The foundation of Europe’s resilience and competitiveness is its people
High-quality education and training at all levels - starting from early childhood education and care, through primary and secondary education, vocational education and training, and higher education, all the way to adult learning - is not merely a public good but the bedrock of economic growth, social cohesion, and productivity.
Skills and quality jobs are the EU’s competitive edge. To stay ahead in a context of rapid change, global talent competition and shrinking working age population, we must ensure citizens have the skills needed to succeed in learning, work, and life, as highlighted by the Competitiveness Compass for the EU. To this end, the EU supports Member States through policy coordination, technical support and targeted funding to address the challenges that education and training systems are facing
Performance in mathematics, reading and science has declined in recent decades, with around one in three of 15-year-olds underachieving in mathematics and one in four in reading and science. Only 16% of disadvantaged students performed well in reading, mathematics or science.
One in five adults struggles to read and write, and less than 40% of the adult population take part in education or training.
Over 40% of eight-graders and almost half of EU’s population lacks basic digital skills.
Nearly four in five companies in the EU say that skills shortages were a barrier to long-term investment in 2024.
Against this backdrop, modernising education and training systems at all levels, bridging digital divides and developing digital infrastructure, improving skills, and promoting inclusive and labour-market relevant education and training through reforms and investments is essential. Access to quality and inclusive education and training is a right for all citizens, as enshrined within the European Pillar of Social Rights. NextGenEU, with the Recovery and Resilience Facility at its core, supports actions that are strengthening the resilience, accessibility, affordability and quality of education and training systems across the EU, while ensuring equitable access for all.
Source: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, The Union of Skills, COM (2025) 90 final.
Targeted Education and Training Areas
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARENextGenEU supports significant investments in early childhood education and care which are expected to increase participation rates, especially among disadvantaged groups, hence reducing inequalities. These are coupled with reforms aiming to improve its access, inclusiveness and quality, while also contributing to better employment prospects for carers, notably women.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONThe NextGenEU finances reforms and investments to enhance the quality, labour market relevance and inclusiveness of general school education, also to prepare students and teachers for the digital and green transition.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET)IIn an effort to make vocational education paths more relevant and attractive, NextGenEU promotes reforms and investments to align the education and training offers with labour market needs and promote VET to tackle the shortage of skilled labour in VET fields.
HIGHER EDUCATIONNextGenEU assists Member States to transform their higher education systems through, amongst others, infrastructure investments and curricula reforms, also in the area of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
ADULT LEARNINGNextGenEU supports reforms and investment to enhance the quality and accessibility of adult learning opportunities for all adults, increasing Europe’s competitiveness and equipping Europe’s society and economy for the digital and green transition.
1. This indicator is a flow indicator, which means that reported numbers represent the current situation in the reporting round and its values can fluctuate over time. The figures presented are an estimation by the Commission services of the direct and measurable impact of the relevant measures included in the national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) as of 08/05/2026. These figures are illustrative and cannot commit the Commission in any way.More information on common indicators: Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard.
2. The map presents the number of education and training measures included in RRPs. Dedicated (sub-)measures each count as one. Number of (sub-)measures is simplified in the Scale column.
NextGenEU supports reforms and investments for better education and training for all
NextGenEU is empowering Member States to implement education and training-focused investments and reforms as “a radical step change in ambition and action – for all skills and for all types of training and education”. Key initiatives include:
MODERNISATIONUpgrading physical school infrastructure at all levels to be more sustainable and accessible.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONInvesting in modernised technology for schools, including broadband, devices for students and teachers, and digital learning platforms.
SKILL DEVELOPMENTFunding vocational education and training as well as adult learning, enhancing STEM education, and fostering digital literacy for teachers and students; building skills for quality jobs and lives through a strong educational foundation, with an inclusive lifelong learning approach.
INCLUSIVENESSSupporting initiatives to ensure disadvantaged students have equal access to education and training at all levels.
Member States have allocated around €703 billion of funding to implement diverse reforms and investments to address country-specific challenges across education and training
NextGenEU is supporting over 206 reforms and over 410 investments providing people with access to quality inclusive education and training allowing them to fully participate in society, seize new opportunities and thrive in the green and digital transition. More in general, under the RRF, more than €163 billion are allocated to social objectives, addressing next to access to quality inclusive education and training, also access to employment, social services and healthcare.
