Lifelong Learning Platform | LLLP - European Civil Society for Education

LLLab and Annual Conferences

The Lifelong Learning Platform organises events, roundtables, and political debates on transversal and strategic issues in lifelong learning. We invite speakers and participants from various sectors of education and training to see how the same problem is tackled in a university, an association or a training centre, by the parents, the learners, the educators or managers. Social partners and representatives of national, regional and European institutions participate as well, to broaden the debate and disseminate our results to a larger audience.

2023: Lifelong Learning Lab in Girona, Spain, 26-27 June 2023

The 2023 edition of the LLLLAB will be held at the Universitat de Girona in Spain. Education stakeholders from European and Spanish contexts will come together during two days to stir the new generation of cooperation in education and training through a wide range of topics, ranging from EU cooperation in education and training, to EU decision-making processes, and from civil society engagement to national contexts. 


2022: Lifelong Learning Lab in France, 30-31 May 2022

For its 2022 edition, and under the patronage of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, LLLP brought the LLLAB to Nice, France where education stakeholders engaged in a discussion around “Lifelong learning entitlements for the future of Europe”. This training brought together the European and French contexts and stirred the new generation of cooperation in education and training. Check out the report.


2021: Introducing the Lifelong Learning Lab! 

In 2021, LLLP turned its Annual Conference from a policy event to a capacity-building moment! With the Lifelong Learning Lab – National Training for Education Stakeholders, LLLP seeks to keep the momentum of EU cooperation to assess EU citizens’ capacity to participate in policy-making, suggest solutions and break silos in the education sectors. Further to this, and following the policy recommendation in its Feasibility study, LLLP would also like to explore the possibilities for national lifelong learning platforms. The very first LLLab took place in Lisbon on 1-2 June 2021 and focused on the Portuguese context. Read the report.


2020: Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies

Facing the disruption by the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 annual conference was held online. Nowadays, it is no longer enough to have an outlook on the future of education, and we rather have to imagine the future of learning with sustainability as a polar star. Such was the spark that lit the debate for the LLLP webinarLifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies”, which took place on May 27th. To be sustainable, education and training needs to have a broader focus, on transversal skills and on key competences. In our current landscape, lifelong learning is a fresh, positive and transformative force, as it enables learners to think laterally.


2019: Learning Democracy, Values and Participation

For the 2019 edition, the LLLPlatform gathered education stakeholders in Brussels, Belgium, on 19-20 June to tackle the annual topic of “Learning Democracy, Values and Participation“. While the political landscape in Europe changed due to the European elections, civil society organisations are more determined than ever to build a stronger Europe based on the values of democracy and education. The annual conference had almost 100 participants exchange views and planning ahead on the topics of global citizenship education, validation of volunteers competences and civil society space.


2018: Lifelong Learning Culture

The Annual Conference 2018 took place on 5-6 July 2018 in Vienna, Austria. This year’s topic was “Lifelong Learning Culture: A Partnership for Rethinking Education.” The challenge of the revision of the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning commands us to include all learning environments through effective validation processes, and a truly holistic approach to lifelong learning.  The conference saw one hundred participants debate the role of education and culture in building lifelong learning societies: from active citizenship to intercultural dialogue, to validation and to learning environments, the conference opened up pathways for civil society organisations to operate in. The event closed with specific recommendations to improve the European education systems. Relive with us the days in Vienna!


2017: Education in a Digital World

In 2017, the LLLPlatform address its Annual Conference to the topic of “Education in a Digital World“, discussing with education experts the role of technology and digital learning in our society. The challenge of education in a digital world commands us to open education as widely as possible to include all, through flexible pathways and innovative thinking in order to enable all to adapt to yet unknown developments. The two days in Tallinn have brought us vibrant inputs, valuable contributions and have opened our minds on the main topics (and beyond). This is why we are happy to share the report of the conference, including all the interventions from the speakers. Read the report!


2016: Imagining the Learning Community of Tomorrow

The learning community of tomorrow, what will it look like? The speed at which society has evolved in the last decades makes it difficult to conceive what might be happening in 10 years, let alone 20 or 50. But this is not enough to stop us from hoping for a better future. On the contrary, it seems the perfect time to design the society we dream of, and what role education will play in realising it! The LLLPlatform held its Annual Conference 2016 in Bratislava, on 31 May and 1 June. Gathering some 100 experts and practitioners in education, the conference was the opportunity to share practices from all over Europe to learn from each other and build creative solutions. Read more.

