Page 11 - Annual report 2019

STATEMENT BY STATEMENT 9

THE SECRETARY GENERAL

in. Therefore we needed to identify and emphasize the • EU Policy making : Advising the EU Institutions with a
advantages which the EEAG could offer the targeted stake- stronger voice on the “future of work” (e.g. the circular
holders : the EEAG as a bridge between students, academics, economy, robotics and artificial intelligence) and policy
businesses, organizations and policy makers. Reaching out to issues related to apprenticeships, non-formal education,
other European umbrella organisations working in the field future training needs of engineers (VET, LLL, CPD) for
of the engineering profession and engineering education instance around digitalisation, media literacy and other
seemed therefore a logical first step. To be convincing we emerging and enabling technologies.
looked for common ground and synergies while establishing
a level playing field with the intention to have a menu which • Industry : Identifying barriers and obstacles faced by
would be broad enough to attract various stakeholders and to the engineering industry (such as bridging the skills
indicate that our objectives complied and were in accordance gap). These efforts could indirectly support the future
with the priorities of the EU-policies. Having established the European industrial competitiveness also in view of the
three major goals on “what” to do, we concentrated on the challenges of an ageing workforce. Other subjects to con-
added value and possible longer terms outcomes the EEAG sider would relate to labour market developments, em-
could generate. We came to the following list : ployer needs, etc. while conducting surveys, interviews
and academic sessions with the stakeholders concerned.
• Education : Developing more cooperative mechanisms
between the stakeholders could ensure policy making The next step related to identifying the most appropriate
dialogues about common issues affecting the engineer- “mode and format” under which we could successfully
ing education such as, for instance, the development of attract stakeholders to sign up to the EEAG as a co-operative
common training frameworks, mobility instruments (Eu- consortium. Making the EEAG a formal new body with official
ropean Engineering Education Database), the recogni- Terms of Reference would not be perceived as the most
tion of engineering qualifications and microcredentials, appropriate way forward. We therefore agreed to shape
educational and professional standards, validation and the commitment and support of interested stakeholders to
accreditation of engineering programs, professional de- the above ambitions into a Letter of Intent which expresses
velopment of teaching staff, etc. At the same time and in the wish to upgrade, reinforce and promote the voice of
doing this we would be supporting higher education in- engineers in Europe. In this way we were able to attract the
stitutions and our FEANI national member organisations involvement and co-operation of representatives from other
in their internationalisation and modernisation efforts. European umbrella Organisations and universities, respecting
and guaranteeing their legal and financial independence. By
18 September 2018, the first 11 stakeholders signed the
EEAG Letter of Intent and the EEAG was inaugurated.