powered by the Learning for Well-being framework The first training sessions of the iBOX programme, which focused on Access and Participation in learning environments, were a success! During the afternoons of 14, 15 and 16 May, the first course of the iBOX online training programme was held with a group of more than 25 participants. Facilitated by the Learning for Well-being Foundation , three modules were followed, from Unpacking Participation in Learning to deep-dive into Participatory Experiences, in order to achieve improved Practice through Participation. The course combined well-being and rights-based lenses on promoting participation in learning. It explored power dynamics, participatory methodologies, and practices that enhance individual, collective and civic engagement. It aimed to empower educators to foster inclusive and participatory learning experiences, ultimately promoting cross-border cooperation and holistic well-being. Participation is often seen as attendance. However, participation is a continuous process, which involves attendance and engagement with learning opportunities, but also the possibility to influence and exercise power over the decisions of their own learning paths. Participants discussed how participation is a right , and condition for the well-being of learners. In these terms, educators, professionals and organisations should commit to participation, and the question is how can participation be included, rather than if it should be. They should focus on supporting the transition of environments with no power to participatory environments, guiding learners. A good example of learning through/by Participation is 3D Education . 3D Learning has been developed for teachers and supervisors to be able to address three differences in learning processes among learners. Three ways were developed, where children first can choose the way they prefer most. Thereafter they also need to take in other two routes, to develop. One route is an individual one, another with a group and another one, in pairs. Another important consideration is to aim for meaningful participation, which requires certain conditions, focusing on the learners’ experience, educators’ commitment and learning environment. Ethical and meaningful participation is: respectful, relevant, voluntary, accountable, adapted to needs (contextualised), among others. Colleagues from different backgrounds and with different professions had the chance to discuss and share their practices on the group setting, small groups brainstorming, and using digital resources. To improve their practice, participants were asked to choose an element where they could invite learners to participate, experiment and evaluate. Different contexts and ideas were discussed within the group. We thank all the participants who joined and enriched the discussion, by sharing their own experiences and perspectives! If you are interested in these topics but could not join, the iBOX partnership will hold a new online training programme later this autumn! And if you're in Brussels, don't miss the opportunity to attend a free, in-person training in June, by registering here . Project Number: 101090952 – Inclusion Box (iBox) ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PCOOP-ENGO Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The last iBOX online training course was held this week - from 11 to 13 June 2024 - and focused on the digital transition and blended work methods. Facilitated by ALL Digital , the three modules discussed the benefits and challenges of digital transformation, the use of blended work methods in learning environments and the context of CSOs and NGOs and digital inclusion.  Discussing digital transformation is an inevitability in today’s world, which is impacting all sectors, including the education and training sectors, educational and training providers, CSOs and NGOs and all organisations which gravitate around the sector. The transition is ongoing, however, it is important to reflect on the impact of the digital space and how it affects social inclusion.  With the participation of 25 people from different sectors and nationalities, the course started with an introduction to the digital transition, benefits and challenges of the digital space and a debate on the role of technology both in the learning environment and different work settings. Blended work methods were presented and tools were shared with participants. Participants also had the opportunity to participate and share their contributions using different digital collaborative tools.  DigComp, the most well-known and widely used digital competence framework at the European and international level, provides a common language to identify and describe the key aspects of digital competence. However, as digital technologies evolve, our understanding and definition of inclusion must also evolve, and although advances have been made to address the digital divide, it remains ever-present within our societies.  To discuss digital exclusion, the participants were presented with an interactive challenge “Do you know what it is to be digitally excluded?”, which can be found here . It was important for participants to put themselves in the shoes of people who are currently digitally excluded. The DigitAll awareness campaign on digital exclusio n was also explored. The campaign video draws attention to the human rights threatened by digital exclusion, such as the right to housing, education, work, and privacy.  And while the transition to digital (education) is inevitable, it must be implemented in a way that caters to the needs of all individuals effectively. To achieve this, different projects were presented regarding inclusive design and digital inclusion, such as Design Index , Universal Design for Learning and tools from the Flemish Knowledge Center Digital and Media Literacy: Mediawijs .  