Call for joint action between higher education, vocational training and employment stakeholders from across the Mediterranean to improve youth employment in the region

• The UfM, the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) and the European Training Foundation (ETF) partner towards strengthening cooperation between higher education and vocational training in the Mediterranean.
• A new network of Mediterranean universities on employability is launched by the UNIMED to foster information-sharing, dialogue and cooperation

8 May 2018, Barcelona. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) and the European Training Foundation (ETF) jointly held a seminar on «Educational pathways: how to strengthen bridges and links between higher education and vocational training to meet the needs of the socio-economic world » which took place on 8 May, 2018, at the UfM headquarters in Barcelona.

The meeting gave voice to the perspectives, experiences and lessons learnt of decision-makers, university representatives, socio-economic actors, practitioners and experts from across the Mediterranean (France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Spain, Tunisia) on three main topics: the articulation of higher education and vocational training public policies, the dialogue between universities, vocational training centers and companies, and the benefits of a multi-stakeholder regional dialogue to respond to the challenge of youth.

It was recommended to improve the dissemination of information and sharing of best practices as well as to take specific measures to link up existing regional networks across the Mediterranean. Participants highlighted the role that the Union for the Mediterranean and initiatives such as Med4Jobs can play in this respect.

As a concrete step forward, UNIMED announced at the end of the meeting the creation of a new sub-network on employability gathering research centres, university departments, researchers and experts from both shores of the Mediterranean, to share knowledge and develop joint projects on employability and entrepreneurship. Twenty universities from eleven countries have joined so far.

Throughout the day participants advocated for joint action across all stakeholders along the value chain in order to create the conditions for durably improving youth employment in the region. Discussions demonstrated a broad consensus and convergence of views amongst higher education, vocational training and employment stakeholders on the need to prioritize actions which take an integrated and holistic approach in line with the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (2016).

The seminar was held within the framework of the Erasmus+ project RESUME (REseaU Méditerranéen pour l’employabilité – Mediterranean Network for Employability) promoted by UNIMED. RESUME aims at enhancing and reinforcing the role and potential of HEIs in the development of employability in the Mediterranean countries by adopting a transversal entrepreneurial mind-set at the higher education institutions and by opening and structuring the dialogue among the universities, the enterprises and the policy makers.

Main results and key recommendations from the seminar : download the follow-up report.