The LLLWeek 2023 was dedicated to LLLP’s theme of the year: “Key Comptecences for All: a Lifelong Learning Approach to Skills”: addressing a topic that is strictly linked to the European Year of Skills offered LLLP members the opportunity to re-formulate some of Europe’s most pressing issues. The 13th edition of the LLLWeek took place from 27 November to 1 December, under the patronage of MEP Dragoş Pîslaru, Chair of the EMPL Committee and a champion of lifelong learning!

On 27 November 2023, education and training stakeholders at EU level were reunited by the Lifelong Learning Platform with the support of the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport for the annual European Lifelong Learning Stakeholders Forum. After five years in which the European Education Summit replaced the traditional format of the Forum, this year’s edition saw the support of the European Commission as well as the inclusion of the outcomes of the Forum in the Summit discussions.

In this position paper, the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) investigates the importance of key competences development which learners need to adapt to any future societal challenge. The main elements refer to the need for a whole-of-government approach that also includes all education and training stakeholders in the decision making and implementation processes of policies, but also to acknowledging the diversity of learning providers and the competences that learners require to be active participants in their learning journey.

In its third edition, the LLLAB was organised in Girona, anticipating the Spanish Presidency to the Council of the EU and was hosted by the Municipality and University of Girona. This year the LLLAB revolved around the topic of “Key competences for the future of Europe” under LLLP’s Annual Theme “Key competences for all: a lifelong learning approach to skills” within the European Year of Skills. Read the full report here.

In 2022 the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) focused on “Investment in education and training: a public good for all” as the annual theme, as well as engaging with different stakeholders through advocacy work, events and strengthening partnerships with members to ensure that education and training stay a public good for all. Take a look at what happened in 2022 here.

In this position paper, the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) investigates the importance of funding in education and training, its sources and its impact on access to learning and on the quality of the learning provided. Securing education as a human right implies a responsibility of states to fund a system in which all learners are welcomed, supported and aided to develop holistically and fully. Read the position paper here.

The LLLWeek 2022 marked the return of this iconic event in a physical format. Addressing the topic of “Investment in Education and Training: A public good for all”, the 12th edition of the LLLWeek took place on 28 November to 2 December with MEP Milan Zver as the host. In total, 23 events and workshops were organised by LLLP and its members during the LLLWeek (including 4 webinars, 2 working group meetings, and 1 Steering Committee meeting) with over 800 participants registered, 7 Members of the European Parliament, as well as 18 representatives of the European Commission. Download the report.

With the support of European and international experts, LLLP presents a new publication: the LLLGlossary. The aim of the document is to provide a common understanding of various terms that are often used interchangeably in the literature and some definitions that vary depending on the sources concerned and/or context of the learning environment. These terms are used differently by different education and training providers and with the emergence of the lifelong learning concept some terms can be often misused. Read the LLLGlossary here.

The vocabulary deployed within the world of investment and funding in education and training is often difficult to disentangle. Terms tend to overlap and can seem identical. As part of our campaign on public investment in education and training we have gathered the key terms circulating in policy papers, academic articles and general discussions on the topic and mapped them out in what we are calling the ABCs of Funding and Investment in Education.

In 2022, the second edition of the LLLab took place in Nice, France under the patronage of the French Presidency to the Council of the EU and hosted by the City of Nice at the University Cote d’Azur. The Lifelong Learning Lab (LLLab) is a new initiative by the Lifelong Learning Platform which aims at bringing together different stakeholders in the field of education and training from across Europe and beyond to discuss and learn from one another how to further cooperation in education in the EUThis report gives an overview of the main points of discussion that took place at the event.

2021 has marked the second year of COVID-19 pandemic for the world, but lifelong learning goes on! In our yearly publication, we look back at the activities, achievements and emotions of this past year. How are education and training systems in Europe recovering from the pandemic? What policy measures have been put in place, and how has LLLP tried to influence them? What scenarios for cooperation within and outside the network? We explore these and many more questions in our new publication, summing up a very dense year for both policy and learners.

While the value of quality education and training is strongly acknowledged across EU Member States, it remains the case that public expenditure has failed to recover to pre-financial crisis levels at the EU level. It has, in most cases, decreased steadily and then stagnated at low levels in recent years. This paper tracks the extent to which public expenditure on education and training has changed over time and puts forth the case for a marked increase in levels of public expenditure as a necessary policy tool for addressing the economic and social fallout of Covid-19.