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13/ 2012
Bonn, 21.03.2012
BIBB Board demands changes to the planned new EU education programme "Erasmus for All"
At a meeting held in Bonn on 15 March 2012, the Board of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) consulted on the EU Commission draft proposal for a new European education programme to be entitled "Erasmus for All". Although the Official Statement issued by the Board, which was adopted with no votes against and with one abstention, welcomes the new draft programme in principle it goes on to say that expectations have "not been met" in overall terms. The Board calls for changes to be made to the draft programme due to the absence in many parts of the proposal of specific details regarding structuring and implementation.
By dint of its status as the supreme governing body of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, the Board is often referred to as the "Parliament of Vocational Education and Training". In this capacity, it also points out the necessity to "retain the educational areas as the outline structure of the programme". It states that this needs to be secured via an appropriate budgetary division between the educational areas and that at least 25% of funding should be allocated to vocational education and training. In addition, the Board makes an "express appeal for the programme to be opened up to international cooperation with countries outside the EU in the field of vocational education and training".
The BIBB Board does not believe that the designation "Erasmus for All" is a "suitable" title for the new programme and points out that the name has led to considerable public misunderstanding. It expressly advocates the retention of established brand names (such as COMENIUS, ERASMUS, LEONARDO DA VINCI, GRUNDTVIG, ERASMUS Mundus) for actions undertaken within the respective educational areas.
The BIBB Board has the statutory duty to advise the Federal Government in all fundamental issues relating to vocational education and training. The Board has equal representation from employer and employee associations, the federal states and the Federal Government.
Background information
On 23 November 2011, the European Commission presented its draft proposal for an "Eras-mus for All" programme to cover the period from 2014 - 2020, for which the planned financial volume will be €17.3 billion. The aim of the new programme is bring all existing programmes together structurally in order to form a single large educational framework programme.
