16.12.2022 advocacy, financing, Transformative Learning

Financing adult learning and education in Europe

EAEA is happy to present its background paper “Financing ALE in Europe”, prepared by EAEA’s Working Group on Financing ALE. Looking at the current financing levels of ALE in Europe, funding instruments as well as key trends and challenges in financing (e.g. Individual Learning Accounts and EdTech funding), the paper provides a 360-degree view on funding in European ALE and provides recommendations for its financial sustainability.

Download our background report here (pdf)

EAEA has been closely monitoring the funding situation of adult learning and education (ALE) in Europe for a number of years through its Country Reports and projects – in particular Financing Adult Learning in Europe (FinALE), which was completed in 2018. The development of public funding is at the forefront of our monitoring as this is pivotal for the financial sustainability of the sector, but also quality assurance of learning provision.

In 2022, the EAEA working group on financing took a closer look at the current financing levels of ALE in Europe (or, rather, what we know and don’t know about them), financing instruments, and key trends and challenges in financing ALE. 

Based on this, the working group developed a number of policy recommendations (for more details, please consult the background report):

Policy-making level

  • Developing and implementing benchmarks for the financing of ALE
  • Creating incentives for the creation of financial frameworks for ALE
  • Promoting data collection on the funding of ALE
  • Promoting financial tools and instruments that foster collaboration and complementarity rather than competition

Practice level

  • Collecting good practices from other sectors or countries
  • Collecting data in the organisation
  • Raising awareness of the impact of sustainable funding on learners

 

Text: EAEAPhotos: EAEA

News

More news >
15.01.2026 advocacy

Upskilling the agrifood sector for the right to food – a call to action

On January 7, the European Citizens’ Initiative “Food is a Human Right for All! Guaranteeing healthy, just and sustainable food systems” from Good Food 4 All started the collection of signatures. The initiative calls for the systematic guarantee of the right to food to promote healthy, just, humane, and sustainable food systems for present and future generations

11.01.2026 advocacy

"An autonomous Europe”: Cyprus’s takeover of the Council Presidency

Cyprus is the last country of the Trio Presidency to take over, following Denmark and Poland, completing an 18-month cycle. In this analysis, we look at the program presented at the beginning of the year, shaping the agenda for the next six months.

07.01.2026 adult educators

Digital competences frameworks for ALE: focus on andragogical approaches

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and Shanghai Open University have recently launched the DELTA Framework – Digital Empowerment for Lifelong Learning and Transformative Andragogy for adult educators, with contributions from EAEA and ICAE.