The European Union has set the goal to make lifelong learning a reality for more people through the creation of flexible pathways to improve access to higher levels of education and employment. Validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL), which is intended to make learning from everyday work and life visible, is an important means to…

This study is the first volume of Cedefop research on empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways. It estimates the magnitude of the low-skilled adult population according to a broader conceptualisation which goes beyond educational attainment levels, and considers digital skills, literacy and numeracy, as well as skill loss and…

This report is the second volume of Cedefop research on empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways. It presents the Cedefop analytical framework for developing upskilling pathways for low-skilled adults and illustrates its conceptual development. The analytical framework is aimed at supporting policymakers and stakeholders in…

2016 was a year of new challenges for Cedefop. As the Agency gears up for changes in European vocational education and training (VET) policy it aims to support the European Union's ambition to transform the "New skills agenda" and the Council recommendation "Upskilling pathways: new opportunities for adults" into actions at…

The year under review has been marked by a number of events that will inevitably have an impact on the immediate future of Cedefop and European vocational education and training (VET). The celebration of Cedefop's 40th anniversary, the Riga conclusions and the renewed ET 2020, the internal reorganisation of the Centre and Cedefop's planning for…

This Research Report forms part of our series on global societal trends and their impact on the EU in 2030. This analysis is embedded within the framework of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) set up to develop a lasting framework to assess global trends and to develop policy responses across EU institutions over the next…

This article offers a critical examination of the transformative approach to education for political citizenship. The argument offered here is that the transformative approaches lacks the capacity to fully acknowledge the asymmetries of political power and as a consequence, it promotes an idealised construct of political citizenship which does not…

Better links between education and training and the labour market was a main thread of the Greek and Italian European Union (EU) Presidency programmes of 2014. This thread guided Cedefop's work and demand for its expertise throughout the year. With youth unemployment rates at more than 40%, improving young people's employability through more…

This paper contributes to the wider efforts of policy makers, experts and practitioners to maximise the contribution of women into the national, regional and global economic growth and competitiveness in the countries neighbouring the European Union (EU). It focuses on actions that can support women's participation in entrepreneurship. The paper…

Describes a planned session that addressed information policies in the global community that impact information professionals and users worldwide. Highlights include case studies, the European Union's Database Directive on anti-piracy, empowerment of disadvantaged communities, and the development of information policy in Israel. Presentations…

The success of empowerment in a European Union program to promote social inclusion through education, training, and employment was evaluated with responses from 104 participants. More than half said they acquired supportive relationships and confidence; many increased knowledge and skills. Ways to measure empowerment as a process were addressed.…

This paper reports on research conducted in Scotland as part of a 2-year European Union project, Management for Organisational and Human Development (MOHD), through which seven research centers in five countries examined strategies for whole organizational development. Work within the Scottish network of MOHD focused on the understanding of…

This report outlines the European Union's Community Initiatives for Citizenship Education Regionally Organized (CICERO) pilot project, its results, and suggestions for further action. It describes the participants from seven different groups at their first meeting in Barnsley, England, and each group's definition of what it would like European…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2016, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 of April to 2 of May, 2016. Psychology, nowadays, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and…

This booklet examines the definition of the term "empowerment" according to academics and policymakers and the relevance of empowerment to achieving social inclusion at the national and European Union levels. The findings of a study of the theory and practice of empowerment in five Integra projects in Ireland are reviewed and used to…