22.07.2024

EAEA’s take on von der Leyen’s re-election: important commitments on skills and adult learning

EAEA welcomes the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission on July 18. Von der Leyen’s previous Commission has led crucial initiatives to put skills and adult learning at the top of the political agenda, notably the European Year of Skills 2023.

EAEA welcomes the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission on July 18. Von der Leyen’s previous Commission has led crucial initiatives to put skills and adult learning at the top of the political agenda, notably the European Year of Skills 2023. EAEA is pleased to see a renewed commitment to Adult Learning and Education (ALE) among the most prominent priorities of the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024−2029.  

We will establish a Union of Skills – focusing on investment, adult and lifelong learning, skill retention and the recognition of different types of training to enable people to work across our Union.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission 2024−2029 

It is instrumental that the momentum built with the European Year of Skills is translated into meaningful, impactful and long-lasting change and, to this end, a Union of Skills is of paramount importance. In this process, we call the new Commission to value and recognise all types of learning both for the labour market and for personal development, social inclusion, solidarity, democratic participation, health and wellbeing. 

Text: EAEA

24.04.2026 Democracy

Digitalisation, skills, and community learning: what’s at stake for adult education in Europe

Europe’s digital transition is reshaping how people work, participate in society, and access services. Yet many adults still lack the basic digital skills needed to benefit from these changes, raising urgent questions for policymakers and adult learning providers alike: how can ALE systems become more inclusive, better funded, and more responsive to learners’ realities?

23.04.2026 access

How do we build trustworthy and transparent adult education registries?

The RALExILA initiative came to an end in late March 2026, with the release of the guidelines and models to support the development of accessible, inclusive and interoperable (digital) ecosystems for adult education and individual learning accounts.

21.04.2026 adult educators

Supporting a culture of quality in the ALE sector

For many educators and policymakers, ‘Quality Assurance’ is linked to strong bureaucratic processes and additional workload, while in our approach Quality Assurance in education is to be seen as a mindful process of continuous improvements.