Education ministers meet in Brussels today to discuss targets and aims for education and training in the EU. Brussels based European Voice reports that some Member States are not keen to be too ambitious - particulalry with unemployment rising and budgets tightening:
"Against the backdrop of the global financial crisis, the education ministers will stress the need for more investment in human capital and will underline the role of better education to aid the economic recovery in Europe. They will call for a focus on upgrading the skills of the workforce to make a smoother transition to a knowledge-based economy."
Manufacturing agrees the role of education is vital - a well-skilled workforce is vital to comeptitiveness - and hopes that these talks will not just consider Higher and Further Education as highlighted in the article but also that apprenticeships and workplace upskilling is just as important, now and for the upturn.
We look forward to the conclusions of the education minister's discussions. Some further education on what manufacturing needs might be in order.