Implementation
More than 12.6 million young people, aged 15-29, have already benefitted from support.
More than 4.1 million pupils and students can use modernised classrooms per year
More than 3.7 million people were assisted in either finding employment or engaging in job searching activities.
Participation in society begins with inclusive quality education and training at all levels and leads to competitive economies and more prosperous societies.
3. Estimated expenditure by the Commission services as of 06/05/2026 based on the pillar tagging methodology for the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard and measures allocated to the policy area ‘Early Childhood Education and Care’ , ‘General, Vocational and Higher Education’ , ‘Human capital in digitalisation’ and ‘Green skills and jobs’ as primary or secondary policy area.
Early childhood education and care as foundation for lifelong learning
Ambitious reforms and investments in increasing the availability of high-quality early childhood education and care are being delivered in about half of the EU Member States. They involve the construction, renovation, equipment and operationalisation of early childhood education and care places while also reforming the quality and inclusiveness of the offer. This is also promoting full labour market participation of parents and carers – often women – as well as equal opportunities for all children regardless of their socio-economic background.
NextGenEU is supporting Romania with EUR 230 million for the construction and equipping of 110 crèches aiming to improve access and increase participation in standard early-childhood education and care. The first new and environmentally friendly crèche was finalised in 2022 in the municipality of Fălticeni. The crèche is already operational, hosting 7 groups of children with a maximum capacity of 70 places. It has 7 bedrooms, 4 playrooms, changing rooms and toilets, dining areas and a medical office. At the same time, the administrative spaces include offices, laundry and ironing rooms, and the kitchen area. The new crèche is energy efficient (nearly-zero energy building (nZEB) plus type) and is equipped with 65 solar panels and 43 photovoltaic panels which ensure the necessary energy and hot water from renewable sources.
With NextGenEU support, Croatia has put in place a comprehensive approach towards early childhood education and care, funding both reforms and investments. The aim of one of the reforms is to improve access for children aged 3 or more and support participation, especially for children from disadvantaged groups. In this context, a new financing scheme was established for kindergartens to ensure better access across the country through increased affordability, especially for disadvantaged groups. The reform will further increase the number of hours of early childhood education for children one year before starting primary education and will introduce a guaranteed place for children older than 4 in an early childhood education and care facility. The reforms will be complemented by investments in the construction of new early childhood education and care facilities and the renovation of existing ones. The objective is to create 12 000 new places, thus reducing regional inequalities in the availability of early childhood education and care.
With support of NextGenEU, Slovakia has implemented a curricular reform for primary education, aiming at creating new learning content to develop pupils’ key competences and skills. This reform is further supported by a NextGenEU investment which establishes 40 regional centres to provide mentoring, counselling and consultation activities to teachers and education professionals. The continuous professional development of teachers and non-teaching staff is also supported under NextGenEU. The reforms are further complemented by investments in order to improve the technological infrastructure and increase connectivity of classrooms across the country.
Bulgaria is boosting its competitiveness through an integrated learning environment focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). More than EUR 243 million from NextGenEU will be invested in setting up a comprehensive STEM infrastructure across the country including high-tech classrooms and STEM laboratories in every school, which will promote digital literacy and enhance teaching methods of STEM subjects. The investment envisages also the setup of a national STEM centre equipped to develop content, tools and methodologies to support the trainings of teachers and students. The investment is complemented by a reform of the curricula which enhances learning in STEM subjects.
Poland’s network of Sectoral Skills Centres is supporting the development of modern vocational training, higher education and lifelong learning. With NextGenEU support, modern educational hubs are being established, dedicated to developing competencies in industrial and business sectors, combining theory with practical training through state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology. The network provides curricula and vocational training courses for adults, students, young people, vocational education and training teachers, and employees.
With the support of NextGenEU, Ireland’s SOLAS Green Skills Action Programme aids the green transition and supports climate action. It includes a focus on skills provision in nearly-zero energy building (nZEB) and retrofitting as well as the development of new modules in green skills. It is part of a broader SOLAS Recovery Skills Response Programme focusing on skills which are relevant for the twin transition and targeting sectors with employment opportunities, such as information and communications technology programming, green construction and climate change mitigation. Training programmes and modules of the SOLAS Recovery Skills Response Programme are managed by all of the 16 Education and Training Boards in Ireland and already reached more than 85 000 enrolments.