Embracing lifelong learning for digital skills: Keeping up with the pace of technology In a context of the individual and organisational levels, embracing lifelong learning for digital skills is key. By doing so, educators, facilitators and other practitioners stay informed about technological advancements and trends and can effectively participate in today’s digital world. DigCompEdu - European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators was presented as the framework describing what it means for educators to be digitally competent, following the recommendation to explore the Scaffold cards . To assess these digital skills, different tools were showcased to participants: MyDigiSkills and Skillify .  LLLP would like to thank all the participants of the three online training courses, for everyone’s participation and motivation to learn more about inclusion and inclusive practices.  The iBOX partnership will hold a new online training programme in autumn this year, please contact us in case of any doubts or suggestions. Visit the project page here ! And follow all the news on our social media channels! Project Number: 101090952 – Inclusion Box (iBox) ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PCOOP-ENGO Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

by EURASHE Shortly after celebrating International MSMEs (Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Day , it is fitting to highlight a pivotal initiative propelling European economic growth and sustainability: the AIRinVET (Applied Innovation and Research in Vocational Education and Training) project. Funded through Erasmus+, this dynamic project aims to foster applied innovation and research (AIR) within vocational education and training (VET) to bolster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the wider industry. The goal of AIRinVET is to transform how vocational education and training can meet the evolving demands of the European market. With a strong emphasis on applied research and the green and digital transition, the project seeks to equip SMEs with cutting-edge knowledge and innovative practices that drive competitiveness. VET centres foster innovation through applied research, embedding results directly into the education and trainings they offer in their initial and lifelong training programmes. This in turn helps SMEs to gain access to state-of-the-art knowledge , while receiving training for their new and current employees. Inspiring results have already been achieved in several countries where the project consortium is active, such as the Basque Country (Spain). Here, project coordinator TKNIKA led an intervention aimed at promoting applied research practices of the Basque VET system to international audiences. Other European countries where the consortium is active include Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands. International SMEs Day celebrates the crucial role of SMEs in global economies. AIRinVET complements this celebration by demonstrating a concrete commitment to empowering these enterprises through education, applied research, and innovation. By fostering an environment where these three can come together through training, AIRinVET ensures that European SMEs can actively participate in the global and European markets of the future. Learn more about the results on the website of AIRinVET.

On 27-29 June, G7 Ministers responsible for education met in Trieste, Italy, as part of the G7 meeting. The meeting was rooted in the need to prioritise quality education to chart a clear, common course towards sustainable societies and resilient individuals. Discussions focused on the strategic role of education and the need to reinforce multilateral cooperation amidst interconnected global challenges, including the climate crisis and the digital revolution transforming societies at a rapid pace. In fact, the impact that current multiple, interconnected crises have on education systems is enormous, just like the power of education to prepare for change and mitigate against key threats such as conflicts, climate change and economic crises alike.   The meeting resulted in a powerful Declaration . Upholding education as a universal human right, the declaration supports the 2030 Agenda and specifically its Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which serves as the global framework for inclusive and equitable quality education. SDG 4 was rightfully mentioned as an enabling goal, in that achieving quality education for all would accelerate the achievement of all other SDGs, echoing the conclusions of the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit and in view of the upcoming Summit of the Future , in September 2024.  UNESCO welcomed the declaration. “In this moment of dramatic change, investing in education is what we need the most,” said Stefania Giannini , UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “It empowers us to better understand the world and to actively participate in democracy, the economy, peace-building efforts, and climate action.”  Pillars of the declaration include “Valorising everyone's talent” and “Innovative education and new competences”. Unfortunately, these points confine education as an instrument to match supply and demand for competences in the labour market. LLLP has denounced this labour market informed approach to education and training in his 2022 Position paper , dismissing it as problematic for its wider benefits on personal and societal development. These aspects of learning are overlooked in the Ministers’ Declaration. Even the concept of “lifelong learning”, albeit being mentioned throughout the declaration, mistakenly conceals lifelong learning as adult education only.  Interestingly, Ministers place hope on the Global Education Meeting (GEM) organised by UNESCO and hosted in Fortaleza, Brazil, at the end of October, back-to-back with the G20 Education Ministers meeting. The 2024 GEM is set to be a significant milestone in global education, providing a platform for stakeholders to review progress, share best practices, and address the challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education. And the appointment of European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen as Chair of the GEM Report Advisory Board is certainly positive news to foster more cooperation with the EU. This GEM will rally the international community around collective acceleration efforts on SDG 4 targets, something that education stakeholders need more than ever: their presence in the GEM will be decisive to steer the global momentum.

