Smoothing the path for adults to take up new learning opportunities

Smoothing the path for adults to take up new learning opportunities

Would you like to prepare the ground for an EU initiative to support low-skilled individuals to improve their literacy, numeracy or digital skills, or to assist in their progress towards higher qualifications?

Then apply for the call for proposals to organise awareness-raising activities on the Council Recommendation “Upskilling Pathways: new opportunities for adults”.

Upskilling Pathways: new opportunities for adults

The Recommendation “Upskilling Pathways: new opportunities for adults" aims to help adults acquire a minimum level of literacy, numeracy and digital skills and/or acquire a broader set of skills by progressing towards a higher qualification (depending on national contexts) through 'an upskilling pathway'. They may be in employment, unemployed or economically inactive, with a need to strengthen basic skills.

An 'upskilling pathway' is a progression through three steps, along with outreach, guidance and support measures:

• a skills assessment to identify existing skills and any needs for upskilling;.
• a tailored learning offer of education and training meeting the needs identified by the skills assessment;.
• validation and recognition of the newly acquired skills, which may be the first step towards a new qualification.

Call for proposals

Successful applicants to the call for proposals will receive funding for activities that

• prepare the ground for the implementation of "Upskilling Pathways" (e.g. by taking stock of existing provision and identifying any gaps, by identifying priority groups, etc.).
• foster sustainable arrangements for its implementation (e.g. by supporting stakeholders to disseminate information, by capacity building, etc.).

Applicants must be public entities in charge of national or regional policies and actions for upskilling adults. Co-applicants can be public or private entities (profit-making or non-profit making) involved in the organisation, financing or provision of services such as

• skills assessment,.
• validation,.
• education and training.
• guidance.

targeted to adults.

The budget for the call is €1 000 000 (minimum grant request: €250 000; maximum co-financing rate: 80%). It is estimated that a maximum of four projects could be supported.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 30 June 2017. Funded actions should start in late 2017 or early 2018.

Info session webinar

info session webinar

If you would like more information on the call for proposals, you can register for the on 16 May (14:00 - 16:00 Brussels time) by sending an email to  empl-vp-2017-011@ec.europa.eu . The link to the webinar will be available as soon as possible.