Council Recommendation on individual learning accounts

Summary:

Recommendation - adopted by the Council of the European Union on 16 June 2022 - as regards individual learning accounts.

Further information:

The Recommendation is aimed at supporting people's training needs and increasing the number of people engaged in training each year. The Council urges Member States to consider establishing individual learning accounts as a means for enabling and empowering individuals to participate in labour-market relevant training and facilitate their access to or retention in employment. If countries decide to do it, then an enabling framework is also recommended.

The draft recommendation was tabled by the European Commission on 10 December 2021, delivering on one of the actions set out in the European Commission's latest European Skills Agenda. It was adopted by the Council of the European Union on 16 June 2022 and published in the Official Journal on 27 June 2022.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2021)773: Proposal for a Council Recommendation on individual learning accounts https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:773:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2021)368: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Subsidiarity Grid https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2021:368:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2021)369: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2021:369:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2021)370: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2021:370:FIN

European Commission: DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion: Helping people to develop skills throughout their lives https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1511&langId=en

European Commission: Press Release, 10/12/2021: Commission takes action to improve lifelong learning and employability https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6476

European Commission: Questions and answers: Individual learning accounts and micro-credentials (10 December 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_21_6477

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 16/06/2022: Council recommendation on individual learning accounts to boost training of working-age adults https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/06/16/council-recommendation-on-individual-learning-accounts-to-boost-training-of-working-age-adults/

Irish Government: Press Release, 16/07/2022: Minister Harris welcomes the adoption of European Council Recommendations on Individual Learning Accounts and Microcredentials https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/becbc-minister-harris-welcomes-the-adoption-of-european-council-recommendations-on-individual-learning-accounts-and-microcredentials/

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News

The Baltic Times, 20/01/2022: European Commission eyeing individual learning accounts for adults https://www.baltictimes.com/european_commission_eyeing_individual_learning_accounts_for_adults/

EurActiv, 01/02/2022: Workers should not bear sole responsibility for re-skilling, say unions https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/workers-should-not-bear-sole-responsibility-for-re-skilling-say-unions/

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Commentary and Analysis

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC): ETUC’s position on an EU initiative on Individual Learning Accounts (4 June 2021) https://www.etuc.org/en/document/etucs-position-eu-initiative-individual-learning-accounts

Social Europe, 10/01/2022: Learning accounts—filling the training gaps https://socialeurope.eu/learning-accounts-filling-the-training-gaps

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