In a word, the new project LLLP’s is involved is all about: Traineeships. The DETAS project aims to enhance student learning experience in Erasmus+ mobility placements by improving the quality of traineeships and their interaction with employers. Erasmus+ traineeships: how they work & why do they matter? Erasmus+ traineeships can be a traineeship (work placement, internship) abroad in an enterprise, a research institute, a laboratory, an organisation or any other relevant workplace, including teaching assistantships for student teachers and research assistantships for students and doctoral candidates in any relevant research facility. They should be supported during studies at any study cycle or for recent graduates and should be considered as full-time work, based on the receiving organisation’s working time and specificities (Erasmus+ Programme Guide). But why are students and recent graduates going on mobility, especially working mobility (traineeship)? Answers show students and recent graduates want to experience different learning (working) environments, meet new people and simply have the opportunity to live abroad . Cultural aspects are important as students and recent graduates want to get to know other cultures and improve additional language skills . As these cultural aspects are perceived as important, it's also pertinent to reflect on how satisfied were students and trainees with your social life during exchange which allow cultural exchanges and community involvement. Mobility placements, including traineeships, involve a clear component of social and cultural life . The COVID-19 pandemic affected students and recent graduates resulting in less satisfaction and more neutral about their experiences. It’s important to consider the post-pandemic dynamics and ensure quality of traineeships and the interactions with employers and the community around the trainee. Another important question focus on what kind of programmes are students and recent graduates using for their international working mobilities? Depending on the country, students and recent graduates are making use of different mobility schemes, including Erasmus+, other EU programmes, national or regional schemes or traineeships independently organised by the students and recent graduates. Erasmus+ mobility plays a very considerable part in ensuring mobility. So, where does DETAS come in? DETAS - Digitalising Erasmus Traineeship Application & Support - aims to improve trainees experiences on mobility, their skills development, cultural and social lives, community involvement. How? By enhancing the quality of traineeships and fostering better interactions with employers . By amplifying the voice and perspective of students and recent graduates , providing support for hosting organisations to improve the learning experience of trainees and consider the role of Higher Education institutions in the implementation of Erasmus+ traineeships, the project will focus on improving the ErasmusIntern portal , a key tool for students looking for traineeships all over the European Union! Interested? For more information, visit the project page or contact us our social media channels! DETAS - Digitalising Erasmus Traineeship Application & Support 101134789 — DETAS — ERASMUS-EDU-2023-PCOOP-ENGO January 2024 - December 2026

On 17-19 June, the Lifelong Learning Platform organised it's first LLLP Days, condensing three major activities back to back. In partnership with the European Parliament and with visit.brussels, it was a great occasion for the education and training community to get together and shape the future of EU policy in the sector. On Monday 17 June, the fourth Lifelong Learning Lab took place to highlight the many ways in which civil society organisations contribute to advancing policies in Europe and in Belgium. Experts and policymakers offered insights into the many ways in which civil society can interact and influence policy making to build more inclusive and democratic education systems. One thing was clear to everyone: while there are still many options for us to voice citizens concerns, the key to "do more" is building cross sector partnerships. The second day of the LLLP Days saw the continuation of the iBox training on inclusion. The training was a learning experienced designed to improve the competences of educators and other adult education staff with the objective of upgrading provision, targeting and effectiveness of adult education and learning. Participants experienced a diverse and innovative pedagogy, geared towards inclusive education and training settings, support for learning providers in addressing diversity and diversity itself among education staff. And we saved the best for last! On 19 June, the LLLP General Assembly took place. On top of regular business and elections LLLP members sat together for the whole day to look at the future of LLLP: what priorities for the years to come? How to adapt to the changing landscape of EU politics, informed by the past elections? How to better build LLLP members' capacity? This and more, in a fruitful day where we all and jointly sought to position LLLP, even more, at the centre of European policy-making in education and training.

