The event “Empowering marginalised groups through education and training in the Danube Region” was held on 2-3 October 2014 in Vienna organised by the OeAD – National Agency for Lifelong Learning in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs (BMBF) as EUSDR PAC9.

Creating equal opportunities in learning can contribute to social inclusion of individuals from vulnerable groups, especially the Roma communities. This includes preventive approaches towards drop outs, strategies on early childhood education and literacy skills for pupils and adults. Also vocational education and training (VET) plays an important role to enhance employability and social integration of Roma and Sinti in the Danube Region.

The joint event between the OeAD – the Austrian Agency for International Mobility and Cooperation in Education, Science and Research – Department National Agency of Lifelong Learning and the Austrian Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs (BMBF) as Coordinator of Priority Area 9 of the EUSDR served as platform in order to initiate meaningful synergies between political strategies and to support the beginning of transnational activities in the Danube Region within the European Programme Erasmus+.

Emphasis was put on the integration of socially disadvantaged pupils in primary and secondary schools – particularly Roma children’s access to education in the Danube Region countries. Vocational education and training was addressed in the workshops as well as the topics of reduction of early school leaving and education interruption, early childhood education literacy skills and family education.

Discussions, awareness raising and forming networks were the main aim of the conference.

For further information please have a look at the draft programme.