Education and skills in Europe: the quarter in review (July–October 2026)

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 mid-July to mid-October 2026. Five developments stand out.

1. AI in education: more time for the rules, more pressure on teachers

In June, the European Parliament and the Council approved a postponement of the AI Act’s obligations for high-risk AI systems. Education is one of the listed high-risk areas — for example AI that decides on admissions or assesses learners — and its obligations now apply from 2 December 2027 instead of 2 August 2026. Other duties did start on 2 August 2026: people must be told when they are dealing with an AI system, and deepfakes must be disclosed. The duty to build AI literacy among staff stays, in a lighter form: organisations must support it rather than guarantee a set level.

Meanwhile, AI is already in classrooms. Two European Commission reports published on 22 September 2026 describe generative AI as a mainstream tool in EU education, whose effect on learning depends on how it is used. Nearly two-thirds of European education systems now have AI strategies, guidance or policy frameworks, and the reports call for substantial teacher training and clear institutional rules.

What it means for us: the extra time for the high-risk rules does not reduce the need for confident, well-trained teachers. That is the core of DUAL.AI.TEACHer, an Erasmus+ Teacher Academy of €1.9 million 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, and brAIdge, starting in January 2027, focuses on AI-based teaching for pupils with gaps in basic skills.

2. Basic skills: the numbers are going the wrong way

PISA 2025 confirmed a further decline. According to the Commission’s analysis, published on 5 October 2026, 33.9% of 15-year-olds in the EU underachieve in mathematics, 31.3% in reading and 25.9% in science. The EU target for 2030 is below 15% in each. On 23 September the Commission launched the European Literacy Coalition, which brings schools, libraries, cultural organisations, parents and public authorities together and adopted the Warsaw Memorandum as its founding charter.

What it means for us: basic skills grow wherever people have a reason to learn. SUSTAIN-SKILLS (24 months from January 2027) uses sustainability education as a route into basic skills, and CAFE+ (36 months from January 2027) turns informal language cafés into validated upskilling pathways for newcomers and locals. With brAIdge, these are three Erasmus+ Policy Experimentation projects that will test what works, with a view to wider use in policy.

3. Vocational education moves closer to work

Several steps this summer point the same way. On 15 July the European Skills High-Level Board called for stronger links between businesses and education. On 16 July the Commission opened its own traineeship programme to graduates of vocational education and training (VET) for the first time, with up to 100 places from the session starting in March 2027. A Cedefop study published on 30 July describes a surge in demand for clean-technology jobs, especially in engineering, installation and maintenance. A new European VET strategy for 2026–2030 is being prepared.

What it means for us: VETdesign uses Design Thinking to keep vocational training in step with the labour market. GreenPlate, starting in January 2027, is an Alliance for Innovation that brings vocational schools, hospitality businesses and a certification body together to cut food waste and make kitchens greener. RECIPE brings eco-culinary practice into training for future chefs, and X-VET (November 2025 to October 2028) makes sustainability part of everyday vocational learning. Beyond Europe, DIGITA, selected for funding in October 2026, is our first project in Sub-Saharan Africa: European and Ethiopian partners working to make vocational training more relevant to the world of work.

4. Erasmus+ after 2027: a bigger, more inclusive programme on the table

On 29 September 2026 the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee adopted its position on Erasmus+ for 2028–2034, with 24 votes in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention. It proposes €47.39 billion, compared with the Commission’s €40.8 billion, allowances that reflect differences in living and housing costs, and at least 20% of participants from groups with fewer opportunities. The committee also supports merging Erasmus+ with the European Solidarity Corps. The full Parliament is expected to vote in November; negotiations with the Council follow, and agreement on the budget is not expected before early 2027.

What it means for us and our partners: inclusion will weigh even more in the next programme. ENGAGE, which opens governance and civic life to young people aged 15 to 24 in five European countries, and EASY, which held its final conference in September 2026, show how it works in practice. Organisations planning projects for 2028 and beyond should build inclusion into their design from the start.

5. Financial education for those who need it most

On 28 August 2026, at the European Forum Alpbach in Austria, the European Alliance of Financial Education Practitioners (FIN.e) adopted the Alpbach Statement. It calls for financial education to be linked more closely to policy and to reach young people, women, migrants and other underserved groups. A Commission study it cites found that only 18% of EU citizens have a high level of financial literacy.

What it means for us: WISE strengthens the financial knowledge, skills and confidence of immigrant women, and BRIDGE helps immigrant women stay safe online. Both reach exactly the groups the Alpbach Statement names.

What to watch next quarter

A Commission education package covering basic skills, teachers, and digital education and AI is expected in November 2026, together with an EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda. The Parliament’s plenary vote on Erasmus+ 2028–2034 is also planned for November. For us, January 2027 brings the start of five new projects: brAIdge, SUSTAIN-SKILLS, CAFE+, GreenPlate and DIGITA. Our next quarterly review follows at the end of December.