The Commission Communication on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 aims to help step up investment in education. The new Commission Expert Group will carry out an in-depth analysis of existing evidence to identify policies that can effectively boost education and training outcomes as well as inclusiveness, while improving the efficiency of spending.

The European Union (EU) will channel more funds than ever into education and training over the next seven years.

The Expert Group will help national authorities to make the best use of available funds and support the development of evidence-based policy by creating a guidance document for Member States providing robust evidence on the impact, cost and challenges in implementing key policy measures.

The Expert Group will focus its analysis on those areas that represent the bulk of education expenditure and may have a major impact on education outcomes, notably:

• teachers and trainers
• management of education infrastructure and related physical and human resources
• digital education (infrastructure and competence development)

Each area should cover all levels of education and training – from early childhood education and care to adult education – and will be accompanied by a cost-benefit analysis and an examination of the budgetary implications for each policy option.

The Expert Group will include academics and education experts from the public and the private sectors, who will meet on a regular basis and have the possibility of inviting external guests.

The first meeting of the Expert Group will take place in spring 2021.

Who can apply

The Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) is looking for experts with proven and relevant competence and experience in education and training, in particular in education policies, systems and/or spending.

Experts shall possess a relevant educational background in the fields of economics and other social sciences, architecture or engineering with a specific focus on education and training or educational sciences.

Professional experience of at least five years in academia and/or public and private research centres is also a requirement.

Please consult the open call for expression of interest for detailed information on the application procedure and selection criteria. Potential candidates are invited to check the ‘Additional Information’ tab.

Applications should include the documents below and be submitted electronically to the following email address: eac-investment-educ@ec.europa.eu. The deadline for applications is 20 March 2021.

• CV in Europass format  
• Motivation letter
• Annex 1: Selection criteria form
• Annex 2: Standard declaration of interests form

Investing in education and training to boost social and economic resilience

The Commission has also today published the report ‘Boosting Social and Economic Resilience in Europe by Investing in Education’.

This report focuses on the social and economic resilience that might be achieved through well-designed and targeted investment in education and training.

The report provides a review of the individual and social returns of education considering both economic and non-economic effects.

It also shows that European countries, which are endowed with better education and training, (in terms of quantity and quality) recover faster from economic shocks and have better economic resilience.

The report also discusses the implications of COVID-19 related school closures in early 2020 on individuals (students, teachers and parents), education institutions and systems.

It suggests that if not tackled adequately during the recovery stage, immediate adverse consequences – such as interrupted learning and skills formation, exacerbated educational inequalities and rising dropout rates – could lead to high social and economic costs in the long term.

Background

The Expert Group on quality investment in education and training will be part of the European Education Area enabling framework – the main tool supporting the achievement of the European Education Area by 2025. This vision fully respects Member States’ responsibility for the content of teaching and the organisation of their education and training systems.

With the aim of bringing increased efficiency and effectiveness in education and training and fostering effective solutions and policy reforms on the ground, the Expert Group will help to maintain focus on national and regional investment.

The Expert Group will complement the debate at high-level political fora, such as joint exchanges between finance ministers and education ministers from EU Member States, as well as with other institutions, such as the European Investment Bank and the European Parliament.