Launched: May 2026
The challenge
Adult education is vital to Europe’s social and economic resilience, yet many regions in the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Western Balkans still face barriers that limit its impact. As digital, green and demographic transitions accelerate, demand for a skilled and well‑supported adult education workforce is growing.
Despite this demand, the professionalisation of adult educators remains uneven across the EU as countries differ widely in training pathways, qualifications and recognition. Limited use of micro‑credentials and recognition of prior learning also restricts the mobility and career development of education staff.
In addition, the absence of common quality standards raises concerns, as many educators work without structured support, evaluation or access to tools that help them develop and demonstrate their competencies. Without shared, transparent standards, trust and comparability across borders can suffer.
Labour market needs are rapidly shifting to green technologies, digital transformation, care services, tourism and the circular economy. These sectors all require new skills, yet educators often lack access to up‑to‑date, modular training aligned with these transitions. This gap makes it harder for adult learning systems to support regional development.
The ambition
The Pan-European Partnership for Excellence in Adult Education (PEPEAE) aims to create a future-ready workforce of educators who can respond to digitalisation, sustainability goals and fast-evolving economic transitions.
The Partnership will bring together key regions from Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Cyprus and Greece, which share common skills challenges such as high unemployment, skills mismatches and the need for more inclusive upskilling pathways.
The goal is to ensure that educators across these regions have the skills, recognition and support they need to provide high‑quality, inclusive and flexible learning.
As a pan-European partnership, PEPEAE will help adapt adult education systems to the local economic needs of the regions, strengthening cooperation between training providers, employers and regional governments.
To do this, PEPEAE will expand learning opportunities for educators by:
- strengthening professional development through flexible, high-quality training
- broadening access to sustainability, digital and inclusive teaching skills
- promoting micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning to support career progression and mobility.
It will also strengthen regional and transnational cooperation by:
- fostering collaboration and innovation through regional communities and policy-innovation labs
- connecting adult education with regional development strategies and labour market needs in green industries, digital transformation, tourism, circular economy sectors and care services
- strengthening cooperation among public authorities, regional development agencies (RDAs), public employment services (PES), municipalities, employers and training providers to build coherent regional skills ecosystems
- supporting transnational collaboration through mobility schemes, 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 has committed to a set of actions that will strengthen the professionalisation of educators, improve the quality of adult learning and ensure that training systems align with regional and EU labour market needs.
Co-designed with local stakeholders, it will develop high‑quality training programmes that equip educators with digital, green and inclusive teaching skills.
A key goal is to strengthen regional cooperation and align policies. PEPEAE will bring together policymakers, providers, employers and social partners to coordinate adult education and share effective practices.
The Regional Skills Partnership will also prioritise equality and inclusion, widening access for women, older adults, migrants and low‑skilled workers through more inclusive teaching methods and flexible learning pathways.
Finally, PEPEAE will expand access to lifelong learning for educators. Through micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning, it will support modular, career-relevant development that values existing skills while enabling educators to build new ones.
The impact
To deliver these commitments, the Regional Skills Partnership will establish a Regional Knowledge Hub, which will collect and share region-specific practices, complement EPALE’s themes and promote the use of their tools. This will increase visibility, foster collaboration and support knowledge exchange across the Partnership, while also encouraging active contributions to European-level discussions.
In addition, cross‑border alignment will be advanced through regular roundtables, working groups and policy dialogues, enabling regions to learn from one another and build more coherent adult learning systems.
PEPEAE will also map emerging skills needs and strengthen skills intelligence to keep educator training responsive to developments in digitalisation, sustainability, health, care and green technologies. This approach will ensure curricula continue to evolve and improve.
Finally, the Regional Skills Partnership will expand outreach and advocacy to highlight the importance of professionalising educators. Over time, thematic working groups will deepen collaboration on green and digital skills, inclusion and curriculum innovation – embedding PEPEAE’s impact across regions.
View the document below to learn more about the Regional Skills Partnership on Pan-European Partnership for Excellence in Adult Education (PEPEAE):
