Happy New Learning Year!

With the wish of a Happy New Learning year, the ETF moves to 2021 by taking concrete steps for its new strategy which will guide the Agency's action until 2027.

Over the last decade, trends in technology, digitalisation, climate change, migration and globalisation have emerged as drivers of change in our societies and economies. At the same time, a consensus has emerged about the need for a paradigm shift towards lifelong learning, including more flexible pathways combining formal and informal learning, hard and soft skills.

As a consequence of these changes, the ETF will broaden its expertise as the sector shifts attention from schooling towards wider learning pathways, and from isolated solutions towards comprehensive ones, and integrated actions across the education and training system.

The EU prioritises human capital in its assistance to third countries, as outlined in the Enlargement and Neighbourhood policies and relative instruments, as well as in the New European Consensus on Development and in line with Sustainable Development Goals.The proposals for external assistance under the new financial instruments confirm the growing trend towards investing in human capital development. It is estimated that the EU’s overall investment in human capital development will grow by over €1 billion per year.

In this context, aligning ETF’s actions to external relations priorities, the ETF will aim to be:

• A global asset for the EU providing expertise on human capital development through a diversified provision of clearly agreed services;
• A reference for partner countries for sector analysis and policy development, stakeholders engagement and capacity development and peer learning with the EU and other countries;
• A global knowledge hub in the field of human capital development in transition and developing countries;
• An important resource for programming and preparing and monitoring EU investment in human capital development;
• A partner to the EU to enhance the strategic impact of EU funds.

Read the whole ETF Strategy 2021-2027 here.