PRESS RELEASE - Shaping lifelong learning in Europe and beyond: EU candidate and neighbouring countries setting a future agenda from Turin

Turin, 19 November 2025 – Deputy ministers and secretaries of state from the European Union Member States and EU neighbouring countries, together with representatives of the European Commission and local institutions, met in Turin on 18 and 19 November for the high-level roundtable “Advancing lifelong learning in the context of EU accession and neighbourhood”. The meeting, organised by the European Training Foundation (ETF), the EU agency based in Turin, helped to accelerate progress in building modern, coherent and inclusive adult learning systems – an essential condition for competitiveness, technological transition, social cohesion and advancement along the EU accession path. The event was organised together with DVV International – the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association, which supports adult learning systems and policies worldwide – and under the patronage of the City of Turin.

The discussions brought together participants from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine, as well as from countries such as Italy, Poland and Slovenia, alongside representatives of the European Commission and the authorities of Turin and Piedmont. Among those present were: Yevhen Kudriavets, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Ukraine (online); Araksia Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Armenia; Andrej Sotošek, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Slovenia; Felicia Bechtoldt, Secretary of State, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Moldova; and Liudmila Stihi, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education and Research, Moldova.

“Adult education is crucial in an ageing Europe and in a rapidly changing labour market, with businesses seeking constantly updated skills. Today, only 40% of adults take part in training activities each year, while the European Union’s target is to reach at least 60% by 2030. The meeting in Turin, bringing together nearly 90 institutional representatives from ten EU neighbourhood countries and from the Member States, sends a tangible signal that confirms the centrality of this issue and positions the city as a capital of skills,” said Pilvi Torsti, Director of the European Training Foundation. “The ETF aims to further strengthen cooperation with all local institutions – from the University and Polytechnic of Turin to the Piedmont Region, the City of Turin, the ITCILO and the Turin Industrial Union.”

“Turin is proud to host the European Training Foundation, a key European institution for education, training and employment policies. For more than thirty years its presence has been a source of pride and a point of reference for our community. Adult learning is a fundamental driver of inclusion, intergenerational equity and community empowerment, all essential elements for building resilient and cohesive societies,” said Michela Favaro, Deputy Mayor of the City of Turin. “Together with our universities, research centres, businesses, foundations and international organisations, Turin is committed to a model of growth that combines economic development, social inclusion and international openness. In this spirit, we are proud to contribute to the European effort to support candidate countries and the neighbourhood in strengthening adult learning systems and advancing them along the path of European integration 

“Adult learning and education systems are complex, and I am strongly convinced that we need a well-adapted framework of regulations and policies, quality assurance, public funding and the involvement of civil society. At the same time, these systems must allow for flexibility, because adults of all ages and backgrounds must be able to access them in a world that is constantly changing. Adult learning and education systems are a crucial building block of any national education system that aims to be dynamic, resilient and open,” underlined Esther Hirsch, Director of DVV International.

A strategic moment for reforms in adult learning

Over the past twenty years, EU candidate countries have launched numerous reforms in their education and training systems. However, adult learning and education (ALE) has often remained fragmented, with uneven participation rates and limited coordination between institutions and training providers. The EU target for 2030 – 60% of adults taking part in training activities – is still a long way off for many Member States, and even more so for several candidate countries.

In 2020, the European Skills Agenda and, in 2025, the “Union of Skills” initiative reaffirmed the strategic value of adult learning as a central element of Europe’s model of competitiveness and social cohesion. The Turin meeting formed part of this dynamic, reinforcing its momentum. Topics discussed included: the governance and financing of adult learning systems, the implementation of reforms in candidate countries, the validation of non-formal and informal learning, micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and the development of lifelong learning ecosystems at national and local level.

From policy dialogue to practice on the ground

Over the two days, participants took part in study visits to two adult learning centres in Turin. The first visit, to the Provincial Centre for Adult Education (CPIA) Turin 1 “Paulo Freire”, highlighted the centrality of the learner, the constant cooperation among local stakeholders and the role of public–private–civic partnerships in building effective pathways for inclusion and learning. A second delegation visited the Camerana Learning Hub. This visit explored adults’ motivation to engage in training, the importance of innovative learning environments and the complementarity between public and private initiatives, in particular the role of the Turin Industrial Union.

The visits showed how public, private and third-sector actors work together to provide learning opportunities, sustain adults’ motivation to take up training and respond to the evolving needs of the labour market, starting from the Turin context itself.

The high-level roundtable concluded with shared messages on future priorities and on cooperation to strengthen adult learning within the framework of the EU’s enlargement and neighbourhood policies, in Europe and beyond.

The European Training Foundation

The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the European Union agency supporting neighbouring and EU candidate countries in reforming education, training, and labour market systems. Over the past thirty years, the ETF has helped transform Turin into a meeting point between Europe and the world, contributing to global strategies for skills development and international cooperation. 

The ETF works with nearly 30 partner countries – from Ukraine to the Western Balkans, from the Southern Mediterranean to Central Asia and the African Union – to strengthen Europe’s security and prosperity and that of its neighbours. 

The ETF’s Governing Board, chaired by the European Commission, brings together representatives from all 27 EU Member States, with the Mayor of Turin participating as an observer. The Foundation is based in Villa Gualino, Turin. 

Press contacts

Daria Santucci – +39 366 9639638 – mediarelations@etf.europa.eu – www.etf.europa.eu