Cedefop newsletter

Cedefop is initiating a process in close cooperation with ReferNet to update and modernise the MSB, in line with new policy priorities and the broadened monitoring scope outlined in the 2024 Council Recommendation Europe on the Move (EoM).

Participation in this Focus Group is voluntary. Partner's contribution will support the improvement of the indicator framework, ensuring that it remains relevant, clear, and consistent with the EoM Recommendation.

The insights gathered through this Focus Group will feed into a dedicated discussion session during the upcoming 2025 ReferNet Plenary Meeting (22–23 October 2025). The outcomes will guide the specification of the revamped MSB, which is planned as an activity under the new 2026 ReferNet Workplan.

Further information, including the agenda, reflection note, and Teams link, will be shared closer to the date with the registered participants.

Running until 2027, the study aims to generate evidence and identify good practices to support policy-making and implementation, in line with the Union of Skills initiative and the Basic Skills Action Plan, which emphasise the importance of civic knowledge and competences for democratic resilience.

The first meeting of the study’s advisory group will focus on validating the draft methodology and reviewing initial findings from the literature review.
 

Cedefop’s symposium on continuing skills development brought together a broad range of stakeholders to present and discuss new evidence and lessons learned that are relevant for developing well-functioning and inclusive continuing skills development ecosystems. These ecosystems should be underpinned by multilevel and multi-stakeholder governance and strong stakeholder partnerships. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, Cedefop's symposium aimed to advance continuing skills development and create a comprehensive and shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead.

The first Cedefop symposium on continuing skills development took place on 1 October in Thessaloniki (9.00 – 17.00).

The symposium offered a unique opportunity for stakeholders to come together and discuss the future of continuing skills development, shaping the agenda for the next 15 to 20 years.

Drawing on the findings of Cedefop's ongoing foresight study, which aimed to craft a comprehensive and shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead for continuing skills development, participants were able to collaborate to refine a shared vision for continuing skills development in 2040, co-shaping effective action paths, and contributing to a strategic roadmap for the future.

Making this learning visible and valued is not just an educational imperative; it's an economic and social necessity.

Millions of Europeans possess valuable skills that remain unrecognised because they were acquired outside formal education systems. This hidden potential represents untapped human capital that could drive innovation, fill skill gaps, and enhance career mobility. Validation of non-formal and informal learning makes all learning valuable and visible, creating pathways for personal advancement and economic growth.

This webinar aims to present Cedefop information hub on validation of non-formal and informal learning - Cedefop’s latest on-line tool – which consolidates 20 years of European expertise on validation to the ReferNet national partner organizations, the national ReferNet team members but also to their peers and stakeholders. The Hub links the European guidelines for validation of non-formal and learning (3rd edition, 2023) with the information gathered in the European inventory on validation. By bringing these resources together, the hub creates a powerful ecosystem for peer learning and system development, where countries can:

• Access both theoretical frameworks and practical examples
• Compare approaches and identify successful models
• Accelerate implementation through shared knowledge
• Build more effective validation systems through evidence-based practice

Whether you are a policymaker designing validation systems, an educator seeking to recognise diverse learning, or a practitioner supporting individuals in demonstrating their competences, this hub provides the tools, insights, and connections you need to make validation work effectively in your context.

This webinar is an opportunity to explore how validation can unlock human potential and discover how Europe is building bridges between learning and validation, creating more inclusive and dynamic pathways for personal and professional development.

Agenda

 Listen to the recordings

Based on the analysis of more than 400 measures, policies and initiatives launched across the EU-27, Norway and Iceland (EU-27+), Cedefop presented main trends and developments followed by discussion of implementation challenges and renewed VET policy priorities of the Herning Declaration.   

The trends in modernising VET curricula; reskilling and upskilling; strengthening lifelong guidance; embracing digitalisation and reaching out and supporting vulnerable learner groups were discussed. The trends were illustrated by country examples and stakeholder views. 

The VGT was open to representatives from national, regional and local authorities, social partners, VET institutions, experts and practitioners, decision-makers.

Programme

The European commitment to increasing adult participation in learning is essential to improve employability, boost innovation, ensure social fairness, and close the digital skills gap. As the widely cited Draghi report on the future of EU competitiveness states: ‘While Europe should aim to match the US in terms of innovation, we should aim to exceed the US in providing opportunities for education and adult learning and good jobs for all throughout their lifetimes’. One of the key priorities for the new Commission is to address skills and labour gaps, particularly by establishing a Union of Skills. This aims to ensure that everyone in Europe, no matter where they are, is empowered to build solid skills foundations and engage in lifelong upskilling and reskilling.

