To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU advisory committee on vocational training, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110281]
The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states.
(b) The Committee usually meets once every Presidency and has met three times since January 2002; on 23–24 May 2002, 30–31 October 2002 and 5–6 June 2003.
(c) Since January 2002 the following agenda items have been considered:
ACVT 23–24 May 2002
- Follow-up to the Barcelona European Council
- Establishment of the Guidance Forum
- Lifelong Learning: follow-up to the Commission Communication.
- Commission Communication on an Action Plan for Skills and Mobility COM(2002)72 Final
- Recognition and transparency: new approach; Transparency Forum; European Curriculum Vitae
- Forum on the quality of vocational training
- European portal on learning opportunities
- Implementation Report on the "Europass Training" Decision and evaluation plan 1999/51/EC
ACVT 30–31 October 2002
- The working methods of the ACVT.
- An increased European cooperation in vocational education and training: an integrated approach (the "Bruges" initiative).
- Mandate of the transparency working group.
15-year olds achieving five grades A*-C at GCSE or equivalent
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Percentage
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1995
| 1996
| 1997
| 1998
| 1999
| 2000
| 2001
| 2002
| |
| Excluding GNVQ | 43.5 | 44.5 | 45.0 | 46.1 | 47.7 | 48.8 | 49.4 | 50.2 |
| Including GNVQ | 43.5 | 44.5 | 45.1 | 46.3 | 47.9 | 49.2 | 50.0 | 51.6 |
As we announced in Opportunity and Excellence we are committed to greater vocational learning for pupils and students during the 14–19 period.