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On 23-24 September, LLLP members gathered from all corners of Europe to participate in the 2021 General Assembly of the Lifelong Learning Platform. It was the first time that LLLP held a hybrid GA, with participants both in presence in Brussels and online. Most of the membership was present, and the agenda made room for some important debates and consequent decisions, mainly on forward-looking priorities and activities. The membership contributed to steering LLLP’s activities and helped craft a new pathway for the near future and for the post-COVID. Valuable inputs identified the main challenges for LLLP but also creative and efficient solutions for the months to come. The GA was also a moment to recognise the importance of the network, and its growth: LLLP is happy to announce that Diesis Network joined the family as associate members! LLLP elected three new members to the Steering Committee ! The membership has confirmed Arja Krauchenberg ( EPA ) and Tamara Gojkovic ( YEU International ) and at the same time filled in a vacant seat by electing Elisa Gambardella ( SOLIDAR ) to the Steering Committee. The membership also elected a new President: Giuseppina Tucci ( OBESSU ) was elected for two years, the remainder of her mandate in the Steering Committee. Serving in the Steering Committee for the past four years, Giuseppina has matured a consistent experience of LLLP highest body and has shown great commitment to the LLLP cause. The second day saw members debate the next years in LLLP’s advocacy. Membership confirmed the transversal priority for the digital transition and this led to the establishment of a new Working Group on the internationalisation of education! Stay tuned to learn more about LLLP priorities: from investment to education, to lifelong learning for all, to digital learning in the context of the pandemic and to inclusive education. A new year opens up for the LLLPlatform, and we are proud to say that LLLP steps into it with a strong membership, a clear pathway and the usual ambition to shape the future of education in Europe.

The most inspiring event on higher education in the digital age returns: The University:Future Festival will take place from 2 to 4 November 2021 under the motto “Open for Discussion” – organised by Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) and Stiftung Innovation in Hochschullehre (StIL). We are a partner of the festival. LLLP is glad to be lsited as one of the trusted partners for such an innovative and exciting happening! For three days in November, more than a thousand people will meet digitally to discuss topics such as hybrid learning, diversity, artificial intelligence and future skills. The festival is aimed at everyone concerned with the present and future of academic education : Leaders, Teachers and students; activists and representatives from politics and administration; civil society and university employees; artists and scientists; EdTech founders and the press. With a bilingual programme (German and English) in many areas, the festival is open to both national visitors and guests from abroad. The call for participation and the registration starts on 21 Juli. The festival is free of charge. The Festival The motto of the University:Future Festival 2021 is: Open for discussion . It stands for openness, for accessibility, for discourse – and for exploring the future together. The programme is mainly based on submissions from our community . On 2 November, the event starts with the Demo:Day , which is aimed at everyone interested in technical solutions. Visitors can try out innovative EdTech ideas and tools and get to know the people behind them. Also on 2 November, the BarCamp:Day will take place, an open format that allows spontaneous entries and discussions. On the Conference:Day on 3 November, the festival invites speakers from Germany and around the world to share their insights and experiences. Last year’s confirmed speakers included Federal Minister Anja Karliczek, EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Riel Miller from UNESCO. If the situation allows, we will allow a limited studio audience in Berlin for Conference:Day. The festival ends on 4 November with the Workshops:Day , which offers space for longer and more interactive formats. Info and registrations on the event website !

