ESCO Board

The ESCO Board was a Commission expert group active from 2011 to 2016. It provided strategic guidance on ESCO to the European Commission during the first phase of the classification development. Furthermore, it supported the Commission in the implementation and continuous use of ESCO in the labour market and in education and training.

Content

• 1 Role and responsibilities
• 2 Working methods
• 3 History
  • 3.1 First ESCO Board (2011-2013)
  • 3.2 Second ESCO Board (2014-2017)
• 4 Composition
  • 4.1 First ESCO Board (2011-2013)
  • 4.2 Second ESCO Board (2014-2017)

Role and responsibilities

• Providing strategic advice for the development and management of ESCO;
• Actively supporting the Commission in promoting the development, implementation and continuous use of ESCO in the labour market and in education and training;
• Promoting ESCO with the goal of making it a de facto standard for semantic interoperability in the European labour market and in education/training;
• Gathering and reporting the stakeholders' expectations, whilst advising on how to meet stakeholders' requirements;
• Gathering, reporting and advising on risk mitigation to the project's successful adoption and re-use.

Working methods

The ESCO Board discussed strategic issues and to formulated opinions on the strategic dimension of ESCO. It met on average four times per year. Apart from ESCO Board members, the chair of the ESCO Maintenance Committee, experts and members of the ESCO Secretariat joined ESCO Board meetings. Meetings of the ESCO Board were held in English. Results of the meetings are documented in minutes and published on the ESCO Portal.

In ESCO documents, the ESCO Board is abbreviated as BOA.

History

First ESCO Board (2011-2013)

The Commission services established the ESCO Board at an early stage during the development of ESCO in 2011. The mandate of the first ESCO Board covered the years 2011 to 2013. A major achievement during this mandate was the Go Live of ESCO v0 on 23 October 2013. The first ESCO Board held ten regular meetings, and one informal transition meeting in early 2014:

• 1st ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 10-11 February 2011
• 2nd ESCO Board meeting, London, 31 May 2011
• 3rd ESCO Board meeting, London, 28 October 2011
• 4th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 27 February 2012
• 5th ESCO Board meeting, Berlin, 1 June 2012
• 6th ESCO Board meeting, London, 17 December 2012
• 7th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 15 March 2013
• 8th ESCO Board meeting, London, 14 June 2013
• 9th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 7 October 2013
• 10th ESCO Board meeting, Berlin, 25 November 2013
• 11th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 3 April 2014

Second ESCO Board (2014-2017)

The Commission services established the ESCO Board as a strategic advisory group for a second term, covering the period from 2014 until the finalisation of the development of ESCO in the reference language (2016). The second ESCO Board held the following meetings:

• 12th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 16 September 2014
• 13th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 29 January 2015
• 14th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 2 June 2015
• 15th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 28 October 2015
• 16th ESCO Board meeting, Brussels, 7 April 2016
• 17th ESCO Board meeting, Berlin, 8 November 2016

Composition

The ESCO Board was made of senior representatives of various stakeholder groups. Members of the ESCO Board were appointed on the basis of their personal expertise and did not officially represent organisations or Member States.

In the composition of the ESCO Board the Commission services aimed for good geographical balance and a diverse stakeholder representation. The ESCO Board followed a principle of parity between the labour market and the education/training sector. Social Partners were represented in the ESCO Board with an equal number of members from federations of employers and from trade unions.

First ESCO Board (2011-2013)

The first ESCO Board consisted of 12 members and 4 permanent observers.

Members:

• Jeremy Groombridge, chair, private expert
• Peter Thiele, vice chair, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Ministry for Education and Research, Germany)
• Göran Ahman, Arbetsförmedlingen (Public employment service Sweden)
• Wilfried Boomgaert, European Qualification Framework Advisory Group
• Brigitte Bouquet, European Qualification Framework Advisory Group
• Bojidar Danev, Bulgarian Industrial Association
• Sam Hägglund, European Federation of Building and Woodworkers
• Denis Pennel, Eurociett (European Confederation of Private Employment Services)
• Tormod Skjerve, Eurochambres (The Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
• Tom Wilson, Unionlearn

Permanent observers:

• Margarida Abecasis, DG Informatics
• Tony Bird, chair of the ESCO Maintenance Committee
• Joachim James Calleja, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
• Detlef Eckert, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
• Pierre Mairesse, DG Education and Culture
• Klaudia Zagorowicz, DG Translation

Second ESCO Board (2014-2017)

The second ESCO Board was established under new terms of reference and consisted of 16 members and up to 9 permanent observers.

Members:

• Jeremy Groombridge, chair, private expert
• Peter Thiele, vice chair, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Ministry for Education and Research, Germany)
• Göran Åhman, Arbetsförmedlingen (Public employment service Sweden)
• Wilfried Boomgaert, European Qualification Framework Advisory Group
• Brigitte Bouquet, European Qualification Framework Advisory Group
• Karpisek Michal, EURASHE (European Association of Higher Education Institutions)
• Bojidar Danev, Bulgarian Industrial Association
• Miguel Fernández Diez, Ministry of employment and social security (Spain)
• Peter Hodgson, EFVET (European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training)
• Katrien Maes, LERU Office (The League of European Research Universities)
• Isabelle Michel, FGTB
• Denis Pennel, EUROCIETT (European Confederation of Private Employment Services)
• Jean Ries, ADEM (Public employment service Luxembourg)
• Tormod Skjerve, Eurochambres (The Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
• Tom Wilson, Unionlearn

Permanent observers:

• Tony Bird, chair of the ESCO Maintenance Committee
• Busuioc Bianca, DG Education and culture
• Joachim James Calleja, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
• Detlef Eckert, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
• Vassillios Peristeras, DG Informatics
• Weisswange Sophie, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
• Klaudia Zagorowicz, DG Translation