Vocational educational and training (VET) features prominently in the Communication on Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean presented on 8 March by the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy. This strategy spells out what Europe can do to support the momentous changes in the Southern Neighbourhood.

‘The European Union has the experience and tools to help the countries in the region as they make the journey to deep democracy,’ said Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy. ‘Today [8 March] we have agreed a comprehensive offer of practical measures to support and underpin this process of transition… Europe stands ready to provide any support it can.’

Among the three main elements of the new Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity is ‘sustainable and inclusive growth and economic development especially support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), vocational and educational training, improving health and education systems and development of the poorer regions.’

The communication cites the EU’s readiness to support entrepreneurship and ‘employment and social policies, including matching of training initiatives and labour market needs’.

The European Training Foundation (ETF) has worked with governments as well as with civil society and academia in the region for the past eleven years. It promoted policy measures that improve labour markets and make vocational education and training more responsive to social and labour market needs.

As part of a wider package of EU assistance in the region and subject to the agreement of partner countries in the region, the ETF will focus in 2011 on employment, with special attention to youth employment. It will also support measures to improve matching supply and demand in the labour markets and increasing the employability of the workforce.

In Tunisia, the ETF will help to improve skills matching methodologies—both identifying and anticipating skills needs. The ETF will also follow up an earlier project that dealt with the quality of human resources in tourism.

In Egypt, the priority will be to support the EU in the design of two interventions in the fields of education and VET. This will be an overall support to the sector. The ETF is working closely with the EU Delegation in the country to prepare this project.

In both countries, activities that the ETF is to propose will concentrate on:

• Skills development for small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in tourism and construction (if possible associated with microfinance schemes for small businesses);
• Local development with a particular focus on sustainable development (e.g. skills for sustainable tourism, clean energy);
• Institutional building e.g., teacher and trainer development, VET providers management and quality assurance.