Brussels, 12/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Reacting to the OECD report on education published on 11 September (see EUROPE 10686), the Association of the European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres) stresses the importance of putting in place effective strategies to encourage vocational education and training. The OECD identifies a high percentage of young people who are neither on a professional circuit nor engaged in studying, and highlights the importance of encouraging these young people to go to university to help combat youth unemployment. But it is just as important to create quality vocational training opportunities, Eurochambres argues. According to the secretary general of the organisation, Arnaldo Abruzzini, “acquiring skills through apprenticeship schemes may be more beneficial to youth employability than purely academic qualifications”. Eurochambres therefore urges the member states to make vocational education and training central to the European agenda for growth and employment and to make European structural funds available to set in place the mechanisms needed to create effective structures. The European Chambers of Commerce go on to stress the need for a broader recognition of skills acquired through non-formal and informal education. (IL/transl.fl)