Funding plays an important role in providing adult learning opportunities. Achieving the ambitious EU Social Pillar target to increase the level of adult learning requires a corresponding increase in financing from different sources. Currently, public support for adult learning in the EU stands at around 0.5% of GDP, representing around one third of the total, with the rest mostly covered by employers (including public employers) dedicated to employee training. This highlights the important role of government in co-financing adult learning, which can take many forms, including grants, tax incentives, and publicly financed provision of learning opportunities.

To ensure adequate and sustainable funding for adult learning, there is a need for the right strategy and institutional set-up to mobilise public and stimulate private investment, including cost-sharing arrangements. It is important to find the appropriate role for public financing in adult learning systems, and to strike a balance between the different financing instruments – publicly financed provision, financial incentives, and other support for individuals and companies – to maximise the impact of limited public resources. 

Therefore, the objective of the conference was to provide an overview of the various public funding instruments dedicated to adult learning, and to reflect on their future. In particular, the conference presented recent Cedefop research on the following topics:

• The overall structures of public (co-)financing for adult learning across the EU, drawing on dedicated ReferNet country-specific reports, and on the Cedefop database on financing adult learning.
• Financial support for individuals to take up learning, with a focus on individual learning accounts, presenting the results of a dedicated Cedefop study on the topic.
• Arrangements to incentivise employers to provide training, presenting the results of recent Cedefop study on Training Funds in the EU, and an upcoming report on the results of the latest round of the CVTS survey. 

The aims of the meeting were to:

• inform partners of the latest EU policy developments on VET, skills and qualifications;
• take stock of the work carried out in 2025 and the outcomes published and disseminated;
• prepare the 2026 work plan: VET policy reporting, spotlight, news, visibility actions, etc.;
• foster partnership and knowledge-sharing through interactive (joint) presentations of national developments, debates, etc.;
• hold individual meetings for deeper cooperation among members and between members and Cedefop experts.
• convey in a physical open space, which will encourage creative reflection on how partners would like ReferNet to develop in the 2024-27 period.

Participants also had the opportunity to exchange good dissemination practices in a dedicated space where they could display their national publications, newsletters, videos, promotional items, etc and benefit from bilateral meetings.

In addition, just prior to the Plenary, on 20–21 October 2025, a conference dedicated to “Financing adult learning: The role of public funding”, was hosted where the first results of this year’s ReferNet Activity titled "Financing adult learning/CVET and recent developments on ILA" were presented. 

Furthermore, during the second day of the Plenary (23 October), a thematic event focusing on “Microcredentials and the future of learning” took place, offering our partners the opportunity to present preliminary findings from the 2025 ReferNet Activity titled "Deepening on Microcredentials - labour market sector relevance, quality, and inclusion". Through these events, we aimed to showcase the work of ReferNet to the broader public and further enhance its visibility and impact at the European level.

Watch the recordings

Discussions positioned microcredentials within specific labour market sectors and will examine their potential to promote social inclusion of end-users (notably disadvantaged groups or individuals).

The event brought together policymakers, stakeholders, experts, and researchers to reflect on the role of microcredentials in redefining learning and work in the 21st century.

A dedicated session with ReferNet network was organised live (during the ReferNet Plenary) where they presented insights from their deliverable on microcredentials.

Engage in the discussion #Microcredentials #Microcredentials4LabourMarket
 Watch the recordings

Watch the recordings 

Discussions positioned microcredentials within specific labour market sectors and will examine their potential to promote social inclusion of end-users (notably disadvantaged groups or individuals).

The event brought together policymakers, stakeholders, experts, and researchers to reflect on the role of microcredentials in redefining learning and work in the 21st century.

A dedicated session with ReferNet network was organised live (during the ReferNet Plenary) where they presented insights from their deliverable on microcredentials.

Engage in the discussion #Microcredentials #Microcredentials4LabourMarket
 

The international organisations will promote a series of global and regional level events in partnership with associations operating in the area of career development. The International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) will serve as a key partner and a focal point for coordinating regional and national efforts this year.

• Opening webinar: 5 November 2025, from 14.00 to 15.00 Central European Standard Time (CEST). Registration link here.
• Closing webinar: 26 November 2025, from 14:00 to 15:00 Central European Standard Time (CEST). Registration link will be available shortly.

The IAG WGCG is proud to announce the publication of the newly updated Investing in Career Guidance joint statement and advocacy leaflet, just in time for the Second Global Careers Month.

Please visit the webpage of the Global Careers Month for more information on events and resources.

Information on previous Global Careers Month can be found here.