Every year, the State of the Union address represents a key moment in the European calendar, highlighting crucial priorities for the imminent future and setting out what truly matters in the eyes of the European Commission; every year, we look forward to this special moment in the hope to see an increased commitment towards education and training.   Of course, it is only natural that most of the attention is given to the COVID pandemic, including the efforts towards a universal roll-out of vaccination, as well as the fight against climate change – the two most important battles for the human race. These efforts can’t be undertaken nationally, Commission President von der Leyen explained, and the current situation reinforces the need for stronger European cooperation. To this end, Europe shall continue to uphold its role and lead Member States out of this dim scenario.   We regret that for yet another year, the space and depth given to education and training can be best described as underwhelming: President’s Von der Leyen’s speech fell short of our expectations to root the recovery in education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. This comes despite figures stating Member States committed around 25% of their Recovery funds to social education and employment sectors. In her sixty-minute speech , education was mentioned twice: the first time, as a tool thanks to which companies make profits, and the second time as a framework where youth should experience no gaps. The Lifelong Learning Platform insists that, on the contrary, education should not be a means to something else, but an end in itself .   It is noteworthy to remark that the mentions of investment in education and training were somehow limited to the primary role of digital skills for the recovery of the economy alone. Here the President of the Commission placed the highest expectations (“make it or break it”), but digital skills are merely treated as a response to market and investors’ needs, rather than as an opportunity for social inclusion of those without basic skills and media literacy and to address the digital divide – an issue which was brought sharply into focus throughout the pandemic . Hopefully, the announced proposal for a Council Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills will keep in due consideration the needs of the learners besides those of the market. Failing to root this proposal on the needs of the most excluded could result in disastrous patterns for the social texture of European societies.   On the other hand, it was comforting to see the President of the European Commission place such a positive emphasis on youth . She announced the creation of a new programme called ALMA – likely to serve as an incentive to learning mobility in the workplace. Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for young people, but we should not forget that they should be about learning, not just a way to provide a cheap workforce to companies – as we are seeing all too often in work contexts. This is why, as she rightfully noted, “the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights is so important to ensure decent jobs, fairer working conditions, better healthcare and better balance in people’s lives”. Moreover, President Von der Leyen announced the intention to make 2022 the Year of European Youth . We welcome such an endeavour, in the hope that youth – and crucially learners – will be empowered to meaningfully co-create the policy that concerns them.   While the important focus on youth is welcomed, the same focus should have been put on adults, especially the older population – rather than antagonising generations which the Covid-19 crisis has arguably done, we need to empower all segments of the population. Intergenerational solidarity must be rebuilt for the resilience and sustainability of society at large.   When President Von der Leyen presented her team in 2019, we wrote an ironic piece titled “ Ursula, where did you hide education? ”. Two years into the work of her Commission, and close enough to the mid-term, this title still rings true. Since no mention of education was made during the speech, LLLP will strengthen its advocacy efforts in the relevant arenas to step in and state once again the importance of education and training for resilient and sustainable societies .   In the opening part of her speech, President Von der Leyen quoted Robert Schuman and stated that “Europe needs a soul, an ideal, and the political will to serve this ideal”: we believe that this European soul shall be forged through a renewed and refound relevance of educational opportunities for all. It is the foundation of any good society on a human scale, and we are certain that Europe aspires to be one.

The 6th World Forum on Lifelong Learning took place on 1-2 July in a hybrid format, both in Brussels and online. Organised by the World Committee for Lifelong Learnin g, LLLP’s longstanding partner, and under the patronage of both UNESCO and the European Commission, it sought to address the challenges related to making lifelong learning a tool for personal and professional development in the new global context. The Forum drew on the expertise of outstanding experts and speakers to formulate 42 recommendations to policy-makers, tackling some important headlines: The future(s) of education The role of the EU in lifelong learning The role of lifelong learning in migration A changing economy Gender equality Towards a learning society Soft skills: a miracle solution? The promotion of health As a recognised partner, LLLP extensively contributed both to the event itself and to the liaison with the European Union institutions. In fact, and through the organisation of a workshop with EU officials and representatives of civil society organisations in Europe, LLLP managed to put forward its unique holistic approach to lifelong learning, and the need for a constant dialogue with the institution to mainstream these values into our socieites. Read more here .

As a member of the Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Lifelong Learning Platform participates in thematic clusters. These clusters seek to ensure that common positions are achieved amid civil society organisations and then brought to the attention of the Conference. Such was the case on July 7th, when LLLP took part in the workshop cluster on education and culture. In our eyes, the main effort was to ensure that a lifelong learning approach is taken into account with regards to education; under our thrust, and in symbiosis with other participants, LLLP maintains that the following three topics are proposed to the citizens panels: What role and objectives for education? How do we deal with Europe’s troubled historical past? How can we expand mobility in education and culture? Among the most pressing issues, the following LLLP’s priorities have been recognised as top-flight issues to be addressed by the Conference Citizens’ Panels: Citizenship education Education mobility Access to quality education Skills and media literacy Non-formal education and validation

