisory Committee for VET (ACVT), Meeting of Director-Generals for VET (DGVT), European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group, European Alliance for Apprenticeship stakeholders’ group, ECVET, EQAVET, ESCO, ELGPN.

ETUC affiliates and European Trade Union Federations discuss trade union strategies in the ETUC’s Education and Training Committee.