The iBOX in-person training was held during the first edition of the LLLDays, on June 17 and 18. It was a great opportunity for participants, from inside and outside the LLLP’s network, to share knowledge and discuss inclusion and inclusive practices. The main goal is the capacity building of staff in educational and training provides, NGOs and CSOs on the 3 main cores in order to create more inclusive work environments and organisations, which therefore can support in creating a more inclusive society. Day 1 - Setting the scene and practices sharing The first day of the iBOX training, on 17 June, was focused on the iBOX project and sharing of inspiring practices. The project was presented, as well as the two main deliverables: Compendium of inspiring practices and the Inclusion and Diversity Charter. Good practices, such as We Are Here: A Child Participation Toolkit (Learning for Well-being Foundation and Eurochild), Get started as a digihelper from Mediawijs or Dutch as a second language (NT2), presented by Crescendo CVO were shared and discussed within the participants. From these practices, participants and partners were encouraged to isolate the main success factors, which can be transversal to other sectors, levels of implementation or contexts. Which successful factors were identified? Among others, the importance of the intergenerational connection, the relevance of capacity building activities, training the trainers, which leads to the creation of the multiplier effects. The need of direct contact with target-groups or of the design based on their needs, importance of volunteering, and use of participatory activities, giving learners power over decisions on their learning path are also considered as important factors. Day 2 - Training courses The second day of training (18 June) started with a quick recap of the iBOX project and an ice-break exercise to prepare the participants for the training. Access and participation in learning environments Facilitator: Chiara Piccolo, Learning for Well-being Foundation The facilitator started with a moment of reflection, to allow participants to reflect and share with the other participants their intention for the training. The core concepts of this session are access and participation. Participants were asked to share how they would define both concepts; followed by the explanation of the journey of each learner into the learning opportunities. The facilitator presented some of the key definitions and modalities of participants and the participants worked in smaller groups, analysing a real case study provided by the participants. Four case studies were discussed and presented by each group: two capacity building for teachers (one on making STEM more inclusive, another one fighting bullying) and two Higher Education courses. Diversity and inclusion Facilitator: Flavien Degoulet, CÉMEA France & Marie-France Zicot, CÉMEA Belgium The facilitator made a brief introduction to the second session, followed by a series of energising to continue to engage participants in the discussion. These energisers were a way to first showcase the diversity existing in the room, in terms of countries, languages, even eye colour. Concepts of diversity, stereotypes, discrimination and intersectionality were discussed, and participants were asked to give personal and professional contributions to the discussion. The next phase of the training focused on segregation, integration, inclusion and exclusion and their tight relation with diversity. Participants were once again encouraged and involved with practical examples of their own experiences. The second facilitator, from CÉMEA Belgium, joined the training to present concrete practices from the organisation. The main practice presented was the “Survival guide in a sexist environment: promoting an education to gender equality” and organisation of training on gender equality in services such as police or social services. Eucen presented in more detail the Inclusion and Diversity Charter, including the three main steps defined to create more inclusive organisations, workplaces and learning environments. Digital transition and blended work methods Facilitator: Dea Kralj & Anna Facciorusso, ALL Digital The third session started with an overview of the main concepts around digital transitions. Participants were asked to contribute with benefits and challenges of digital transition, followed by a wrap-up of all the main benefits and challenges found in current research. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a topic of great interest of participants and its impact on education and training sectors. The concepts of digital inclusion, digital exclusion and digital divide were defined, in collaboration with the participants, and inspiring practices and tools were shared as resources from Mediawijs, The Digital Inclusion by Design Index and Universal Design for Learning, contributing for inclusive design. The two days concluded with a reflection moment, facilitated by Veronica Arduino from LLLP. Using a collaborative digital tool, participants were asked to reflect and define the training in a word and share the practice or idea which they will take after the training, in order to ensure the multiplier effect of the project. Thank you to all