Organised during CIVIS Days 2026, the workshop “Lifelong Learning for Europe’s Skills Agenda: What Universities Can Do and How CIVIS Can Lead” examined the growing importance of university lifelong learning in addressing Europe’s skills gap, demographic change, and evolving labour market needs. Participants highlighted the need for more flexible, modular, and accessible learning opportunities, with micro-credentials identified as a key tool for supporting upskilling and reskilling. The discussions emphasised that universities must integrate lifelong learning into their institutional strategies, strengthen links with employers and society, and invest in digital transformation to better serve diverse learner groups.
The workshop also showcased the work of the CIVIS Expert Group on Lifelong Learning (2024–2026), which has developed guidelines, tools, training activities, and pilot initiatives to support the design and implementation of joint micro-credentials across the alliance.
The group formulated six recommendations for CIVIS and its member universities, including making lifelong learning a strategic priority, simplifying collaboration models, ensuring the transferability and stackability of credentials, developing sustainable funding mechanisms, and creating a common digital credentialing system.
Through a participatory World Café, participants explored challenges and opportunities related to university missions, governance, educational models, labour market engagement, and micro-credentials. Discussions highlighted the need for:
- more flexible institutional structures,
- stronger collaboration with employers and external stakeholders,
- and greater co-creation in programme design.
Participants identified a wide range of target groups for CIVIS micro-credentials, recognised the importance of digital, professional, and transversal competences, and pointed to barriers such as limited awareness, recognition challenges, and administrative complexity.
The workshop concluded that effective lifelong learning requires a supportive ecosystem based on quality, inclusion, recognition, and cooperation, positioning CIVIS as a key actor in shaping Europe’s future skills agenda.
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