European Round Table of Industrialists

MISSION :

To understand, assess and contribute to the dialogue on suitable solutions for EU policy as it pertains to education, employability, societal changes and industrial challenges in the EU. The issues discussed at the Working Group level include:

- The enormous lack of young people in Europe embarking upon higher education programmes that are dedicated to
the pursuit of science.
- Current business relationships with educational institutions.
- The recognition that teachers are critical to the progress of good education in Europe.

Under the chairmanship of Leif Johansson, the focus of the Societal Changes Working Group is on education and employability, new labour markets and demographics and has been looking at recent educational trends that point to a lack of interest in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) by young students in the EU. This work has lead the ERT Member Companies to decide to establish industry as a constructive partner in supporting educational initiatives as an integral part of these companies’ commitment to European growth and jobs. The Societal Working Group has sought to mobilise support for the setting-up of an alliance between schools, industry and governments to increase young people’s interest in MST in education and careers from as early as primary school.

KEY MESSAGES :

Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Report

September 2009

MST plays a key role in growing adequate research and development (R&D;) capacity, ensuring economic and productivity growth, and in other areas that are key to Europe’s future competitive position. Europe needs more technology-driven highly skilled people to push back the frontiers of technology and drive innovation forward.

The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) has continued to voice concern over the proportionate decline in the number of MST graduates and strongly believes that this issue must be tackled at a European Union level to ensure Europe’s future prosperity.
This report assesses business’s role in the problem, brings together the input from stakeholders engaged in this issue within Europe, and puts forward a proposal for a European Coordinating Body. The European Coordinating Body will bring together the initiatives, build upon the knowledge and skills available to tackle the problem and help motivate young Europeans to study MST, thus helping equip young Europeans with the tools to influence and shape their future and help to ensure a more prosperous future for Europe

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ERT Multi-Stakeholder Event – “Inspiring the Next Generation – How to harness the potential of Mathematics, Science and Technology to drive Innovation and Competitiveness in Europe”

October 2008

With the aim of designing a school and industry collaboration to promote mathematics, science and technology in schools, ERT hosted the event to share experiences and generate feedback from various stakeholders. Potential partners from schools along with leading industry partners and key decision-makers from National and European levels convened in Brussels on 2 October 2008 at a high-level multi-stakeholder forum. The event underlined the gaps in the knowledge of the future demand for MST graduates in Europe and established that industry can help identify the correct balance between supply and demand. The insights and the identification of areas for consensus on key recommendations to increase young people’s interest in MST have contributed to the development of a model for collaboration and has given the necessary impetus for ERT companies to develop an initiative that will unite genuine industry commitment together with a systematic and large scale approach that supports the educational base which sustains European competitiveness.

Event Programme

Event Press release

Event picture

Conclusions

Executive Summary

Update on European Multistakeholder Forum for CSR

December 2006

ERT was informally grouped together with CSR Europe and EUROCHAMBRES (the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry) by the European Commission, as a business network "family" for the progress meeting of the European Multistakeholder Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility. Despite the fact that NGOs were largely absent, this business network coalition took the decision to participate fully at the update meeting which was held on 7 December 2006. The update meeting comes two years after the first report of the European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR.

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