the participants for their involvement and valuable contributions! These two days have been very interesting and showcased the importance of sharing knowledge and practices between NGOs and CSOs. Interested in these topics? Register in the ADA platform and take the iBOX self-paced course here: https://platform.alldigitalacademy.eu Project Number: 101090952 – Inclusion Box (iBox) ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PCOOP-ENGO Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The Career Services Office of Aristotle University organised a dynamic and insightful staff training event under the framework of the Erasmus Careers project. This event, held from Monday, June 3rd to Wednesday, June 5th, brought together 25 career counselors from universities across the European Union. Participants originated from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Turkey and Serbia creating a diverse and enriching environment for discussion and learning. The training featured a series of workshops and presentations focused on the internationalisation of career counselling. Attendees had the opportunity to delve into various topics relevant to enhancing their career services, engaged in discussions and activities on various themes, including: Supporting Erasmus students’ mobility for traineeship: Exploring the connection between Erasmus and Career services. Intercultural skills gained through Erasmus: Helping students understand and utilise the skills they acquire during their international experiences. Europass Platform: Comprehensive insights into the Europass platform and its utility for career planning. Quality Career Counselling for Mobility & presentation of the Euroguidance Guide of Mobility. Organising impactful career support activities: Best practices and role plays focused on internationalisation and career support. Presentation of the Guide on the Internationalisation of Career Counselling Additionally, participants had the opportunity to visit the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and attend presentations on vocational training policies within the EU. Participants gained valuable insights into various EU initiatives and developments, including: Monitoring the implementation of EU priorities in EU-27, Norway, and Iceland. Building the European map of qualifications: Latest EQF/NQFs developments. Microcredentials for VET and the labour market: The EU perspective. The shift to learning outcomes. European initiatives for transparency and recognition of qualifications. CEDEFOP publications and data. This visit provided a comprehensive overview of the current trends and priorities in vocational education and training within the EU, enhancing the counselors' understanding and ability to support their students' international career aspirations. According to evaluations collected from the participants, the training was highly successful. Counsellors expressed high levels of satisfaction with the organisation and content of the sessions. They particularly appreciated the opportunity to network with colleagues from other countries, share best practices, and gain new perspectives on internationalisation of career counselling. The Erasmus Careers Staff Training event in Thessaloniki exemplified the spirit of collaboration and innovation in career counselling. By bringing together experts from various EU countries, it fostered a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this field. The Erasmus Careers team, especially the Career Services Office of Aristotle University, looks forward to future initiatives that continue to support the internationalisation of career counselling. Visit the Erasmus Careers project website for more information! This event was carried out in the framework of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership project: Erasmus Careers - 101049436 June 2023, Erasmus Careers Consortium Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

On June 19th, the Lifelong Learning Platform held its annual General Assembly in Brussels. It brought together the whole membership to approve of reports and plans, as well as to elect new representatives and engage in forward-looking discussions. The General Assembly approved without reserves financial reports and programmatic documents. It also elected new members of the Steering Committee, our administrative body. Elisa Gambardella (SOLIDAR Foundation) and Piotr Sadowski (Volonteurope) were confirmed for a second mandate; Chiara Piccolo (Learning for Well-Being Foundation) was elected as a new member of the Steering Committee, effectively replacing Arja Krauchenberg (European Parents' Association), whose second and last mandate came to an end. The whole Lifelong Learning Platform wishes to thank Arja for her unwavering energy and commitment to advancing the role of LLLP, even serving as President in 2020/2021. The membership also confirmed Elisa Gambardella as President of LLLP for the remainder of her mandate. Members also gathered to discuss the new advocacy strategy of LLLP, the overarching document guiding our advocacy actions, With their precious inputs, LLLP will seek to strengthen its role as the unique civil society organisation for all sectors of education and training in the EU policy arena for the years to come.

