36. Calls on the Commission to work more closely with the Member States and the relevant local authorities with a view to drawing up medium- and long-term forecasts of the skills needed by the labour market; calls on the relevant stakeholders to monitor employment trends with a view to making basic vocational training and lifelong learning more relevant; calls on the Member States and the relevant local authorities swiftly to adapt their education and vocational training systems, including vocational education and training, incorpor ...[+++]ating the concept of the sustainable economy, and to ensure access to skills development programmes so as to make it easier for young people to gain access to new ‘green’ jobs and ‘green’ industries; points out that the promotion of green jobs can create quality and sustainable employment opportunities, tackle poverty and social exclusion, as well as ensure supportive employment services;

65. Calls on the responsible stakeholders to monitor employment with a view to making basic vocational training and lifelong learning more relevant; calls in this context on the Member States to assess the feasibility of Transition Funds to manage skills needs;

The two levels correspond to regulated courses of study of a total duration of at least 15 years which require the successful completion of eight years of elementary education followed by four years of intermediate preparatory vocational education (VMBO), and which require at least three years' level 3 or 4 training at a college for intermediate vocational training (MBO), culminating in an examination (The average duration of vocational training may be reduced from three to two years where the student has a qualification required to enter university (14 years of prior training) or to enter higher vocational education (13 years of prior t ...[+++]raining)).

There is in Germany already a real training scheme for professional drivers, which takes three years, so, in comparison, the time required, referred to in the title of the Directive and, incidentally, reduced further by the Council, can only be described as basic vocational training.

Subsequent to the adoption of Leonardo da Vinci II in April 1999, a number of policy initiatives have been launched with a major impact on vocational training policy and consequently on Leonardo da Vinci II : the Lisbon strategy of March 2000, which accords an important role to education and training for the achievement of its goals [4]; the communication of the Commission on 'Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality' [5], setting a new paradigm for education and training; the report of the Education Council and the European Commission on the common objectives of education and training systems [6], and the subsequent detai ...[+++]led work programme [7]; the Council resolution of November 2002 on enhanced European co-operation in Vocational Education and Training (VET) [8] extended by the subsequent Copenhagen declaration that was adopted by 31 Ministers, the Commission and the social partners at European level; the Action Plan for the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity [9], adopted by the Commission in July 2003 and based on the experience of the European Year of languages.

21. Takes the view that health and safety training should be promoted at two levels, involving basic vocational training designed for all workers in the industry and specialised training in health and safety, taking account of compliance with Directives 93/103/EC and 92/29/EEC ;