In recent times, unemployment rates have been making headlines across the European Union. However, whilst the number of those seeking employment is high in the EU, the number of those seeking employees is not to be underestimated either. According to the European Commission, there are currently over 2 million job openings that have not been filled due to a lack of suitable candidates. Recognising the need to address this issue, the European Commission thus launched “Rethinking Education” – a strategy that aims to ensure that young people develop skill sets that match the demands of the labour market and to boost growth and employment rates in the long run.
The strategy puts a stronger focus on the skills that students acquire through their education. The rationale behind this is to ensure that the demands of the labour market feature in member states’ education systems. If this is achieved, students can hopefully develop more skills that meet the requirements of future employers, which in turn is expected to lift more people out of unemployment. This implies putting a stronger work focus on vocational training courses and ensuring that students are taught more cross-cutting and entrepreneurial skills.
The importance of upskilling Europe’s workforce becomes particularly evident when looking at labour market forecasts. The latter indicate that over 30% of positions in the European Union will require a high level of education in 2020, whereas low-skilled jobs are expected to represent only 18% of the offerings. This means that the EU will continue to see significant demand for higher-skilled workers – a scenario that it needs to adapt to.
One of the areas that Rethinking Education focuses on is that of language education. The strategy aims to achieve an 8% growth in the percentage of 15 year olds that have knowledge of one foreign language by 2020. The rate currently stands at 42%. When it comes to competence in a second foreign language, the strategy aims to raise the number of 15 year olds who learn a second foreign language to 75%, up from 61% today. Hopes are that this will increase the competitiveness of young Europeans in the global labour market.
Current trends in language education indicate that the outlook is good. Between 2005 and 2010, primary schools in Europe reportedly experienced an 11.7 % increase in pupils that are learning a foreign language. This trend demonstrates that schools are already placing a stronger emphasis on language education, with English being the most common foreign language taught in schools around Europe. At all levels of education, a large majority of students at European schools is now enrolled in English language courses, which is certainly an encouraging trend.
English skills are highly valued in the European labour market because of their critical role in a rapidly growing international business environment, enabling cross-border and even cross-continental commercial activities. A recent survey about the English skills of employees around the world indicates that this language continues to pose a challenge for many of them, though the proficiency levels also vary across industries, with some industries showing better results than others. The survey also found that in countries with higher English proficiency levels, English language courses were often effectively integrated into the education system. This should corroborate the decision made by the European Commission to put a stronger focus on language skills in education systems around Europe.
English proficiency can often play a vital role when it comes to seeking employment opportunities and English-taught courses have become increasingly common in higher education in the EU. There has been an upward trend for courses taught in English at EU-based institutions, especially in Scandinavia, Northern and Central Europe. For instance, a leading university in Milan, Italy, recently announced its decision to switch the language of its institution from Italian to English. The University said that a majority of the classes will be taught in English, starting 2014. The University hopes to become more competitive on the global stage by emphasising the importance of English proficiency in its educational approach.
The above-mentioned trends demonstrate that efforts are underway in member states and at EU level to increase the skills of European students and ensure that they meet the demands of a future labour market, both within the EU and internationally. If all goes according to plan, this will allow more and more citizens to gain access to the opportunities that the EU has to offer – not only in their home countries, but also in other member states.