Erasmus is being promoted at many higher education institutions as providing a ‘plus’ on graduates’ CV, which would be valued by employers once they enter the labour market. However, very few studies investigated whether this really is the case. Researchers at Tilburg University (the Netherlands), the Erasmus Student Network (Belgium), the Autonomous University Madrid (Spain) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) now addressed this gap in the academic literature through a field experiment – a methodology often used to investigate discrimination on the labour or housing market, whereby 2,100 fictitious applications of a student with a master degree in Economics were submitted to real job vacancies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. In these applications, the researchers systematically varied the characteristics of the CV and motivation letter in terms of whether the fictitious applicants went on Erasmus or not. In Greece, 700 employers were asked to evaluate these applications, resulting in 101 responses. Building upon the available and theoretical and empirical literature, hypothesis were made on: likelihood of graduates with study abroad experience being invited for a job interview, differences by the nationality of employers and the various methods of articulating the study abroad experience in motivation letters and how this could change the probability of an interview invite. The results of the experiment consistently indicate that the popular assumption that employers take an Erasmus experience abroad into account when recruiting is not supported by the data produced, which focused on horizontal student mobility (international exchanges between higher education institutions of similar reputation) of Belgian, Dutch and Spanish master graduates in Economics. Furthermore, the results indicated that there is no advantage in describing the exchange period in a specific way in the motivation letter. In the case of Greece, although the study methodology varies, results are similar, indicating studying abroad does not increase the likelihood of being invited for a job interview, and there is no advantage in describing the exchange period in a specific way in the motivation letter, for recent graduates in economic disciplines (as mentioned above). Greek employers mostly value previous relevant work experience and short and tailored CVs, rather than participation in an Erasmus+ exchange per se. However, some caution on these results are needed. Firstly, the present publication includes two studies with experimental approaches, and the conclusions can only be considered for graduates with an Economics degree. Given the scarcity of experimental studies on the subject, the partners highly recommend to replicate this study in other national contexts, different disciplines, looking also to vertical mobility patterns (international exchanges with students moving to higher education institutions of higher ranking). Such studies would contribute to a more fine-grained understanding of the heterogeneity in outcomes of study abroad, both across countries and within countries (e.g. depending on the discipline or institution of graduation). It is important to focus on the employer's perspective. It is essential to understand how employers assess study abroad experiences and raise awareness on the competences acquired by graduates during their study abroad experience. In this respect, our findings also suggest that besides better understanding the employers’ perspective, informing them about the benefits of study abroad might be urgently needed. The employer-oriented manual of the Erasmus Careers project, with the wider goal of contributing to a better connection of the Erasmus+ Programme to the labour market, will be a first step in this regard. Find the whole document here. Do you want to know more? Visit the project’s website. This research was carried out in the framework of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership project: Erasmus Careers - 101049436 November 2023, Erasmus Careers Consortium Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Hosted by the University College Cork, in Ireland, the 3rd Global Lifelong Learning Week was an exciting opportunity for researchers, policymakers, educators and stakeholders from five continents to gather, network, share insights and discuss opportunities for collaboration! From 27-31 May, under the auspices and the organisation of the ASEM LLLHub & eucen, a large series of events gave impetus to lifelong learning in universities and beyond! Over 50 speakers and 200 participants from over 40 countries attended the events, sessions and workshops of the conference, addressing the theme “Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity in our world”. Particular space was given to the opportunities and threats posed by AI, the ongoing problem of misinformation and fake news (with a special focus on the EU Elections), and the ever-present challenge posed by climate change to our societies. Some conclusions? First off, international stakeholders feel the need to state, once again, that skills and competence development should go beyond labour market needs - as many policy developments hint at. Indeed, lifelong learning is about empowering people and communities to remain active in society, with the social dimension of learning exceeding the utilitarian argument. Additionally, it’s imperative for decision-makers to continue funding and allocate resources as well as to building private and public partnerships that can foster a culture of lifelong learning outside of the usual and formal education environments. Designing inclusive lifelong learning strategies, policies and opportunities is a must: oftentimes the most vulnerable cannot access education opportunities. Overlooking inclusion strategies means to continue to serve the most qualified and privileged and segregation, unfortunately, is still a key feature of our systems. Global exchanges such as this one are much needed to surf the current momentum: societal and economic issues are similar in most countries, so systemic action is required. Fixing skills shortages in a country relying on third country nationals may create problems in another country: the fight for talents without cooperation will be damaging. When it comes to research, more research and better links between theory and practice were deemed crucial. This includes more work and research on how to overcome the remaining barriers to improve access. Universities were of course a big focus of the week and their role within the communities they serve cannot be overstated - involving all stakeholders and especially learners in the definition of learning paths remains a crucial endeavour for the entire world.