The LEAD! Project (No more Specific Learning Disorders!) is closer to its final purpose: promoting inclusion of students with SLD (Specific Learning Disorders – dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, and dyslexia). Due to the COVID-19 crisis, and in order to ensure the smooth development of the activities and of the online platform hosting the training modules, a help desk and a community for families, schools and SLD students, the project was extended by 12 months. During the last months, project partners have been engaged in the development of training modules, tool detection, and the first versions of the #MySkills platform . On top of this, focus groups have been organised in all partner countries. These focus groups were held online: by the University of Valladolid, on November 12, 2020, by ENFOR on November 26, 2020, by the Inspectoratul Scolar Jedetean on November 26, 2020, by the Comprehensive Institute 2 on December 3, 2020, and by the Lifelong Learning Platform on April 29, 2021.   Each meeting saw the participation of experts from different fields: university professors, managers and teachers of schools, representatives of VET companies, professionals of enterprises producing compensatory tools and instruments, local administrations and representatives of ministries, associations, social companies and professional categories.   During the meeting, the following topics were discussed   Topic I: Learning difficulties detection and identification system.   Topic II: Instruments and use of compensation tools at school and at home. Topic III: MY SKILLS Platform. Among the most relevant aspects, we highlighted that teacher training , compensatory tools and dispensative measures are essential to provide the appropriate and needed support to students. A personalized educational and didactic project, commensurate with the potential of each student, thus becomes a necessary tool for: planning interventions, continuously improving assistance, identifying tools and educational solutions suitable for students. Furthermore, it shows how the emotional aspects are fundamental in the learning process, but also in the personal growth as a person. Proper teacher training and particular attention to emotional aspects guarantee an inclusive process, an aspect that we will highlight in the next steps we will take in the further development of the project. The project launch event was a webinar held on 7 May 2021. More than 30 people from the different partner countries met to discuss the progress of the LEAD! project and the presentation of the #MYSKILLS platform. After the welcoming speech and introductory observations by Cosimo Minonni, president of ENFOR (project coordinator), each project partner presented the different facets of the project in their mother tongue: a multicultural and very satisfying day! In conclusion, the LEAD! project must be prepared to adequately train the main educational agents of students with TLS (parents and teachers), as well as to provide the necessary support in the acquisition of the use of compensatory tools by children and adolescents with learning difficulties.   Unfortunately, these focus groups couldn’t be held face-to-face, although they do meet online every month. What’s next? A project meeting will take place in autumn 2021 – at the University of Valladolid (Spain).

The need for adequate and equitable lifelong learning opportunities has gathered significant consensus in contemporary society. Aside from being a key policy tool in the effort to equip and re-equip the population with much needed upskilling and re-skilling opportunities, it is also a fundamental component in realising a sustainable future that is premised on the principles of active citizenship, learning for learning’s sake, critical thinking and inciting fruitful civic spaces. Establishing a culture of lifelong learning would deconstruct the idea that learning is to be carried out at a certain point in an individual’s life – sowing the seeds for intergenerational engagement in meaningful settings. The Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) subscribes to the notion that access to quality and inclusive training and lifelong learning is a matter of right – to be accessible to all at any point in time regardless of social background and/or financial means. It is from this position that we greatly welcome the initiatives: Individual learning accounts (ILAs) and Microcredentials (MCs), as proposed by the European Commission. Both can be understood as a step in the right direction in the gallant and pertinent effort to adequately support people in the acquisition of skills and learning at any point across the life course. The European Commission launched open public consultations to gather inputs on both of the initiatives respectively – to which LLLP contributed. Both initiatives pave the way for a more flexible and learner-centred approach. How? Micro-credentials are a potential tool that can boost lifelong learning policies by bringing more flexibility to the learning pathways and personalised learning thanks to the modular approach and portability of credits. While there is virtually no mention of access for disadvantaged groups, LLLP holds that microcredentials could foster a more inclusive E&T offer and, in particular, could be a relevant form of qualification for learners who cannot access other types of qualifications, such as migrants and refugees.   Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs), on the other hand, have the potential to close existing labour market skills gap and – crucially, in our eyes – social gaps too. However, the scope of ILAs seems to be based on employment status alone and “working-age individuals”. LLLP, therefore, calls for the recognition of a universal entitlement to lifelong learning to all, especially to younger adults not yet in the labour market. Education is a universal right and a public good, which is why we stress the importance of preventing ILAs from only benefiting those who have an employment-related status. Organised civil society will seize this momentum to make lifelong learning a reality for all: for education – and therefore lifelong learning – is a universal right that works best when it is implemented for its own sake.   Useful resources: LLLP contribution to ILAs Roadmap LLLP contribution to Microcredentials Roadmap European Commission’s Open Public Consultation on ILAs European Commission’s Open Public Consultation on Microcredentials

The Lifelong Learning Platform is delighted to announce that it will be holding its 2021 General Assembly on 23 and 24 September . This is due to take place in a hybrid format – both online and in presence. As with every year, members will gather to discuss the general direction of LLLP, and will also proceed to the election of three new Steering Committee members. The rotation system has it that three members of the Steering Committee will end their mandate this year. The GA will thus be tasked with electing these new representatives, as stated in our statutes and internal rules. The presidential election is also held every year. On the first day of the GA current LLLP members will be given the opportunity to voice the challenges they have faced throughout the pandemic and also share their ideas for the future in the context of post-covid 19. The first day will also be an occasion to vote on and welcome new members in the LLLP family. If you are interested in becoming a member of LLLP and would like to learn more about the procedures and added value, find more info here .   The second day will be forward looking in orientation. A series of break-out sessions will consider activities such as the annual theme for 2022; training and Working Groups, project cooperation (and first experiences with Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships); advocacy and policy initiatives such as the Conference on the Future of Europe, the European Education Area, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility will also be discussed.    If you require any further information do not hesitate to contact the LLLP at administration@lllplatform.eu .

