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New Evaluation Report on the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways

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In the context of the European Year of Skills, last month the European Commission evaluated the actions taken in response to the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways, published in 2016, through an Evaluation report. 
The objective of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways is to respond to the urgent need for upskilling adults who do not possess a functional level of basic skills. These skills – literacy, numeracy and digital skills – are the foundation for full participation in society and the labour market. As an indicator, only 54% of Europeans possess basic overall digital skills (Eurostat, 2021).
To reach the objectives of the Recommendation, Member States were invited to offer support to these groups through an integrated pathway consisting of three steps:
  • Skills assessment: identifying the existing skills of adults and any gaps in the skill set that need to be filled.
  • Provision of tailored and flexible learning opportunities: providing a learning offer which fills the specific skills gaps identified through the skills assessment. 
  • Validation and recognition: assessing and certifying the skills acquired and encouraging their certification towards a formal qualification.

The available evidence paints a picture of overall moderate effectiveness of the Recommendation. Implementation has been uneven across the Member States, with only  14 Member States implementing the three steps of the Recommendation. Given that the Recommendation is non-binding, the EU added value materialised mostly in the form of increased policy attention on low basic skills among adults in several Member States.  
Despite the progress made, significant implementation challenges still remain, and the Evaluation report finalises with additional recommendations to Member States to strengthen the Council Recommendation’s implementation. DigiCo’s work aligns with these guidances, as we encourage collective action and a broad partnership approach on basic skills among private and public stakeholders. 
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