Publications
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.
Education provides us with a key site to nurture and support wellbeing, which is an important prerequisite for the learning process. Research has identified that inducing positive emotions within education acts to enlarge cognitive perspectives while simultaneously enhancing the capacity of individuals to attend to more information, make richer interpretations, and experience higher levels of creativity and productivity. Simply put, those who feel better tend to learn better. his is why assessment methods should align better with the wellbeing of learners, to provide a safer learning environment.
Building on LLLP’s annual theme of “The changing nature of evaluation in education and its impact on learners’ wellbeing”, the 11th edition of the LLLWeek addressed the contribution of civil society to rethinking assessment methods in order to better align them with wellbeing. Hosted by MEP Victor Negrescu, the LLLWeek hosted 13 (+2) events, welcomed more than 100 participants and joined forces with more than 10 EU and international organisations to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience!
What a year, it has been! The LLLP Activity Report for 2020 is out and takes a look back at what the Lifelong Learning Platform has been achieving in this troublesome year. We kicked off the year full of hope for our 15th anniversary, but soon dived into the terrible pandemic. How were education and training systems in Europe affected? How did EU Member States react? What changed for lifelong learning and its priorities? We explore these and many more questions in our new publication, summing up a very dense year for both policy and learners.
Aligning with the most important and burning topics of the year, the 10th edition of the Lifelong Learning Week addressed “Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Societies”. The reflection, carried out online, involved dozens of policy-makers (including Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission and of the Council Presidency) as well as the organised civil society, whose contribution to the definition of European policies remain indispensable. The events and workshops organised during the LLLWeek represent both the culmination of LLLP’s stances on the matter, and the beginning of a new awareness on the role of education and training in sustainability.
The year 2020 has been a year like no other in recent decades. For education and training in Europe it’s also the year of an ambitious agenda for Achieving the European Education Area by 2025. All these developments serve as an important backdrop for reflections on the future of education in Europe and beyond. As Lifelong Learning Platform, we have explored this topic all year round, with members, partners, European decision-makers and education stakeholders, After extensive consultation, we are more certain than ever that that lifelong learning shall be the engine that will lead the world towards a more sustainable future – from the environmental, social and economic perspectives.
The Education and Training Monitor 2020 provides an overview of the performance of education systems in all EU Member States in achieving 6 different benchmarks; while a useful tool, it misses the perspective of the educators and learners themselves. Because of this, the Lifelong Learning Platform conducted a shadow report involving stakeholders from Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia, with the goal to produce a “reality-check” on the progress towards the ET2020 targets and a snapshot of the situation on the ground through the eyes of learning providers and civil society. It, therefore, seeks to complement or ‘shadow’ the quantitative analysis of the annual Education and Training Monitor by offering more qualitative insights, hence why we use the term ‘shadow report’.
Read the full publication and download the executive summary!
All you need to understand the decision-making process in the European Union on the topic of Education and Training is right here! The EU policy mechanisms sometimes appear technocratic, in the hands of distant institutions, which are asked to manage macroeconomic policies which benefits are not always immediately clear to the general public. Now the LLLPlatform has updated its iconic guidebook to match the significant 2020 developments and to empower educators and learners over Europe to have their say in their future. The Lifelong Learning Platform strongly believes in civil dialogue and in the importance of civil society in contributing to shaping the future of learning in Europe.
Read and download the latest version of our Guidebook to EU Decision-Making in Education and Training, 2020.
The LLLP Activity Report for 2019 is out! With so many things in Europe, 2019 has been a year full of opportunities and challenges for civil society and for the field of education, especially around the EU Elections in May. We ran our activities with the polar star of “Learning democracy”, and explored its many facets. Read through our events, policy statements, partnerships, EU-funded projects, and all the many ways in which we seek to increase the relevance of lifelong learning, education and training in our societies!
Curious to know what beneficiaries of Erasmus+ think of the programme? The LLLPlatform runs an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This survey is conducted by the LLLPlatform to evaluate how EU networks have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: results are mostly in line with the major issues of the programme, and there is room for improvement…
The 9th edition of the LLLWeek tackled the burning topic of “Learning Democracy, Values and Participation”, and took stock of the EU Elections in May 2019. MEP Dace Melbarde was the host of the LLLWeek, and we organised 15 debates on the most various topics: from citizenship education to students’ rights, from career guidance to adult learning and education, from validation and volunteering to global citizenship education. We are proud to say that we brought together learners and educators, field workers and policy-makers, researchers and political representatives, and gave us all the opportunity to discuss today’s greatest educational challenges.
