1. Date: in 12 pts
European Agenda for
Adult Learning
Martina Ní Cheallaigh
European Commission
Malta, 1 February
Martina.NI-CHEALLAIGH@ec.europa.eu

2. Rationale and drivers
• Gulf between adults' skills profiles in Europe and
market demand
• Change (including technological change) and
managing its effects on jobs & daily life
• Demographic trend towards an ageing society
• Bigger EU policy framework
• EAC more recent policy & its significance for adult
learning

3. Skills mismatch: supply and demand
Educational
attainment
Skills supply in 2011 Forecasted skills demand
2020
High 26.8% 35%
Medium 46.6% 50%
Low 26.6% 15%
Higher
competence
levels
Skills + key
competences
Competences for
all - equity

4. Demographics in the EU

5. A European strategy for smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth
Making LLL and mobility a reality
E&T quality and efficiency
Equity, social cohesion, active citizenship
Entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation
Europe 2020 ET 2020
Policy context

6. Seven flagship initiatives

7. Benchmarks for 2020
• At least 95% of children between the age of 4 & the
age for starting primary education in early childhood
education
• Share of 15-years olds with insufficient abilities in
reading, mathematics & science less than 15%
• Share of early leavers from education and training
less than 10%
• Share of 30-34 year olds with tertiary educational
attainment at least 40%
• Average of at least 15 % of adults (age group 25-64)
participating in lifelong Learning

8. Progress towards EU benchamarks
PRIORITY BENCH
MARK
EU AVERAGE
2006
EU AVERAGE
2011
Early school leaving 10% 15,5% 13,5%
Tertiary Attainment 30-34 40% 28,9% 34,6%
Early Childhood education 95% 89,3% 92,3%
Employment rate (age 20-
34) - Employability
82% 79,0% 77,2%
Adult participation in
learning
15% 9,5% 8,9%
Basic skills 15% R 23,1%
M 24%
S 20,3
R 19,6%
M 22,2%
S 17,7%

10. Participation by age
Participation in education and training in 2010 by age EU27 - %
Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey (Last update: 2011)
15,2
7,4
4,5
9,1
0,0
2,0
4,0
6,0
8,0
10,0
12,0
14,0
16,0
From 25 to 34 years From 35 to 44 years From 45 to 54 years From 55 to 64 years

11. European Agenda for Adult Learning

12. Agenda for Adult Learning – priority areas
• Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality
• Improving the quality and efficiency of
education and training
• Promoting equity, social cohesion and active
citizenship through adult learning
• Enhancing the creativity and innovation of
adult and their learning environments
• Improving the knowledge base on adult
learning and monitoring the adult learning
sector

13. Date: in 12 pts
Vision of adult learning by 2020
 Access to high quality learning any time in life for
personal, social and economic ends
 Awareness of each adult /each employer
 Fairly shared responsibility, adequate resourcing
 Learner / learning outcomes at centre supported
by guidance, validation, flexible provisions
 Learning locally with a significant role for social
partners, civil society and local authorities
 Active learning for seniors and mutual learning &
solidarity between generationsEducation and
Culture

14. Date: in 12 pts
Continuity
• Building on the achievements of the Action
Plan, 2008-10 & its focus on low-skilled and
disadvantaged groups & their basic skills
• Developing the adult learning sector –
currently the weakest link in the LLL chain
• Renewed focus on increasing participation,
especially of those furthest from learning
• Working as part of the OMC to exchange
good practice and experience among
countries Education and
Culture

15. Date: in 12 pts
Complementarity
• Copenhagen process / Bruges Communiqué
• Bologna process & modernisation of higher
education
• Modernisation of schools: influences from non-
formal sector
• Offering compensatory route/second chance to
early school leavers
• Assisting early childhood education through
improved parental education
• Intergenerational learning & exchangeEducation and
Culture

16. Date: in 12 pts
Consolidation
• Emphasis on low skilled/low qualified groups &
taking their basic skills „one step up“
• Stronger emphasis on implementation within
Member States (national, regional and local level)
as well as through EU-level activities
• Effective liaison with all stakeholders: ministries,
social partners, business, NGOs, civil society
• Nomination of a national coordinator to steer
implementation, launch cooperation with other
countries and liaise with the Commission
Education and
Culture

17. Commission contribution to the priorities of
the Agenda
• Awareness-raising
• Literacy and other basic skills
• Quality of the provision
• Financing adult learning
• Validation of non-formal and informal learning
• Older people – learning for active ageing
• Access to higher education
• Data on adult learning

18. The case of Malta
Challenges
Low LLL participation rates
High early school leaving
High numbers of low skilled adults, & PISA 16 year olds
Need to develop partnership, monitoring and evaluation
Positives
NQF, LO approach & validation arrangements in place
Ministry responsible for education and employment
Qualifications body in place
Small country, contacts with stakeholders easier

19. Annual Growth Survey
Recommendations to Malta
2011- 2012
• Focus education outcomes more on labour market
needs
• improving access to higher education
• strengthening the effectiveness of the VET system
•Take further measures to reduce early school-leaving
•Enhance the provision and affordability of more
childcare and out-of-school centres

20. What is Rethinking Education?
• An evidence based outline for reform of E&T,
implementing the Agenda for new skills and
jobs
• Focusing on the supply of skills
• Reinforcing and complementing the
Employment and Youth Employment packages
• Supported by policy guidance documents
developed through the Open Method of
Coordination
• Product of a broad consultation

21. The highlights of the Communication
1. Building skills for the 21st century
 Transversal skills, especially
entrepreneurship
 Technology driven skills (STEM)
 Basic skills
 Vocational Education and Training Systems

22. The highlights of the Communication
2. Stimulating open and flexible learning
Improving the learning outcomes approach,
assessment and recognition
Exploiting the potential of ICT and Open
Educational Resources
Supporting the teaching professions

23. The highlights of the Communication
3. Promoting a collaborative effort
 Funding education through efficient
investment
 Partnerships between public and private
institutions

24. New Commission initiatives as
follow up
• Closer alignment of European skills/qualifications tools
• Funding Education for Growth
• Opening up Education – ICT and OER
• Action plan to address skills shortages in growth sectors
• A new language benchmark
• Partnerships between Education, enterprises & research,
promoted through new programme
• Guidance framework for entrepreneurial education institutions
• Enhanced support to Member States – Monitoring of progress,
OMC, OECD collaboration…

25. Recommendation on Validation
Have in place arrangements for validation of non-formal and
informal learning, no later than 2018, thus :
•facilitating a better match between skills and labour demand,
addressing skills shortages in growing sectors
•promoting better transferability of skills between companies and
sectors
•helping citizens move around the EU to study and work
•Increasing motivation for lifelong learning, particularly among
economically disadvantaged or low-qualified

26. Date: in 12 ptsLifelong learning
programme
Thanks for your attention!
GRAZZI!
Contact: martina.ni-cheallaigh@ec.europa.eu
DG EAC: http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-
policy/adult_en.htm