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

08.07.2026 activism

Resilience means giving genuine decision-making power to local actors - EAEA's annual event's panel discussion

On June 10th, EAEA’s members reunited for the Annual Event, this time in Poland, hosted by the NGO organization sTOP. The Panel discussion titled ‘‘Resilient Communities in Times of Crises’’ saw the participation of Benedetta Perego (lawyer admitted before the Italian Supreme Court and founder of Strali), Musa Kirkar (President of CEIPES and EAEA’s Board Member), Oleg Smirnov (Director of DVV International Ukraine and EAEA’s Vice President), and Irena Lipowicz (lawyer, professor, and ex diplomat for the United Nations).

06.07.2026 advocacy

Democracy and coalition-building

At the Feminist Futures Festival in Brussels, participants explored how feminist perspectives, coalition-building and transnational solidarity can strengthen democracy and social inclusion.

30.06.2026 EAEA Annual Conference

EAEA Annual Conference 2026: Supportive communities grow the roots of resilience

The EAEA Annual Conference 2026 explored resilience as a collective process, highlighting the role of adult learning in strengthening communities in times of uncertainty.