Jacob Kornbeck Sport Unit, European Commission, DG EAC Warsaw, 14 September 2011

1. EQF: Obtaining Professional Competences through Voluntary Work in the Sport Sector? Jacob Kornbeck Sport Unit, European Commission, DG EAC Warsaw, 14 September 2011

2. Plan • Plan • EU Evidence • EU Challenges • EU Commitments • EU Perspectives 2

3. 1. EU Evidence • Some facts and figures • GHK (2010): Volunteering in the European Union, final report, http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/eyv2011/doc/Volunteering%20in%20the%20EU%20Final%20Report.pdf • Includes first-ever all-round survey of sport volunteering in all 27 MS. • Survey disseminated with help from ENGSO. • Describes different traditions, sociological background, etc. • Focuses on different legal arrangements and sources of financing. • Points to the need for training volunteers. 3

4. 1. EU Evidence “In some Member States sport is very high on the political agenda, something which is in most cases correlated to the existence of a sport/health policy. However, this does not necessarily mean that significant focus is placed on volunteering in this sector or that specific policies exist to promote and support volunteering. In about ten Member States, volunteering in sport can be considered to be medium to high on the political agenda whereas in other Member States it does not feature on political agenda. On the other hand, in three Member States, there, seems to be a recent growing attention to volunteering in sport at the political level. In several Member States, specific reference is made in recent policy papers, or in their national strategy for sport, to volunteering in this sector. However, the vast majority of Member States does not have a separate national strategy or framework for volunteering in sport.” (GHK, 2010, p. 195) 4

5. 1. EU Evidence • “Regarding volunteers in sport, the data gathered indicates that volunteering in sport represents a significant share of the adult population in Finland (16%), Ireland (15%), the Netherlands (12-14%), Denmark (11%), Germany (10.9%) and Malta (9.2%). Conversely, in Estonia (1.1%), Greece (0.5%), Lithuania (0.1%), Latvia and Romania (less than 0.1%) volunteering in sport does not appear to be a common practice.” • (GHK, 2010, p. 8) 5

6. 1. EU Evidence • 2. EU law: an independent legal order 6

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13. 1. EU Evidence • Sport volunteering us crucial • The sector needs volunteers. • But volunteers need training • What kind of support • Better recognition and validation of learning experiences • Supporting structures for volunteers • Better mobility within the EU • Better skills: not only “people skills”, but also skills to handle paper work… 13

14. 2. EU Commitments • Mandate of EU • Timeline of sport-specific commitments • 2003 Aarhus Declaration • Recognition • 2007 White Paper on Sport for volunteers Sustainable funding • 2011 Communication on Sport • EQF-related action point • 2011 European Year of Volunteering • 2011 Draft Council Conclusions: • Sport • Social Policy 14

15. Priorities • Commission’s priorities • White Paper on Sport (2007): • Skills for volunteers • Sustainable funding *) • Article 165 TFEU • Reference to voluntary structures in the sport sector • This is the only Treaty reference to "volunteering“! • *) See: Green Paper on the future of VAT– Towards a simpler, more robust and efficient VAT system : open consultation • http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/consultations/tax/2010_11_future_vat_en.htm 15

16. 2. EU Commitments • Commission’s White paper on Sport (2007): • “(…) • (10) Together with the Member States, the Commission will identify key challenges for non-profit sport organisations and the main characteristics of services provided by these organisations. • (11) The Commission will support grassroots sport through the Europe for Citizens programme. • (12) The Commission will furthermore propose to encourage young people's volunteering in sport through the Youth in Action programme in fields such as youth exchanges and voluntary service for sporting events. • (13) The Commission will further develop exchange of information and best practice on volunteering in sport involving Member States, sport organisations and local authorities. • (14) In order to understand better the specific demands and needs of the voluntary sport sector in national and European policy making, the Commission will launch a European study on volunteering in sport. • (…) » 16

17. 2. EU Commitments • Commission’s Communication on Sport (2011): • “Commission and Member States: support the inclusion of sport-related qualifications when implementing the European Qualifications Framework. In this context, promote the validation of non-formal and informal learning gained through activities such as voluntary activity in sport.” • http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0012:FIN:EN:PDF 17

18. Theories • European Year of Volunteering 2011 • The EU will use the Year to work towards four main objectives:1. To create an enabling and facilitating environment for volunteering in the EU; 2. To empower volunteer organisations and improve the quality of volunteering; 3. To reward and recognise volunteering activities; and4. To raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering. • http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/focus/focus840_en.htm 18

