Brussels, 22/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Guidance is “a crucial issue” for the countries of the European Union, which have challenges to meet in this area, French Education Minister Xavier Darcos said on Wednesday at a conference on lifelong guidance, held as part of the French Presidency of the EU on 17-18 September in Lyon. Europeans have "four challenges" to meet: limiting the number of school-leavers without qualifications, limiting failings in higher education, adapting training to employment and better managing the transitions between jobs, Mr Darcos said. He pointed out that 150 000 young people leave the French school system each year without any qualifications, and said that “guidance is becoming key to the response to this terrible situation”. The conference, which was intended to identify areas of possible convergence to improve guidance for young people within European education systems and to measure progress made since the implementation of the resolution on guidance, brought together some 300 European experts. (I.L./transl.fl)