Cedefop: adults in low-skilled jobs take part less in learning
A new Cedefop study on pathways into skills and jobs calls for targeted outreach to adults with low skills.
On 29 April 2026 Cedefop, the EU agency for vocational education and training, published the research paper Skill development and employment pathways for adults with low skill levels. It looks at adults with low qualifications and at adults working in jobs with low skill requirements across the EU.
What the study finds
- Around half of EU employment is in jobs with low skill requirements
- Up to one third of low-qualified jobs are expected to disappear by 2035
- Adults in low-skilled jobs take part less in every type of learning: only about a third of training participants come from this group
- Low awareness of the need to upskill adds to structural barriers
Cedefop recommends targeted outreach strategies for vulnerable groups, such as older workers and women; flexible, work-based and modular learning backed by guidance and financial support; and closer cooperation between policymakers, employers and learning providers.
Why it matters for CAFÉ+
CAFÉ+ starts from the places where adults with low skills already go, and links them with guidance, employment services and employers — the kind of outreach and cooperation the study calls for.
Sources
More research in the State of the Art