Lifelong Learning, Innovation, Growth and Human Capital Tracks in Europe

LLLight’in’Europe –LifeLong Learning, Innovation, Growth and Human capital Tracks in Europe
Among all Europeans between 24 and 65 years old who had a tertiary educational degree in 2010, 82.8% were working. In the same age group, 68.3% who completed secondary schooling were working. Only 46% of those who did not complete secondary schooling were working. It is apparent that if Europe wants to be working, higher education is the necessary foundation for being competitive in the labor market. Since this is not only true for generations of future workers currently in school, but equally so for those who are today in their 30s, 40s and 50s, Lifelong Learning must be essential to continued employability.
The cumulative investment necessary to generate higher education degrees alone for adults over the next two decades across Europe may be 3.5 trillion euros or about 1.4% of European GDP per year. Even higher investments are required in non-formal and informal Lifelong Learning. To help guide this investment, this research project will find answers to the following urgent questions:
1. How do successful enterprises actively employ Lifelong Learning for their competitive advantage?
2. Which public policy environments facilitate Lifelong Learning for such enterprises and entrepreneurs?
3. How does Lifelong Learning interact with and promote innovativeness on the enterprise level?
4. How much of which skills do European adults actually have?
5. What are the actual learning mechanisms in adult life that lead to these skills?
6. What are the causal effects of these skills on growth, competitiveness and social cohesion?
The research consortium includes nine universities and research institutes from four academic disciplines – macro-econometrics, innovation dynamics, educational systems, psychometrics – to establish empirically proven answers. All outputs of the project (models, reports and tools) are designed to guide, support and facilitate best practice and strategy among public policy officials, enterprise strategists, individual citizens and fellow scientists.