19. Theories • European Year of Volunteering 2011 • The EU will use the Year to work towards four main objectives:1. To create an enabling and facilitating environment for volunteering in the EU; 2. To empower volunteer organisations and improve the quality of volunteering; 3. To reward and recognise volunteering activities; and4. To raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering. • http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/focus/focus840_en.htm 19

20. 2. EU Commitments • European Year of Volunteering 2011 • The EU will use the Year to work towards four main objectives:1. To create an enabling and facilitating environment for volunteering in the EU; 2. To empower volunteer organisations and improve the quality of volunteering; 3. To reward and recognise volunteering activities; and4. To raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering. • http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/focus/focus840_en.htm 20

21. 2. EU Commitments • Four current volunteering projects • Association for the European Capital of Sport (ACES): "European Cities for Volunteering in Sport.“ • Führungs-Akademie des Deutschen Olympischen Sportbundes e.V. (DOSB Leadership Academy): "Training 4 Volunteers“ • International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA): "EuroVolNet: A network for developing voluntary competence in sport organisations.“ • Vlaamse Sportfederatie (VSF): Dynamo Project: "PROMOTING and securing volunteering in sport.“ • = All about skills for volunteers… 21

22. 3. EU Challenges • Non-formal learning and informal learning • Non formal learning = ‘any organised and sustained educational activities that do not correspond exactly to the definition of formal education.’ (Eurostat, Classification of learning activities – Manual, 2006 ) e.g. coach education courses of federations • Informal learning = ‘intentional, but it is less organised and less structured (…) and may include for example learning events (activities) that occur in the family, in the work place, in the sports club and in the daily life of every person, on a self-directed, family-directed or socially directed basis’. (Eurostat, Classification of learning activities – Manual, 2006 ) • NF and IF take place in informal settings (not formal education and training institutions). 22

23. 3. EU Challenges • Validation of learning experiences as volunteer • Identification of the knowledge, skills and competences gained through Non Formal/Informal Learning, • Documentation of this knowledge, skills and competences, which makes learning outcomes visible beyond the individual and provides a sort of social recognition. • 3. Recognition, which covers the assessment of the levels of knowledge, skills and competences the individual possesses and also of issuing of formal recognized certificate/qualification. The recognition is in most case managed by governmental authorities and thus the involvement of other stakeholders is limited. 23

24. 3. EU Challenges It’s difficult enough in formal settings (universities, vocational educational institutes to reach an agreement on a European Qualification Framework (EQF) … it must be even more difficult regarding learning outcomes from non formal and informal settings; … especially within a highly autonomous, self-organised sector such as sport, with huge differences between Member States. 24

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28. Proposal for FCS specialisations within the SQF and FQF/EQF (Flemish/European Qualifications Framework) FCS Level FQF/EQF SQF

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30. 3. EU Challenges • Timeline of generic commitments (i) • 1999 Council Resolution on the non-formal education dimension of sporting activities in the European Community youth programmes • Sporting activities may have a ‘pedagogical value and also promote active citizenship, participation, solidarity and tolerance;’ • Invites the Commission and the Member States to devise ‘a coherent approach with a view to exploiting the non-formal educational potential of these activities.’ • Council conclusions on Common European Principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning • 2009 European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning (Commission/CEFEDOP) 30

31. 3. EU Challenges • Timeline of generic commitments (ii) • 2010 Inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning(Commission/CEFEDOP) • 2010 Council Recommendation on the promotion and validation of non-formal and informal learning • 2010 Europe 2020 Strategy • The goal of ‘speeding Europe’s recovery from the economic crisis and building of sustainable future by promoting an economy based in knowledge and innovation’, can be supported through the ‘promotion of recognition of non-formal and informal learning,’ mainly as a part of the Youth on the Move and the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs flagships. • (…) 31

32. 4. EU Perspectives • We should remember that the inclusion of new items into national EQF validation systems is a national competence. However, the EU can support Member States in their reflections and may allow Member States to learn from each other in this regard. • Remember: • Sport is different from other sectors. • Sport is different from one Member State to another. • Sport is autonomous – very autonomous in some Member States. • Member States with high levels of sports volunteering tend to have few or no legal frameworks. • Sports qualifications frameworks vary enormously from one Member State to another. • European frameworks in this area are not binding. 32

33. 4. EU Perspectives Indicative Timetable: Adoption of the Sport Sub-Programme (2014-2020) • 2010: • Consultations • Start of evaluation of Preparatory Actions and Special Events • 2011 • Evaluation concludes • Impact Assessment • Drafting of decision for the future Programme (legal base) • Adoption by the Commission • 2012-2013 • Discussions in the Council and the Parliament (ordinary legislative procedure) • 2014+ • Programme Implementation 33

34. Thank you! Dziękuję bardzo 34