Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on individual learning accounts
Date: 2021-12-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, access to education, adult education, continuing education, continuing vocational training, economic recovery, employment aid, labour force, training leave, updating of skills

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 10.12.2021  COM(2021) 773 final 2021/0405 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on individual learning accounts  {SEC(2021) 417 final} - {SWD(2021) 368 final} - {SWD(2021) 369 final} - {SWD(2021) 370 final}  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

The success of both the digital and green transitions depends on workers with the right skills, 
and the need to act fast puts high demands on Member States’ support systems for continuous 
learning.  Moreover,  demographic  change  in  Europe  means  that  we  need  to  activate 
everyone’s  full  potential,  in  order  to  ensure  sustainable  growth.  Lastly,  recovering  from  the 
socio-economic impact  of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a reinforced policy on  skills to 
support successful professional transitions where needed.  

Skills  development  is  a  fundamental  part  of  the  response  to  these  challenges.  Skills  are  a 
centrepiece of the European way of life as they are a key driver for individuals’ success in a 
fast changing labour market. A strong skill set opens up opportunities, provides a safety net in 
uncertain  times,  and  promotes  inclusion  and  social  advancement.  However,  across  Europe, 
too few people take part in regular learning once they have completed their initial education. 
Many  find  themselves  excluded  from  opportunities  to  up-  or  reskill  because  of  their  labour 
force  status  or  personal  circumstances,  like  lack  of  finances,  time  or  motivation  to  train. 
Limited  awareness  of  their  own  skills  needs,  limited  transparency  of  training  offers, 
uncertainty about a training programme’s quality and recognition, and insufficient tailoring of 
available offers to  individual  needs  all  contribute to  low  motivation  to  take up training in  a 
context of limited opportunities for financial support.1  

As a result, today only 1 in 10 adults in Europe undertakes training in a given 4 weeks-period2 
and less than half of all adults report any formal or non-formal education or training activities 
over a period of 12 months.  Furthermore, those  who do undertake education or training are 
not  necessarily  those who  need it most.  For example, permanent  employees are more likely 
than  other  adults  to  engage  in  learning  (45%  as  against  29%);  and  sectors,  occupations  and 
types  of  employment  with  higher  proportions  of  lower-qualified  workers  find  themselves  at 
the  bottom  of  the  upskilling  ranking.3  Overall,  women  participate  slightly  more  in  adult 
learning than men (38.4% vs 36.4%). However, men are somewhat more likely than women 
to report learning for job-related reasons.4 

A skilled workforce is also a key factor for the productivity, sustainability and innovation of 
businesses  of  all  sizes,  notably  for  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs).  It  enables 
them to grow and contribute to a successful green and digital transition, thereby creating high-
quality jobs. Providing people with the right skills also allows businesses to take advantage of 
advanced technologies. 

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See  section 2.2 of the Impact Assessment  for an analysis  of the problem drivers that lead to low and 
uneven training participation. 
Labour Force Survey 2020, variable TRNG_LFSE_01. 
Adult Education Survey 2016, ages 25-64, excluding guided on the job training. This is the most recent 
year for which data on adult learning participation in the last 12 months is available. 
79% of men’s non-formal learning was job-related compared to 71% for women’s. No corresponding 
data are available for formal learning. 

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However,  skills  mismatches  and  gaps  on  the  labour  market  persist  and  are  growing.5  For 
example,  they  already  constrain  the  transition  to  a  greener  economy,  which  highlights  the 
importance of skills investment to reach the EU’s ambitious European Green Deal objectives, 
including emission reduction targets.6 They also put breaks on the digital transition, with more 
than 70% of businesses reporting a lack of staff with adequate digital skills as an obstacle to 
investment.7
  In  particular,  SMEs  are  often  at  a  disadvantage  compared  to  larger  companies 
when  it  comes  to  supporting  the  skills  development  of  their  staff.  Employees  in  large 
companies are more likely to participate in training (55%) than SME employees (42%). SMEs 
include microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees, who tend to participate in training the 
least (36%).8 

The  Commission’s  Communication  on  a  European  Skills  Agenda9  for  Sustainable 
Competitiveness, Social Fairness and Resilience was published in July 2020, at the height of 
the  COVID-19  pandemic.  It  called  for  a  skills  revolution  and  a  paradigm  shift  on  skills 
policies  and  announced  12  actions  to  make  this  a  reality.  One  of  its  actions  announced  an 
initiative  on  individual  learning  accounts  which  allow  people  to  accumulate  and  preserve 
training entitlements to use them for training, guidance or validation. 

This paradigm shift on skills policies is also shaping many key Commission initiatives: 

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The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  action  plan  included  an  ambitious  headline 
target on skills: by 2030, 60% of working-age adults in the EU should participate in 
training each year. EU leaders welcomed this in the Porto Declaration of 8 May 2021 
and the European Council conclusions of 25 June 202110.  

The  European  Green  Deal11  recognises  skills  as  a  crucial  enabler  for  the  green 
transition 
to  a  modern,  resource-efficient,  and  competitive  economy.  The 
Commission Communication of 14 July 2021, “Fit for 55”12 recognises that the green 
transition can only succeed if the EU has the skilled workforce it needs in order to 
stay competitive.  

In  her  2021  State  of  the  Union  address,  President  von  der  Leyen  underlined  the 
importance of investing in digital skills and the need to draw EU leaders' attention to 

In  the  EIB  investment  survey,  the  share  of  EU  employers  considering  difficulties  in  finding  workers 
with the right skills to be an obstacle to investment increased from 66% in 2016 to 76% in 2019, with 
only a small reduction to 73% in the COVID-19 year 2020. 
ILO (2019), Skills for a greener future: A global view based on 32 country studies. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  –  2030  Digital  Compass:  the 
European way for the Digital Decade (COM/2021/118 final). 
Adult Education Survey 2016, ages 25-64, excluding guided on the job training. 
Commission  Communication  on  a  European  Skills  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Competitiveness,  Social 
Fairness and Resilience, (COM(2020) 274 final). 
The Porto declaration - Consilium (europa.eu) and 2425-06-21-euco-conclusions-en.pdf (europa.eu) 
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, 
the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  -  The  European 
Green Deal (COM/2019/640 final). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  –  Fit  for 55: delivering  the  EU's 
2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality (COM(2021) 550 final). 

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this. Europe’s Digital Decade13 reiterates the objective of a minimum 80% of the EU 
population with at least basic digital skills and set the target of 20 million employed 
ICT specialists, with gender convergence, by 2030. The recently adopted proposal on 
the Path to the Digital Decade14 establishes a framework to take this forward.  

The  Commission  Communication  on  A  New  Industrial  Strategy  for  Europe15    calls 
for  decisive  action  to  make  lifelong  learning  a  reality  for  all  and  ensure  that 
education and training keep pace and help deliver the twin transitions. 

The Recovery and Resilience Facility16, part of Next Generation EU, and the Multi-
annual  Financial  Framework  are  providing  unprecedented  EU  funding  for  Member 
States to invest in skills. All national Recovery and Resilience Plans adopted by the 
Commission so far, include measures for adult upskilling and reskilling.  

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This  initiative  is  necessary  because  past  initiatives  have  proven  insufficient  to  substantially 
increase  adults’  participation  in  training  and  close  support  gaps  in  access  to  training.  While 
the  situation  varies  between  Member  States,  all  face  similar  challenges,  as  reflected  in  the 
European Semester analysis and country-specific recommendations.17 

The analysis from the Impact Assessment18 shows that there are two broad problem drivers: 
individuals  receive  insufficient  financial  support  for  training,  including  to  overcome 
barriers  to  devoting  time  for  training,  and  there  is  insufficient  motivation  to  take  up 
training.  

The consequences of the problem are manifold, ranging from a higher risk of unemployment 
and  lower  wages  and  lower  job  satisfaction  for  the  individual,  to  reduced  productivity  in 
companies,  in  particular  SMEs,  and  consequently  lower  GDP  and  less  resilience  in  the 
economy as a whole.19   

Unless resolute action is taken, adult learning participation is expected to reach only  around 
49%  by  2030,  thus  falling  well  short  of  the  60%  target.  This  is  why  the  Commission  is 
proposing a fresh approach to supporting up- and reskilling in the EU, in line with the Skills 
Agenda, which places  individuals in  the driving seat,  and equips them with  the support  and 
tools they need to engage regularly in learning.  

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Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  regions;  2030  Digital  Compass:  the 
European way for the Digital Decade (COM (2021)118 final). 
Path to Digital Decade (COM(2021)574). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Updating the 2020 New Industrial 
Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery (COM(2021) 350 final). 
Regulation  (EU)  2021/241  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  12  February  2021 
establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17–75. 
See Impact Assessment Annex 6.3 for details on inequalities in adult learning participation, and Annex 
6.4 for an overview of the country-specific recommendations on skills. 
See section 2 of the Impact Assessment.  
See section 2.3 of the Impact Assessment. 

