QUEEN

Apprenticeships have a socio-economic function in terms of labour market opportunities, supporting both youth moving from education to long-term employment and adults requiring up/reskilling.

The 2018 European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EFQEA) defined 14 criteria for quality and effective apprenticeships, as a tool to help youth and adults access good employment. The criteria are clear, but progress in implementation faces challenges.

Regions have differing, relevant competences to support apprenticeship provision, in line with national/sectoral requirements and agreements. Challenges appear similar: need for clearer and more flexible criteria, guidance and quality assurance; for greater social partner engagement, but also a need to encourage job seekers, among different genders and demographics, to consider apprenticeships as their career path. In parallel, disruptions and transitions have demonstrated that apprenticeships must be resilient to external pressures and labour market fluctuations, capable of bridging a skill mismatch and of adapt to economic shifts in digitalisation and sustainable development.

In this context, QUEEN’s objective is to support adults and youth to access changing labour markets, thanks to better policies for quality apprenticeships. Partners from across the EU and Candidate countries follow an iterative interregional learning process, in order to
• Achieve interregional understanding of what constitutes a Quality Apprenticeship and what territorial progress is in place,
• Identify success stories supporting Quality Apprenticeships;
• Design, achieve and monitor changes to policies. Improvements are expected largely to management (greater social partner dialogue mechanisms, guidance) and strategic changes (strengthening policy in line with EFQEA).

Partners expect to increase capacity to implement EFQEA criteria and to see positive trends in apprenticeship uptake, with resultant impact on employment.