The purpose of this project is to support the design, diffusion and implementation of VET policies and measures helping adults, especially the low-skilled, to achieve the knowledge, skills and competences required for work, employability and lifelong learning.

Upskilling and reskilling of adults is an urgent priority for European policy-makers and stakeholders. Rapidly changing labour markets and multiple challenges, such as digitalisation and its consequences for the future of work, technological changes, the environment, ageing societies and social inclusion, require strong skill foundations and constant updating and acquiring of new skills, knowledge and competences. This is even more relevant now, as our economies and societies are still confronted with the unprecedented consequences of the COVID-19 health pandemic outbreak and resulting changes in terms of work organisation and skill needs. Ensuring that every adult has lifelong opportunities to constantly update and acquire new skills to navigate uncertain times and to thrive in their life and career is ever more important.

The above is of even more concern as, according to 2020 Cedefop estimates, there are 128 million adults in the EU-27 Member States, the UK, Iceland and Norway (hereafter referred to as EU-27+) with the potential for upskilling and reskilling (46.1% of the adult population). These adults may present low education, low digital skills, low cognitive skills or are medium-high educated at risk of skill loss and obsolescence. The estimates paint an alarming picture and hint to a much larger pool of talent and untapped potential than the 60 million low-educated adults usually referred as low-skilled.

However, the magnitude of the challenge is not all that European countries are facing. Cedefop work also shows that low-skilled adults are a highly heterogeneous population, comprising people with very different characteristics and needs. The magnitude and heterogeneity of the adult population with potential for upskilling and reskilling as well as the economic and social cost associated with low skills call for a renewed approach to upskilling (low-skilled) adults, both comprehensive and strategic; this should allow the pulling together of various resources and creating synergies from different measures and policies already in place across European countries. A coordinated and coherent approach to upskilling (low-skilled) adults also needs to be able to reach those most at need of upskilling and engage them in the process.

The Cedefop analytical framework for developing upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults has been developed to sustain a unique vision of upskilling pathways: upskilling pathways is about pulling together resources and creating the right synergies for supporting every (low-skilled) adult towards an individual path to empowerment. It is about creating a comprehensive approach to the upskilling and reskilling of the low-skilled adult population. This approach should be able to address their comprehensive needs in a coordinated and coherent manner and ensure that they have all the tools and support to embark on sustainable learning pathways leading to their full potential and fulfilment.

The framework’s value-added aspects involve the development process, its core foundation and its multidisciplinary contents. The development of the framework:

  1. it articulates a clear grounding in a lifelong learning perspective and is focused on the empowerment of the individual learner/beneficiary;
  2. it is articulated around important systemic features needed for a coherent and coordinated approach to upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults;
  3. it unlocks synergies and fosters complementarities across policy areas and practices; and
  4. It is based on an iterative process integrating both qualitative research and two rounds of stakeholder consultations aimed at gaining important stakeholder feedback and input collected at the first and second Cedefop EESC Policy learning forum on upskilling pathways: a vision for the future.

Building on its work on supporting the development of systematic and coordinated approaches to lifelong upskilling and reskilling pathways of low-skilled adults, in 2020 Cedefop started cooperating with Member States to undertake in-depth thematic country reviews, TCRs, of their national approach to the implementation of the Upskilling Pathways Recommendation. TCRs have a twofold objective:

  1. At national level, to support the implementation of the upskilling pathways recommendation and to identify country specific strengths and challenges and present a set of policy options for ensuring systematic, coherent and coordinated approaches to upskilling pathways for low skilled adults and to support reforms at the national and/or regional level.   
  2. At the European level, to increase the evidence base which can support policy- and decision-makers in European countries at different levels in designing and implementing upskilling pathways.

Therefore, findings from each country participating in the TCRs contribute in expanding the knowledge on coherent and coordinated approaches to upskilling pathways for low skilled adults across Europe and in enriching it with a higher level of details, including suggestions for factors determining or hampering success of upskilling pathways approaches in different national contexts.

The first round of thematic countries reviews involves France and Italy and will be completed in 2023. Preliminary results from the TCRs in France and Italy were presented during Cedefop and EESC Fourth Policy learning forum on upskilling pathways: a vision for the future and will be available in two country reports published in 2023.

A second round of thematic country reviews on upskilling pathways involving Croatia and Spain was launched at the end of 2022.   

Cedefop studies

Empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways - Volume 2: Cedefop analytical framework for developing coordinated and coherent approaches to upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults (7/2020)
This report is the second volume of Cedefop research on empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways. It presents the Cedefop analytical framework for developing upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults and illustrates its conceptual development.

Empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways - Volume 1: adult population with potential for upskilling and reskilling (2/2020)
This study is the first volume of Cedefop research on empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways.
Investing in skills pays off: the economic and social cost of low-skilled adults in the EU (7/2017)
This Cedefop study seeks to provide a comprehensive and robust evidence base in relation to low-skilled adults in the European Union. It analyses trends in low skills among adults as well as characteristics, determinants and risks of being low skilled.
Job-related adult learning and continuing vocational training in Europe: a statistical picture (11/2015)
This report provides a statistical picture of job-related adult learning and continuing vocational training in the EU.
Work-based learning approaches in continuing vocational education and training in Europe: practices and policies (9/2015)
This study provides an landscape of work-based learning in CVET in Europe, and identifies priorities and insights for effective CVET policies and systems.
Briefing note - encouraging adult learning (8/2015)
Despite improvements, adult learning still needs to become more attractive, inclusive, accessible and flexible.
Return to Work – Work-based learning and the reintegration of unemployed adults into the labour market (11/2013)
The study shows that work-based learning programmes focussing on key competences can be an effective instrument for addressing barriers to (re-)entering the labour market that low-qualified unemployed adults are facing, provided that these programmes are properly targeted and designed.
Learning and innovation in enterprises (11/2012)
This study investigates links between work organisation, workplace learning, training and innovation, and shows that VET and learning-conducive work environments play an important role for fostering the innovative ability of enterprises.