Learning can happen anytime, anywhere, and the spaces where this learning occurs are incredibly and increasingly diverse. Education systems are undergoing a paradigm shift in the struggle to meet the needs of learners in a world that is rapidly changing from a technological, demographic, societal and environmental
perspective. This demands that we designate equal value to all learning environments.
Read and download the paper here
The LLLP Annual Conference 2019 took place on 19-20 June in Brussels, the capital of Europe. This year’s topic is “Learning democracy, values and participation: the added value of lifelong learning”. The conference saw stakeholders and participants from all sectors debate the role of education in building lifelong learning societies: from active citizenship to common values, to global citizenship education 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.
The LLLP Activity Report for 2018 is finally out! With so many negotiations in Europe, 2018 has been a year full of opportunities and challenges for civil society and for the field of education. With many events, policy developments, projects and capacity-building gatherings, 2018 was certainly a year to remember. While we achieved some great results, we will keep on struggling to make education the most relevant policy in our society.
Eager to know what beneficiaries of Erasmus+ think of the programme? The LLLPlatform runs an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This survey is conducted by the LLLPlatform to evaluate how EU networks have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: what do you think of Erasmus+? Are you satisfied with its new features? What problems did you encounter? What suggestions for improvement would you make? This publication explores the results of the Survey 2018! Results are mostly in line with the major issues of the programme, and there is room for improvement…
Read the report with the results
The “well-being” dimension of learning is becoming key in today’s society. In partnership with the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Institute of Education, Dublin City University and Cedefop, the LLLPlatform has addressed the key issue of Community Lifelong Learning Centres as hubs for the blooming of a true lifelong learning approach in our societies. We analysed the current policy context and built on the latest recommendations to advocate for the “learning for well-being” paradigm and to call for coordinated action at EU level to support Member States.
The 8th edition of the LLLWeek tackled the burning topic of “Lifelong Learning Culture – A partnership for rethinking education”. MEP Jill Evans was the host of the LLLWeek, and we organised 10 debates on the most various topics: from citizenship education to access to culture, from validation and volunteering to consumer education. We are proud to say that we brought together learners and educators, field workers and policy-makers, researchers and political representatives, and gave us all the opportunity to discuss today’s greatest educational challenges.
The third meeting of the Lifelong Learning Interest Group in 2018 tried to tackle the burning question of the place of non-formal and informal learning in 21st century environments. Hosted by MEP Roberta Metsola and with the presence of MEP Julie Ward, the group defined the crucial importance of non-formal and informal learning to gain life skills such as media literacy and critical thinking. Civil society organisations brought examples of successful practices to show the benefits of all learning environments.
The Lifelong Learning Platform is proud to present the report of the “Feasibility Study on National Lifelong Learning Platforms”. The study, conducted by the Lifelong Learning Platform in 2016-2017, investigates the cross-sector cooperation at national level and analyses existing national cultures related to lifelong learning and the extent to which they are in line with EU policies and recommendations in five European countries. There is a specific focus on cross-sector cooperation, consultation of civil society by policy-makers and understanding of the lifelong learning concept by national, regional and local organisations.
Read here the executive summary, or download the full study
The Annual Conference 2018 took place on 5-6 July in Vienna, Austria. This year’s topic is “Lifelong Learning Culture: A partnership for rethinking education”. 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.
See what the LLLPlatform has been up to in Vienna, and download the whole report here!
All you need to understand the decision-making process in the European Union on the topic of Education and Training is right here! The EU policy mechanisms sometimes appear technocratic, in the hands of distant institutions, which are asked to manage macroeconomic policies which benefits are not always immediately clear to the general public. Now the LLLPlatform has updated its iconic guidebook to match 2018 developments and to empower educators and learners over Europe to have their say in their future. The Lifelong Learning Platform strongly believes in civil dialogue and in the importance of civil society in contributing to shape the future of learning in Europe.
Read and download the latest version of our Guidebook to EU Decision-Making in Education and Training, 2018.