The Lifelong Learning Platform is delighted to announce that it will be holding its 2021 General Assembly on 23 and 24 September . This is due to take place in a hybrid format – both online and in presence. As with every year, members will gather to discuss the general direction of LLLP, and will also proceed to the election of three new Steering Committee members. The rotation system has it that three members of the Steering Committee will end their mandate this year. The GA will thus be tasked with electing these new representatives, as stated in our statutes and internal rules. The presidential election is also held every year. On the first day of the GA current LLLP members will be given the opportunity to voice the challenges they have faced throughout the pandemic and also share their ideas for the future in the context of post-covid 19. The first day will also be an occasion to vote on and welcome new members in the LLLP family. If you are interested in becoming a member of LLLP and would like to learn more about the procedures and added value, find more info here .   The second day will be forward looking in orientation. A series of break-out sessions will consider activities such as the annual theme for 2022; training and Working Groups, project cooperation (and first experiences with Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships); advocacy and policy initiatives such as the Conference on the Future of Europe, the European Education Area, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility will also be discussed.    If you require any further information do not hesitate to contact the LLLP at administration@lllplatform.eu .

The Lifelong Learning Platform is delighted to announce that we have been successfully admitted to an official partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), with consultative status under the Directives concerning UNESCO’s partnership with non-governmental organisations (36 C/Res. 108). UNESCO believes that education and training is a human right for all throughout life and that access must be matched by quality. The Organisation is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to cover all aspects of education. It has been entrusted to lead the Global Education 2030 Agenda through Sustainable Development Goal 4 .   It is our belief that the values and principles upheld by UNESCO greatly correspond to those of LLLP. Indeed, UNESCO understands that education and training, when made accessible to all, provides us with a powerful tool for eradicating poverty, improving the lives of communities, making sustainability a reality, as well as sowing the seeds for each individual to reach their full potential and thrive. An additional commonality we share is a lifelong learning approach to education, which far from being reduced to a small moment in one’s life, is something that can and should be available at any point in a person’s life – regardless of age or financial means. It is our hope that this partnership will further enable LLLP to make the case for learning as a lifelong endeavour, available and accessible to all as a matter of right. It is also anticipated that this partnership will widen the scope of LLLP’s work and provide new avenues for engagement that will strengthen our capacity to positively influence policy.

The Lifelong Learning Lab took place online at the beginning of June, bringing together over 100 participants to form a space of dialogue and discussion around a number of topics related to EU decision making, the feasibility of establishing lifelong learning platforms at the national level, and in relation to broadening the collaborative scope of civil society organisations as a means for strengthening their influence in EU decision making arenas. The discussions that emerged where both fruitful and forward looking in orientation. It was emphasised that, now more than ever, lifelong learning needs to be positioned as key policy tool, not only as a means for building the capacity of individuals to deal with changes in the labour market; but also to afford people the opportunity to develop personally and collectively, and to benefit from the intrinsic value of learning – at any point in their lives, regardless of financial means or age. Looking further, the event also shed light on the value that collaboration can bring for civil society organisations, not only in relation to realising common concerns, but also in relation to influencing EU decision making, and making the voice of civil society a permanent fixture in policy arenas. Stronger together was the chief message. As a closing remark it is perhaps best to consider the final words voiced in the event: It is hoped that the event will pave the way for a renewed emphasis on the importance of civil society cooperation and the feasibility of establishing national lifelong learning platforms . The need is great, and the time is right. Here are a few resources we would like to share with you: The recording of the first day and the recording of the second day respectively.

LLLP, together with its member the Cités des métiers International Network, is running a short survey to better understand the needs and practices regarding the management of multi-stakeholder cooperation and partnerships in the field of career guidance . The survey is addressed to practitioners in the field of lifelong career guidance (including policy-makers and civil servants) who have experience in the cooperation and partnerships with multiple stakeholders. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. Answer the survey here before the 30 of June 2021. The answers will contribute to a mapping of practices in lifelong career guidance , the design of a training programme for multi-stakeholder partnership managers, as well as to guidelines on how to setup and maintain the cooperation. Thanks in advance for your contribution. The Lifelong Learning Platform is a partner in the Erasmus+ project “ Keep In Pact ” coordinated by its member the Cités des métiers International Network (RICDM) . The “Keep Innovation in multi-partnership cooperation in lifelong guidance services” project is led by RICDM and gather 5 partner organisations : Universcience-Cité des métiers de Paris (FR), Learning digital (IT), Municipality of Porto-Cité des métiers (PT), the Agency for Science and Higher Education (Croatia) and the Lifelong Learning Platform (BE).