Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, 24/02/2016, 24 February 2016

Main results

The Council adopted a resolution on socio-economic development and inclusiveness in the EU through education. The text focuses on measures to ensure targeted investment in education and on how best to address skills gaps in order to restore jobs and promote sustainable economic growth in Europe. At the same time, it highlights the equally important role of education in promoting citizenship and social inclusion.

Ministers discussed how to increase synergies between education, the labour market and society with a view to raising awareness and underlining the urgency of the many issues relating to skills development.

"Education can build bridges between people with different backgrounds. Education fosters the personal development of young people and can help to develop a open mindset"

 Jet Bussemaker, minister for education, culture and science of the Netherlands and president of the Council

Minister Jet Bussemaker said: "The development and use of a right balanced set of skills are crucial to position pupils, students, teachers and adults in a changing and increasingly global labour market".

The outcome of the ministerial debate will feed into the forthcoming Commission's initiative "A New Skills Agenda for Europe", aimed at promoting lifelong investment in people, as well as increasing employability.

Finally, ministers had an exchange of views on promoting citizenship and fundamental values through education, in the follow-up to the Paris Declaration adopted almost a year ago at the informal meeting of Education ministers in Paris.

Ministers underlined that the purpose of education should not be only employability. One key task was also to foster respect for shared European fundamental values, such as the freedom of expression, democratic citizenship and equality.