Strasbourg, 28/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament adopted the report by German Green Helga Trüpel a in first reading, on “key competencies for life-long learning”. Its message is as follows, life-long education and training are not to be pursued just with professional goals in sight but should include more personal, social or civic objectives too. In an effort to increase the number of adults in life-long education and training, with the gaol of acquiring new knowledge, the report proposes to invest in personnel and technologies and promote alternative forms of teaching, either within or without the traditional educational environments. According to Ms Trüpel, “working in a global environment requires individuals to be permanently capable of acquiring new knowledge; promoting life-long training is a key element in the future”. Although life-long learning is gaining ground, there are still too few adults involved in national strategies that should urgently be implemented in all Member States, according to MEPs. They consider that the work of Member States should therefore be supported in view of ensuring that young people at the end of their initial education and training courses have a sufficient grasp of their key competencies for dealing with adult life. The competencies proposed are communication in one's native language, in foreign languages, science and technology. Parliament is calling for precisions on the importance of civic competencies based on the concepts of democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights and highlights other aspects such as knowledge about current affairs and a sense of initiative and sprit of enterprise.