Evaluation of progress towards implementation of the Council Recommendation of 19 December 2016 on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults
Date: 2021-01-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: education policy



IMMC.Ares%282021%29257733.ENG.xhtml.PART-2021-15386V1.docx











EVALUATION ROADMAP  






Roadmaps aim to inform citizens and stakeholders about the Commission's work to allow them to provide feedback and to participate effectively in future consultation activities. Citizens and stakeholders are in particular invited to provide views on the Commission's understanding of the problem and possible solutions and to share any relevant information that they may have.






Title of the evaluation




Evaluation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways






Lead DG – responsible unit 




DG EMPL-E2






Indicative Planning 


(planned start date and completion date)




1Q 2021/2Q 2022






Additional Information









The Roadmap is provided for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described by the document, including its timing, are subject to change.









A. Context, purpose and scope of the evaluation






Context 






The evaluation concerns the 19 December 2016 Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults
1
. The Upskilling Pathways target adults with a low level of skills, knowledge and competences and provide them with flexible opportunities to improve their literacy, numeracy and digital skills and the competences to progress towards qualifications relevant for the labour market and for active participation in society. 


The Upskilling Pathways Recommendation targets the upskilling of this group, which amounts to over 50 million adults aged 25 to 64 in EU27. It contributes to the implementation of the European Pillar for Social Rights
2
, namely principle 1 on Education, training and life-long learning and principle 4 on Active Support to Employment. It contributes to achieving the goals of the European Agenda for Adult learning
3
 and the 2016 New Skills Agenda for Europe
4
, related to basic skills including improving numeracy, literacy and basic digital skills, to enable individuals to access good jobs and participate fully in society. The 2020 European Skills Agenda
5
 calls for more actions to support people to acquire these skills, and to reinforce Upskilling Pathways for adults, in particular for those with lower levels of skills and qualifications.


The Upskilling Pathways Recommendation is linked to other initiatives, namely to the Council Recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning 
6
, to the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience
7
, the work of the National Coordinators for the Implementation of the European Agenda for Adult learning and supported by EPALE
8
, Mutual learning activities and EU funding, such as the European Social Fund (ESF). 


The Recommendation invites the Member States, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and available resources, and in close cooperation with social partners and education and training providers, to offer adults with a low level of skills, knowledge and competences, for example, those who have left initial education or training without completing upper secondary education or equivalent, access to upskilling pathways which will provide them with the opportunity, according to their individual needs, to:


·acquire a minimum level of literacy, numeracy and digital competence; and/or


·acquire a wider set of skills, knowledge and competences, relevant for the labour market and active participation in society, building on Recommendation 2006/962/EC on key competences for lifelong learning
9
, by making progress towards a qualification at EQF level 3 or 4
10
 depending on national circumstances.


Where appropriate, the design of the Upskilling Pathways should be based on three steps: 


·skills assessment; 


·provision of a tailored, flexible and quality learning offer; 


·and validation and recognition of skills acquired. 


Those steps could be facilitated by guidance and support measures and by making best use of the potential of digital technologies, if appropriate.


The Recommendation indicates that the Commission shall provide within five years from the date of its adoption, a report to the Council on progress made towards its implementation and in particular on progress made towards raising the levels of literacy, numeracy and digital competence amongst low-qualified adults, experience gained and implications for the future.







Purpose and scope 






In accordance with paragraph  25 of the Recommendation, the evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the Recommendation, focusing on the actions taken by Member States and the related Commission support in response to the Recommendation and subsequent progress made towards raising the levels of literacy, numeracy and digital competence amongst low-qualified adults, experience gained and implications for the future. The evaluation will also address the Recommendation’s efficiency, the coherence and added value, and will assess whether the Recommendation is still relevant, taking into account the changing policy context. 



The evaluation will build on the previous Commission Staff Working Document on the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults
11
, published on 27 February 2019, which took stock of the implementation measures. It will also be based on other relevant information collected from Member States, experts and relevant stakeholders, including evidence from existing or currently prepared reports such as the upcoming  Eurydice report. 


The period considered for the evaluation will be from the start of the intervention (end 2016) until 2021.


The evaluation will cover the Member States of the European Union.













B. Better regulation






Consultation of citizens and stakeholders 






Member States and stakeholders (public organisations, education and training providers, social partners, civil society organisations and the general public)  will be consulted through:


·A 12-week internet-based public consultation, open to everybody (planned for Q2 in 2021), 





in all official languages of the European Union
12
. Replies may be submitted in any of the official EU languages. The public consultation will run in parallel to other targeted stakeholder consultations. The public consultation will be accessible on ‘Have your say’, the official Consultations webpage of the European Commission. The consultations will be actively communicated/promoted mainly through the Europa website and social media. 





·Targeted interviews and surveys.


·A workshop with relevant stakeholders organised by the contractor to validate the external evaluation study results.


·Mutual learning activities on Upskilling Pathways organised by the Commission in 2021 (participation of a restricted number of volunteering countries).


The evaluation Staff Working Document will include a synopsis report, which will summarise the results of all consultation activities.  






Data collection and methodology






An external evaluation study will be launched (planned start in Q1/2021). It will build on input from the following (non-exhaustive) list of sources:


·Commission Staff Working Document on the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults, which was published on 27 February 2019 and took stock of the Member States’ implementation measures


·The external evaluators will also analyse the replies of the open consultation and will have opportunities to collect evidence from relevant stakeholders through meetings, interviews, case studies and surveys. 


·Outcomes of the work and expertise of the Advisory Committee for Vocational Training.


·Outcomes of the work and discussions of the national coordinators for adult learning, and the adult learning working group (including representatives of both national authorities and stakeholders’ organisations).


·Outcomes of the 2021 mutual learning activities


·Outcomes of a workshop with relevant external stakeholders organised by the contractor to validate the evaluation results


·It may also draw on existing or currently prepared reports on adult learning in the Member States, e.g. a new report is being prepared by Eurydice, to which national Eurydice units contribute. The report is planned to  be published in June 2021.














(1)
 Council Recommendation of 19 December 2016 on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults, OJ C 484, 24.12.2016, p. 1–6, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016H1224(01)&from=EN



(2)
 The European Pillar of Social Rights in 20 principles, 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union/european-pillar-social-rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en



(3)
 Council Resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learningOJ C 372, 20.12.2011, p. 1–6, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32011G1220(01)&from=EN



(4)
 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, a New Skills Agenda for Europe, Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness, {SWD(2016) 195 final}, 
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/1/2016/EN/1-2016-381-EN-F1-1.PDF



(5)
 The European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, 
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223&langId=en



(6)
OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1–5, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32012H1222(01)&from=EN
 Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning



(7)
 Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, OJ C 417, 2.12.2020, p. 1–16 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2020.417.01.0001.01.ENG
 



(8)
 Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe - 
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en
 



(9)
 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning, OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10–18, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006H0962



(10)
 Reference is made to the European Qualification Framework (EQF), which has 8 levels. See e.g. 
https://europa.eu/europass/en/description-eight-eqf-levels



(11)
 Brussels, 27.2.2019  SWD(2019) 89 final, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT, Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults  Taking stock of implementation measures, 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/implementation-report-upskilling-pathways_en



(12)


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