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The long standing global measurement PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) run by OECD in member and non-member countries to evaluate the school performance of 15-year-old pupils in reading, mathematics and science is out. The 2025 results follow the biggest cycle-to-cycle decrease ever in 2022; and it worsened. The 2022 results shook the world, and so are the latest findings, raising serious concerns about learners’ foundational competences, showing a steep and further decline in reading, mathematics and science performance alongside persistent inequalities, teacher shortages, declining family support and challenges linked to digitalisation and AI. But, behind academic performance, we see 43% of learners, almost half of them, finding learning new things boring. 40% of learners also would not put the extra effort when the learning gets challenging, while we are seeing a near doubling in the amount of mistakes on literacy tests due to hasty reading. Learners are conditioned to cross learning off a checklist as soon as possible and do something perceived to be more interesting. These findings highlight the need for a holistic approach to education that strengthens not only achievement on basic skills metrics, but also inclusion, wellbeing, critical thinking, digital and transversal competences, and lifelong learning, to ensure that individuals can interpret and adapt to current challenges and find joy in learning. Losing education among competing priorities The abovementioned findings say less about learners’ capacity or even about the functioning of the education and training system. OECD underlined the way students are missing support to keep them engaged, the increasing disruptions, and the difficulties of keeping discipline. The digital disruptions are documented as more than just more entertaining than learning, they are built on addictive design made to take advantage of young learners exactly as they are developing their most important competences to fight back. As the PISA results call for returning to patience in education and training, and sustained effort, the pace of the surrounding world has increased leading to an unfair judgement of education and training systems. In a world dominated by geopolitical crises, environmental changes, post-pandemic recovery, rampant digitalisation, it is observed how education and training gets deprioritised. The European Commission showcased how education and training, as a sector, experienced some of the biggest decreases in investment as total public expenditure in the years of COVID-19 and after. The Union of Skills highlighted the need for education and training to be more adapted to labour market demands, responding to specific demands that seem to be time-specific and uncertain whether this will continue in the long run. All while learners are exposed to the addictive social media that promotes examples of quick hacks and shortcuts to achieve one’s objectives. The current societal landscape demands steadfast support for education and training while addressing other crises, instead of putting learning in the service of short-term demands. These PISA results are a wake-up call for not prioritising education and training since the late 2000s and for aiming to disregard basic and transversal competences in favour of sector-specific requests. The pejorative usage of ‘boring’ is the effect of obscuring to people how important education and training is and how it should be treated as a good in itself, not as a means to an end. Basic skills decline: the foundation of a house of cards in competence development Basic skills are essential prerequisites for both personal development and societal resilience, yet we are seeing the lowest OECD-average performance observed so far in all three core domains (science, reading and mathematics). On average, reading performance fell by about 14 score points and mathematics by 9 points. On a continuous decline since 2012, the 2025 results are a downright collapse. Aptly put by OECD’s Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, ‘reading is the mother of all skills’. His claim shows the house of cards on which competence development is built. These basic skills are needed to acquire the necessary transversal skills and continue thriving throughout their personal, professional and lifelong learning trajectories, and also to match the EU’s ambitions. LLLPlatform draws once more attention towards the importance of prioritising basic skills even as the Competitiveness Agenda calls for specific advanced skills, and underlines also the need to acknowledge that today’s children are tomorrow’s adults, and this means that we need an intensification of basic skills development in adult learning as well. LLLPlatform called for such an approach when we jointly analysed the PISA and PIAAC results in 2024. As we await for the next batch of PIAAC results, there needs to be an acknowledgement that current generations of young people will need more support later in life on basic skills. Science was this PISA cycle’s main focus, and it remained relatively stable, though also experiencing a 3 point drop on average. After this summer’s record-breaking heatwaves and increased deaths, the PISA report highlighted that higher-performing students in environmental science tend to report more positive environmental attitudes and belief in collective effort to bring change. LLLPlatform’s 2020 Learning for Sustainability Position Paper showcased the methodologies that built sustainability as a basic skill and created a foundation for future collective action. This needs to be further pursued in the coming years. An additional specific focus in this year’s edition was testing for computational problem solving. Around 26% of students across OECD countries reached the two highest proficiency levels, revealing slightly more encouraging results than for other skills assessed. The PISA results overview describes how motivated learners felt when using specific tools to solve problems, revealing that learners can engage and can perform under the right conditions. The engagement in reading, mathematics, and science seems not to match their needs, prompting them to find learning insufficiently stimulating. LLLPlatform has been recommending an adaptation to competence-based learning in its 2023 Key Competences for All Position Paper, yet this is still not pursued across all EU Member States or it is not done consistently, with fragmented reforms year-on-year of learning. Such instability is not conducive to basic skills development. Determining when digital distracts and when it nurtures The picture becomes more daunting and complex once AI technologies usage is incorporated into the analysis. The OECD showed that for specific schoolwork, non-users of AI outperformed users, while for general purpose usage of AI users and non-users performed similarly. When paired with opportunities to develop AI literacy, users of AI can slightly outperform non-users, yet the difference does not seem to be as significant as currently touted in AI-related discussions. This reaffirms LLLPlatform’s claims for developing critical thinking, creating institutional processes to guide both students and teachers, and investing in the ethical and appropriate use of AI within education. Stay tuned for our upcoming Working Paper on AI in Education and Training coming out this autumn. Digital competences are not the same as digital skills: a student proficient in the daily digital tools usage can lack necessary digital literacy to make conscious use of the tools. Even after the abrupt transition to online classes brought about by COVID-19, shockingly enough, school principals reported a lower level of preparedness for the adoption of such technologies than in 2022. Given the role of these technologies in providing tools for better digital inclusion and greater participation for students, these results signal a realistic threat to students’ digital wellbeing. The paradox of closing equity gaps: Declining outcomes for advantaged learners Although disadvantaged students’ performance remained relatively stable in science and showed only a limited decline in reading, advantaged students saw more substantial declines across all three domains. Therefore, some reduction in disparities cannot be