1. Competent authorities shall approve the licence holders who are entitled to act as competence examiners or competence assessors for unit and continuation training.

Five selection procedures, with a high number of applications per selection round showing interest in the programme, were concluded during 2005 for JEPs (curriculum development, university management, institution-building covering a wide range of areas), structural and complementary measures (design of quality assurance systems, introduction of credit transfer mechanisms, updating of training programmes, the use of information and communication technologies and the strengthening of international relations directly linked to the action lines of the Bologna process) and individual mobility grants (retraining and study periods, preparatory ...[+++]activities for JEPs and participation in specific conferences and seminars).

- regulated courses and regulated in-service training, of a total duration of not less than 15 years, a prerequisite of which is, generally speaking, successful completion of compulsory schooling (of a duration of not less than nine years) and of vocational training (noramlly three years) and generally comprising at least two years of work experience (three years in most cases) and an examination as part of in service training, preparation for which generally entails a training course which either runs concurrently with the work exper ...[+++]ience (at least 1 000 hours) or is attended on a full-tiume basis (at least one year).

On 14 May 1987, the Ministers for Education considered in their conclusions that in order to encourage in-service teacher training, it was necessary to: - clarify objectives in this area; - develop consistent, flexible and varied training opportunities; - establish as close a link as possible between in-service training programmes and teachers own career development plans; - develop the resources allocated to in-service training; - improve the continuity between initial and in-service training.

6. The Council emphasizes the importance of vocational education and training policies along the lines indicated above and agrees that Member States' policies should include the following aims, in line with national systems and traditions: (a) promoting investment in vocational education and training which will specifically lead to relevant, recognized or validated qualifications; (b) developing close links between school-based and enterprise-based vocational training, as coherent vocational education and training programmes in schools and enterprises are well calculated to ensure relevant training and qualifications; (c) providing better opportunities for disadvantaged young people and adults, where appropriate, to take advantage of reco ...[+++]gnized up-to- date practical vocational training, which will improve their chances of joining the labour market; (d) developing co-operation between the national and local authorities, employers and unions, enterprises and others, in accordance with national practice, on the overall updating of qualifications and specifically on initiatives designed to increase further training offers; (e) including broad-based general subjects in the vocationally-oriented training system, for the purpose of fulfilling the broader qualification requirements of the future and strengthening the mobility of the workforce; (f) improving the quality of vocational education and training, especially by improving training of trainers; (g) strengthening vocational education systems through improved guidance services, with a view to enhancing the awareness and motivation of individuals; (h) strengthening innovation and applied research, with a view to supporting modernization, adaptability and quality in vocational education and training; (i) strengthening the European dimension in initial and continuing training, in order to facilitate the mobility of young people and adults within the single market.

He said that a strategy for training/investment was made up of three elements : - regarding training as a decisive factor in the modernization of undertakings and as a prime means of increasing the mobility and skills of workers; - seeing to it that a greater and more frequent recourse to continuing training operations is seen in the light not only of company policy but also from the viewpoint of the aspirations of and the opportunities made available to the workers; - placing training strategies within the context of the overall de ...[+++]velopment strategies of undertakings/.- 2 - Mr Marin spelled out the future thrust of Community action in this field : the COMETT programme, which over the next three years would provide a real opportunity to encourage joint continuing training projects of a transnational nature; recognition of qualifications, the point of departure for which was the Council Decision of July 1985; and the European Social Fund, the essential purpose of which was to help improve vocational training not only for the unemployed or those threatened with unemployment, but also for those who, particularly in small and medium-sized firms, have to cope with technological and industrial change.