The value of training throughout life

Within the framework of the European Employment Strategy, the European Commission and the Member States have defined lifelong learning as all learning activity, undertaken on an ongoing basis and which aims to enhance individuals' knowledge, skills, and competences, empowering -them to adopt different roles and to adapt to the new contexts in which they find themselves throughout their personal and professional path[1].   
 
Lifelong learning and training constitute a guiding principle for offering and participating in a permanent environment of learning and professional development, proving to be an effective strategy in the face of the competitiveness of the labour market[2].
 
From the perspective of McConnell[3], two types of lifelong learning can be identified: one that is required to keep the organisation functioning within regulatory and functional requirements, and which is assimilated into the functioning of the company; and another that, although not required to perform a task, is necessary to maintain employability. However, employability should be understood as a person's ability to work on a continuous basis, either keeping their current job or easily finding a similar job in case of loss or abandonment of the current one[4].
 
Lifelong training and learning fill the political agendas worldwide, emerging, in the last two decades, as an indispensable condition to ensure the economic and social development of the world, as well as for the individual and organisational competitiveness. The European Union's recommendations in the context of the European Year of Skills which will be celebrated during this year come to this end.
 

• Promoting increased and more effective and inclusive investment in training and upskilling to unlock the full potential of Europe's workforce and support people in transitioning from one job to another.
• Ensuring that skills are relevant to labour market needs, also cooperating with social partners and businesses.
• Match people's aspirations and skills to opportunities in the labour market, especially about green and digital transitions and economic recovery. Special attention will be given to activating a greater number of people for the labour market.
• Attracting people from third countries with the skills the EU needs, notably by enhancing learning opportunities and mobility and facilitating the recognition of qualifications.

 
Education and training are powerful agents of change as determining factors of economic and social development, it is in education that the hope of training democratic minds lies, through the appreciation of the individual and a deep respect for differences to a more prosperous society, prosperous and fairer.