The European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) is convinced that the European Pillar of Social Rights is a fundamental social strategy for the European Union to move in the direction of raising a community of solidarity which ensures and promotes the social rights of all citizens. EAEA welcomes the fact that the European Pillar of Social Rights is now a cornerstone of the European Semester.

The experiences of EAEA members clearly demonstrate that outreach and access have only become more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-isolation and social distancing, digital exclusion, precarious employment situations and a general feeling of uncertainty have mounted new barriers that keep adults from learning. Once again, those who lose out are adults most in need of better (basic) skills.  Statement on improving outreach and access to adult learning in times of COVID-19 concludes EAEA’s thematic work in 2020.

In a statement published in November 2020, EAEA welcomed the Communication on the European Education Area, launched by the European Commission as a cornerstone of European education and lifelong learning policy for the period until 2025. However, EAEA notes that adult learning and non-formal education receive little coverage throughout the communication. 

After an enriching two-year journey that gathered more than 200 practitioners all over Europe, the partners of the project Upskilling Pathways for Adult Education Professionals (UP-AEPRO) are ready to launch the UP-AEPRO policy recommendations. The recommendations are part of an advocacy toolkit which will support policymakers, organisations and providers working adult education to implement the Upskilling Pathways initiative (UP) in their countries.

MASTER (Measures for Adults to Support Transition to further Education and Re-skilling opportunities) is an Erasmus+ funded project designed to facilitate the participation of low-skilled adults in formal education, training opportunities and in the labour market. Project partners from several European countries tested personal, social and learning competence tools with the aim of testing their usability and adapting them to new groups of learners. 

A high-level panel debate during the meeting of the Lifelong Learning Interest Group on 1 December 2020 launched a discussion on key issues related to the European Education Area. The discussion took place virtually during the Lifelong Learning Week 2020 and brought together more than 60 key stakeholders in the education, learning and training sector.

EAEA is proud to present the 2020 country reports and therewith offer a civil society perspective on the state of adult education in Europe. As announced in 2019, from now on we will publish the country reports in a digital format.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges, it has also provided new opportunities for adult education: it has highlighted the importance of life skills like health literacy, raised attention to the digital divide and given a push to a greener economy, said the speakers at the EAEA Annual Conference on Outreach and Access.

Digital Basics & Code Program provides a streamlined path to employment through digital skills training and the facilitation of professional work experience. The programme participated in EAEA Grundtvig Award 2020 on Outreach and Access.

Digital Champions for Community Success used a bottom-up approach and direct action in communities to help people to gain practical digital skills and to enhance their life chances. The initiative participated in EAEA Grundtvig Award 2020 on Outreach and Access.