AR17 
The Lifelong Learning Platform is happy to announce that our Activity Report for the year 2017 is finally out! “2017 has been a year of momentum: full of challenges and opportunities for the Lifelong Learning Platform, its members, partners, and Europe at large. We celebrated 60 years of the European Union, the proclamation of the of European Pillar of Social Rights, 30 years of Erasmus, and to conclude the year the European Education Area was announced”. Annual Conference, LLLWeek, “Reimagining education in a digital world, a lot has happened: relive the year with us!
Check out the report and download it here!
The LLLPlatform runs an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This survey is conducted by the Platform to evaluate how beneficiaries (like you) have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: what do you think of Erasmus+? Are you satisfied with its new features? What problems did you encounter? What suggestions for improvement would you make? This publication explores the results of the Survey 2017! Spoiler: there is room for improvement…
Check out the report and the Annex with all the questions!
The LLLWeek17 was a wonderful ride! We hosted debates around the need to transform our learning systems into something closer to a society based on Industry 4.0 (and the proposed model is indeed “Information 4.0”). We have seen digital project related to helping teachers and volunteers with their daily work (D-Clics numérique, by La ligue de l’enseignement), but also alternative approaches to the digital world, such as the “De-Google” workshop held by Ficemea and Framasoft. A full-immersion in the education tools to keep up with the digital revolution!
The Annual Conference 2017 took place on 31 May and 1 June in Tallinn, Estonia. This year’s topic is “Education in a digital world. Reducing inequalities through lifelong learning”. 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.
Re-live with us the magic days in Tallinn, and download the whole report here!
The Lifelong Learning Platform is happy to announce that our Activity Report for the year 2016 is finally out! “2016 has been a year full of challenges and opportunities for the Lifelong Learning Platform, its members and Europe at large. In spite of a challenging European and international context, Brexit , increased radicalisation, fear, populism and horrifying acts of terrorism, we remain convinced of the power education has to reverse worrying trends and rebuild our European identity. In these troublesome times, access and quality to learning opportunities for all can bring optimism back into political discourse and gather citizens with a hopeful vision of the future”.
Check out and download the complete report in PDF here.
The Erasmus+ Survey 2017 is launched! The LLLPlatform makes an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This survey is conducted by the Platform to evaluate how beneficiaries (like you) have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: what do you think of Erasmus+? Are you satisfied with its new features? What problems did you encounter? What suggestions for improvement would you make? The survey is available in English, and answering should not take more than 5 to 10 minutes of your time, but it will contribute greatly to improve the programme!
Deadline to reply is 30 June 2017. Results will be presented at launch of the LLLWeek2017, in November 2017. View the survey here!
Education is a lifelong empowerment process, which should help citizens in their intra and interpersonal understanding, achieving personal development and becoming emphatic individuals. The UNESCO has possibly summarised it best as “learning to be” – to enable individuals to develop to their fullest potential psycho-socially, effectively as well as physically, for an all-round “complete person.” This and much more in the full report of the meeting held on
All you need to understand the decision-making process in the European Union on the topic of Education and Training is right here! European integration appears sometimes technocratic, in the hands of distant institutions, which are asked to manage macroeconomic policies which benefits are not always immediately clear to the general public. The LLL-P Guidebook is a concrete tool to empower educators and learners over Europe to have their say in their future. The Lifelong Learning Platform strongly believes in civil dialogue and in the importance of civil society in contributing to shape the future of learning in Europe. Read and download the latest version of our Guidebook to EU Decision-Making in Education and Training, 2016.
The second meeting of the Lifelong Learning Interest Group tried to answer the following questions. How to effectively foster active citizenship and encourage participation in democratic processes through education? How should we transform our educational system to ensure “schools” become democratic institutions? How to tackle radicalisation? What are the ways to strengthen teacher? trainer competences in teaching and assessing civic and social competences? What is the role of non-formal (adult) education and partnerships with civil society?
Discover the answers in the full report
The LLLWeek2015 was the opportunity for the LLLPlatform to launch its new Manifesto on Building the future of learning in Europe. “A humanistic and holistic approach of learning, from cradle to grave, is of continued relevance in today’s world and a viable foundation for the rethinking of education in knowledge intensive societies.” After the launch of its new visual identity and name in the context of its 10th anniversary, the Lifelong Learning Platform is proud to share its political Manifesto. Fed by all its members during a one-year consultation process, it is a call to policy-makers and educational actors from all over Europe to take action to make lifelong learning a reality for all!
