On 3 and 4 June, the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) will hold the high-level conference ‘The role of regions and cities in delivering high-quality apprenticeships for all’. The conference builds on a series of online events that explored the different areas in which regions and cities play a pivotal role in fostering apprenticeships.

The event will include two panel discussions, which will provide insights into how stakeholders at different levels can deliver high-quality apprenticeships for all and will explore good practices implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak. Through these discussions, the conference will also address several emerging topics, including:

• empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling;
• promoting the international dimension;
• mobilising local and regional actors;
• encouraging cross-border cooperation.

The event will feature speeches from the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and the Chair of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC), Anne Karjalainen. In addition, the conference will include contributions from the Vice Minister of the Basque Country. Participants will also learn about the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan from a local and regional perspective, and find out about the results of the 2019−2020 monitoring survey of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships.

The high-level event is organised in close cooperation with the European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning, the German delegation at the CoR, and the Basque Government. The conference will be held in English and translated into French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

How to participate 

Learn more about the high-level conference.