The study was published by the European Commission earlier this week.
19.11.2015

The Commission publishes an in-depth analysis of adult learning policies and their effectiveness in Europe

The new study published by the European Commission concludes that adult learning policy could be made significantly more effective through a more systematic collection of data, and a more rigorous approach to evaluation to enable Member States’ policy actions to be monitored against their objectives.

Key findings of the study include:

  • A systemic review of the latest evidence confirms the significant benefits that adult learning brings to individuals, companies and society;
  • However, the statistical evidence shows that these benefits are not accessible to a very large number of adults who do not undertake any learning;
  • The study found that policies to ensure access to learning are often not in place or not sufficient to make a systemic impact;
  • The study has identified a number of policy actions that are proven to be effective in increasing adult participation in learning;
  • At the same time, Member States lack sufficient policy monitoring systems to ensure that the policy actions that are implemented achieve their intended impact;
  • The study thus proposes an analytical framework: a template that can assist policymakers in analysing their adult learning policies.

The publication is freely available on the website of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

Text: Via European CommissionPhotos: EC - Audiovisual Service / Lambiotte Christian

10.02.2026 EAEA Annual Conference

Introducing EAEA’s 2026 Annual Theme: Resilience and Community-Building

EAEA'S 2026 annual theme is closely linked to current EU priorities, especially the Democracy Package - including the Civil Society Strategy and the Democracy Shield initiative. At a time of rising Euroscepticism and threats to democratic values, adult education has the power to strengthen democracy by promoting civic engagement, critical thinking and participation.

09.02.2026 climate

How learning and action shape a more sustainable society: golden nuggets from neuroscience to foster a constructive climate change debate

On February 4-5, EAEA participated in a learning symposium and keynote speech around climate education research and action, in Geneva, Switzerland. The events were organised in the context of the Horizon Europe LEVERs project, in which EAEA is a partner.

04.02.2026 digitalisation

Remote work: Challenges and opportunities for ALE in the digital world

EAEA’s Communication, Capacity-building and Membership Officer, Marina Sakač Hadžić, attended a conference on the topic of Remote Work & Social Change, taking place at the University of Antwerp on the 20th and 21st of January. She combines her work at EAEA with a PhD in law, bringing together insights from non-formal adult learning with ethnographic research.