The Annual Conference 2015 took place on 16 June in Luxembourg. Participants tackled the topic “Paving the way to learning and qualifications”, addressing lifelong learning as the true answer to 21st century challenges. This broad topic brought the debate on to transversal skills, gaps between education systems and labour market, and digital skills. This annual conference was also a milestone in celebrating LLLP’s 10th anniversary and renewed name!
EAEA and the Lifelong Learning Platform have initiated an Interest Group on Lifelong Learning together with Members of the European Parliament. Hosted by MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen (Finland, EPP), the group brings together civil society representatives and MEPs to discuss various key issues connected to lifelong learning. The first meeting took place in Brussels on 16th of April 2015.
The LLLPlatform believes monitoring the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme is of crucial importance to verify that application procedures are as user-friendly as possible and to assess how the programme can be improved for an even better experience from next year on. Following the 2014 success, the Platform reconducted its Erasmus+ Implementation Survey in 2015, gathering close to 300 answers from across Europe (the survey was available in EN, FR, ES and DE). The survey closed mid-September, results have been compiled, and the Platform presented the results on 30 November, as opening event to the LLL Week 2015.
View and download the results here.
This study looks at the education policy challenges which arise in respect of the validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe focusing on persons with low levels of formal qualification. It builds upon a study (see Gaylor, Schöpf, & Severing, 2015 for the Summary in German) on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning that was conducted within the scope of a Bertelsmann Stiftung project entitled “Continuing training for all”. The object of investigation was the current nature of such procedures in eight European countries. In the continuation of this work, which is based upon the examples of good practice identified in the study, possible courses of action are developed which are directed towards decision makers in the European Union and its member states at a policymaking, economic and societal level. This European publication is co-edited by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Lifelong Learning Platform.
The second edition of the LLLMag, “We Make Europe”, considers the lins between lifelong learning and active citizenship. This magazine captures some of the sparks of civic engagement and aimed to contribute to the debates that took place in the context of the European Year of Citizens 2013. Its purpose was (and still is) to bring together various perspectives and experiences in order to show the wealth and dynamism as well as the limitations and pitfalls of what is active European citizenship nowadays.
The first edition of the LLLMag on encompasses many complex processes regarding lifelong learning, namely the diversity of learning settings in Europe. After a public hearing organised by the LLLPlatform in December 2011 on validation, the magazine aims to provide key data, examples of countries’ profiles, interviews of experts and learners to give an insight of the recent European developments.
In the autumn 2011, the LLLPlatform conducted a survey and feasibility study on National Stakeholders’ Forums, on the model of the European Stakeholders’ Forum organised every year in partnership with the European Commission. Those Forums would be the tools to implement a genuine cooperation between different kinds of stakeholders and educational sectors, and perhaps consultation mechanisms with decision-makers of all levels on European lifelong learning strategies and policies.
Read or download the survey and study here!
This publication aims to present the outcomes of the exchanges that took place within our platform in 2010-2011. It includes policy recommendations as well as some very concrete initiatives taking place around Europe that ought to be better known, shared and supported. 39 good practice examples from the different sectors of education and training are thus presented under each priority action in order to illustrate concrete ways forward.
The LLLPlatform felt a need to capitalise on the activities, reflections and contributions it has produced in recent years on the issue of lifelong learning and on its implementation in the EU. To satisfy this need, on behalf of the platform, a study on the feasibility of setting up a European Institute of Lifelong Learning was produced by an independent expert, Antonio Mocci, in cooperation with the platform’s working group on the sustainability of lifelong learning.
Carried out by the six founding members of EUCIS-LLL, the former name of the LLLPlatform, this publication is the result of a conference organised with the support of the European Commission and of the European Economic and Social Committee of May 2004. The research examined 60 examples of good practice, identified twenty-five ‘best practice examples’ and analysed their achievements.
This report gives a summary of the discussions as well as draws attention to some of the key messages from the presentations that took place during the 2004 conference “Skills for life, a key to lifelong learning – towards achieving the Lisbon Strategy” of May 2004.
This founding brochure was published by the future members of EUCIS in the frame of the European Commission’s Memorandum on Lifelong Learning of 2001. Based on the identification of good practices, the partners of this project propose key recommendations to public authorities in order to implement coherent LLL strategies. This brochure is only available in French.