To be effective, education policy research and development needs to be supported by collaboration and critical reflection. The project will address existing gaps between the knowledge and expertise of Higher Education institution-based researchers, practitioners in civil society organisations, and policy-makers, that prevent the effective connection of evidence with policy-making. The Bridge project brings together a collaborative pan-European professional learning community to support development of competences for policy research. It includes six university-based partners, an umbrella organisation bringing together 48 European networks working in education (LLLP), training and youth, and an international education policy think tank (EIESP). The partners are: Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University/VMU) Lithuania (lead partner) European Institute of Education and Social Policy/EIESP, France (lead content partner) Lifelong Learning Platform, Belgium The University of Education, Freiburg (Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg/PHFR), Germany Faculty of Education and Psychology (PPK) Eötvös Loránd University/ELTE, Hungary Doctoral School of Human Sciences, Free University Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel/VUB), Belgium Institute of Education, University of Lisbon (Universidade De Lisboa/UL), Portugal Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG) University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski /UW). The project design includes development of ‘intra-’ and ‘inter-’ professional learning communities, which will promote interconnected HE systems, as well as offer opportunities for participation in democratic, social and civic engagement through formal and non-formal learning. The project uses Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) Science for Policy Competence Framework as a foundation for piloting stakeholder seminars and a bespoke training programme for Early Career Researchers in five European HE institutions. Online publications targeted to all three parts of the research-civic-policy knowledge triangle will also be developed. The specific work packages of the project are: WP1 Project management: The technical project management will be led by the Education Academy of Vytautas Magnus University, drawing on their strength in having previous Erasmus project leadership experience. WP2 Development of an intra-professional learning community: education policy research competences for Early Career Researchers: The work package is being led by Universidade de Lisboa (UL), Portugal, who have specific expertise in graduate training and in innovation in policy-making. They are joined by Uniwersytet Warszawski (UW), Poland, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium, and Education Academy of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Lithuania, in designing and delivering the training programme, with support from Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem (ELTE), Hungary. All have expertise as HEIs in the field of education policy research. WP3 Development of an inter-professional Learning Community: The work package is being co-led by the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) and the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg (PHFR), Germany, who have expertise in extensive network facilitation as well as field expertise in supporting collaboration and peer learning in education policy and practice. All partners will be involved in this learning community as it encompasses all stakeholder groups. WP4 Education Policy Research Publications: This work package will be led by Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem (ELTE), Hungary, as they have specific expertise in mentoring doctoral students, including through collaborative approaches to curating and writing high-quality academic publications on education policy, and in mentoring doctoral students producing academic publications. WP5 Sustainability: This work package will be led by EIESP as they have expertise in forward-looking strategic planning in education and social policy, as well as being ideally placed the ongoing project managers of all work packages in this project. Over two years, the project will contribute to more active civic engagement in education policy by supporting collaboration between and among different stakeholder groups. It will build their capacity to critically reflect on, interpret and contribute to education policy research. In addition, with its focus on Early Career Researchers, the project is promoting Higher Education international connectivity and future capacity for innovative, high-quality research. Find out more about the project here. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.