European Training and Development Federation
ETDF Activities Report 2007
The President’s Report /August 2007
Writing this Report I take a look back at the ETDF strategy presented in spring 2005. What was the focus then and what was the development since then? The main points for the ETDF strategy in 2005 were then:
Support of the European Lifelong Learning Programme with emphasis on
(1) Qualifying the Qualifiers
(2) Harmonizing the EU Training and HRD market
(3) Support and Training of the older / experienced generation
ETDF as opinion leader
With these three elements mentioned above ETDF has precisely anticipated the most important developments in our markets. The discussion about “demographic development and its impact on the workforce” is by now making the headlines in almost every European country. And just now in 2007 the EU Commission launched the new EU Educational Programme with the title: Lifelong Learning 2007 – 2013. The discussion about quality and qualifying in the training market is one of the great topics within this programme.
So ETDF targets have been well chosen and assure that the work of ETDF and its member associations is in line with EU development and all members of the ETDF network can act as opinion leader.
ETDF as consultant in the EU Process
Since summer 2007 ETDF is member of EUCIS Lifelong Learning platform (EUCIS LLL platform), a network of about forty European associations active in Lifelong Learning. This platform is consultant for the European Commission and will be heard in all EU developments especially for education, training and culture. EUCIS LLL believes that the objectives of education shouldn’t only be described in terms of employability or economic growth but also as a framework for personal development.
ETDF membership at EUCIS LLL platform secures early information and allows introducing the positions of its members in the EU development for education, training and culture.
ETDF Project “Managing Diversity”
ETDF will build a report about “Managing Diversity”, project leader is Javier Armaolea, AEDIPE/Spain. The Diversity issue has great impact on company’s managing and human resources development processes in all European countries.
AT the last Diversity meeting held in Berlin January 2007, five Associations (AIF, AEDIPE, DVWO, APG, EPSILON) confirmed that they will carry on with the project; CIPD (UK) and NVO2 (Holland), were going to help the core team either with information and/or with methodological suggestions, etc.
The team decided to address issues/diversities related to nationality; gender; age; with some concrete business areas, such as recruitment and selection, training & education, development, social support and political support & notes. Finally a common report will be build until spring 2008.
In this common ETDF project every member association and every member can participate, present its knowledge, can build a Diversity experts image for its own.
Participation at CEDEFOP Project “Defining VET Profession”
ETDF participated in an interesting – actually ended – project from CEDEFOP “Defining VET Profession”, concerning the Harmonizing the EU Training and HRD market. CEDEFOP, the “European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training” is an official EU institution and has contract partners in all EU states.
The European Project leader for “Defining VET Profession” was the Italian ISFOL with Claudia Montedoro. The results she presented in a CEDEFOP workshop on April 2006 in Brussels had a lot to do with the work of freelance trainers and HRD people and comparing their competencies with the requirements mentioned in the EQF European Qualifications Framework. In my capacity as ETDF President I attended the CEDEFOP annual meeting 2005 and the workshop 2006.
Through participation in EU Experts Projects – which are paid for ETDF through EU budgets – ETDF represents member’s interests and builds a positive image for trainers and HRD people in a European context.
ETDF opens experts and industry contacts
An example of ETDF European networking in new areas was – paid through EU budgets – the invitation of ETDF to join the Salon of Adult Education in Bratislava which was held under the patronage of Mr. Jan Figel – European Commissar for Education, Culture and Sport. Past President Elio Vera made it possible to go to Bratislava and was guest of honour. With his informative presentation he outlined the mission and activities of ETDF. At this event educational companies present their programmes to specialists in Human Resources Administration and managers from IT companies, banks, manufacturers etc., – participants also came from Slovakia, Czech Republic and Austria.
ETDF as representative at EU conferences opens new business-related contacts for all members in ETDF member associations.
Meeting with EAPM European Association for Personnel Management
To open the ETDF Network the Executive Committee had a joint meeting January 2007 with EAPM in Berlin, organized by DGFP/DVWO and attended by about 30 participants from about 25 European countries.
EAPM representatives showed great interest in ETDF activities and in the Diversity Management Research; contacts are well under way in Italy, Holland, Belgium and now in Germany. EAPM thanked ETDF for the interesting presentations and offered “Let’s learn more from each other.”
With this activity ETDF opens new connections on a European basis which can be used from the member associations and their members in national cooperation and national business.
How to profit from ETDF Activities in the member associations
The ETDF Executive Committee has done a lot of work in the last years in line with the European development in Training and HRD. There have been lots of contacts, input, information, results, networking for the whole business in Training and HRD.
However, improvement is necessary in communicating this power of ETDF Activities to the member associations and above all to their individual members. Therefore ETDF actually builds a new website as exchange area among members. Target is to share the results transparent and easy with all members of the ETDF member associations – so that they can use the contacts, input, information, results and the networking area for their own work.
ETDF Permanent Secretariat
All members of the ETDF Executive Committee have done this honorary work on top of their engagement in their national associations and on top of their business work. To reduce the workload, ETDF decided to have a permanent secretariat in order to make ETDF activities even more efficient. Chiara Martinelli, AIF/ Italy has been appointed for this role and started working for ETDF.
ETDF outlook
The last ten years ETDF has built an excellent basis for European networking and representing/ exchanging expert’s knowledge in training and HRD management.
In this environment ETDF should present the professions of trainers and HRD-people in context with the EU programme of Lifelong Learning.
The last years the EU became larger, so ETDF has to do. Experience so far has shown that for the participation in EU programs it is important to be present in more than 12 countries. This applies especially to networking activities which are normally funded by the EU.
Finally we must try to make ETDF’s positive impacts and results more tangible and visible for the member associations and their individual members. This means building up an effective organisation, administration and managing the new ETDF website as marketing and communication tool.
Renate Richter ETDF President
24. August 2007
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