Past LLLab and Annual Conferences

  • LLLP launches its Annual Theme 2023 – Key competences for all: a lifelong learning approach to skills

    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 Swedish and Spanish Presidencies of the Council of the EU, while ensuring that the 2023 Annual Theme is strongly related to the European Year of Skills:  
    Key competences for all: a lifelong learning approach to skills
    Surfing the wave of a fast-paced and ever-changing reality, the European […]

  • LLLAB 22 – Registrations open!

    The registrations for the 2nd edition of the Lifelong Learning Lab are officially open!
    Under the patronage of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, LLLP will bring this laboratory to Nice, France where we will be discussing “Lifelong learning entitlements for the future of Europe”. Save the date for 30-31 May, where education stakeholders from European and French contexts will come together to stir the new generation of cooperation in education and training.
    Dive into this innovative laboratory, explore […]

  • Save the date for the LLLab 30-31 May 2022

    How can we promote EU cooperation in education, training and lifelong learning in national contexts? How can we plant the seed for the creation of a national lifelong learning platform in order to build bridges between sectors?
    The Lifelong Learning Platform is delighted to present its 2022 version of this pilot activity, the Lifelong Learning Lab – National Training for Education Stakeholders. With this format, LLLP seeks to keep the momentum of EU cooperation to assess EU citizens’ capacity to participate in policy-making, […]

  • NEW! Lifelong Learning Lab – National training for education stakeholders – Save the date 1-2 June

    The year 2021 marks the start of the European Education Area as well as of the renewed Digital Education Action Plan and therefore, an opportunity for Europe and Member States to reflect and build capacities to achieve its goals. However, Europe and its Member States face difficulties with citizens’ engagement in policy-making because of a lack of trust, knowledge and/or a lack of social dialogue. This is affecting the quality and efficiency of public services such as education and training.
    How […]

  • Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies – Let’s make it happen

    The European discourse on sustainability has gained the centre of policy arenas and has spilt over all fields, including lifelong learning. Nowadays, it is no longer enough to have an outlook on the future of education, and we rather have to imagine the future of learning with sustainability as a polar star. Such was the spark that lit the debate for the LLLP webinar “Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies”, that took place on May 27th. 

    To be sustainable, education and […]

  • Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies – Registrations are open

    We are excited to announce that the Lifelong Learning Platform will host an online debate on “Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies” on May 27th, at 2pm!

    What does it mean for education to be sustainable, and how can we achieve this goal? We believe that sustainability – of learning and of education systems as a whole – shall be the polar star for Europe for the years to come; in particular, for our communities to be sustainable (socially, environmentally and […]

  • Annual Conference – Registrations postponed

    The Lifelong Learning Platform has decided to postpone the launch of registrations for its Annual Conference “Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies” to be held on Zagreb on 27-28 May. Because of the outbreak in COVID-19 across all Europe, the LLLPlatform has decided to postpone the launch of the registrations until the end of March, when the Steering Committee will be assessing the situation again. This also applies to the timing of the General Assembly 2020, initially foreseen for 26-27 May […]

  • Five takeaways from the LLLP Annual Conference 2019

    The Lifelong Learning Platform’s Annual Conference took place on 19-20 June in Brussels, the perfect place to take stock of the EU elections and assess the role education will play in the future of Europe. It gathered stakeholders from all education sectors and interests, tackling together the topic of “Learning democracy, values and participation: the added value of lifelong learning”. A very dynamic discussion saw the light, and there was general concordance on some key issues. 

    1. Our democracy needs all […]

  • Registrations open for the LLLP Annual Conference 2019!

    We have opened the registrations for the LLLP AC 19, “Learning democracy, values and participation: the added value of lifelong learning“! Hurry up and reserve your tickets to the European conference on learning democracy, global citizenship education and promoting common values!

    Book your agendas for 19-20 June 2019, in Brussels. LLLP will take you into citizenship education and much much more with exceptional speakers and insightful workshops!

  • Save the date for LLLP Annual Conference 2019

    The Lifelong Learning Platform is happy to announce the dates of its next Annual Conference for 19-20 June 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. The debates will turn around the exciting and topical theme of “Learning Democracy, Values and Participation”.

    2019 will be a crucial year for Europe, as the political landscape is compelled to change in the May elections: through this topic the LLLPlatform will seek to bring back the discussions around citizenship education, active citizenship, and the values that inform […]

See all Past LLLab and Annual Conferences