Although the financial crisis is still a significant problem in Europe and finances of educational, social and welfare projects are under pressure adult education is still important for the Dutch educational infrastructure. In the last ten years the budget for adult education decreased significantly, but still there are opportunities to organise lifelong learning programs. Current discussion in the Netherlands is if adult education is a public or private matter. What is the future perspective?

Free travel and accommodation in a youth hostel in Oslo for one month while you look for work. That's what's on offer to young unemployed people in the Swedish municipality of Söderhamn. The "Jobbresan"(travel for work) project, in which the local authority is working together with Nordjobb (Nordic exchange programme), has so far led to nine out of ten participants getting a job.

Digital learning seems to positively influence the learning results of all students. This is shown by research results concerning digital learning among regular students and students with learning disabilities of secondary education. Thus the positive influence goes for students with learning disabilities as well.

Interview with Jamila, a young woman from Kabul about learning opportunities in Afghanistan.  

Youth unemployment rates are considerably higher than those for general unemployment in the Nordic countries. A growing number of young people in the Nordic region are at great risk of long-term exclusion from working life and society. Several Nordic mapping studies and analyses have been carried out during the period 2010-2012 and the conclusion is that despite socio-economical and cultural differences the Nordic countries would benefit from a closer cooperation and exchange of experiences when it comes to the future work of preventing unemployment among young people.

The long legislative process of forming a new Lifelong Learning Programme is expected to come to an end this year as the Erasmus for All proposal will be decided upon. The European Parliament is likely to endorse adult educators’ views on the new Lifelong Learning Programme, but the Member States still need to be convinced.

The fight against functional illiteracy is currently right at the top of the list for adult education in Germany. When a study carried out in 2011 showed that 7.5 million Germans do not possess sufficient reading and writing skills, the Federal Government decided to launch a new programme to promote projects in this sector.

Transparency is a central requirement for actors involved in developmental work. The training funds in Uganda are an example of how a network can promote measures of local organisations transparently and, at the same time, of how partner organisations can become more professional.

It has been three years since Norway adopted a new Adult Education Act, stating ambitious goals for the operations of adult learning associations*. But no-one can tell the effects. To avoid fumbling in the dark, the Government recently initiated research – to find "the truth" about Adult Education in Norway and create a foundation for future policies.

The most recent figures published on the advancement of the Italian lifelong learning system show that, despite a number of endeavours to move it forward, nonetheless there are still too many gaps not guaranteeing everyone the right to on-going vocational training and education, whatever they may do and whatever their life stage.  And yet, the 2020 CEDEFOP medium-term forecast data should be a loud wake-up call.