XR (extended reality) technologies represent a new, modern, digital and interactive alternative way of teaching in practically all fields. They are recognised as one of the key new digital technologies in the EU, enabling innovative and economically competitive solutions to be realised. With NextGenEU support, Slovenia explores the potential for using virtual, enriched and augmented reality technologies in primary and secondary education to guide and support the use of advanced technologies, improving the quality of the learning process. In this context, Slovenia established six learning laboratories across the country to use, test and develop new tools, to support content development and the testing of teaching materials, encouraging the development of new innovative pedagogical and didactic approaches through XR technologies. As part of the Teach XR project, at least 125 teachers are being equipped with knowledge and tools to integrate XR technologies into the learning process.
With the support of NextGenEU, Lithuania is enhancing the international competitiveness of its higher education institutions. Five projects have been implemented, covering the attraction of foreign students, lecturers and scientists, developing the design and implementation of joint and double degree programmes offering students to earn two different degrees in a shortened timeframe, developing the provision of virtual services and other activities promoting the integration of Lithuanian universities in the European networks of universities.
From nurseries to universities, Italy is investing in the construction or renovation of new schooling facilities with NextGenEU support. The investment envisages the construction or renovation of school facilities and canteen spaces for at least 1,000 structures across the country, in order to make them open and available beyond school hours. Extended school hours are expected to help reducing early school leaving and labour market participation of carers, often women.
With NextGenEU support, Germany invests in improving IT infrastructure in schools, including by expanding consulting services for school authorities, to foster the digital transformation of schools. Services provided by a public sector consulting firm included offering consultations and guidance to different cities and counties focusing on solutions for hardware, software, and network infrastructure. This supports the digital development of schools, enabling them to adapt to the changing needs of education in the future.
Latvia’s project 'Closing the digital divide for socially vulnerable pupils and educational institutions', which is closely related to the overarching national initiative ‘Computer for Every Child’, aims to ensure the availability of portable computers for learners from socially vulnerable groups. With NextGenEU support, over 35,000 computers have been distributed to schools across the country and thus, exceeding the original target set under NextGenEU, allowing students to borrow them throughout their studies and enabling teachers to improve the interactivity and digital content of their teaching.
With NextGenEU support, Portugal invests in supporting and expanding the network of science centres ("Ciência Viva" clubs) in schools, from primary to secondary education, providing hands-on learning environments and outreach programmes that promote interest in science, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) careers and scientific literacy through digital content and materials. The Ciência Viva Centres Network is a dynamic organisation, which includes spaces for scientific dissemination, and for connecting with municipalities, companies, schools, universities, polytechnics and research units in their region. Its aim is to enhance collaborative and proximity work, including the promotion of local network actions, in partnership with civil society.
NextGenEU supports the State Network of Centers of Excellence in Vocational Training in Spain, which includes fifty centers in 14 vocational training sectors. The Pere Martell Institute in Tarragona in the field of automotive, the School of Labor Institute in Lleida, and the Pau Casesnoves CIFP in Inca in the renewable energy sector, the School of Labor in Barcelona specialized in automated manufacturing; the Francesc de Borja Moll CIFP in Palma in the healthcare sector, and the Juníper Serra CIFP, also in Palma, in the tourism field, are supported to implement a reformed vocational training model in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. In particular, these centres will develop and disseminate innovative teaching methodologies, strengthen collaboration with businesses and other training providers, promote the upskilling of teachers and trainers, and act as hubs for knowledge transfer and innovation within their sectors. They will serve as benchmarks at the national level in their respective professional fields for other centers.
adapts to labour market needs Czechia invests in the transformation of universities to adapt to new forms of learning and changing needs of the labour market, both in terms of content and forms of teaching. A range of study programmes are being adapted to new demands while the academic focus of existing degree programmes is shifted to include a significant proportion of work-based learning to better respond to labour market needs. Among others, a doctoral programme at the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology of the University of South Bohemia was created.
Supporting Member States in Implementing Structural Reforms and Investments
NextGenEU is transforming education and training: By harnessing the power of structural reforms, digital innovation, and strategic investments, the EU is creating education and training systems that are not only accessible and adaptive but also resilient and future-proof. The result? More resilient education and training system, better education outcomes, stronger economies, and more prosperous societies – a lasting legacy for generations to come.