In Europe there is a growing demand for carers, persons who are thefirst line of support for those dependent on care. According to the ECGreen paper, the demographic dependency ratio will rise from 49% in2005 to 66% in 2030. (COM 2005: 94).

Despite this, there is animportant vacuum for carers, from education and training to recognitionof formal competencies. Still 75% of dependent persons are cared withinthe family context, mainly by family members (www.bmsk.gv.at 2007)mostly without basic knowledge in care. In most of European country acurrent discussion on quality and financing of caring can be observed.Full professional services mostly exceed the financial resources of thefamilies and the public bodies, while partly legalised ways (caringpersons from East European countries) challenge juridical systemregarding basic standards of laws on labour and social security.Empowering informal carers regarding the quality and efficiency ofcaring processes has an impact, both on the affordability of care andthe psychological health of carers (e.g. in terms of prevention of burnout).

CARERS' aim is to set up an education and support systemspecifically geared toward those looking after people dependent oncare, providing answers to informal carer's needs in their support workas well as for their own emotional well-being. The project will notonly design the education and training support system according to adefinition of basic competences for informal carers, it will work in synergy with other initiatives, such as the current Leonardo da Vinciproject 'ECL-European Care Licence', which is designing a basic entrycertificate in the care sector that could become a recognized andaccepted certificate across Europe.

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