attributed to improving the outcomes for those in need of more support, but rather to the worsening of general results. Socio-economic deprivation continues to be strongly linked to lower performance, with students experiencing material or social deprivation scoring, on average, 52 points less in science. Learners with a migrant-background are also considerably more likely to face socio-economic disadvantage, affecting 41% of them compared with 21% of their peers. The educators’ role as enablers LLLPlatform’s long-standing call for the acknowledgement of the role of all educators (including parents) is once again proven to be a highly significant component of children’s growth and development. Constant encouragement and support from both parents and teachers result in higher levels of reported growth mindset among students, even when they struggle, and in higher mean scores in science performance compared to less-supported peers. But even with this evidence, we are still failing to leverage on educators’ support: teacher shortages remain a significant hurdle, while students reported declining levels of family support compared with 2022. Such a decline gives more ground to why learners’ resilience with more challenging material is declining, and why they are demotivated to learn more. Without a good teacher-to-student ratio, fairer working conditions, robust school leadership, adequate training support and continuous professional development, it cannot be expected that teachers can meaningfully assist students and, therefore, enhance their performance. And let us not forget that, for a student to be inspired and supported, they should be able to identify with their role models, which can be better achieved through greater diversity within the education workforce. Parents also need support, as they constitute role models for their children. Their inclusion and cooperation with teachers and schools at an institutional level allows them to positively influence children’s attitudes, especially towards reading. Effectiveness in education and training investment OECD suggests that more funding is not necessarily correlated with higher student engagement. LLLPlatform acknowledges the need to use the current resources more effectively, but highlights its messages from the 2022 Investment in Education and Training Position Paper. PISA results have been declining since 2012, immediately following the long-term trend of cuts to education and training since 2008. At the same time, educators are in many cases paid less than tertiary educated peers and shortages are aggravating. Inflationary trends are on the rise, putting pressures on families and their availability to support children. We need to use our resources smartly and target them towards basic skills and those most disadvantaged, but we also need to acknowledge that if funding will not be raised, we cannot correct the declining trends that impact the environment in which a learner develops, and lead to demotivation. What can we do to stop the decline? Curricula get overloaded, and the EU promotes advanced skills based on labour market requests. It is time, instead, to provide more intense support on basic skills provision. The PISA results are a desperate call to strengthen, rather than narrow, education for education’s sake. Learning’s end goal should not be placed outside of the learning process itself, which is clearly what is currently putting learners off. We have a blueprint on making learning environments enjoyable and spark learners’ curiosity and resilience. Improving foundational competences needs investment in teachers, families, in partnerships for schools, and in innovative pedagogies, alongside stronger digital and AI literacy, critical thinking, and wellbeing. Member States must ensure stability in education, committing to the learner-centred and competence-based learning approaches, and considering how schools partner with civil society to ensure that basic skills development occurs in a lifelong and life-wide learning way.

CyberHealthY held its first in-person consortium meeting in Brussels and officially launched a pan-European response to the digital mental health crisis. CyberHealthY held its first in-person consortium meeting in Brussels and officially launched a pan-European response to the digital mental health crisis. Six partner organisations unite to train 30 youth workers as Cyberanimators across five European countries. Open, free, and multilingual: all project outputs designed to reach as many young people as possible. Thursday, 28 May 2026. Brussels. CyberHealthY an Erasmus+ project training youth workers to protect young people's mental health in digital spaces, held its first in-person consortium meeting on Monday at Passa Porta Bookshop in Brussels, the International House of Literature in Brussels — a multilingual meeting place in the heart of the city and home to one of the largest literary festivals in Europe. A fitting venue for a project built around connection, community, and the power of bringing people together. The gathering brought together all six partner organisations for the official launch of the project: Volonteurope (Belgium, coordinator), DREAMY Association (Italy), Action Synergy SA (Greece), FINNOVA Foundation (Belgium), Fundacja Cooperacja (Poland), and Cerebro Corazón (Spain). A NEW APPROACH TO YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH IN EUROPE Across Europe, young people face growing mental health risks in digital spaces: cyberbullying, social isolation, digital overload, and disinformation. According to a 2025 report by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, one in seven young people under the age of 20 in Europe lives with a mental health condition. Youth workers will support young people's personal, social, and educational development outside formal systems, and are uniquely positioned to respond to this challenge. Yet until now they have lacked structured, evidence-based tools to intervene effectively in digital environments. Through a specialised training programme, CyberHealthY equips them to do exactly that, through the creation and facilitation of cybercommunities: safe, supportive digital spaces designed to foster authentic connection and digital wellbeing. Funded by the Erasmus+ programme with a budget of €250,000 over 24 months (January 2026 to December 2027), the project trains 30 youth workers across five countries as Cyberanimators. Rooted in the experience of EDCyber, a validated predecessor initiative, CyberHealthY scales a proven approach to digital mental health facilitation through Cyberanimation across Europe. THE BRUSSELS LAUNCH: TURNING A SHARED VISION INTO REALITY A partners' dinner the evening before set the tone: collaborative, energised, and grounded in shared urgency. The following day, each partner presented their organisation before DREAMY introduced the Cyberanimation methodology and a full overview of the project's structure and objectives. FINNOVA presented the brand guidelines, logo, and communication plan, covering podcasts, newsletters, social media, and awareness sessions across all five countries. Volonteurope led the session on project governance, establishing the management structures and reporting frameworks that will coordinate six organisations over 24 months. The day closed with the research framework: each partner country will conduct desk and field research to map young people's digital mental health needs, feeding into a shared European analysis that will shape the Cyberanimator training and the national cybercommunities. WHAT MAKES CYBERHEALTHY DIFFERENT: CYBERANIMATION AND DIGITAL WELLBEING At the core of CyberHealthY is the Cyberanimation methodology, which applies community animation principles to digital spaces. The Cyberanimator is not a therapist or counsellor, but a facilitator and mediator: someone who creates the conditions for young people to connect authentically and navigate digital spaces safely. It is a preventive, awareness-based approach that recognises mental health as inseparable from the environments in which young people live. Once trained, Cyberanimators will establish five national cybercommunities on the CyberMentalHub, a free, open, and multilingual platform connecting communities across Belgium, Italy, Greece, Poland, and Spain, engaging at least 75 young people. Key outputs, including the CyberHealthY Handbook, training modules, and the CyberMentalHub platform, will be released as Open Educational Resources under Creative Commons licences, free for any organisation to reuse and adapt. As Piotr, Secretary General of Volonteurope and project lead, put it: "There is no health without mental health." CyberHealthY (project number KA220-YOU-AE68DBA5) is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The consortium brings together six organisations: Volonteurope (Belgium, coordinator), DREAMY Association (Italy), Action Synergy SA (Greece), FINNOVA Foundation (Belgium), Fundacja Cooperacja (Poland), and Cerebro Corazón (Spain). More information: https://cyberhealthy.eu/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyberhealthy/posts/?feedView=all

