This EPALE magazine presents the activities of the National Coordinators of Adult Learning who have focused their activities in 2022-23 on ‘skills for life’, in Belgium (Flanders), Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands and Slovakia. 

It is also a contribution of their organisations to the theme of skills, which resonates in policies of the European Union and is currently highlighted in the European Year of Skills.

The focus on skills is a consequence of the current changes in our society and the labour market driven by technological development, green transition, information pressure combined with demographic changes, which all place increased demands on individuals. In the labour market, this translates into an emphasis on the skills that people can apply in the workplace, regardless of their educational background or degree. 

Skills for life, which are not directly connected with job performance, represent a broad set of skills that help individuals to cope with different everyday situations and to lead a full and satisfying life - personal, professional or social.

The range of topics included in the concept of skills for life is broad, most commonly relating to: 

• basic skills (literacy, numeracy and digital skills financial and health literacy)

• multilingualism and multicultural skills

• personal and social skills (e.g. critical thinking, communication with others, developing relationships, empathy towards others, etcera)

• learning skills

• citizenship skills

• entrepreneurial skills.

   

  Find out much more about skills for life in this EPALE magazine! Happy reading!