EAEA's reflections on the future of adult learning in Europe were published in a background paper in December 2019.
13.01.2020

After the EU elections: what will the future of adult learning look like?

The new European Parliament and the new European Commission have started their work on the new portfolios in the second half of 2019. The European Union will have to take a clear direction on issues such as sustainability, democracy, and demographic changes. An EAEA working group explored these issues. The results were published in a background paper in December 2019.

Before the EU elections in May 2019, we launched a campaign in which EAEA and its members asked MEP candidates of all political groups how they wanted to support and promote adult learning. Their answers were published on a dedicated website. Half a year later, the new Members of the European Parliament, as well as the new European Commission, have started their work on the new portfolios.

The European Parliament and the European Commission will have to negotiate the follow-up programmes of Europe 2020, including Education and Training 2020 (short: ET2020). Great Britain will (probably) leave the European Union at the end of January, while other countries are planning to join the EU. Europe faces a number of challenges, such as sustainability, democracy, digitisation and automation, and changing demographics. New European programmes and frameworks will have to take these challenges into consideration and find answers to them.

What does this mean for adult learning? An EAEA working group explored these issues. The results were published in a background paper in December 2019.

EAEA background paper on the future of adult learning in Europe (pdf)

 

Text: EAEAPhotos: EAEA

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.

27.01.2026 digital literacy

RESCALE project: Reskilling adults for the green and digital transition

Europe’s green and digital transitions are transforming labour markets, but many adults still lack the skills to keep up. The RESCALE project pilots Reskilling Labs to improve support for learners who are currently underrepresented in education.

27.01.2026 digital literacy

Between tradition and technology: ETHLAE talks to educators in Romania

In January 2026, educators gathered in Timișoara for another ETHLAE capacity-building activity. Representing special needs schools, specialised STEM schools, prison facilities, and Romania's second chance education programme, these educators came together to explore a fundamental question: are we properly using technology in adult education?