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The  general  objective  of  the  initiative  is  to  support  Member  States  with  reforms  to  enable 
adults to participate in training in order to increase participation rates and reduce skills gaps. 
The  proposal  covers  all  adults  of  working  age,  irrespective  of  labour  force  or  professional 
status20.  It  thus  takes  a  whole  new  approach  to  lifelong  learning,  de-coupling  training 
entitlements  from  their  original  funder  and  giving  individuals  full  ownership  over  the 
entitlements.  The  initiative  thereby  contributes  to  the  EU's  overall  objective  of  promoting  a 
highly  competitive  social  market  economy,  with  a  view  to  full  employment  and  social 
progress.  Scenario  analyses  suggest  that  the  proposed  approach  would  increase  training 
participation in 2030 to levels above the 60% EU target.21  

In  concrete  terms,  this  proposal  recommends  that  Member  States  should  enable  adults  to 
participate in training in order to increase participation rates and reduce skills gaps by: 

(a) 

supporting  all  working-age  adults  to  access  training,  including  for  professional 
transitions and irrespective of their labour force or professional status; 

(b) 

increasing individuals’ incentives and motivation to seek training.   

To achieve these objectives, this proposed Recommendation invites Member States to set up 
individual  learning  accounts.  These  will  embody  the  right  to  lifelong  learning,  through 
individual  learning  accounts  as  a  means  of  enabling  individuals  to  participate  in  labour-
market  relevant  training,  and  an  enabling  framework  including  guidance  and  validation 
opportunities, to support the actual take-up of training. This corresponds to guideline 6 in the 
2021  Council  Decision  on  guidelines  for  the  employment  policies  of  the  Member  States22 
(‘Employment  Guidelines’)  confirming  the  2020  version23,  which  stresses  access  to 
employment  and  skills,  and  calls  on  Member  States  to  “strengthen  the  provisions  on 
individual  training  entitlements  and  ensure  their  transferability  during  professional 
transitions”.  

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  proposal  is  consistent  with  and  complements  existing  EU  policy  initiatives,  most  of 
which  focus  on  the  design  of  adult  education  and  training  provision  (“supply  side”),  rather 
than on making it accessible to adults and encouraging them to use it (“demand side”).  

Moreover,  existing  initiatives  are  often  limited  in  scope,  focusing  only  on  certain  groups, 
rather 
the  2016  Council 
Recommendation  on  Upskilling  Pathways24  (the  most  recent  major  EU  legal  act  on  adult 

than  all  working-age  adults.  For 

in  adopting 

instance, 

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The term “labour force status” includes all people in employment, the unemployed and people outside 
the labour force. The term “professional status“ includes all employed independent of their contractual 
status, i.e. including the self-employed and other people in atypical forms of work. 
See section 6.1 of the Impact Assessment. 
Council Decision (EU) 2021/1868 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, OJ 
L 379, 26.10.2021, p. 1–5 
Council Decision (EU) 2020/1512 of 13 October 2020 on guidelines for the employment policies of the 
Member States, p.22 
Council  Recommendation  of  19  December  2016  on  Upskilling  Pathways:  New  Opportunities  for 
Adults. OJ C 484, 24.12.2016, p. 1–6 

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learning  policy),  Member  States  agreed  to  take  a  strategic  and  coordinated  approach  to 
providing learning opportunities for the EU’s 58 million low-qualified adults.25 The aim is to 
help  them  improve  their  basic  skills  (i.e.  literacy,  numeracy,  and  digital  skills),  and/or  to 
acquire a broader set of skills by moving on to higher qualifications. The 2019 report on the 
implementation  of  the  Recommendation  shows  a  range  of  national  policy  responses.  It  also 
underlines that addressing the challenge of skilling low-qualified people requires a long-term 
systemic  approach,  accompanied  by  appropriate  funding,  outreach  and  guidance,  which  is 
often  not  the  case.  The  Recommendation  has  a  narrower  target  group  and  scope  than  this 
proposal, as it focuses mainly on the low-qualified, and does not recommend financial support 
for individual learners.  

This  initiative  complements  a  number  of  instruments  mentioned  in  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social Rights action plan26 of March 2021, that call on the EU and Member States to upscale 
skills policies and investment:  

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A  Commission  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  micro-credentials,  a 
Skills Agenda action and a key instrument for achieving a European Education Area 
by 202527, is presented together with this proposal. It aims to help people adapt to the 
evolving  needs  of  the  labour  market  by  promoting  the  quality,  transparency  and 
recognition  of  short  training  programmes.  Micro-credentials  can  help  ensure  that 
individuals  using  their  individual  learning  accounts  can  be  confident  of  training 
quality  and  subsequent  recognition  of  their  efforts,  including  by  their  current  and 
future employers. Jointly, these two initiatives incentivise the uptake of training: by 
giving adults the means for it, and by ensuring that it will pay off for them.   

The  Pact  for  Skills28,  launched  in  November  2020,  aims  at  mobilising  private  and 
public stakeholders to take concrete action for the up- and reskilling of people on the 
labour  market,  and,  where  relevant,  pool  efforts  in  partnerships.  Since  then,  the 
Commission  has  held  high-level  roundtables  with  industry  representatives,  social 
partners  and  vocational  education  and  training  (VET)  providers    with  a  view  to 
launching  large-scale  partnerships  in  the  14  industrial  ecosystems  of  the  EU 
Industrial  Strategy.  As  of  end  November  2021,  five  such  partnerships  had  been 
established29, which committed to the up- and reskilling of 1.5 million people in the 
coming  years.  The  Pact  for  Skills  had  so  far  assembled  more  than  500  members, 
including  sectoral  business  organisations,  large  and  small  companies,  universities, 
VET providers, social partners, chambers of commerce, regional and local authorities 
and public and private employment services. 

the 
The  adoption  of 
implementation  of  the  Commission  Recommendation  on  effective  active  support 

this  proposal  for  a  recommendation  will  facilitate 

Labour Force Survey 2020, variable edat_lfs_9901. 
European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, (COM(2021) 102 final). 
Commission Communication on achieving a European Education Area by 2025 (COM(2020)625 final). 
Pact for Skills.  
These cover the following industrial ecosystems: automotive; microelectronics; aerospace and defence; 
shipbuilding; and offshore renewable energy. 

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to  employment  (EASE)30,  adopted  in  March  2021.  This  will  help  Member  States 
“develop policy packages to facilitate labour market transitions for workers, notably 
by fostering upskilling and reskilling opportunities and support measures”. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The  legal  basis  for  the  proposed  recommendation  is  Article  292  of  the  Treaty  on  the 
Functioning  of  the  European  Union  (TFEU)  combined  with  Article  149  TFEU,  because  the 
predominant purpose of this initiative is to support Member States in reaching the objectives 
of  employment  policy.  Article  149  TFEU  allows  for  non-binding  measures  in  the  field  of 
employment  aimed  at  providing  comparative  analysis  and  advice  and  promoting  innovative 
approaches. The recommendation will contribute to the implementation of Article 145 TFEU, 
which requires the Member States and the Union to “work towards developing a coordinated 
strategy  for  employment  and  particularly  for  promoting  a  skilled,  trained  and  adaptable 
workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change”. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  present  proposal  is  in  conformity  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity  as  provided  for  in 
Article 5(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TFEU). 

While the initiative is expected to support and accelerate national efforts, it will fully respect 
the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  by  leaving  the  Member  States  to  decide  on  key  design 
parameters,  in  particular  funding  sources,  level  of  the  training  entitlements,  priority  target 
groups (i.e. individuals most in need of up- and reskilling) and eligible training opportunities. 
While  Member  States  can  take  measures  to  improve  the  situation  at  national  level,  an  EU 
initiative  can  support,  coordinate  and  accelerate  national  efforts  by  sharing  experiences  and 
promoting  innovative  approaches.  It  can  also  help  set  expectations  and  create  trust  among 
Member  States  and  stakeholders  for  an  increase  in  public  and  private  investment  in  skills, 
signalling that all of them will contribute to, and benefit from, the shared asset of a skilled EU 
labour force. In the public consultation, 84% of respondents31 agreed that the initiative could 
also lead to a more efficient use of EU funds for skills development. 

The initiative can facilitate access to training for the growing number of EU citizens who live 
in  another  Member  State,  thus  contributing  to  labour  mobility  within  the  EU  and  further 
integration of the single market. 32 It can also help to create a level playing field for companies 

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Commission  Recommendation  of  4.3.2021  on  effective  active  support  to  employment  (EASE) 
following the COVID-19 crisis, (COM(2021) 1372 final). 
Ranging from 69% for businesses to 93% for NGOs and others. Agreement was 12 ppt higher among 
respondents from MS with low (89%) compared to high (77%) participation rates. 
See European Commission (2020), Annual report on intra-EU labour mobility, for trends in EU labour 
mobility and Dorn and Zweigmüller (2021), Migration and Labor Market Integration in Europe (Journal 
of Economic Perspectives) for an argument that missing skills limit intra-EU labour mobility. 

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in the single market by enhancing the quality and transparency of the training market across 
the EU.  

• 

Proportionality 

The present proposal is in conformity with the principle of proportionality as provided for in 
Article 5(4) TFEU. 

The  proposed  actions  are  proportionate  to  the  pursued  objectives  given  the  urgency  of  the 
challenge  and  Member  States’  expressed  ambition  of  increasing  adult  learning  participation 
significantly  by  2030  above  levels  that  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  be  reached  under  the 
baseline  scenario,  strengthening  the  provisions  on  individual  training  entitlements  and 
ensuring their transferability during professional transitions. 

The  recommendation  to  set  up  personal  accounts  for  training  entitlements  is  proportionate 
because such accounts allow to de-couple training entitlements from their original funder and 
give  individuals  full  ownership  over  the  entitlements,  which  is  essential  to  ensure  the 
transferability of entitlements. Personal accounts also facilitate flexible funding models with 
cost-sharing across different funders of training entitlements and modulated support by target 
groups,  accommodating  a  wide  range  of  possible  national  funding  and  implementation 
models. The implementation of the proposed recommendation concerning individual learning 
accounts and the enabling framework can build on the provisions in the Member States  that 
already  exist  or  are  envisaged  in  the  national  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plans.  It  allows  for 
differentiated approaches that reflect Member States’ different economic, financial and social 
situations and diverse education, training and labour market conditions. 

Thus,  the  content  of  this  proposed  recommendation  does  not  exceed  what  is  necessary  to 
achieve its objectives. 

• 

Choice of instrument 

In the light of the objective (supporting reform in the Member States) and the envisaged legal 
basis,  only  non-binding  instruments  are  under  consideration.  A  first  option  is  to  propose  a 
revision of the Employment Guidelines, so as to support Member States' reforms through the 
European  Semester  process  and  country-specific  recommendations.  The  most  recent 
Guidelines  from  October  202133  confirm  the  version  of  2020,  which  already  asks  Member 
States  to  “strengthen  the  provisions  on  individual  training  entitlements  and  ensure  their 
transferability  during  professional  transitions,  including,  where  appropriate,  through 
individual  learning  accounts”.  However,  as  the  Employment  Guidelines  are  general  by 
nature, they do not provide further guidance on how to do this.  

Another  option  is  a  Commission  communication  or  recommendation  that  could  provide 
Member  States  with  further  guidance  and  inform  the  implementation  of  country-specific 
recommendations. However, it would not have the political ownership of the Member States, 
and would therefore be insufficient to incentivise the required reforms. 

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Council Decision (EU) 2020/1512 of 13 October 2020 on guidelines for the employment policies of the 
Member  States  (OJ  L  344/22)  and  reconfirmed  by  Council  Decision  (EU)  2021/1868  of  15  October 
2021 (OJ L 379/1). 

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The  preferred  instrument  is  a  proposal  for  a  Council  recommendation.  This  will  provide 
Member  States  with  commonly  agreed  recommendations  on  a  concrete  tool  that  can  help 
them to meet the 2030 EU headline target on training participation. It also provides a common 
framework  for  action  that  could  serve  as  a  basis  for  subsequent  analysis  of  reforms  and 
progress.  While  leaving  it  up  to  the  Member  States  to  decide  on  design  parameters  such  as 
priority  target  groups,  funding  or  eligible  training  opportunities,  the  proposal  provides 
guidance on how to address the challenges identified in the country-specific recommendations 
under  the  European  Semester  which  take  into  account  the  specific  circumstances  of  each 
Member State. 

In  the  public  consultation,  61%34  of  respondents  agreed  that  EU  legislation  followed  by 
Member States on a voluntary basis such as a Council recommendation would be a suitable 
means of achieving the objectives of this initiative.  

3. 

• 

RESULTS  OF  STAKEHOLDER  CONSULTATIONS  AND 
ASSESSMENTS 

IMPACT 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

Not applicable. 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

The  Inception  Impact  Assessment  was  available  online  for  public  feedback  between  23 
March  and  20  April  2021.  A  total  of  23  responses  were  received,  mostly  stressing  the 
importance of designing individual learning accounts in collaboration with social partners, the 
need to ensure that training is of high quality, that guidance and information are available and 
that sufficient attention is devoted to vulnerable groups. 

The Commission held a 12-week public consultation between 23 April 2021 and 16 July. It 
attracted  216  replies  from  78  citizens,  26  public  authorities,  46  business  associations  and 
enterprises,  26  trade  unions  and  40  NGOs/other  respondents.  The  majority  of  respondents 
(35),  of  which  23  were  EU-level  organisations,  were  based  in  Belgium,  followed  by  Italy 
(24). In addition, 38 written responses were received. 

The public consultation confirmed the problem definition and the potential EU added value. 
There was  broad support for policy efforts  to  facilitate  learning amongst  adults,  but  support 
was  less  strong  for  non-job-related  training.  84%  of  the  respondents  agreed  that  individual 
learning accounts could be effective for tackling financial constraints to training participation. 
82% of respondents agreed that motivation to participate in training can be increased through 
individual learning accounts, with similarly high scores for career guidance, opportunities for 
the  validation  of  informal  and  non-formal  learning,  a  public  registry  of  quality  assured 
training opportunities, awareness raising campaigns at EU and national levels and a one-stop-
shop  digital  platform.  There  was  a  general  plea  to  avoid  complexity  and  bureaucracy,  and 
ensure ease of access for individuals. 

34 

Ranging from 49% among businesses to 83% among NGOs and other respondents. 

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Eleven  targeted  consultation  events  were  held  with  different  groups  of  stakeholders  and 
social partners, including at  the highest  political  level.35 During the dedicated social partner 
hearing36,  social  partners  expressed  their  agreement  with  the  general  objectives  of  the 
initiative, but emphasised that individual learning accounts should be seen as “one tool in the 
toolbox” for reaching them.  

In  its  Opinion37,  the  Advisory  Committee  on  Vocational  Training  (ACVT)  agreed  that  the 
initiative could improve adults’ motivation and participation in education and training. At the 
same time, it argues that individual learning accounts should complement rather than replace 
existing government-funded and/or social partner-driven training provision.  

The  majority  of  stakeholders  and  social  partners,  and  especially  those  from  Member  States 
with  well-developed  training  systems  e.g.  Nordic  countries,  stressed  the  importance  of 
integrating  new  initiatives  with  the  existing  national  (or  regional)  training  infrastructure, 
respecting  the  collective  agreements  for  training  already  in  place,  normally  involving 
employers,  trade  unions,  and  governments.  There  was  general  agreement  that  the  training 
focus  of  a  new  training  entitlement  initiative  should  be  labour  market  oriented  and  that 
impacts  would  be  enhanced  where  training  entitlements  are  coordinated  with  guidance, 
quality assured systems and accredited training. 

The  European  Parliament  in  its  opinion  on  the  European  Skills  Agenda38  highlights  the 
potential of individual learning accounts, a funding mechanism seen as key to help upskilling 
and reskilling especially for the most vulnerable groups.  

The Council Conclusions of 8 June 2020 on reskilling and upskilling39 invite Member States 
to;  “explore  possible  models  for  public  and  private  financing  of  lifelong  learning  and  the 
development of skills on an individual level”, and invite the Commission to support Member 
States in these efforts. 

In  its  opinion  of  7  July  2021  on  adult  learning,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee40 considers that lifelong learning should become a lifestyle for all and a reality at 
the workplace, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to achieve and raise the 

35 
These  included  a  dedicated  social  partners  hearing  at  a  high  political  level,  a  consultation  of  the 
Employment Committee (EMCO), an exchange of views with members of the European Economic and Social 
Committee  (EESC)  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  (CoR),  an  exchange  of  views  with  the  Advisory 
Committee  for  Vocational  Training  (ACVT)  and  the  Directors  General  for  Vocational  Training  (DGVT),  and 
targeted consultations with other relevant stakeholder groups including the European Qualifications Framework 
(EQF) and Europass Advisory  Groups and policy  networks and the European Network  of Public Employment 
Services. 

36 
37 
38 

39 

40 

Social Partners hearing of 15 April 2021 
ACVT opinion on Individual Learning Accounts  
European Parliament resolution of 11 February 2021 on the Communication  from the  Commission to 
the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee of the Regions European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and 
resilience (2020/2818(RSP)) 
Council Conclusions of 8 June 2020 on Reskilling and upskilling as a basis for increasing sustainability 
and employability, in the context of supporting economic recovery and social cohesion. 

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 7 July 2021 on Adult learning. 

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target  of  60%  of  adult  learning  participation  per  year.  It  recommends  Member  States  to 
strengthen  the  policy,  governance  and  funding  to  adult  learning  and  ensure  equal  access  to 
lifelong learning for all adults. 

 A high-level forum on individual learning accounts attracted nearly 800 participants from 48 
countries and the validation workshop for the Impact Assessment support study (with around 
25  participants,  mostly  NGOs  and  public  authorities)  focused  on  the  problem  and  impact 
analysis. 

• 

Collection and use of expertise 

The evidence base to underpin the initiative includes:  

 

 

 

 

 

• 

an external study to support the Impact Assessment;  

relevant  data  from  EU-level  surveys,  e.g.  the  Labour  Force  Survey,  the  Adult 
Education Survey, the Continuing Vocational Training Survey, relevant surveys run 
by  Eurofound  and  Cedefop,  on  adult  learning  participation  and  provision,  and  on 
barriers and incentives;  

relevant literature covering evaluations of international experiences;  

several  inter-linked  outputs  from  the  independent  adult  learning  expert  network: 
country reports on the available financial incentive schemes, an analysis of available 
statistical  evidence,  and  an  analysis  of  the  environment  for  providing  individuals 
with direct financial incentives for training;  

evidence  from  consultations  on  the  Skills  Agenda  and  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights  action  plan  and  outcomes  of  high  level  roundtable  meetings  on  the  Pact  for 
Skills.41 

Impact Assessment 

The  Commission  carried  out  an  Impact  Assessment  of  policy  options.  This  work  was 
supported  by  structured  consultation  within  the  Commission  via  an  Inter-Service  Steering 
Group.42 The Impact Assessment was discussed with the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) on 
29 September 2021. On 1 October 2021, the RSB issued a positive opinion with reservations, 
which have been addressed by adding clarifications to the scope of the initiative, the baseline 
scenario, the description of expected impacts and the choice of the preferred option.43  

The  policy  options  differed  in  terms  of  the  delivery  mode  of  training  entitlements  (training 
vouchers  or  personal  accounts),  the  size  of  the  target  group  and  individuals’  freedom  to 
choose training opportunities. The preferred policy option is to provide all working-age adults 
with  training  entitlements  in  the  form  of  personal  accounts,  while  modulating  amounts 
according  to  support  needs  and  allowing  individuals  to  choose  freely  among  training 
opportunities of which the quality, labour market relevance and recognition is assured by their 
inclusion in a public registry. This option is most effective in achieving the objectives of the 

41 
42 
43 

Pact for Skills. 
Including DG CNECT, EAC, ECFIN, ESTAT, GROW, JRC, JUST, LS, REFORM and SG. 
See Annex 1 of the Impact Assessment. 

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initiative  as  it  comprehensively  reduces  support  gaps  and  fragmentation  while  tailoring 
training to individual needs.44  

In the light of the objectives of the initiative, the legal basis and the principle of subsidiarity, 
the  preferred  legislative  instrument  is  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation.  This 
instrument makes it possible to recommend a combination of individual training entitlements 
and  enabling  framework  conditions,  while  allowing  Member  States  to  implement  the 
measures in line with national circumstances. 

Benefits  of  the  preferred  option:  Scenario  analyses  suggest  that  implementation  of  the 
preferred  option  could  increase  training  participation  in  2030  to  levels  above  the  60%  EU 
target,  and  reduce  participation  gaps  across  Member  States.  The  main  expected  impacts  are 
higher wages for individuals, higher productivity for enterprises, and higher GDP and social 
cohesion. 

Costs  of  the  preferred  option:  Scenario  analyses  estimate  a  direct  annual  cost  of  training 
entitlements of around EUR 17.6 to 24.5 billion.45 Additional costs result from greater uptake 
of paid training leave and set-up and administrative costs, but these are expected to be limited 
given the significant relevant infrastructure that already exists in many Member States. If the 
initiative  is  implemented  well,  cost-benefit  calculations  suggest  that  the  above-mentioned 
benefits significantly outweigh the costs.   

Effect  on  companies  (including  SMEs):  Companies  are  expected  to  benefit  from  a  more 
skilled and productive labour force and reduced skills gaps, with particular benefits for SMEs 
whose employees currently participate less in training. 

Impact  on  national  budgets  and  administrations:  The  funding  arrangements  are  left  to  the 
Member States. Cost-benefit calculations suggest that the benefits significantly outweigh the 
costs, so that suitable funding and cost-sharing arrangements can promote sustainable public 
finances. 

• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Not applicable.  

• 

Fundamental rights 

Under Article 14(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU “everyone has the right 
to education and to have access to vocational and continuing training”: this is also reflected in 
principles 1, 4 and 5 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The initiative is expected to have 
a positive impact on fundamental rights by bridging gaps in the access to continuous training. 
This  impact  is  rather  strong,  as  the  initiative  covers  all  working-age  adults,  while  also 
providing specific support for people most in need of up- and reskilling. 

44 

45 

See  Sections  2.2  and  7  of  the  Impact  Assessment  for  a  more  detailed  discussion  of  how  the  policy 
measures recommended in this proposal address the identified barriers to participation. 
These estimates are taken from the scenario analyses presented in Section 6.1 of the impact assessment. 
They  are  based  on  training  entitlement  worth  30  hours  for  all  working-age  adults  and  50  hours  for 
individuals most in need of up- and reskilling. The monetary costs per beneficiary depend on Member 
States’  training  costs,  with  an  estimated  EU  average  of  EUR  381  for  30  hours  and  EUR  631  for  50 
hours of training.  

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4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

This initiative does not require additional resources from the EU budget. The implications for 
national budgets will depend on the funding model selected by the Member State in question. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

This proposed Recommendation invites Member States to work jointly with the Commission 
on its implementation. It recommends that Member States implement its principles as soon as 
possible  and  submit  a  plan  setting  out  measures  to  be  taken  at  national  level.  The  progress 
made  in  implementing  the  plans  should  be  discussed  in  the  context  of  the  multilateral 
surveillance  of  the  European  Semester  in  the  Employment  Committee,  focusing  on  the 
instruments put in place by Member States as well as outcomes (such as training participation 
and subsequent labour market outcomes). 

The  Commission  aims  to  establish  jointly  with  the  Employment  Committee  a  monitoring 
framework  with  agreed  common  quantitative  and  qualitative  indicators,  as  a  basis  for 
assessing  the  implementation  of  this  Recommendation  and  for  its  review.  In  order  to 
streamline  Member  States’  reporting  obligations,  this  framework  would,  as  far  as  possible, 
use  information  already  collected  through  other  monitoring  frameworks  and  avoid 
duplications  of  monitoring  and  reporting  (e.g.  for  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  the 
European  Social  Fund  Plus  and  the  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in 
education and training towards the European Education Area). 

The Commission aims to assess and evaluate progress in the implementation of the proposed 
Recommendation,  in  cooperation  with  the  Member  States  and  after  consulting  the 
stakeholders concerned, and report to the Council no sooner than 5 years from the date of its 
adoption.  

• 

Explanatory documents (for directives) 

Not applicable.  

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

(Paragraphs 1-2) The innovative aspect of this proposal is that it puts the individual directly 
at the centre of skills development. It recommends that Member States develop policies and 
instruments to  support all working-age adults to access training,  including for professional 
transitions,  irrespective  of  their  labour  force  or  professional  status,  as  well  as  to  increase 
individuals’  incentives  and  motivation  to  seek  training.  Individual  learning  accounts  and  an 
enabling  framework,  including  guidance  and  validation  opportunities,  can  promote  the 
effective take-up of this training.  

(Paragraph 3) The target group for the initiative is all working-age adults legally residing in 
a Member State, independently of their educational attainment level and current labour force 
status  or  type  of  employment,  hence  including  the  employed,  self-employed,  and  others  in 
atypical  forms  of  work,  the  unemployed  and  people  outside  the  labour  force.  The  proposal 

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therefore  recommends  establishing  an  individual  learning  account  for  every  working-age 
adult in the Member State where he or she is legally residing. 

However, for EU frontier workers and self-employed who are EU citizens and who work in a 
Member State other than the State where they reside an exception is warranted. As individual 
learning accounts are primarily aimed at developing labour market-relevant skills, the place of 
residence would not be a suitable criterion to determine in which Member State the individual 
learning  account  should  be  set  up  for  this  group.  Therefore,  the  proposal  recommends  the 
place of (self-) employment as the criterion determining where the individual learning account 
should  be  set  up  for  frontier  workers.  This  treatment  would  be  in  line  with  the  principle  of 
non-discrimination  of  nationals  as  regards  the  access  to  social  advantages  established  in 
Article 7(2) of Regulation 492/201146. 

(Paragraphs 5-7) The proposal recommends that Member States take a universal approach 
by setting up an individual learning account for every individual covered by the scope of this 
initiative  and  ensuring  the  adequate  annual  provision  of  individual  training  entitlements.  At 
the  same  time,  it  calls  on  Member  States  to  modulate  funding  according  to  individuals’ 
needs.  This  “universal  but  differentiated”  approach  was  supported  by  stakeholders  in  the 
public  consultation.    The  proposal  recommends  granting  additional  training  entitlements  for 
individuals most in need of up- and reskilling. Depending on the national context, these could 
be individuals  in  specific employment  situations (e.g.  atypical  forms of  work), according to 
their  labour  force  status  (employed,  unemployed  or  outside  the  labour  force),  working  for 
firms  in  sectors significantly  affected by the digital  or green transition), or  specific types of 
company (e.g. micro-enterprises, SMEs, or those with with specific skills needs (such as low-
qualified  individuals),  or  in  specific  age  groups  or  vulnerable  groups.  The  groups  receiving 
additional training entitlements may change as the labour market evolves.  

(Paragraphs 8-9) Individual learning accounts support the idea of cost-sharing, as they allow 
contributions from different sources, such as public authorities and employers, to be bundled 
and managed in a single account. This facilitates the modulation of support by need of up- and 
reskilling  (e.g.  with  Public  Employment  Services  funding  additional  individual  training 
entitlements  for  the  unemployed),  and  top-ups  by  employers  for  their  employees,  either 
voluntary or as an outcome of collective bargaining agreements. 

(Paragraph 10) The accumulation of individual training entitlements over a set period in 
a personal account allows individuals to store entitlements independently of their labour force 
or  professional  status,  to  embark  on  longer  or  more  costly  training,  train  for  transitions 
between jobs or to respond to emerging skill needs during crisis periods and in the context of 
the  green  and  digital  transitions.  Member  States  can  set  rules  on  ceilings  for  such 
accumulation or on the expiry of entitlements, in order to encourage individuals to make use 
of them. 

(Paragraph  11)  The  proposal  recommends  that  individuals  receive  training  entitlements  in 
their  place  of  legal  residence,  except  for  frontier  workers  and  self-employed  persons  who 

46 

Regulation  (EU)  No  492/2011  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  5  April  2011  on 
freedom of movement for workers within the Union (OJ L 141, 27.5.2011, p. 1–12) 

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work in a Member State other than the State where they reside and who should be covered in 
the  Member  State  where  they  work.  As  entitlements  fall  outside  the  scope  of  the  common 
rules on protecting the social security rights of those moving within the EU47, it recommends 
that  Member  States  allow  people  to  preserve  their  individual  learning  account  and 
accumulated  training  entitlements  during  periods  spent  living  in  a  different  Member  State. 
This allows people to spend them on their return or on distance learning offers in line with the 
rules in place for individual learning accounts in their home Member State. At the same time, 
the people would be entitled to a new individual learning account in the Member State they 
are  now  residing  in.  This  facilitates  cross-border  mobility  and  underlines  the  principle  that, 
once  conferred,  training  entitlements  belong  to  individuals.  The  transferability  of  training 
entitlements  between  Member  States  will  be  explored  further,  when  national  individual 
learning  accounts  have  been  established  and  will  be  covered  in  the  evaluation  of  the 
implementation  of  this  Recommendation.  The  EU  can  facilitate  discussion  on  the 
transferability of individual training entitlements between Member States.    

(Paragraphs 12-20) It is essential to establish an enabling framework to facilitate the uptake 
of  training,  career  guidance  and  validation  opportunities.  It  is  proposed  that  this  should 
include  career  guidance  and  validation  opportunities,  a  public  national  registry  and  a  single 
national  digital  portal  supporting  individual  learning  accounts  by  allowing  for  secure 
electronic  authentication  and  connection  to  the  registry.  The  framework  will  play  a  crucial 
role  in  motivating  people  to  decide  to  take  up  training,  as  it  will  provide  a  selection  of 
trustworthy,  quality  assured  training  opportunities,  together  with  career  guidance  and 
validation  options.  The  cooperation  of  employers,  in  particular  micro-enterprises  and 
SMEs, will also be crucial for the successful creation of the framework. 

(Paragraph 12) The consultations identified career guidance services as the most important 
element  of  an  enabling  framework.  Although  such  services  are  available  in  most  Member 
States, their outreach is  often limited. To guide individuals to the training opportunities  that 
best address their needs, it is recommended that Member States improve access to in-person 
career  guidance  for  all  adults,  as  well  as  access  to  guidance  services  by  digital  means  (in 
particular through a user-friendly registry of recognised opportunities).  

Validation  of  prior  learning  allows  individuals  to  prove  that  they  have  acquired  certain 
skills. The recent evaluation of the Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal 
and informal learning48 points to substantial progress, but also identifies persisting challenges 
and  proposed  responses.  In  particular,  it  is  necessary  to  ensure  the  provision  of  support  for 
individuals,  closer  coordination  with  guidance  services  and  effective  tailoring  of  validation 
initiatives for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. The proposal seeks to address remaining 
validation  challenges  by  recommending  that  Member  States  ensure  that  individual  learning 
accounts can be used to access validation opportunities and that such opportunities, including 
in person or online skills assessment, are available and accessible. It thereby complements the 

47 

48 

Training  entitlements  fall  outside  of  the  scope  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  883/2004  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29  April  2004  on  the  coordination  of  social  security  systems  (OJ  L 
166, 30.04.2004, p. 1-123. 
European Commission (2020), Study supporting the evaluation of the Council Recommendation of 20 
December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

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proposal on a European approach to micro-credentials, which can also facilitate validation and 
recognition of training outcomes.  

(Paragraph  13-17)  A  public  national  registry  of  quality  assured  and  recognised  training, 
career guidance and validation offers can increase people’s motivation to take up training by 
presenting the available opportunities in an easily accessible way and reducing uncertainty as 
to  the  quality  and  recognition  of  training  outcomes.  Similar  registries  already  exist  or  are 
under development in at least 12 Member States. The proposal recommends that all Member 
States  establish  such  a  registry  and  keep  it  up-to-date,  along  with  a  sustainable  governance 
model  with  transparent  rules  for  the  inclusion  of  new  training  offers.  Only  training,  career 
guidance  and  validation  offers  included  in  the  registry  should  be  eligible  for  funding  from 
individual  training  entitlements.  Also  career  guidance  services  and  validation  opportunities 
provided by Member States free of charge for individuals should be included in this registry. 
Criteria  for  including  opportunities  in  the  registries  should  be  formulated  at  Member  State 
level, based on transparent  quality requirements  and in  cooperation with  social partners and 
relevant stakeholders, drawing on skills intelligence and European competence frameworks.49 
Short training courses included in the registry should be developed in line with the European 
approach to micro-credentials in order to promote transparency about quality and recognition 
of  training  outcomes.    Member  States  are  encouraged  to  open  up  the  national  registry  in  a 
transparent  way  to  training  opportunities  offered  by  providers  in  other  countries,  providing 
they  are of trustworthy  quality.  As the  consultations confirmed, social partners  and relevant 
stakeholders are able and willing to add value to the governance of such registries. 

 (Paragraph 18) The proposal recommends that Member States set up and maintain a single 
national  digital  portal,  easily  accessible  via  mobile  devices  (e.g.  through  a  digital  app),  to 
increase transparency on available training and support opportunities at national level and to 
allow  users  to  access  their  individual  accounts,  review  their  available  individual  training 
entitlements and consult the national registry. 

(Paragraph 19-20) Paid training leave allows workers to keep their salary or a replacement 
income during periods of training ranging from a few days to several months. Such provisions 
already  exist  in  24  Member  States,  of  which  12  are  signatories  of  the  International  Labour 
Organisation  (ILO)  Paid  Educational  Leave  Convention.50  However,  access  to  paid  training 
leave  is  often  restricted  by  particular  features  of  the  employment  relationship.  Restrictive 
eligibility  criteria  and  a  lack  of  information  by  potential  beneficiaries  mean  that  fewer  than 
1% of the employed population tend to make us of the existing provisions.51 Member States 
are  therefore  also  invited  to  adopt  universally  available  paid  training  leave  provisions  or 
review  existing  provisions  to  ensure  they  cover  all  employed  individuals,  and  include 
financial  support  for  employers  whose  employees  make  use  of  paid  training  leave  (in 

49 

50 

51 

For example, European competence frameworks on digital competence (DigiComp), on personal, social 
and  learning  to  learn  competences  (LifeComp),  on  entrepreneurial  competences  (EntreComp)  and  on 
sustainability competences (GreenComp). 
As  of  1st  of  February  2020,  according  to  a  preliminary  version  of  the  updated  “Financing  Adult 
Learning”  database  by  Cedefop  (update  forthcoming)  presented  in  Annex  8.2.  The  last  ratification  of 
the ILO’s  Paid Educational Leave Convention by a Member State took place in 1993. 
Cedefop (2012), Training leave. Policies and practice in Europe. 

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particular  SMEs,  that  face  greater  challenges).  The  proposal  recommends  strengthening  the 
links  between  paid  training  leave  provisions  and  other  available  support  measures  while 
leaving the detailed arrangements to the Member States.  

(Paragraph 21) The proposal also recommends that Member States organise wide outreach 
activities  and  awareness-raising  campaigns,  in  particular  among  those  furthest  away  from 
the labour market.  These are key to ensuring  a  higher  rate of  adult participation  in  learning 
opportunities,  notably  among  groups  with  low  awareness  of  up-  and  reskilling  needs  and 
opportunities.  Cooperation  between  public  authorities,  social  partners,  civil  society 
organisations and other stakeholders can increase the effectiveness of such activities.   

(Paragraph 22)  In order to  support the implementation  of this initiative,  it is  recommended 
that  Member  States  put  in  place  monitoring  arrangements  to  ensure  the  continuous 
improvement  of  the  individual  learning  accounts  and  enabling  framework.  Subsequent 
adjustments to achieve the objectives of this Recommendation in the most efficient way could 
concern the  amount of individual  training entitlements,  the  definition of individuals  most in 
need  of  up-  and  reskilling  or  the  user-friendly  integration  of  the  various  elements  of  the 
enabling framework. 

(Paragraph  23-26)  Arrangements  for  ensuring  the  adequate  and  sustainable  funding  of 
individual  learning  accounts  are  to  be  determined  at  national  level,  in  line  with  national 
circumstances  and  with  particular  attention  to  SMEs.  While  the  responsibility  on  the 
implementation  of  the  Recommendation  remains  with  the  Member  State,  the  proposal 
recommends  facilitating  the  combination  of  different  public  and  private  funding  sources, 
which  may  for  instance  include  voluntary  top-ups  by  employers.  Member  States  may  also 
benefit from support from various EU funds, in particular the cohesion policy funds, including 
the  European  Social  Fund  Plus52,  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund53  and  the  Just 
Transition  Fund54,  as  well  as  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility55  under  Next  Generation 
EU, if they have included relevant reforms and investments in their Recovery and Resilience 
Plans.  The  Technical  Support  Instrument  can  provide  tailor-made  expertise  to  design  and 
implement  reforms  supporting  the  establishment  of  individual  learning  accounts  and  their 
enabling framework.  

(Paragraph 27) As explained above, EU support will focus on harnessing the unprecedented 
EU funding available to Member States for skills development from Next Generation EU and 
the multi-annual  financial  framework.  The  EU  will  also  support skills  development  through 
relevant  initiatives  such  as  the  Pact  for  Skills,  the  Blueprint  for  Sectoral  Cooperation  on 
Skills,  the  Digital  Skills  and  Jobs  Coalition,  the  Electronic  Platform  for  Adult  Learning  in 

52 

53 

54 

55 

Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing 
the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESF+)  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1296/2013,  OJ  L  231, 
30.6.2021, p. 21-59. 
Regulation  (EU)  2021/1058  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  June  2021  on  the 
European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund, OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 60-93. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing 
the Just Transition Fund, OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 1-20. 
Regulation  (EU)  2021/241  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  12  February  2021 
establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17–75. 

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Europe (EPALE) and other suitable measures of Erasmus+, and co-operation projects among 
social  partners  at  EU  level.  It  can  also  support  mutual  learning  and  the  exchange  of  good 
practices  in  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation.  Further  work  on  the  Europass 
platform should focus on ensuring interoperability, i.e. connecting with single national digital 
portals for individual learning accounts.  

(Paragraph 28-30) Reporting and evaluation will be based on monitoring in the multilateral 
surveillance run in the Employment Committee as part of the European Semester cycle, based 
on  an  agreed  monitoring  framework  and  monitoring  arrangements.  It  is  recommended  that 
Member  States  prepare  an  implementation  plan  within  12  months  of  the  adoption  of  the 
Recommendation. A first evaluation is suggested no sooner than 5 years after adoption.  

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2021/0405 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

On individual learning accounts 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 292, in conjunction with Article 149thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1)  A  skilled  workforce  is  crucial  to  strengthening  the  EU’s  sustainable 
competitiveness, supporting a job-rich recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic 
and  ensuring  socially  fair  digital  and  green  transitions.  As  labour  markets 
evolve,  people  need  to  keep  pace  by  upgrading  their  skills.  New  and  better 
skills  open  up  more  opportunities  and  equip  people  to  play  an  active  role  in 
managing  transitions  in  the  labour  market  and  fully  participate  in  society, 
against  the  backdrop  of  demographic  change.  Moreover,  adult  upskilling  can 
be  a  powerful  tool  in  promoting  social  fairness  and  inclusion  for  a  just 
transition. 

(2)  Article  14(1)  of  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  EU  states  that 
everyone  has  the  right  to  education  and  access  to  vocational  and  continuing 
training. The first principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights56 states that 
everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong 
learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate 
fully  in  society  and  successfully  manage  transitions  in  the  labour  market. 
Principle four touches on active support for employment, to uphold everyone’s 
right to timely and tailor-made assistance to improve their employment or self-
employment  prospects.  Principle  five  on  secure  and  adaptable  employment 
emphasises  that,  regardless  of  the  type  and  duration  of  the  employment 
relationship,  workers  should  enjoy  fair  and  equal  treatment  with  respect  to 
working conditions, access to social protection and training.  

(3)  On 25 June 2021, the European Council welcomed the EU headline targets of 
the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  action  plan,  in  line  with  the  Porto 
Declaration57,  thereby  supporting  the  ambition  of  ensuring  that,  by  2030,  at 
least  60%  of  all  adults  participate  in  training  every  year.  However, 
participation in adult learning in the EU has stagnated over the last decade; and 
21 Member States fell short of the 2020 EU-level target. For many adults, such 

56 
57 

European Pillar of Social rights.  
European Council Conclusions, 24-25 June 2021. This follows  up on the  Porto Declaration of 8 May 
2021. 

EN 

18 

  EN 

 
                                                 
as  those  in  atypical  forms  of  work,  employees  of  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises (SMEs), the unemployed, the inactive and the low-qualified, skills 
development opportunities are too often out of reach.  

(4)  The  European  Skills  Agenda58,  adopted  in  July  2020,  calls  for  a  skills 
revolution to turn the ecological and digital transitions into opportunities for a 
prompt  and  fair  recovery.  Inter  alia,  it  announces  that  the  Commission  will 
explore individual learning accounts as a tool to support the up- and reskilling 
of  working-age  adults,  complementing  other  actions  targeting  employers  and 
education and training providers.  

(5)  Skills for the green transition and the up- and reskilling of the workforce will 
be  needed  in  the  context  of  the  shift  to  a  modern,  resource-efficient  and 
competitive economy, as laid out under the European Green Deal59 for climate 
neutrality by 2050. The Commission Communication “Fit for 55”60 recognises 
that the green transition can only succeed if the EU has the skilled workforce it 
needs  to  stay  competitive  and  points  to  the  flagship  actions  of  the  Skills 
Agenda to equip people with the skills that are needed for the green and digital 
transitions.  

(6)  Europe’s Digital Decade61 reiterates the objective of ensuring that at least 80% 
of  the  EU  population  have  at  least  basic  digital  skills  by  2030,  and  sets  the 
target  of  20  million  employed  ICT  specialists,  with  gender  convergence,  by 
2030. The Commission proposal on the Path to the Digital Decade62 suggests 
establishing  a  framework  to  take  this  forward.  The  Digital  Education  Action 
Plan 2021-202763  emphasises that technological means should be used to ease 
accessibility and strengthen flexibility of learning opportunities, including  up- 
and reskilling.  

(7)  The  Commission  Communication  on  A  New  Industrial  Strategy  for  Europe64  
calls  for  decisive  action  to  make  lifelong  learning  a  reality  for  all  and  ensure 
that education and training keep pace with and help deliver the twin transitions. 
(8)  The Council Conclusions  of 8 June 202065 invite Member States to,  “explore 
possible  models  for  public  and  private  financing  of  lifelong  learning  and  the 

58 

59 

60 

61 

62 

63 

64 

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  -  European  Skills  Agenda  for 
sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (COM(2021)274 final). 
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, 
the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  -  The  European 
Green Deal (COM/2019/640 final). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  –  Fit  for 55: delivering  the  EU's 
2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality (COM(2021) 550 final). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  regions;  2030  Digital  Compass:  the 
European way for the Digital Decade (COM (2021)118 final). 
Proposal  for  a  Decision  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  the  2030  Policy 
Programme “Path to the Digital Decade” (COM(2021)574). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  Digital  Education  Action 
Plan (COM/2018/022 final) 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Updating the 2020 New Industrial 
Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery (COM(2021) 350 final). 

EN 

19 

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(9) 

development  of skills  on an individual level”, and  call on  the Commission  to 
support Member States in these efforts.  

Insufficient  financial  support  for  individuals  is  one  of  the  main  barriers 
influencing participation in learning. Overall public and private investments are 
insufficient.  Most  job-related  training  in  the  EU  is  employer-sponsored. 
However, many companies, in particular SMEs, do not provide or fund training 
for  their  staff,  and  individuals  in  atypical  work  have  less  or  no  access  to 
employer-sponsored training. Such inequalities undermine individuals’ welfare 
and  health,  reduce  economic  competitiveness,  result  in  missed  opportunities 
and  barriers  to  innovation  and  risk  leaving  people  behind  in  the  transition  to 
more sustainable economic activities.  

(10)  Besides direct costs, time constraints are an important factor preventing adults 
from seeking training. Most Member States are signatories of the International 
Labour  Organisation  (ILO)  Paid  Educational  Leave  Convention  and  have 
transposed  it  into  national  law.  However,  awareness  and  take-up  of  training 
leave  are  low  in  many  Member  States,  and  provisions  often  do  not  cover 
atypical  workers or do not  allow adults to  seek education and  training during 
periods of unemployment or low economic activity.   

(11)  Many adults, especially among the low-qualified and those furthest away from 
the  labour  market,  are  not  motivated  to  take  up  training.  They  may  not  be 
aware of their own skills needs, may not know whether support and training are 
available,  are  of  good  quality  and  recognised  in  the  labour  market. 
Furthermore, people may not be motivated to engage in training that has been 
chosen without consulting them and is not tailored to their needs.  

(12)  A  fresh  approach  is  needed  for  up-  and  reskilling  in  the  EU.  It  should 
complement  existing  instruments  and  follow  up  on  political  commitments  by 
putting individuals in the driving seat and equipping them with the support and 
tools they need to upskill or reskill, at all skill levels.  

(13)  In  its  August  202166  Opinion  on  the  EU  initiative  on  individual  learning 
accounts  and  strengthening  training  provision  in  Europe,  the  Advisory 
Committee  on  Vocational  Training  argues  that  such  an  initiative  should 
improve  adults’  engagement,  motivation  and  participation  in  education  and 
training. The main challenge is to improve the matching of skills and jobs and 
to  ensure  access  to  diversified  quality  training  options  through  more  relevant 
and better targeted provision. 

(14)  The problems outlined above can be addressed by providing people with direct 
financial support through training entitlements in individual learning accounts, 
and establishing a broad enabling framework granting them access to training 
opportunities,    information,  guidance,  paid  training  leave  and  recognition  of 
training outcomes. 

(15)  An  adequate  training  entitlement  should  be  defined  at  national  level,  in  line 
with  people’s  training  needs;  for  example  allowing  for  recognised  training 
activities worth 30 hours per year for all individuals, and rising to 50 hours for 

65 

66 

Council Conclusions of 8 June 2020 on reskilling and upskilling as a basis for increasing sustainability 
and employability, in the context of supporting economic recovery and social cohesion. 
ACVT opinion on Individual Learning Accounts. 

EN 

20 

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individuals  most  in  need.  Modulating  funding  according  to  the  needs  can 
increase the efficiency of the initiative. Member States may establish additional 
training  entitlements  for  individuals  most  in  need,  depending  on  the  national 
context and the changing labour market. For instance, Member States could top 
up individual learning accounts in strategic sectors67, to support the green and 
digital  transitions.  In  addition  to  financial  entitlements,  the  relevance, 
usefulness and recognition of training are key factors affecting take-up. Social 
partners and relevant stakeholders should be consulted on these issues.  

(16)  Individual  learning  accounts  should  allow  people  to  accumulate  and  use 
training entitlements over a set period, so that they can take up longer or more 
costly  training  or  train  during  economic  downturns  in  response  to  emerging 
skills  needs.  Individuals  should  be  able  to  store  their  individual  training 
entitlements  independently  of  their  labour  force  or  professional  status  and 
across  career changes.  Member States should establish rules for the expiry of 
entitlements that give learners an incentive to make full use of them.   

(17)  Individuals should be allowed to use their individual training entitlements even 
from  abroad,  if  accessing  recognised  and  quality  assured  training  from  the 
national  registry  of  their  learning  account.  The  transferability  of  entitlements 
between  Member  States  is  a  desired  feature  in  the  longer  term,  which  needs 
further exploration.  

(18)  To help individuals identify a suitable training pathway and thus increase their 
motivation  to  learn,  as  well  as  access  career  guidance  and  validation 
opportunities,  up-to-date  public  registries  of  recognised  training  should  be 
made  available  through  dedicated  single  national  digital  portals  accessible  to 
all, including people with disabilities, and be appropriately interconnected with 
the Europass platform. 

(19)  It  should be possible to  use individual learning  accounts to  access  validation, 
including skills assessment opportunities. The recent evaluation of the Council 
Recommendation  on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning68 
points  to  substantial  progress,  but  also  identifies  persisting  challenges  and 
proposed  responses.  In  particular,  it  is  necessary  to  provide  individuals  with 
tailored  support,  and  ensure  closer  coordination  with  guidance  services  and 
effective  tailoring  of  validation  initiatives  for  disadvantaged  and  vulnerable 
groups.  Member  States  should  encourage  the  provision  of  micro-credentials 
where  relevant,  based  on  identified  needs,  and  in  line  with  the  European 
approach to micro-credentials. 

(20)  This Recommendation supports the implementation of paid training leave. The 
proper provision of paid training leave, in line with the ILO Paid Educational 

67 

68 

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Updating the 2020 New Industrial 
Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery (COM(2021) 350 final) identifies 14 
industrial ecosystems for dedicated support, including on skills development of their current and future 
workforce. 
European Commission (2020), Study supporting the evaluation of the Council Recommendation of 20 
December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

EN 

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Leave Convention69 (as ratified by 12 Member States), would allow workers to 
keep  their  salary  or  a  replacement  income  during  periods  of  training  ranging 
from  a  few  days  to  several  months.  Member  States  should  be  encouraged  to 
enter into dialogue with social partners on arrangements to allow employees to 
participate  in  training  during  working  hours  using  their  individual  learning 
accounts. In this regard, the specific situation of SMEs and in particular micro-
enterprises should be taken into account. 

(21)  Wider  outreach  and  awareness  raising  activities  and  campaigns  are  key  to 
ensuring high rates of adult participation in learning opportunities, in particular 
among groups with low awareness of up- and reskilling, such as those furthest 
from  the  labour  market.  Cooperation  between  public  authorities,  social 
partners,  civil  society  organisations  and  other  stakeholders,  based  on  the 
common understanding that up- and reskilling are a means of investment, can 
increase  the  effectiveness  of  outreach  and  awareness  raising  activities.  
Attention  for  accessibility  should  facilitate  the  participation  of  adults  with 
disabilities. 

(22)   Monitoring  arrangements  and  continuous  improvement  of  the  individual 
learning  accounts  and 
to  support 
implementation.  Subsequent  adjustments  could  concern  the  amount  of 
individual  training  entitlements,  the  priority  groups  or  the  user-friendly 
integration of the various elements of the enabling framework. 

framework  are  key 

the  enabling 

(23)  Adequate funding is a key feature of successful schemes for individual learning 
accounts.  Individual  learning  accounts  should  facilitate  cost-sharing  between 
different  funding  sources,  such  as  public  authorities  and  employers,  by 
allowing  different  funders  to  contribute  to  the  account.  A  combination  of 
public  and  private  funding  sources  should  ensure  the  sustainability  of  the 
initiative  in  the  Member  States,  which  is  fundamental  for  its  success.  This 
facilitates  the  modulation  of  support  and  top-ups  by  employers  for  their 
employees,  either  voluntary  or  as  an  outcome  of  collective  bargaining 
agreements. 

(24)  EU  funds  such  as  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus70,  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund,  the  Just  Transition  Fund,  and,  where  relevant,  the 
Recovery and Resilience Facility under Next Generation EU71 and tailor-made 
expertise 
the 
establishment  of  individual  learning  accounts  and  their  enabling  framework. 
Mutual learning, facilitated by the Commission, can also support the process. 

the  Technical  Support  Instrument  can  support 

through 

(25)  This  Recommendation  should  be  without  prejudice 

the  exclusive 
competence of the Member States with regard to the organisation and content 
of  their  adult  learning/training  systems.  It  should  not  prevent  them  from 

to 

69 

70 

71 

As  of  1st  of  February  2020,  according  to  a  preliminary  version  of  the  updated  “Financing  Adult 
Learning”  database  by  Cedefop  (update  forthcoming)  presented  in  Annex  8.2.  The  last  ratification  of 
the ILO’s  Paid Educational Leave Convention by a Member State took place in 1993. 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing 
the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESF+)  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1296/2013,  OJ  L  231, 
30.6.2021, p. 21-59. 
Next  Generation  EU  is  based  on  harnessing  the  full  potential  of  the  Union  budget,  helping  rebuild  a 
greener, more digital and more resilient Europe. 

EN 

22 

  EN 

                                                 
maintaining  or 
learning/training than those recommended here.  

establishing  more 

advanced  provisions  on 

adult 

(26)  Member States should involve social partners and stakeholders, including civil 
society  organisations, in the design of reforms.  This  Recommendation should 
not  limit  the  autonomy  of  the  social  partners  where  they  are  responsible  for 
setting up and managing training schemes. 

(27)  The  measures  outlined  in  this  Recommendation  should  not  replace  training 
provision  by  employers,  by  public  and  private  employment  services,  public 
support for education and training institutions or other types of support. 

HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Objectives 

This  Recommendation  aims  to  support  Member  States’  reforms  to  enable  more 
adults to engage in training in order to increase participation rates and reduce skills 
gaps. It thereby contributes to the EU's objective of promoting a highly competitive 
social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress. Specifically, 
it aims to: 

(a) 

support  all  working-age  adults  to  access  training,  including  for  professional 
transitions and irrespective of their labour force or professional status; 

(b) 

increase individuals’ incentives and motivation to seek training.   

To  this  end,  it  is  recommended  that  Member  States  establish  individual  learning 
accounts as a means of enabling individuals to participate in labour-market relevant 
including  guidance  and  validation 
training,  and  an  enabling 
opportunities, to promote the effective take-up of this training. 

framework, 

Scope 

This Recommendation covers working-age adults legally residing in a Member State, 
independently  of  their  educational  attainment  level  and  current  labour  force  or 
professional  status.  Member States should establish  an individual  learning  account 
for each person belonging to this group. 

By  way  of  derogation,  frontier  workers  and  self-employed  persons  who  work  in  a  Member 
State  other  than  the  State  where  they  reside  should  be  covered  in  the  Member  State  where 
they work. 

Definitions 

4. 

For the purposes of this Recommendation, the following definitions apply:  

(a) 

‘individual training entitlement’ means the right to access a personal budget at 
an  individual’s  disposal  to  cover  the  direct  costs  of  labour  market  relevant 
training,  guidance  and  counselling,  skills  assessment  or  validation  that  are 
eligible for funding. 

EN 

23 

  EN 

 
 
 
 
(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

‘individual  learning  account’  is  a  delivery  mode  of  individual  training 
entitlements. It is a personal account that allows individuals to accumulate and 
preserve  their  entitlements  over  time,  in  order  to  use  them  for  whichever 
eligible training, guidance or validation opportunity they deem most useful and 
whenever they want to, in line with national rules. It grants the individual full 
ownership of the entitlements, irrespective of the funding source. 

‘transferability’ of individual training entitlements means that, once conferred, 
such  entitlements  remain  in  the  possession  of  the  individual  concerned, 
including  during  transitions  between  jobs,  from  job  to  learning,  from 
employment to unemployment, and between activity and inactivity.  

