Live reporting from #EduWeek14 in Brussels!

Brussels, 5-7th November 2014 // Education Week 2014 has kicked off in Brussels this morning (Wednesday, November 5th). Held annually by the European Youth Forum and its members, #EduWeek14 brings together key stakeholders in the fields of education and youth policy to advocate for the right to quality education for all young people in Europe. Over the course of the three days, we'll be hearing from representatives from European institutions, international organisations, social partners, as well as youth & civil society. A variety of events, including high-level panels, roundtables, seminars and discussion workshops will allow for the exchange of views and best practice between these participants.

You can follow the events through this live blog, or at our Twitter feed at @Youth_Forum. Tell us what you think, and tweet using the #EduWeek14 hashtag!

The full three-day schedule is also available below.

Day 3 - Friday, November 7th

Márcio Barcelos, European Youth Forum board member is coming back on a week of fruitful exchanges during the Education week 2014.

12 pm Panel “Recognition ahead: how to consolidate the bridges for recognition ?”

• Amandine Hubert, French Ministry for urban, youth and sports affairs

• Johan Cloet, Secretary General, EURASHE

• Chiara Riondino, DG EMPL – Skills Unit, European Commission

• Jan Van Hee, Belgium representative at the Council of Europe’s Intergovernmental Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ)

The different speakers discussed the necessity of the recognition of non-formal education. They considered self-recognition as just as important as external recognition. Youth workers may not be fully aware that when they participate in activities, they are also learning. We therefore need to raise awareness of the learning outcomes linked to involvement in youth work.

The relations between formal and non-formal education were also evoked. They are often more closely related than we think. Johan Cloet, from the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education, highlighted this by stating that the “formal sector has a lot to learn from the non formal sector.”

All speakers agreed that the recognition of non-formal education is a long process. Marcio Barcelos, Board member of the European Youth Forum, insisted that youth organisations need to be the ones to define what non-formal education is, and should be fully involved in this process.

You can find more information on the panel discussion, thanks to our Storify below.

Day 2 - Thursday, November 6th 11.30am: Roundtable Discussion: "Education, Skills and Employability for all - what's at stake?" European Youth Forum's Marcio Barcelos opened the roundtable discussion on the current skills policies, their impact on education and on employability. Marcio will moderated the discussion, which included panelists:

• Steve Bainbridge, CEDEFOP

• Glenda Quintini, OECD

• Frederique Naulette, Nestle

• MEP Antanas Guoga, ALDE Group

• MEP Terry Reintke, The Greens/EFA

Youth Forum Board Member Marcio Barcelos introduced the discussion saying "employment is one of our biggest priorities and education is one of our biggest priorities and linking the two is essential." CEDEFOP's Steve Bainbridge started off by discussing skill mismatch and the influence of technology on future jobs: "Increasingly, people are accepting jobs for which they are over-qualified." He noted that "the problem lies in integrating non-formal learning into education and the vocational education and training system." However he made sure to point out that he does not believe it is the job of the education system to produce the perfect employee. OECD's Glenda Quintini also touched on skill mismatch saying that "youth are more likely to be over-qualified and over-skilled in literacy and to suffer from field of study mismatch." Quintini went on to talk about the importance of informing youth about the different possibilities and opportunities available in the job market: "People often choose a field of study without being informed about the opportunities that will be available after they graduate." Frederique Naulette from Nestle related these points to the work Nestle is doing to tackle to youth unemployment, saying "it's part of our DNA to train and hire young people." Nestle will be focusing on direct hiring, an apprenticeship system, and helping young people with skills. "If the private sector isn't working on this, we will die," she said. The idea that it is the job of the private sector to improve the rate of youth unemployment was a popular topic throughout the entirety of the discussion. Bainbridge agreed, commenting that "the private sector is the biggest player in the game, not government." ALDE Group MEP Antanas Guoga had a different take, commenting that you need confidence and persistence to get a job, noting that it's the "survival of the fittest." He said that confidence is needed to be employed in today's market and "if you have the skills, you're good all over the world." MEP Terry Reintke, The Greens/EFA, disagreed, saying that she knows many people who are hard working and confident but are sturggling to find work. "The skills you need to be attractive to the labor market can change really quickly," she said, making the point that we need an education system that is able to adapt to these rapid changes. She also emphasised that we need to have a more positive, enriching view on young people when we talk about education and the labor market.

Day 1: Wednesday, November 5th

11.am: Roundtable Discussion: “Quality Education for Young People in Europe: What's the Way Forward?” European Youth Forum Secretary-General Allan Päll is now opening our roundtable discussion, which focuses on the state of play of education in Europe and the challenges and priorities ahead. Allan will moderate the discussion, which features:

• MEP Julie Ward - S&D Group & CULT Committee Member

• Daniele di Mitri - Vice-President of EUCIS-LLL

• Paola Cammilli - Social dialogue, Trade Unions & Human Rights at ETUCE

• Ben Butters - Director EU Affairs at Eurochambers

• Tia Loukkola - Director of Institutional Development, European Universities Association

S&D MEP Julie Ward echoes earlier comments on non-formal education: "I was a failure as a teenager - formal education told me I was no good." She also emphasises that, as a new MEP taking her first movement into formal politics, access is crucial to her: "I only went to university when I was 52, so the idea of access to education is really, really important to me."

Daniele di Mitri , Vice-President of EUCIS-LLL asserts that a rights-based approach, as advocated by the European Youth Forum, is crucial when we discussion education: "it's really important that rights are put at the centre of the Juncker Commission's agenda." He also see it as vital that educational institutions are able to work within their own parameters, given the fact that no one definition of 'quality' exists: "We want a bottom-up approach to quality - let educational providers develop their own competences."

We're seeing a lot of consensus here that the current focus on employability above all else - an unsurprising response to the economic crisis - is short-term and myopic. Education needs to be a holistic experience that includes aspects of personal development. Tia Loukkola of the European University Association sums it up: "We should not just focus on a skills gap and employability... this political discourse is too short-term."

Ben Butters of Eurochambers disagrees slightly, and thinks a skills-focus is what's needed for EU education. He emphasises, however, that this isn't just skills for conventional jobs, but also the skills needed to start a business, undertake a creative enterprise, and do something different. "Are skills an education, employment or economic issue? We at Eurochambers think that they're interconnected."

Paola Cammilli of ETUCE is speaking on behalf of teachers, and is critical of austerity measures that have resulted in cuts to education budgets in 19/28 EU Member states. She emphasises the need for investment not just into education, but quality education: "Its not just sufficient to grant access to education for all... crossing the threshold of a school is no guarantee of quality learning."

10.am: Official Opening of Education Week 2014

We're here at the opening of #EduWeek14, as the first day's proceedings get under way. In 15 minutes we'll be joined by Xavier Prats Monné, Director General of the European Commission's DG for Education and Culture, for his keynote speech. Mr. Prats Monné's opening address is entitled 'A European Agenda for Quality Education for Youth'.

Mr. Prats Monné is emphasising the need to remain committed to education, even during difficult times. 19/28 EU Member states have cut education funding in recent years, and this is short-sighted, and bad for European politics: "Education makes human beings better people... it is the only saviour of democracy. Only by having critical, informed citizens can we make good decisions in a complex world."

Mr Prats Monné is also focusing on non-formal education, which is a key priority of the Youth Forum: "The way we have thought about education is in a formal business, bricks and mortar - this is not the way we should look at it... we cannot take a mercantilist view of education - it is not just about a job."

He closes his speech warning that the Commission has limited competences here, and that the EU member states must also demonstrate clear support for education: "What the Commission does will be a drop in the ocean. It is our job to make it the right drop."