Adult learning

The ELS Skills Team of the OECD collects and analyses data to assess the future-readiness of countries’ adult learning systems and provides policy directions and international good practice examples to improve their systems performance. As part of this work, the Skills Team performs country reviews, shares good practices, provides implementation support, and develops data and tools. Find below in what areas we are currently working and a selection of our publications.

The ELS Skills Team of the OECD and the DG REFORM of the European Commission are cooperating in providing technical support to countries that want to reform their adult learning systems.

Current projects: Developing digital skills for better social protection services in Italy, more... Establishing a validation system of prior learning in Croatia, more... Improving adult learning in Greece through quality assurance, more... Supporting employers to promote skills development in Latvia, more... Tackling long-term unemployment through innovative approaches in Wallonia, more...    Past projects: Wallonia (2021-23), Italy CPIA (2020-22), Italy MISE (2020-22), Wallonia (2019-21), The Netherlands (2019-21).

Country Reviews of Adult Learning

• The new workplace in Japan: Skills for a strong recovery
• Continuing Education and Training in Germany
• Creating Responsive Adult Learning Opportunities in Japan
• Enhancing Training Opportunities in SMEs in Korea
• Continuous Learning in Working Life in Finland
• Workforce Innovation to Foster Positive Learning Environments in Canada
• Financial Incentives to Promote Adult Learning in Australia
• Community Education and Training in South Africa
• Adult Learning in Italy: What role for training funds?

Innovations in Adult Learning

• Co-ordinating adult learning policies: Mechanisms for inter-institutional and stakeholder co-ordination
• Action plan for innovation in adult learning systems
• Future-ready adult learning in Latin America: Action plan
• Preparando a los adultos para el futuro: el aprendizaje en América Latina - Plan de acción
• Preparando adultos para o futuro: aprendizagem na América Latina - Plano de ação
• Evidence-based VET and adult learning policy
• Opportunities and drawbacks of using artificial intelligence for training
• Future-ready adult learning systems
• Creating responsive adult learning systems
• Making adult learning work in social partnership

Inclusiveness in Adult Learning

• The recognition of prior learning: Validating general competences
• Increasing adult learning participation
• Engaging low-skilled adults in learning

Quality Assurance in Adult Learning

• Improving the Quality of Non-Formal Adult Learning
• L’Assurance Qualité de la Formation des Adultes en Wallonie
• Mapping Quality Approaches and Monitoring Systems in the Netherlands

Training in Enterprises

• Incentives for SMEs to Invest in Skills: Lessons from European Good Practices
• Raising Skills in SMEs in the Digital Transformation: A Review of Policy Instruments in Italy
• Training in Enterprises: New Evidence from 100 Case Studies
• Training in Enterprises: How can enterprises be supported in providing more and better training for all?

 Career Guidance

• Leveraging career guidance for adults to build back better
• Career Guidance for Adults in Canada
• Career Guidance for Low-Qualified Workers in Germany
• Listening to Low-Qualified Workers: How Career Guidance Can Make a Difference for Them in the Long Term
• Career Guidance for Adults in Latin America
• Career Guidance for Adults in a Changing World of Work
• Investing in Career Guidance
• Career Guidance Policy and Practice in the Pandemic