Educational inequalities can emerge from the earliest years of life, shaping children’s learning opportunities and future outcomes. High-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) can play an important role in addressing these inequalities. However, access to these services remains unequal across Europe, and expanding access alone does not guarantee that every child will benefit equally. STRIDE (Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe) examines educational inequalities across Europe and the policies designed to address them. The project brings together research and evidence to support policymakers, civil society and education stakeholders in working towards more equitable and inclusive education and training systems. As a core partner in STRIDE, the Lifelong Learning Platform works to make the project’s research findings accessible to policymakers, civil society and education stakeholders, helping evidence inform discussions on equity and inclusion in education and training. Two recent STRIDE publications bring together evidence on early childhood education from complementary perspectives. A new working paper compares reforms in five European countries and examines the conditions that influence their implementation and outcomes. Building on research from the same countries, a new policy brief translates the evidence into recommendations for the development, implementation and evaluation of early childhood education policies. Five countries, different approaches to early childhood education The STRIDE working paper, “Overcoming inequality in early childhood education and care: A comparative analysis of five European countries”, compares reforms introduced in England, Poland, Hungary, Norway and Denmark. The five countries adopted different approaches. England introduced the Sure Start programme, bringing together education, health and family support services for children living in disadvantaged communities. Poland expanded preschool education by increasing the number of places and improving affordability. Hungary introduced compulsory kindergarten attendance from age three, while Norway provided free kindergarten hours for children from low-income families. Denmark introduced nationwide language assessments to identify children’s learning needs before compulsory schooling. Despite these different approaches, the reforms shared a common objective: improving opportunities for children by strengthening early childhood education and care. The comparison shows that increasing access is only one part of addressing educational inequalities. Quality, affordability, accessibility and targeted support for disadvantaged children all influence whether reforms achieve their intended outcomes. Simply creating more places does not automatically ensure that every child benefits equally. The research also highlights the importance of long-term political commitment, sustainable funding and effective implementation. Local conditions, family engagement and cooperation between education and other public services can influence whether policies have a lasting impact. Rather than identifying a single model applicable across countries, the working paper highlights the importance of learning from diverse national experiences. Early childhood education policies do not operate in isolation: their success is connected to wider social policies, available resources and the ability to ensure that support reaches the children and families who need it most. The full paper is available for download on the publications page of the STRIDE website and on Zenodo (DOI:10.5281/zenodo.20444002). From research findings to policy recommendations Building on research from the same five countries, the STRIDE policy brief, “Early Childhood Education Policy to mitigate inequalities in educational outcomes: The Path to Educational Equity”, presents recommendations for policy development, implementation and evaluation. One of its key recommendations is to identify communities that are not reached by standard early childhood education services. The policy brief recommends using local data to identify specific neighbourhoods and groups facing barriers, and to strengthen direct outreach to marginalised families. Families also have an important role in policy development. Parents should be involved as informed partners rather than passive recipients of services. Their involvement can help policies respond to community needs and build local trust. Connecting services and supporting implementation The policy brief highlights the value of connecting early childhood education with other services, including health and family support. England’s Sure Start programme provides one example of this approach. The findings also stress the importance of continuity between early childhood education and primary school to help maintain gains made during the early years. Implementation remains an important challenge. Educator shortages and high staff turnover can limit the capacity of early childhood education systems to reduce inequalities. The policy brief recommends sustained investment in competitive salaries and high-quality training, alongside standards that support consistent implementation. Accessibility is also important. Physical distance can create barriers for marginalised families. Locating services within disadvantaged areas and using direct outreach can help reach families who may otherwise remain excluded. Long-term funding and political commitment also matter. The policy brief recommends protecting programmes through national legislation and integrating successful initiatives into municipal budgets and governance structures. This can help initiatives move beyond temporary project status towards permanent service delivery. Learning from evidence Effective evaluation depends on reliable, long-term information. The policy brief highlights the importance of longitudinal data and access to information across education, health and family support services. It also recommends greater exchange of evidence between countries. Sharing findings from both successful and unsuccessful initiatives can help policymakers learn from previous experiences and avoid repeating costly mistakes before implementing reforms on a larger scale. Together, the working paper and policy brief connect comparative research with policy recommendations. The working paper examines different national experiences and the conditions that shape reforms, while the policy brief draws on this evidence to support policy development, implementation and evaluation. Both publications reinforce an important message: expanding access to early childhood education is important, but access alone is not enough. Quality, affordability, targeted support, adequate resources, family involvement, effective implementation and long-term commitment all play a role in working towards more equitable educational opportunities. The full paper is available for download on the publications page of the STRIDE website and on Zenodo (DOI:10.5281/zenodo.21624136). Explore STRIDE’s research and resources. STRIDE continues to develop research and policy resources to support more equitable and inclusive education and training systems across Europe. Education stakeholders, policymakers, researchers and civil society organisations can explore STRIDE’s publications and follow the project’s work to learn more about its research findings, policy recommendations and upcoming activities. Infographic by Matilde Fanutti and Maria López Barzola based on results of STRIDE research. (2026, 1 August). Canva.

