Education reform, skills development, labour market intelligence and more! Donatella Di Vozzo, Human Capital Development Expert at the European Training Foundation (ETF), highlights how the ETF supports countries around the EU in transforming their education, training and labour market systems to create fairer, more inclusive opportunities. Read all about it in the following interview.

What is the ETF and what impact does it aim to achieve?  

The European Training Foundation is the EU agency that supports countries around the European Union in reforming their education, training and labour market systems, with a focus on EU enlargement and the Neighbourhood Policy. Our unique role is based on the expertise of our staff and the experience we have gained in almost 30 years of working with governments, businesses and social partners in the countries in and around the EU’s neighbouring regions. Our aim is to support the process of education, training and labour market reform in each country using a range of evidence-based methods. 

What activities, initiatives or opportunities should young people know about? 

At the ETF, we work closely with the European Union and many partners in the region to promote more equitable opportunities for young people in learning, education and employment. With our ‘BIG DATA’ portal, we bring all job vacancies, profiles and skills requirements from several countries in the region into one place. Youth remains at the centre of the ETF’s priorities and EU cooperation. We pay particular attention to young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs). Through our ‘labour market intelligence’, we are working to identify the profiles and characteristics of NEETs in order to develop targeted and effective interventions with the EU, national stakeholders and other partners that can help them reintegrate into the labour market or re-enter education programmes. Through the EU-funded ACQF (African Continental Qualification Framework) project, we are taking steps towards smoother mobility of learners and workers and supporting progressive transparency, comparability and recognition of qualifications across national borders.

What advice would you like to have received when you were 20? 

Be open in your attitude to embrace a broad range of different paths, to find your own. Be open to new ideas, new approaches and also new developments so that your horizon can become much wider.