LLLWeek 2017 – Host and organisers
Concept / Programme / Host and organisers / LLLAwards
Official host of the LLLWeek 2017: MEP Emilian Pavel
“As stated in the EU Pillar of Social Rights, access to high-quality and inclusive education, as well as learning and training opportunities, must be a right for everyone at every stage of life. In a fast changing and digitised world, societal and labour market needs are constantly evolving thus making lifelong learning more important than ever. Education and training systems must be reimagined for this digital age, tackling not only the curricula but also the teaching and learning processes. Member States must ensure that nobody is left behind, and, together with the social partners, must invest in lifelong learning policies on an ongoing basis, allowing all the European citizens to maintain and acquire fundamental skills for the 21st century and enabling them have fulfilled personal and professional lives.
I am honoured to host this year’s Lifelong Learning Week. I am excited to hear and learn from so many extraordinary organisations on how to improve lifelong learning across Europe!”
Emilian Pavel is a Member of the European Parliament since 2014, working in the Committee of Employment and Social Affairs, and the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He is also a member of the Delegation for relations with Israel, Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. His priorities in the European Parliament include Digital Agenda, youth entrepreneurship and employability, lifelong learning and education. In the beginning of 2017, he was chosen as MEP of the year for Employment and Social Affairs. He is the president of the Friends of Serbia informal group and an ambassador for the European Entrepreneurship Education Network. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in computer engineering and a Master’s Degree in environmental protection. He has been involved in politics for over 15 years and he is one of the Vice Presidents of the Young Romanian Social Democrats organisation. He has held various positions within the Social Democratic party at regional and national level, and has acted as Director in the Romanian Ministry for Youth and Sport.
A word from the Presidents
“Seven years after its first edition, the Lifelong Learning Week continues to set the European agenda in education and training. This edition of the LLLWeek marks the second year of a successful cooperation between LLLP and the European Youth Forum and the first year of the partnership with the European Vocational Skills Week.
We believe that such cooperation is key to success and paves the way for a holistic response to dealing with the challenges of modern society. Reimagining education for the digital era, the challenges and opportunities it presents and the effects it has on all of our lives , including those not directly using technology, is an important topic to tackle together.
Digital technology has never before played such a large role in our lives. Yet we are not completely ready for it, neither are our education systems and learning environments. There are still many more challenges to overcome before we can exploit its full potential. One such challenge is to ensure that the digital revolution is as inclusive as possible and does not leave behind the most vulnerable groups in society.
This is why this year the LLLWeek will focus on “Education in a digital world”. From pedagogy to the classroom, from the family sphere to validation hubs, from inclusion to democracy, there is not a single aspect that has not been touched by the digital revolution. This challenge compels us to re-think education to include as many actors as possible, with an approach that favours flexible pathways and fresh, innovative thinking.
Together, we hope to deliver concrete inputs as to how the digital revolution should be addressed. We want to create synergies among different sectors, stakeholders and a diverse audience. We want to create strong links with decision-makers, demonstrating how NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and youth organisations are a pivotal player in shaping education policies. We want to show what’s needed for education to survive in the digital world and how important lifelong learning becomes in such a context.
We will do all of this with the unconditional support of our members, through interactive workshops, debates, social events and much more. We want to undertake this common endeavour to show that education in Europe is indeed connected, in every sense of the word.”