For refugee women arriving in a new country, entering the labour market is rarely just a matter of finding a job. Language barriers, recognition of qualifications, childcare responsibilities and the psychological impact of displacement can all affect their ability to rebuild their professional and personal lives. The WISE – Supporting Ukrainian Refugee Women’s Socio-Economic Integration and Wellbeing project, funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), addresses these interconnected challenges through a holistic approach to inclusion. Implemented in Italy and Bulgaria, WISE combines employment support with psychosocial assistance, cultural orientation and personalised case management. Holistic support for inclusion At the heart of WISE is the Holistic Support Centre (HSC) model, a one-stop-shop approach bringing together services that are often provided separately. Four centres were established in Rome, Milan, Turin and Sofia, supporting more than 200 Ukrainian refugee women through personalised case management and employment counselling, alongside psychosocial support and job-readiness activities. The results demonstrate the importance of addressing wellbeing and employment together. 70% of women reported increased self-confidence following structured psychosocial support, while participants also reported improvements in wellbeing, resilience and employability. An external evaluation confirmed the effectiveness of the model, with psychosocial support emerging as its most valued component. The project also identified persistent barriers to inclusion. Language, access to childcare and recognition of qualifications remain among the main obstacles preventing refugee women from fully participating in the labour market. The WISE experience therefore shows that employment support is most effective when embedded within a broader ecosystem of services. Regional and local authorities, employment and training providers, civil society organisations and mental health and migrant support services all have a role to play in creating sustainable pathways towards inclusion. From local experience to European replication Beyond implementation in Italy and Bulgaria, WISE aims to encourage the adaptation and replication of the HSC model across Europe. Through a dedicated webinar series, stakeholders explored the model in practice, skills-based employment guidance, experiences from the four implementation sites and the conditions needed for successful replication. As the project's communication, dissemination and scale-up partner, EARLALL has worked to connect the lessons from WISE with regional authorities, lifelong learning stakeholders and civil society networks across Europe. Rather than proposing a one-size-fits-all solution, WISE provides practical lessons that regions and organisations can adapt to their own local realities. Connecting WISE with wider European action on inclusion The lessons emerging from WISE connect with EARLALL’s broader work to promote inclusive regional labour markets across Europe. Through the SALAM Interreg Europe project, 12 European partners are working together to strengthen the sustainable inclusion of migrants in local labour markets. Since its launch in 2024, the partnership has exchanged regional experiences and good practices addressing migrant inclusion, including socio-cultural integration and access to employment. In 2026, SALAM is moving from knowledge exchange towards the transfer and implementation of promising practices in regional policies, helping regions create more accessible pathways into education, training and employment. By 2028, the project aims to contribute to stronger and more inclusive local labour markets that recognise migrants’ skills and potential while addressing the barriers that prevent their full participation in communities and economies. The exchange will continue on 9 October with the online webinar Beyond SALAM Institutional Learning Community: Regional Challenges and Solutions to Better Integrate Migrants. The session will explore transferable approaches, common regional challenges and opportunities to strengthen inclusive labour market policies across Europe. Save the date: 9 October 2026 | 11:00–12:30 CEST | Online. Registration opening soon. The conversation on inclusion will continue during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026. On 13 October, EARLALL will host the side event “No Talent Left Behind: Building Inclusive Labour Markets through Regional Skills Strategies”, exploring concrete examples of European regions developing innovative, place-based solutions to support the integration of people currently outside the labour market. The following day, on 14 October, the Gender Equality Task Force of EARLALL, EAEA and EfVET will organise the session “Rethinking Care Careers: Gender, Skills and Wellbeing for Stronger Regions”, bringing a gender perspective to the debate and exploring how skills, wellbeing and more inclusive care careers can contribute to stronger regions. Together, WISE, SALAM and these European exchanges reflect a shared ambition: to build labour markets where skills, wellbeing and individual potential are recognised, and where more people have the opportunity to participate. Join us in Brussels Before meeting again at the European Week of Regions and Cities, the conversation will continue at the WISE Final Conference – “Scaling Up Holistic Support for Refugee and Migrant Women Across Europe”, taking place on 16 September 2026 in Brussels. The conference will bring together policymakers, regional and local authorities, practitioners and European stakeholders to present the key results of WISE and discuss how holistic support models can be adapted, embedded and scaled up across Europe. Learn more about the WISE project, explore the WISE webinar series to discover how the Holistic Support Centre model works in practice, and join us in Brussels for the WISE Final Conference, featured as part of the European Skills and VET Week 2026. You can also discover the work of the SALAM project on migrant inclusion and join EARLALL at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026 to continue the conversation on inclusive labour markets, gender, skills and wellbeing.

The Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) addresses forward-looking issues in the field of education and training on an annual basis. This year’s theme will be explored during different events and meetings at the crossroads between the Cypriot and Irish Presidencies of the Council of the EU, while ensuring that the 2026 Annual Theme provides a new vision for one of the salient issues in education and training, which has been slightly overlooked in recent years: Reimagining validation and recognition: give value to all learners, learning and competences In 2012, the European Commission and Member States agreed on the Council Recommendation on the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning. This was a momentous decision which put the spotlight on validation and recognition so as to boost people’s inclusion in various learning pathways. Fast forward fourteen years, and the ambitions have not manifested into reality. The 2023 Evaluation of the Upskilling Pathways Council Recommendation has shown that 12 EU Member States have not advanced on this topic, while 8 others have advanced only slowly. Only 7 EU Member States have developed robust validation systems, where validation provisions are available in all three main sectors (education and training; labour market; and third sector). One of the main issues with validation is the general lack of awareness and uptake among adults (European Commission, 2023). Individuals are often made aware of validation and recognition provisions thanks to guidance, however, as noted in the 2023 EC Evaluation report on Upskilling pathways CR implementation, not all guidance services are inclusive and accessible to the groups of learners that need it most. As the new post-2024 EU agenda has started to be implemented, many challenges in the field of education and training are linked with skills mismatches, skills gaps, siloed and rigid learning pathways and people in need of reskilling and upskilling. Education and the labour market are not yet very inclusive if we account for the numbers of early school leaving/drop out, NEETS in youth population, and workers at risk in transition times, there are reasons for concerns that the EU policies are not achieving their aims. Qualifications and diplomas remain the standard for valuing of learning within formal education and in the society and the economy, whereas the learning and competences acquired in non-formal or informal learning environments are still undervalued - if not - invisible. This is not in line with the ideal of an inclusive society and inclusive education and training systems. Many individuals who early on faced adverse experiences in the formal education system continue to suffer throughout their life from many sorts of exclusions, in the labour market but not only. They are deprived of self-confidence/self-worth and learning to learn skills and they are the social groups whose rate of participation in lifelong learning is the lowest. To this end, a series of new initiatives in 2026 provides the opportunity to reflect on what kind of validation and recognition systems Europe needs. The upcoming Skills Portability Initiative, the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Human Capital as well as the continuation of the Advisory Groups for Europass, ESCO, and EQF open up new policy discussions to reflect on how validation and recognition can be better done. Given the new political impetus, the Lifelong Learning Platform is dedicating its focus in 2026 to validation and recognition of learning as an Annual Theme. As Cedefop indicates that half of the population of the EU is in need of upskilling and reskilling, this will also put new pressures on the systems and professionals for validation and recognition. Access to data on validation users remains scarce and fragmentary in EU Member States (Cedefop, 2023). Beyond awareness, the length and complexity of the process remain strong barriers for uptake. This paper will consider what accounts for validation and recognition, demystifying the processes, but also exploring approaches across a wide spectrum of stakeholders (within formal education, within non-formal and informal learning, within the workplace, etc.).

Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe (STRIDE) STRIDE will provide a new, comprehensive and comparative knowledge-base on effective education reforms, policy initiatives and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in education, training and learning outcomes in Europe. STRIDE will do this through analyses of education reforms in national and regional systems, existing large-scale educational assessment data and existing longitudinal data on the causal link between educational and other social policies and inequalities in educational achievements. STRIDE will closely examine the range of intersectional variables such as socio-economic background, gender, (dis)abilities, migration status, home language, early childhood education and care (ECEC) attendance, which may affect learning outcomes in different ways in different contexts. Through the involvement of national and European stakeholders, STRIDE will develop methodology and assessment tools for policy learning offering policymakers a toolbox of enhanced knowledge of what shapes educational outcomes over time and demonstrating the usefulness of longitudinal data in policy-making to reduce educational inequalities in the short, medium and long term. Objectives Overall objectives: To map longitudinal data and assess inequalities in education, training, and learning outcomes over time and identify reforms and interventions that compensate for those inequalities and formulate recommendations and a guide to good practices. STRIDE will do this through 8 specific objectives and 6 work packages (WP2 - WP7, WP1 is reserved for project management): Specific objective 1: Deliver an overview of significant national and regional education reforms aimed at rectifying inequalities in education and learning outcomes and to promote equity and inclusion over the past 25 years in Europe. This will be done through a comparative and historical policy analysis at European and national levels (WP2). Specific objective 2: Map the trends of inequalities in educational achievement of students over the past two decades in Europe. This will done through mapping and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and evaluations following the key educational reforms (WP2), supplemented by a re-analysis of large-scale educational assessment studies, using quasi-panel analytic techniques to study data from International Large Scale Assessment studies (ILSAs) (WP3). Specific objective 3: Develop an interactive map depicting the significant factors in policy development and student achievement that foster or hamper equity, inclusion and resilience in education, training and educational achievements over time (WP4). Specific objective 4: Deliver new knowledge on how other social policies (employment, family, child welfare, etc.) may affect the learning outcomes of education policy initiatives through qualitative studies into policymaking in five countries (Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom as these countries have existing appropriate longitudinal data to be analysed by STRIDE (WP5). Specific objective 5: Identify new perspectives on how pupils progress in education systems. STRIDE will demonstrate that the knowledge drawn from longitudinal studies can provide a valuable input into effective policy initiatives and interventions that compensate for inequalities in learning outcomes over time in five European countries (Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland, and the United Kingdom) (WP5). Specific objective 6: Develop a policy database with links between cross-sectoral policy making and the intersectional factors that affect intergenerational reproduction of inequalities in educational achievement (WP5). Specific objective 7: Implement a comprehensive impact and dissemination strategy in order to enhance public knowledge on the value of longitudinal data in policy making and its usefulness for policy learning at national and EU levels, and factors that can reduce inequalities in education (WP7). Specific objective 8: Explore and develop a toolbox of techniques for facilitating cross-sectoral policymaking and assessment of inequalities in education, training and learning achievements over time using longitudinal data on learning (WP6-7). Partner institutions Oslo Metropolitan University (OSLOMET), Norway (NO) Roehampton University (RU), United Kingdom (UK) National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece (EL) VIA University College, Denmark (DK) Lifelong Learning platform (LLLP), Belgium (BE) TÁRKI Social Research Institute (TÁRKI), Hungary (HU) Jagiellonian University (JU), Poland (PL) Project managers: Lihong Huang, Dawn Heskestad (OSLOMET) From LLLP: projects@lllplatform.eu Project period: 01/02/2024 - 31/01/2027 Financing: EU Horizon Europe Website: https://stride-research.eu/

During our General Assembly on 29–30 June, we welcomed three new members to our network. All three organisations share our commitment to building a better future for the lifelong learning community. In this article, we take a closer look at who they are, what they do, who they work with, and why their work makes our platform more diverse and stronger. garagErasmus Foundation garagErasmus Foundation is a professional network of the Erasmus Generation that aims to contribute to a better-integrated Europe by connecting universities, cities and companies and transforming student mobility into long-term opportunities for people and society. By helping institutions turn international experiences into employability, innovation and active European citizenship, garagErasmus supports young talents not only while they are abroad, but throughout their journey into professional and civic life. Its mission is clear: to turn mobility into a lifelong asset. The organisation believes that mobility changes lives. It expands horizons, develops soft skills, boosts employability and strengthens the sense of belonging to Europe. However, its value is not automatic: it requires guidance, support and recognition. This is why garagErasmus acts before, during and after international experiences, helping institutions make mobility more accessible, meaningful and future-oriented. But… how did it all start? garagErasmus was born in 2012 from a simple idea: the Erasmus experience shouldn't end when the exchange is over. What began as a community of former Erasmus students has evolved into a European foundation that brings together organisations committed to mobility as a driver of personal and social development. Over the years, garagErasmus has grown into a strategic partner for universities, local associations and companies seeking to invest in talent and internationalisation. As the Erasmus+ programme continues to evolve, garagErasmus remains committed to championing the value of mobility and ensuring that every student's journey can become a stepping stone towards personal development and European engagement. Its commitment is clear: to empower the Erasmus Generation and make mobility a long-term driver of talent and social change. Cooperatives Europe Cooperatives Europe (CE) is the European regional organisation of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), the global body representing the cooperative movement worldwide. Established in 2006, it is the voice of cooperative enterprises in Europe and works to promote and strengthen the cooperative business model across the region. Today, Cooperatives Europe brings together 84 member organisations from 33 European countries, representing 163 million individual members, 250,000 cooperative enterprises and 5.4 million jobs. These figures highlight the significant role of cooperatives in driving economic growth and social change across Europe. Cooperatives Europe advocates for a plurality of business models and works to increase awareness and recognition of cooperatives among European institutions, national governments and other stakeholders. It also supports the development of policies that enable the sustainable growth of cooperative enterprises and strengthens connections across its network by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and good practices. Cooperatives are also important actors in advancing Europe's sustainable development agenda. As people-centred and values-based businesses, they empower individuals to actively participate in their own social and economic development. As a new member of our network, Cooperatives Europe brings a valuable perspective on participation, cooperation and peer learning, contributing to our shared goal of building more inclusive and sustainable societies through lifelong learning. Lie detectors Lie Detectors is an independent, award-winning, journalist-driven media literacy organisation working to counter the impact of online disinformation and polarisation on democracy. As Europe's largest organisation of its kind, it empowers young people and teachers to navigate the online information environment and distinguish fact from fake. The organisation works with journalists, teachers and students to promote media literacy and a better understanding of ethical journalism. Its network of more than 500 trained journalists delivers interactive, inclusive and non-political workshops to children aged 10–15, while also providing teacher training that equips educators with practical tools and knowledge to continue developing media literacy skills with their students. Lie Detectors also contributes insights from its practical work to research, policy and advisory processes in education and digital rights. By connecting the experiences of young people and educators with journalists and policymakers, it helps strengthen media literacy education and inform the development of policies and tools that respond to the evolving challenges of the digital information environment. Founded in 2017 by award-winning journalist Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck, Lie Detectors has since grown into a leading provider of journalist-driven media literacy education in Europe, training more than 26,000 children every year as well as teachers internationally. As a new associate member of our network, Lie Detectors brings valuable expertise at the intersection of education, digital literacy and democratic participation. Its work highlights the importance of equipping learners and educators with the skills they need to navigate today's information landscape critically and responsibly — an essential part of lifelong learning in an increasingly digital society. We are delighted to welcome garagErasmus Foundation, Cooperatives Europe and Lie Detectors to our network. Their diverse expertise and perspectives will enrich our platform and contribute to our shared mission of promoting lifelong learning across Europe. We look forward to working together, exchanging knowledge and building new collaborations to help shape a more inclusive, sustainable and learning-oriented Europe. Welcome to the network!

