News from the EU
The Skills Guarantee scheme is focused on steering the implementation of reskilling and upskilling on a greater scale than before, and to do so to engage multiple stakeholders including governments, Public Employment Services, social partners and various skills providers. It furthermore calls for skills-oriented public-private partnerships.
Launched 27 November 2025 as a flagship initiative under the Union of Skills, the Skills Guarantee Pilot has a budget of €14.5 million, financed under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), supporting up to six transnational projects. It addresses labour shortages by enabling smooth job-to-job transitions, helping companies fill critical vacancies and workers maintain employment and income continuity.
The aim is to secure employment for at least 6 months in new strategic roles and ensure sustained job retention through reskilling. Results from the pilot are intended to Inform the design of a full-scale Skills Guarantee under the 2028–2034 EU budget and encourage Member States to begin scaling as early as 2025–2027 using existing ESF+ funds.
Three delivery models are being piloted:
- Social-partner-led or private-sector-led
- Public-Employment-Service-led or other public-authority-led
- Public–private partnership models.
This initiative marks a concerted drive toward large-scale reskilling/upskilling, deploying public–private governance in workforce transitions and bridging skills gaps through coordinated stakeholder engagement—from governments and PES to social partners and training providers as outlined in the diagram below
More information on the European Commission’s website.
European Skills Guarantee - Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
ETF events – Adult learning Conference and Webinar
A two-day conference in early December in Turin brought together 50 delegates from 10 Candidate and Neighbour countries with whom ETF works, and 6 EU member states, to discuss Adult Learning and Education (ALE).
Co-hosted by ETF and DVV, the German Adult Education Association, the gathering included high-level debates, brainstorming sessions and site visits. Over the two days, real synergies emerged between EU and neighbouring countries regarding the challenges of adult learning. As well as discussions about governance, legal frameworks, data collection and analysis, delegates discussed funding – from tax credits to ring-fencing funding for adult learners – and teacher training.
Read the article on ETF website
A Framework to Drive Adult Learning Reforms: Conference Report | ETF
ETF and DVV International High-Level Round Table on Adult Learning
Armenia and Moldova share ambitious strategies for adult learning
On 17 December 2025, the Governance, Learning, Action and Dialogue (GLAD) network, convened a webinar to share insights from the high-level roundtable on adult learning. The session brought together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from more than ten countries to explore systemic approaches to lifelong learning and skills development inspired by presentations from Armenia and Moldova on their ambitious strategies.
Read the blog on OpenSpace:
Latest from Academia
In the paper “Public–Private Partnership in Vocational Education of European Countries: Leading Development Trends,” Radkevych identifies and analyses prominent trends in PPP models across the EU to consider them in establishing state private partnership in Ukraine’s vocational education system.
Radkevych concludes that EU PPPs represent a dynamic and mixed form of partnership. The leading trends in their development can depend on numerous factors, such as economic conditions, political circumstances, changes in legislation, and more. Nonetheless, there persists a collective vision of the importance of collaboration between the state and private companies in preparing qualified professionals, aligned with the needs of the contemporary labour market in vocational education. The experience of PPP development in vocational education in European countries serves as an example for others, including Ukraine, which aspires to reform its vocational education system and provide its citizens with opportunities to obtain competitive professions and skills for successful careers.
To achieve this, the author advocates that Ukraine must refine state policy to support PPP projects through targeted financing programmes and incentives, and establish a robust legal framework enabling enterprise participation in internships, mentorship, and dual education models. It also needs to engage a broad range of stakeholders and invest in modernising infrastructure to align vocational education with labour market needs and international standards.
The full reference for this source is:
Radkevych, V., 2023. Public‑Private Partnership in Vocational Education of European Countries: Leading Development Trends. Professional Pedagogics, 2(27), pp.14–28. doi:10.32835/2707‑3092.2023.27.14‑28
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