2006 discharge: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cedefop

PURPOSE: presentation of the final accounts of the European Centre for the Development for vocational training (Cedefop) for the financial year 2006.

CONTENT: this document sets out a detailed account of the implementation of the 2006 budget, including the revenue and expenditure and the balance sheet for the year concerned.

According to this document, the final budget amounted to EUR 17.6 million (compared to EUR 17.1 million in 2005) representing a 95% Community contribution.

As regards the staffing policy, the Centre, which is based in Thessaloniki (Greece), officially set out 95 posts in the establishment plan. 81 of these positions are currently occupied with + 42 other staff (contract staff and seconded national experts) totalling 123 assigned to operational, administrative and mixed tasks. Staff expenditure in 2006 amounted to EUR 8.145 million (paid appropriations).

During 2006, the Centre mainly focused on the following information activities:

• Cedefop’s report to the ministerial conference in Helsinki, assessing progress in achieving the Copenhagen-Maastricht objectives for the enhancement of European cooperation in vocational education and training (VET). Cedefop prepared the background document for the Helsinki communiqué;
• the 4th research report, focussing on modernisation of VET, was prepared. It comprises research findings on reform, innovation of VET, social cohesion, and skill demand;
• an Agora conference and publication on older workers and lifelong learning provided a comprehensive view on an increasingly important issue. In regard to the identification of skill needs Cedefop concentrated 2006 on methods for the forecasting of skill needs in preparation of a medium term skill needs forecast for all Member States. The European Journal of vocational education (3 issues were published, as in 2005) improved in scientific quality and contributes to the quality of research in VET;
• contribution to clusters and working groups of the EC under the Education and Training 2010 program on learning outcomes and validation of non-formal learning, quality assurance, lifelong guidance, teachers and trainers, the European qualifications framework and the European Credit transfer system. Like Europass, these are examples of European approaches and instruments to create a European area of VET. Europass (Cedefop provides major input and cooperates with EC) is a successful initiative which is used and accepted by a rapidly increasing number of European citizens. By the end of 2006 over a million CV templates had been downloaded and almost one million CVs have been generated on line;
• the Leonardo Da Vinci study visits programme, the cooperation with social partners and sectoral approaches to VET are other examples of Cedefop’s contribution to the development of VET in the EU;

Besides continuation of close co-operation with the European Training Foundation in the familiarisation of acceding/candidate countries and beyond, Cedefop has entered into a formal co-operation with the Foundation on living and working conditions to strengthen synergies. A revamped website, increased work with the press and continued activities of documentation (ISO certified) and publication — online and in hard copy — have helped to raise the visibility of Cedefop and awareness of VET issues.

Some data: in 2006, the Centre organised:

• 24 conferences and seminars,
• 24 work shops,
• 21 presentations/visits to Cedefop were organised in 2006;
• 43 publications were published,
• the number of registered users of the electronic training village (ETV) increased to 64 828 (60 440 in 2005),
• work proceeded on 36 projects,
• study visits: 844 participants.

The complete version of the final accounts may be found at the following address: http://www.CEDEFOP.europa.eu/index.asp?section=4&sub=4