Education and skills in Europe: the quarter in review (January–March 2026)

With this post we start a quarterly series: every quarter we look back at what moved in European education, training and skills, and at what it means for the projects we run with our partners. This first edition covers January to March 2026. Five developments stand out.

1. AI in education: better output is not the same as better learning

The OECD’s Digital Education Outlook 2026, published on 19 January, looked closely at generative AI in education. Its main message: general-purpose AI chatbots improve what students produce, but the gains can disappear or even reverse once the tool is taken away, for example in an exam. Tools designed for teaching and learning show more lasting benefits.

On 5 March the European Commission published four sets of guidelines for primary and secondary teachers: on the ethical use of AI and data, on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy, on informatics, and on digital education content. In a Flash Eurobarometer, 81% of Europeans said teachers should have the skills to use and understand AI. On the legal side, the Council (13 March) and the European Parliament (26 March, by 569 votes to 45) both backed postponing the AI Act’s rules for stand-alone high-risk AI systems — which include AI used in education — to December 2027. The two institutions now have to agree on a final text.

What it means for us: the OECD findings confirm that AI helps learning only when teachers know how to use it. That is the core of DUAL.AI.TEACHer, an Erasmus+ Teacher Academy with 11 partner organisations in 8 countries, which prepares teachers both to teach with AI and to teach about AI. AI4VET brings the same question into vocational classrooms, with Future Classroom Labs piloted in five countries.

2. The Union of Skills, one year on

On 5 March the Commission took stock of the first year of the Union of Skills. Among the results: an Action Plan on Basic Skills, a STEM Education Strategic Plan, a European Skills Intelligence Observatory, a new Skills High-Level Board chaired by Ylva Johansson, and a Pact for Skills with about 4,000 members. Half of the Member States are piloting or planning individual learning accounts. A new European strategy for vocational education and training (VET), a Skills Portability Initiative and an agenda for teachers and trainers are still to come.

Four days later, on 9 March, employment and social affairs ministers adopted the first Council recommendation on human capital. It asks Member States to tackle shortages in strategic sectors, to build partnerships between training providers, businesses and public employment services, and to make VET and apprenticeships more attractive, especially for women. The need is clear: in 2024, 77% of EU companies said a lack of skills held back long-term investment, and only 39.5% of adults took part in learning in 2022, against a target of 60% by 2030.

What it means for us: VETdesign (October 2024 to December 2026) uses Design Thinking to keep vocational training in step with the labour market, and X-VET (November 2025 to October 2028) makes sustainability part of everyday vocational learning. For adults, WISE builds the financial knowledge and confidence of immigrant women with practical, gamified resources for adult educators.

3. Erasmus+ after 2027: the budget debate begins

The Commission has proposed €40.8 billion for Erasmus+ in 2028–2034. Many in the sector want more. On 7 January, 17 higher-education organisations called for at least €60 billion. On 28 January the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee heard stakeholders on the new programme, and in a draft opinion for the Budgets Committee it asked for €50 billion (in 2025 prices). The proposal also brings the European Solidarity Corps into Erasmus+. Education ministers discussed the programme at their informal meeting in Nicosia on 29–30 January.

What it means for us and our partners: the decisions taken in the next two years will shape European cooperation in education until 2034. Inclusion will matter even more. ENGAGE, which opens governance and civic life to young people aged 15 to 24 in five European countries, and EASY, which brings digital and soft skills to disadvantaged young people in rural areas, show how projects can reach those who usually miss out.

4. Digital literacy against cyberbullying

On Safer Internet Day, 10 February, the Commission adopted an Action Plan against Cyberbullying. One in four young people has been bullied online, and more than a third have witnessed it. Education is a central part of the plan: digital literacy is treated as a basic skill, teachers are to get better training, and the EU guidelines for teachers on disinformation and digital literacy are to address cyberbullying. An app to report online bullying and get support is planned for all Member States.

What it means for us: staying safe online is a skill that has to be taught. BRIDGE helps immigrant women stay safe online and trains educators to teach digital safety and digital rights — we lead its Organisational Change Guidebook, which helps adult education institutions protect their learners.

5. A new route for skilled workers from outside the EU

On 10 March the European Parliament adopted the EU Talent Pool, and the Council gave its final approval at the end of March. It is the first EU-wide platform that matches jobseekers from outside the EU with employers in occupations facing shortages. Candidates present their skills, qualifications, experience and language level; visas and permits remain a national matter. The platform is expected to be fully operational in 2027.

What it means for us: recruitment is only the first step. Newcomers also need language, recognised skills, digital safety and financial confidence to settle well. WISE and BRIDGE, both aimed at immigrant women, work on exactly these foundations.

What to watch next quarter

The Parliament and the Council aim to agree on the AI Act changes in the spring, before most of the Act applies on 2 August 2026. Education ministers meet on 11 May to adopt their position on Erasmus+ 2028–2034 and conclusions on teachers in the age of AI, and the Parliament’s draft report on the programme is expected by June. Our next quarterly review follows at the end of June.