Adult education is vital to Europe’s social and economic resilience, yet many regions face deep structural weaknesses that cannot be resolved through EU‑level strategies alone.
The professionalisation of educators remains uneven across the EU and quality assurance also varies. Many educators work without structured support, evaluation or access to tools that help them develop and demonstrate their competencies.
In addition, labour market needs are also shifting rapidly. Green technologies, digital transformation, care services, tourism and circular economy sectors all require new skills, yet educators often lack access to up‑to‑date, modular training aligned with these transitions.
The challenges are particularly urgent in rural, coastal, peri-urban, and economically disadvantaged territories across the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Western Balkans. As such, territories across Croatia, Italy, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria are gathering together to strengthen regional collaboration and develop solutions tailored to their specific contexts.
The ambition
The Regional Skills Partnership aims to create a future ready workforce of adult educators equipped to respond to digitalisation, sustainability goals and fast evolving economic transitions.
It aims to strengthen professional development for educators through flexible, high quality training that expands digital, green and inclusive teaching skills. It also promotes micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning to support career growth and mobility, while building regional learning communities and policy labs that encourage collaboration and innovation.
The Regional Skills Partnership will also ensure that adult education matches the needs of the local labour market, helping regions build stronger and more connected skills systems.
In addition, cooperation among public authorities, regional development agencies (RDAs), public employment services (PES), municipalities, employers and training providers will be reinforced. Transnational collaboration will also be enhanced through mobility, peer learning and participation in EU initiatives such as Erasmus+ and the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE).
The commitments
The Regional Skills Partnership will establish a Regional Knowledge Hub, which will collect and share region-specific practices, focusing on the specific needs and experiences of PEPEAE’s member regions. It will complement EPALE’s themes, explore synergies with the platform, and promote the use of EPALE’s tools.
Stronger cooperation between regions is also a key commitment. PEPEAE will bring together policymakers, providers, employers and social partners, supported by improved skills intelligence on current and future competency needs.
In addition, inclusion remains a priority, with efforts to widen access for women, older adults, migrants and low‑skilled learners through flexible pathways and shared quality assurance methods.
Finally, the Regional Skill Partnership will promote lifelong learning for educators by expanding the use of micro‑credentials and recognition of prior learning, enabling modular, career‑relevant development that values existing experience while supporting new skills acquisition.
Keen to find out more about this Regional Skills Partnership? Read the declaration:
Details
- Publication date
- 15 May 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion