Using a unique pan-European dataset, we rely on two alternative measures of over-education and control stepwise for four groups of covariates in order to interpret the over-education wage penalty in light of theoretical models. Firstly, it appears that a significant fraction (i.e. between 1/5 and 1/3) of PhD holders in Europe are genuinely…

Much research has been made in recent years on the effect of over and under education on earnings. In this paper, I examine the validity of the assumption that the return to over (under) education is independent of the level of education. I use data from the PIAAC survey to estimate the return to education. The findings show that while this…

Based on the observation that the Bologna process and inter-university competition pave the way for new study programs that often combine or transcend traditional academic disciplines, this paper investigates the position that the "Framework for qualifications of the European Higher Education Area" (QF EHEA) takes in relation to…

Pressure on European education and training systems has increased in recent years, with technological and demographic trends reshaping demand for skills and qualifications and making lifelong learning a necessity, for both individuals and countries. Vocational education and training (VET) provision has to respond to rapidly changing labour market…

Learners who learn from OER often cannot have their learning assessed or receive a credential. Open credentials offer a potential solution to this problem, combining badges or micro-credentials with competence frameworks and digital seals. This study identified the current situation of open credentials in post-secondary education in Europe, the…

Employability is a construct that includes soft and hard skills to prepare a person to gain employment, progress in it and sustain a career. The employability discourse, in the context of linking education with skills development, has gained increased attention globally. However, engagement with this agenda differs across countries, as it depends…

Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people's skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. They can increase the provision of…

This open access book explores different landscapes of Lifelong Learning policies (LLP), producing case-based examinations of their institutional, discursive, and relational dimensions. Across Europe, young people develop their life courses amidst diverse living conditions and are confronted with a variety of institutional and structural…

This briefing reports on recent developments affecting Europe's recognition regimes -- both professional and academic. At the start of 2023, the European Year of Skills, the author looks at the context facing higher education stakeholders across four areas: the European labour market, Ukraine, developments in the higher education sector and the…

Teachers trained in one country are often not allowed to serve as teachers in another country because their teacher's license is not recognised as equivalent. The barriers these teachers have to overcome in order to work in their profession again are high and often require further (full) teacher training at the university. The paper provides…

The present article investigates the relationship between the degree of tracking and inequalities in reading literacy of second-generation and non-immigrant students in 28 Western countries. The article takes into account that next to between-school tracking, there are also more subtle forms of tracking, such as tracking within schools or classes.…

The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their professional activities and form part of an active, responsible,…

It has been decades since inclusive education was introduced as the most favourable approach to educating students with special educational needs and disabilities. Still, according to research and practice, teachers' attitudes are seen as the most important key factor for its successful implementation. Therefore, there is an ongoing process of…

Despite an increasingly competitive academic market, more and more people are seeking a PhD degree. While significant research focuses on skill attainment during PhD candidature and at PhD exit, we know little about the skills that might be present at PhD entry. We developed a data-driven taxonomy and conducted logistic regressions to analyse…

This briefing reports on recent developments affecting Europe's recognition regimes -- both professional and academic. Currently, the principal change factor is the drive to digitalise, accelerated by the new circumstances created by the pandemic. The crisis in Ukraine, too, has prompted a range of initiatives. Meanwhile, uncertainty still…