Towards an individual right to adult education and training for all Europeans

The COVID-19 crisis and the recovery strategy adopted by European and national decision-makers are accelerating the transformations already underway in our societies, which will intensify the rapid and profound changes already taking place in the labour market.

In this changing work environment, where the need for reskilling and retraining is greater than ever, it is not effective to focus on acquiring skills in initial education, which leads to a single qualification for life. Instead, adopting a lifecycle approach to skills development, which involves a continuous process of acquiring, maintaining and improving skills throughout life, will make a difference to countries’ ability to take full advantage of the ongoing transitions and offset their side effects.

While responsibility for adult education and training lies primarily with Member States and regions, the European Union must play its part in ensuring that the right to lifelong learning, enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights, becomes a reality for all Europeans. Ahead of the publication on 8 December of the European Commission’s proposal on individual learning accounts, the Jacques Delors Institute and the European Foundation for Progressive Studies are organising a webinar to contribute to the debate on these schemes and on lifelong learning in general.

The study on individual learning accounts will be presented by its authors, Sofia Fernandes and Klervi Kerneis. The Finnish Minister for Employment, Tuula Haatainen, the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, the Director of Policy and Research at the FEPS, David Rinaldi, and Ms Alicia Homs Ginel, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (S&D), will discuss the implementation strategy for the European Commission’s proposal.

The conference will take place on 30 November, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., online. It will include the presentation of the joint document by the Jacques Delors Institute and the FEPS, as well as a keynote speech and a high-level discussion. Further information will follow.

Watch the replay