 ‘enabling framework’ comprises support that promotes the effective take-up of 
individual  training  entitlements.  This  includes  career  guidance  and  validation 
opportunities, a national registry of opportunities that are  eligible for funding 
from individual training entitlements, a single national digital portal to access 
the individual learning account and national registry, and paid training leave. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

The individual learning account 

Member  States  should  set  up  an  individual  learning  account  for  every  individual 
covered  by  the  scope  of  this  initiative  after  having  consulted  social  partners  and 
relevant stakeholders; 

Member  States  should  ensure  adequate  annual  provision  for  every  individual 
learning  account  that  can  be  accumulated  and  used  over  a  set  period,  to  allow  for 
more substantial training; 

Member  States  should  provide  additional  individual  training  entitlements  to  the 
accounts  of  individuals  which  are  most  in  need  of  up-  and  reskilling,  based  on 
national  or  sectoral  needs,  the  individual’s  labour  force  or  contract  status  or 
qualification level, and any other relevant circumstances and according to clear and 
transparent criteria, after having consulted social partners and relevant stakeholders; 

Member  States  should  invite  employers  to  provide  additional  individual  training 
entitlements  to  the  individual  learning  accounts  of  their  workers  and  other  people 
working in their industrial value chain, in particular those working in SMEs; 

Member  States  should  invite  public  and  private  employment  services  to  provide 
additional  individual  training  entitlements  to  the  individual  learning  accounts  of 
individuals most in need of up- and reskilling;  

Member States should set the conditions under which individual training entitlements 
can be accumulated and  stored, with a view to striking a balance between allowing 
individuals  to  accumulate  their  entitlements  to  finance  longer  training  courses  and 
encouraging them to make regular use of their entitlements throughout their working 
lives; 

Member States should ensure that individual training entitlements accumulated in an 
account  in  a  Member  State  are  stored  or  can  be  used  for  eligible  training,  career 
guidance and validation opportunities in that Member State, even during periods  in 
which the individual is living in another Member State.  

The enabling framework 

EN 

24 

  EN 

 
 
It  is  recommended  that  Member  States  embed  individual  learning  accounts  in  an  enabling 
framework that includes: 

– 

12. 

– 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

– 

18. 

72 

73 
74 

75  

Career guidance and validation 

Member  States  should  ensure  that  career  guidance  services  and  validation 
opportunities72,  including  skills  assessment  opportunities,  in  person  or  online,  are 
available  and  accessible  to  every  owner  of  an  individual  learning  account,  free  of 
charge or by using their individual training entitlements. 

A  national registry of eligible quality training, career guidance and validation 
opportunities  

Member States should establish and keep updated a public registry of training, career 
guidance  and  validation  opportunities  that  are  eligible  for  funding  from  individual 
training  entitlements,  compatible  with  the  European  learning  model.  Also  career 
guidance  services  and  validation  opportunities  provided  by  Member  States  free  of 
charge for individuals should be included in this registry; 

Member  States  should  establish  and  publish  clear  rules  for  the  inclusion  in  the 
registry  of  various  forms  of  labour-market  relevant  training,  career  guidance  and 
validation  opportunities,  based  on  transparent  quality  requirements  and  skills 
intelligence and in cooperation with social partners and relevant stakeholders. They 
should review these regularly to ensure responsiveness to labour market needs; 

Member  States  should  encourage  providers  of  formal  and  non-formal  learning 
opportunities  to  develop  and  widen  their  offer  on  the  basis  of  identified  needs, 
including  where  relevant  by  providing  micro-credentials  following 
the  EU 
approach73 and through the use of EU and national competence frameworks; 

Member States should invite social partners and relevant stakeholders to participate 
in  the  process  of  defining  the  eligibility  criteria  for  the  training  included  in  the 
registry; 

Member States should open up their national registry in a transparent way to training 
opportunities offered by providers in other countries. 

Single national digital portal supporting individual learning accounts 

Member  States  should  allow  and  support  individuals  to  access  their  individual 
learning  account  and  navigate  the  registry  easily  through  secure  electronic 
authentication  on  an  accessible74  single  national  digital  portal75  that  can  be  easily 
accessed  from  mobile  devices  and  should  be  interconnected  with  the  Europass 
platform. 

In line  with  the  Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of  non-formal and 
informal learning. OJ C 398, 22.12.2012, p. 1–5 2012. 
In line with the Council Recommendation on micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability  
In line with the accessibility requirements of Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and 
of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services OJ L 151, 
7.6.2019, p. 70–115.  
Portals  should  be  established  in  line  with  the  principles  of  the  Commission  Communication  on  a 
European Interoperability Framework, COM(2017) 134 final.  

EN 

25 

  EN 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
– 

19. 

20. 

(a) 

(b) 

Paid training leave 

Member  States  should  enter  into  dialogue  with  social  partners  on  arrangements  to 
allow  employees  to  participate  in  training  during  working  hours  using  their 
individual learning accounts; 

Member  States  should  introduce  paid  training  leave  provisions  or  review  the 
adequacy  of  existing  provisions,  in  line  with  the  ILO  Paid  Educational  Leave 
Convention, considering: 

their coverage of all types of employment relationship, and the self-employed; 

financial  and  non-financial  support  for  employers  (in  particular  SMEs)  whose 
employees make use of paid training leave;  

(c) 

the need to ensure the effective implementation of such provisions. 

21. 

22. 

23. 

24. 

Outreach and awareness raising 

Member  States  should  jointly  with  social  partners,  civil  society  organisations, 
regional  and  local  organisations  and  other  relevant  actors,  undertake  wide  outreach 
and  awareness  raising  activities  and  campaigns,  tailored  to  the  needs  of  potential 
beneficiaries of the scheme for individual learning accounts, in particular those most 
in  need  of  up-  and  reskilling  as  defined  at  national  level,  to  inform  and  motivate 
eligible  individuals  on  their  rights  and  benefits  with  regard  to  individual  learning 
accounts  and  the  enabling  framework.  Awareness-raising  activities  should  also 
address in particular workers in SMEs. 

Monitoring and continuous improvement  

Member  States  should  systematically  monitor  and  evaluate  the  operation  of  the 
individual  learning  accounts  and  enabling  framework  and  make  adjustments  as 
needed to  achieve  the objective of this Recommendation in  the most efficient  way, 
for  instance  as  regards  the  amount  of  training  entitlements,  the  definition  of 
individuals most in need of up- and reskilling and the user-friendly integration of the 
various  elements  of  the  enabling  framework.  Social  partners  and  relevant 
stakeholders should be consulted in this process. 

Funding 

Member  States  should  ensure  the  adequate  and  sustainable  funding  of  individual 
learning accounts, taking account of national circumstances, with particular attention 
to SMEs;.  

Member  States  should  facilitate  the  combination  of  different  public  and  private 
funding sources to contribute to the individual training entitlements including as an 
outcome of bargaining by social partners;  

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25. 

26. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

27. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

28. 

Member  States  should  ensure  adequate  and  sustainable  funding  for  the  enabling 
framework and the outreach and awareness-raising activities referred to above; 

Member States should make the maximum  and most efficient  use  of EU funds and 
instruments,  in  particular  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus,  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  and  the  Just  Transition  Fund,  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility and the Technical Support Instrument to: 

set  up  national  individual  learning  accounts,  embedded  in  an  enabling  framework, 
including  by  developing  a  single  national  digital  portal  for  the  individual  learning 
accounts  and  related  recognised  services,  and  creating  national  registries  of 
recognised training;  

provide  additional  individual  training  entitlements  to  the  accounts  of  those  most  in 
need of up- and reskilling, reflecting EU priorities including for the green and digital 
transitions; 

set up and provide career guidance and validation opportunities; 

organise outreach and awareness-raising activities. 

Union support 

The Council welcomes the Commission’s intention to support the implementation of 
this  Recommendation,  using  the  expertise  of  the  European  Centre  for  the 
Development  of  Vocational  Training  (Cedefop),  the  European  Training  Foundation 
(ETF),  the  European  Foundation  for  the  Improvement  of  Living  and  Working 
Conditions (Eurofound) and the European Labour Authority (ELA): 

by facilitating mutual learning  among the Member States to  support the design and 
delivery of appropriate reforms for the implementation of this Recommendation; 

by expanding the knowledge basis on individual learning accounts and related issues 
and developing relevant guidance material; 

by  exploring further developments  in  the Europass  platform,  in  particular to  ensure 
interoperability  with  the  single  national  digital  portals  for  the  individual  learning 
accounts,  and  by  making  visible  the  learning,  career  guidance  and  validation 
opportunities for which the different national individual training entitlements can be 
used. 

Reporting and evaluation 

Member States should  implement the principles  set  out  in  this Recommendation as 
soon as possible and submit to the Commission a plan setting out the corresponding 
measures  to  be  taken  at  national  level  by  (insert  date  12  months  after  adoption  by 
Council).  Progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  plans  should  be  monitored  in  the 
context of the multilateral surveillance in the Employment Committee as part of the 
European Semester cycle. The monitoring framework shall, where relevant, use the 
information  already  collected  through  other  monitoring  frameworks  and  avoid 
duplications.  

29. 

By  (insert  date  12  months  after  adoption  by  Council),  the  Commission  and  the 
Employment  Committee  should  jointly  establish  a  monitoring  framework  with 
agreed common quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess the implementation 

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of this Recommendation and its outcomes, and monitoring arrangements enabling its 
review. The Commission should ensure that the monitoring framework uses evidence 
from  the  other  EU  monitoring  frameworks,  and  that  it  does  not  create  undue 
administrative burden. 

30. 

The Commission  should assess and evaluate progress  in  the implementation  of this 
Recommendation, in cooperation with the Member States and after consulting social 
partners and relevant stakeholders, and report to the Council within 5 years from the 
date  of  its  adoption.  While  assessing  the  relevance  of  the  initiative,  this  evaluation 
could  also  address  the  transferability  of  individual  training  entitlements  between 
Member States. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

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