- 2019Design
- 2020Design
- 2021Design
- 2022Approved/Agreed
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
Cyprus still faces challenges regarding the participation of adults in lifelong learning, which remains below the EU average. Specifically in 2021, 9.7% of adults aged 25-64 have had a recent learning experience during the last 4 weeks, compared to the EU average of 10.8% (in 2020).
Objectives
The lifelong learning strategy the years 2021-27 aims to:
- assist national agencies and other bodies in Cyprus reaching the EU targets in relevant fields;
- improve efforts to upskill and reskill low-qualified and low-skilled adults and address the high percentage of unemployment among young people;
- have a beneficial effect on other groups such as early leavers, NEETs and migrants/refugees. The implementation of a variety of learning opportunities is anticipated to enrich knowledge, skills and competences for personal development and economic well-being of the specified target groups.
Description
The development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the lifelong learning strategy 2021-27 is under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, and is internally coordinated by the European and International Affairs, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Office.
The monitoring of policies and actions included in the lifelong learning strategy are mandated to the national and the technical lifelong learning committees. Representatives from various stakeholders, including the Directorate General Growth, the the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (HRDA), and social partners, will participate in the two committees.
In 2019, following a decision by the Council of Ministers (no.86.672, dated 23 January 2019) the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the lifelong learning strategy for 2021-27 was transferred from the Directorate General for European programmes, coordination and development to the education ministry.
On July 2020, a kick-off meeting of the national and technical committees, with agenda topics the priorities and the goals of the strategy, took place.
The work carried out by the education ministry was facilitated by experts from the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), following a successful application submitted by the education ministry to the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission.
A number of online study visits took place, during which examples of good practices on successful lifelong learning and adult education strategies from other EU Member States were presented. Many good practices and examples were identified, for the preparation of the lifelong learning strategy 2021-27: examples included issues of financing and budgeting, synergies and collaboration among stakeholders, incentives for adults to participate, outreach measures and guidance mechanisms and establishments to promote lifelong learning. Consultation with relevant stakeholders was also planned for the next phases of the process, such as the first draft of the lifelong learning strategy 2021-27.
Desk research, including European best practices and stakeholder interviews, was carried out from October 2020 to February 2021, for the status quo of lifelong learning provision in Cyprus. The findings were presented to stakeholders in an online workshop in February 2021. The workshop allowed consultation with stakeholders on the challenges to be addressed by the lifelong learning strategy 2021-27; it fostered cooperation between them, led to an agreement on the key performance indicators (KPIs) and provided feedback for the next steps.
The first draft of the Cyprus lifelong learning strategy (CyLLLS) 2021-27 was developed. The six strategic elements of the CyLLLS 2021-27 were:
- digital transformation;
- green transition and sustainability;
- inclusion and equality;
- validation of non-formal and informal learning;
- health and wellbeing;
- lifelong learning culture.
To accomplish the vision of the CyLLLS, four strategic priorities were set as key objectives. These objectives were necessary for providing the long-term strategic framework of lifelong learning towards the development of a knowledge-based and inclusive society, and for guiding future actions to:
- establish the governance, monitoring, and evaluation framework;
- decrease youth unemployment and upskill/reskill young people and the workforce;
- increase the participation of adults in lifelong learning;
- enhance the professional practice of adult educators and trainers.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) were set. These indicators provided the required benchmark for measuring the accomplishment of the objectives set, including the time frame for their attainment and for meeting the target set for 2027.
The strategy was accompanied by a draft action plan, which supported the national and technical committees.
The CyLLLS was approved by the National Committee on the 14 of July 2022 and a proposal on the adoption of the CyLLLS was submitted to the Council of Ministers, which was approved on the 30 of September 2022 (no.93.682).
Actions aligned with the goals of the CyLLLS were documented for the years 2022 and 2023 to monitor its progress.
Actions aligned with the goals of the CyLLLS were documented for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 to monitor its progress. The first progress report on monitoring the Cyprus, covering the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 is expected to provide initial findings in 2025, including results on the achievement of the key performance indicators (KPIs) set.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MESY)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth (MoECSY) (until 2022)
- Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) (until 2019)
Target groups
Learners
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Adult learners
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
Osnabrück Declaration
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). The 2021-27 CY Lifelong learning strategy: Cyprus. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/35466