Implementation European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) in Germany

ended

"The latest AES trend report measured an increase in participation in continuing education in Germany. The rate of participation in non-formal continuing education among adults rose from 50% in 2016 to 54% in 2018. Despite this positive development, Germany continues to lag behind comparable OECD countries in terms of participation in continuing education. The related OECD report notes that participation in continuing education varies considerably between different population groups. Adults with low basic skills, low-income earners and employees in SMEs show significantly lower participation. National education policy has responded to the challenges in several ways. For example, a National Strategy for Continuing Education (NWS) - led by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) - was launched in 2019, focusing particularly on topics related to continuing vocational education and training and supported by the federal states (KMK) and social partners. The national priorities have a high degree of overlap with the education policy priorities envisaged for the new EAAL funding period: the implementation of the Council Recommendation ""Upskilling Pathways"" and the promotion of “Skills for Life”. The European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) in Germany will prioritize these two topics. As in previous years, we will also emphasize the role of adult learning in the continuum of lifelong learning and its importance for employability and personal development of individuals. In addition to the national monitoring committee for EAAL, the coordination is also involved in a cascading model in the subcommittees for vocational training and adult education. There, an extended target group (associations, social partners, practice, science) is reached and involved in the concrete measures of EAAL implementation. "