In a major step toward strengthening continuous training in the European Union, the Lifelong Learning Week (LLLWeek) is partnering with the European Skills & VET Week this year. This collaboration will see the Lifelong Learning Awards—an established highlight of the Lifelong Learning Week—featured as part of the European Skills & VET Week programme. The initiative on skills and VET, organised by Cedefop and led by the European Commission, connects social partners, VET providers and public authorities to share insights, showcase best practices and drive strategies for upskilling and reskilling across Europe Find out more about the European Skills & VET Week The Lifelong Learning Awards (LLLAwards) celebrate excellence across various sectors of education and training, recognizing projects and initiatives that promote inclusion, creativity, and high-quality learning opportunities for all. This year’s edition will focus on the Lifelong Learning Platform’s Annual Theme: ‘Reimagining validation and recognition: give value to all learners, learning and competences’, highlighting validation and recognition processes that make people’s learning visible and valued across 4 categories: best policy, best organisation, best tool and best learner. Their inclusion in the European Skills & VET Week, underscores the partner’s shared commitment to advancing lifelong learning pathways and continuous skills development. Furthermore, the partnership aims to demonstrate how skills development, upskilling, and reskilling efforts can be maximised through strong, cross-sector collaboration. A Shared Stage By pooling resources, this year’s European Skills & VET Week serves as an open, European-wide platform where policymakers, social partners, educators, and civil society organizations can directly exchange local practices and turn grassroots insights into European action. The success of the European Skills & VET Week depends entirely on the voices of the people it is designed to serve. Activities and localized events are running throughout the year, across the EU and partner countries. Find out how to participate in the European Skills & VET Week Whether you are a training provider looking to link your local event to the European campaign, a policy advocate, or a learner with a story to share, your footprint matters.

On 29-30 June 2026, the Lifelong Learning Platform held its annual General Assembly in Brussels. In an extended two-day version, it brought together the whole membership to approve reports, plans and take new substantial decisions, as well as to elect new representatives and engage in forward-looking discussions with decision makers. LLLP High-Level Policy Debate The gathering started on 29 June at the European Parliament, where policy-makers and civil society organisations gathered to discuss the implications of AI in education and training. The event was hosted by MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament, in his capacity of co-chair of the Intergroup on the Future of Education and Skills for a Competitive Europe. With the insightful keynote speaker Professor Rose Luckin from the University College London with her speech “Taming the brave new world: Key Competences for AI, what’s at stake for lifelong learning?” a speech about the importance and richness of our humanity and our intelligence and the relationship we need to build with AI to increase the sophistication of our understanding and human capabilities. We also had a very fruitful panel discussion "Connecting the ‘nodes’: Bringing all stakeholders to work together" gathered the insights from Francesca Maltauro, from the European Commission, Andreea Calbeaza, from Microsoft and T. J. Ó Ceallaigh , representing ATEE and LLLP where participants heard the different perspectives on how AI is being used in different learning environments and amongst educators, and the transversal skills needed to make AI a supporting tool in learning. Aware of challenges and opportunities, civil society organisations pledged to ride the wave of technological transformation, keeping it under the wing of a learner-centred approach. General Assembly 2026 Already in the afternoon of the first day, the actual General Assembly took place. Members of LLLP approved without reserves financial reports and programmatic documents and they also elected new members of the Steering Committee, our administrative body. Giorgos Giorgakis (EfVET) was elected and Balázs Németh (eucen) was re-elected as members of the Steering Committee, as the mandates of Jonathan Harding (EfVET) and Caridad Alarcón (OBESSU) came to an end. The whole Lifelong Learning Platform wishes to thank them for their unwavering energy and commitment to advancing the role of lifelong learning in Europe - and beyond. LLLP is also delighted to announce that three new members have joined the platform: Lie Detectors, Cooperatives Europe and GaragErasmus Foundation were all approved. Importantly, members decided to amend the statutes and internal rules of LLLP, thus allowing additional categories of members to join the LLLPlatform; now LLLP will also have observers, accounting for national representation at EU level. Overall, a joyful and fruitful two-day event, which paves the way for more actions and a network that is now stronger than ever.

Across the MUS-E® Network coordinated by the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation (IYMF), teacher and artist training continues to bring the programme's methodology to life in classrooms. In Brussels, IYMF and MUS-E Belgium are organising a two-day training on 7-8 July 2026 at the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, led by artist-trainers Isabelle Maurel and Patries Wichers, combining theory with hands-on workshops in movement, dance, music, and visual arts. You can register here. Meanwhile, in Greece, a two-day seminar held in Kalamata on 9-10 May brought together around 35 teachers and artists from four local primary schools, with contributions from IYMF Executive Vice-President Marianne Poncelet and the Greek Children's Art Museum, reaffirming how collaboration between teachers and artists can open the door to a more creative, inclusive school for every child. Read more about it here. You can learn more about MUS-E® here.

Early Bird deadline closing soon! - Join ECSAS 2026 Hundreds of student affairs and services professionals will gather in Seville from 11–13 November for the 8th edition of ECSAS 2026. Under the theme “Centering Student Affairs within the Higher Education Ecosystem,” ECSAS will bring together leading voices from Europe and beyond to address the pressing challenges shaping higher education today, from student well-being and international mobility to digital transformation and institutional resilience. Through inspiring discussions and valuable networking, participants will explore how student affairs can drive more inclusive, supportive, and future-oriented campuses. ● Early Bird Deadline: 30 June 2026 ● Regular Deadline: From 1 July to 6 September 2026 ● When? 11-13 November 2026 ● Where? Seville, Spain ● Who? Student Affairs Professionals Register here EucA Opportunities for Students Now free! - Student Bootcamp: Shaping the Future The Student Bootcamp: Shaping the Future is an intensive program focused on active European citizenship and leadership development. The experience will strengthen critical thinking, civic engagement, and intercultural dialogue through engaging in professional and cultural activities. Now fully covered for international students, EucA is inviting young people to apply to the adventure before 22 July. ● Where? Perugia, Italy ● Who? University students (Bachelor’s Degree), Master’s students, and recent graduates. ● When? 12-15 October 2026 More information here. Madrid Innovation Safari University students from all study areas are invited to discover Madrid’s vibrant social innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem through an immersive international experience. Participants will engage in expert-led workshops, hands-on activities, and inspiring exchanges with entrepreneurs. Alongside the learning experience, students will also explore the culture, energy, and creativity at the heart of Spain’s capital. ● Where? Madrid, Spain ● Who? University students (Bachelor’s Degree), Master’s students, and recent graduates. ● When? 19-22 October 2026 ● Deadline: 15 July More information here.

It is April 2026 and Split, Croatia, is the setting of the biggest get together of Erasmus Students, the Erasmus Generation Meeting. Young people from all over Europe come together to celebrate the achievements of the Erasmus+ programme on learning mobility and to join forces to further improve its implementation in the future. One detail quickly stands out, Erasmus+ trainees are a lot less represented and the level of awareness of participants about this opportunity appears low. Another detail that came to the fore was the widely different experiences among students who undertook such opportunities. While some students have worked closely with their higher education institutions, preparing together their experience, maintaining check-ups during the mobility period and with appropriate post-mobility assessments; a number of students faced numerous challenges including obtaining little information from their higher education institutions, having to conduct their own search for placements and poor communication throughout the mobility and after. For the partners of the project “Digitalising Erasmus Traineeship Application & Support” (DETAS), these stark differences in mobility experiences were not all new and had led the partners to develop DETAS as their way of raising awareness and addressing the issues around Erasmus+ traineeships. The partnership has ensured to look at the different dimensions of traineeships, delving on one hand into academic research and student experiences and on the other, engaging with employers to find different avenues so that traineeships do not become an insurmountable crossroad for students and employers alike. How are Higher Education Institutions faring when it comes to mobile trainees? Findings from the latest DETAS report show that two thirds of HEIs have resources and supporting mechanisms for students that wish to go on Erasmus+ traineeships and that HEIs mainly support prospective trainees before the student departs. These results show still a long road ahead before achieving seamless traineeship journeys for learners across Europe. This report on the institutional implementation of the Erasmus+ traineeships at the Higher Educational Institutions' level is based on a 2025 survey of 137 HEI staff responses across 39 countries. It maps existing support measures (before, during and after), challenges and perceived benefits for students and HEIs, taking note of any eventual barriers, issues and ways to improve traineeship quality and access. As traineeships represent a mix of learning and working, national legislations have different approaches which then comes down to universities across Europe showing different ways of support to future trainees. For example, in countries with non-compulsory Erasmus+ traineeships, universities have been successful at leveraging the influence of alumni ambassadors who encourage students to participate. However, as seen in the previous paragraph, most efforts concentrate on this pre-departure period. It was found that only in recent years have HEIs been more focused on developing support measures for during and after the traineeship. This situation makes projects like DETAS even more relevant as it represents a key opportunity for peer learning and mutual support among HEIs to better harmonise traineeship processes across Member States. Not surprisingly, as also discussed in the report on student experiences, one of the most challenging parts for students on a traineeship is the financial implications. To help students in this regard, HEIs have been working on two ways: some decided to only accept students who go on traineeships where they get some sort of monetary compensation, while others offer additional funds to students beyond the Erasmus+ traineeship grant. In terms of engaging with the student during the time of mobility, results indicate how just over half of HEIs have feedback sessions with students in case of an issue arising. Post-traineeship, the most common practice for HEIs is to send feedback surveys to students after they return from their host country. …And what about their relationship with employers? The report shows underwhelming results with only a third of European HEIs actively engaging with international employers who could host their students and less than one-third of HEIs asking for feedback from the company. This reality represents a huge challenge which hinders the impact of Erasmus+ traineeships and it is, together with student support, another area that should remain the focus of attention for HEIs moving forward. The DETAS project is showing already a good example of communication among students, HEIs and employers which should continue and be further upscaled in the future in order to turn these figures around and ensure that all HEIs actively engage with international employers and maintain a good level of communication with them before, during and after the traineeship cycles. Working together for better international traineeship experiences While the report clearly indicates that there are positive ongoing developments in Higher Education, the advancements remain slow relative to the ambitions being placed on Erasmus+ traineeships. With ongoing discussions around a new Directive on Traineeships and the debates around the future budget for Erasmus+, it remains to be seen whether students, HEIs and employers will have the resources to achieve the goals set upon by the EU when it comes to traineeships. A properly funded Erasmus+ programme and adequate national budgets supporting quality traineeships are key to facilitate the collaboration among stakeholders to improve and harmonise the traineeship experience and provide young people with the competences needed not only to face the future but to shape it themselves. Read the full report in Zenodo here and the accompanying guidelines for Higher Education Institutions here.