55. Notes the importance of recognising education as a human right to which everyone must have access, aimed at personal and societal development and at acquiring skills for life; urges Member States to improve open access to all educational and scientific materials, with the aim of lowering costs for education and research, particularly in the light of recent budget cuts in these areas throughout the Union;

13. Insists that the development of skills and competences throughout the lifecycle is best served by a rights-based approach to active labour market policies and lifelong learning, comprehensive health and safety at work, universal and equal social and workers’ rights for everyone, a work/life balance and reconciliation of work and non-work life, improving the quality of employment and well-being at work instead of an approach of ‘boosting labour mobi ...[+++]lity’ and promoting flexicurity; insists that the EU skills and jobs agenda must be closely linked to robust supply and demand side measures to promote a green and social economy and respective industrial and regional policies for sustainable development, rather than a mere strategy of ‘anticipating change’; calls on the Commission to initiate a Community strategy proposing measures that encourage the creation of environmentally and socially sustainable jobs in the ‘green’ and ‘white’ economies;

54. Points out that training and lifelong learning for employees affected by changes in a company's or industry's production processes also creates new jobs; calls on the EU to develop a framework for anticipating change and restructuring, in particular of production, providing the right for all affected workers to take part in training and lifelong learning schemes; calls on the Member States, employers and employees to recognise skills management, training and lifelong learning as a shared responsibility, as acknowledged in the social partners' 2002 framework agreement on lifelong learning; calls on the Commission to incorporate a ninth key competence relating ...[+++]to the environment, climate change and sustainable development – which is essential in a knowledge society – into the framework for lifelong learning; calls on the Member States to incorporate the concept of sustainability into basic training, education and lifelong learning;

54. Points out that training and lifelong learning for employees affected by changes in a company's or industry's production processes also creates new jobs; calls on the EU to develop a framework for anticipating change and restructuring, in particular of production, providing the right for all affected workers to take part in training and lifelong learning schemes; calls on the Member States, employers and employees to recognise skills management, training and lifelong learning as a shared responsibility, as acknowledged in the social partners' 2002 framework agreement on lifelong learning; calls on the Commission to incorporate a ninth key competence relating ...[+++]to the environment, climate change and sustainable development – which is essential in a knowledge society – into the framework for lifelong learning; calls on the Member States to incorporate the concept of sustainability into basic training, education and lifelong learning;

Τhis Recommendation should contribute to the development of quality, future-oriented education and training tailored to the needs of European society, by supporting and supplementing Member States' actions in ensuring that their initial education and training systems offer all young people the means to develop key competences to a level that equips them for adult life, and which forms a basis for further learning and working life and that adults are able to develop and update their key competences through the provision of coherent and ...[+++] comprehensive lifelong learning.

Source: OECD - Knowledge and Skills for Life, First results from PISA 2000