According to a Eurobarometer survey on geographical and labour market mobility, only "one in ten Europeans has already lived abroad for work either within or outside the EU". 60% perceive geographical mobility to be "good for EU integration" while 50% think its good for the economy.

Click here to read more of the story.

The US Labour Department has revealed that economic recovery is in a precarious state as the country lost 131,000 jobs in July. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.5%. Thus far the recession has saw 8 million people loosing their jobs.

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A look at how EU some member states are progressing with their 2020 education targets can be found here.

Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in the “Study Visit for Local Development Practitioners: PARTNERSHIPS & THE GREEN ECONOMY”, organised in the framework of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance.

11 - 13 October 2010, Graz, Austria, and Slovenia

The study visit is organised for a selected group of local development practitioners to review the green experience of the Austrian Province of Styria. The study visit will provide opportunities to meet with people from institutions responsible for different issues of green policies, e.g. entrepreneurial support, labour market and skills development, environment and regional development, as well as with representatives from enterprises and project promoters.

In particular, the study visit will offer the possibility to:
 
- get insights about the regional green skills strategy, the economic support package, regional and environmental strategies; and discuss their rationale, delivery and progress;

- learn about the organisational and funding structure of of the regional green strategy;

- network with people running green businesses and projects projects.

It is also planned to visit a similar project in neighbouring Slovenia.

In case of your interest, please return your application form to udvari@zsi.at before 1st September 2010 and attach a short description of your field of specialisation and interest. As the number of places available is restricted to 20, priority will be given to applicants with similar interest and work experience to allow for high level discussions and mutual learning.

For further information, please consult attached introduction or me or Mrs. Udvari. Thank you.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Graz.
 

Yours sincerely,


Michael Förschner


OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance
Forum office at ZSI (Centre for Social Innovation)
A - 1150 Wien / Vienna, Linke Wienzeile 246
Tel.: +43 / 1 / 49 50 442 - 75
Fax: +43 / 1 / 49 50 442 - 40
e-mail: foerschner@forum.zsi.at
http://www.zsi.at
http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/forum/partnerships

International publications to follow.