Enhancing learning mobility in all areas of the EU’s education system for local and regional authorities is essential to addressing Europe’s growing skills gaps, driving recovery through just and inclusive measures that do not leave anyone behind.
Regional education and training systems in the EU have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. Furthermore, European businesses are finding it difficult to recruit skilled workers, and the EU’s population is ageing. Each of these issues has incentivised the European Commission to adopt the ‘Europe on the Move’ proposal, to enhance learning mobility for everyone.
The Pact for Skills Regional Skills Partnerships for Lifelong Learning Mobility (EARLALL) seeks to increase the mobility opportunities for students in vocational and educational training (VET), apprenticeships, adult education, and informal education, including those with fewer opportunities in Europe.
The Partnership aims to make learning mobility an integral part of all education and training pathways and is focused especially on teacher and apprenticeship mobility.
The Partnership has made several pledges in support of the proposal, such as a commitment to have 20% of VET learners take part in learning mobility opportunities by 2030 and to reserve 20% of all mobility opportunities for those with fewer opportunities.
In addition, the Partnership commits to working with regional and local authorities to improve VET links, monitor and evaluate whether the impact of mobility in lifelong learning is appropriate for the local area’s skill needs, and cooperate with other networks and organisations to gather training courses and material on internationalisation and mobility.
By committing to increasing capacity-building, improving awareness of mobility opportunities, and strengthening the image of mobility through online activities, the Partnership will promote a culture of lifelong learning with a focus on learners with fewer opportunities.
The Partnership aims to create solid links between regions through five activities:
- Share inspirational and good practices of mobility.
- Define the meaning of ‘fewer opportunities’ and how to best involve these target groups.
- Monitor and track mobility opportunities and their implementation across Pact partners.
- Develop the concept of lifelong learning mobility promoters who will lead the promotion and support of learning mobility initiatives.
- Host matchmaking events and expand a mobility matchmaking tool to match high-quality exchanges, improve student mobility and enable regional and local staff job shadowing.
Read the Partnership declaration:
Details
- Publication date
- 17 September 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion