Member States’ ambassadors to the EU were invited, on Wednesday 17 November, to discuss a draft EU Council resolution on the new European agenda for adult learning, which will be submitted to EU ministers for approval at an Education-Youth EU Council on 29 November.
The EU has set itself the goal of increasing and improving learning opportunities, both formal and informal, for all, especially adults, by 2030, recalls the draft conclusions discussed by the ambassadors, a copy of which was obtained by EUROPE.
According to a report published this year by the European network on education systems ‘Eurydice’, around one in five adults in the EU has not completed upper secondary education and “a substantial proportion of adults in Europe are affected by low levels of literacy, numeracy and/or digital skills”.
The Commission’s annualEducation and Training Monitor in 2020 found that participation in adult learning remains low, with an EU average of only 10.8% of adults aged 25-64 having participated in adult learning.
The EU Council, in a previous resolution, set a target of increasing this rate to 47% by 2025 - a target welcomed by EU leaders in the Porto Declaration (see EUROPE 12716/3).
On the basis of these various observations, the EU Council, in its draft conclusions, therefore identifies the priorities and measures to be mobilised in order to achieve this objective and shape a “new learning culture”.
Priorities. In particular, the EU Council assures that it will be “of the utmost importance to foster greater awareness among employers that adult learning contributes to the quality of work processes and outcomes”.
It also notes that the fragmentation of adult learning across different sectors and legal frameworks will need to be addressed.
Means of action. With regard to the measures to be implemented, the EU Council makes, among others, recommendations for a better monitoring of the progress made and for a better collection of data on the subject.
The institution also recognises that funding for adult learning should “preferably” rely on “continuous and regular funding rather than on subsidies related to projects or programmes”.
Furthermore, the draft conclusions mention the possibility of introducing financial or fiscal incentives or any other compensatory measures for employers engaged in implementing policies that promote adult learning.
The EU27 will be asked to ensure that their ministries work more closely with the social partners, businesses and NGOs to ensure “coherence” in the training policies they put in place. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)