The concept of lifelong learning in Spain has evolved since the 1970s, when it focused on offering training alternatives to the adult population. In the 90s, the concept of lifelong learning started to have an approach that went beyond adult education, featuring the following characteristics:

• it strengthened the importance of preparing students to learn by themselves and adapt to the changing demands of the knowledge society;
• it promoted distance education through the establishment, in 1992, of the Centre for the Innovation and Development of Distance Education (CIDEAD), in order to facilitate access to education for adults and school aged students who, due to personal, social, geographical or other circumstances cannot study mainstream education requiring attendance.

The National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications was established in 2002. It organises the professional qualifications that can be acquired, both through training processes (formal and non-formal) and through work experience.

The Vocational Training for Employment subsystem was created in 2007. It involved the integration of different initiatives for the training of the working population, both employed and unemployed people, with the aim of promoting training that responds to the needs of a knowledge-based economy.

The 1st Strategic Plan for Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the education system (2019-2022) was presented at the end of 2019, with the objectives of developing an integrated vocational guidance system, creating coordination mechanisms between the various administrations in this matter, giving greater visibility to the gender equality dimension in all VET degrees and consolidating the regulatory framework of the system.

At the beginning of 2020, the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport (MEFD) assumed the responsibilities related to VT for employment through the General Secretariat for Vocational Training. This was intended to promote vocational training and to create a system that would bring together VT in the education system and VT for employment.

By the end of 2020, the organic laws on education explicitly include non-formal education in the framework of a culture of lifelong learning (article 5 bis of Organic Law 2/2006 on Education [LOE], as added by Organic Law 3/2020, which amends it [LOMLOE]).

In 2020, the Strategic Plan for Vocational Training incorporates the Plan for the Modernisation of Vocational Training, which proposes to turn Vocational Training into a lever for growth through three steps:

• Recognition and accreditation of professional competences.
• Flexibility and improved accessibility to vocational training and vocational guidance.
• Incorporation of digitalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship in the Vocational Training system.

This Plan incorporates the proposals contained in Communications from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, such as “A new skills  agenda for Europe: Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness” (June, 2016), and in the “Recommendations of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on Vocational Training and Key Competences for Lifelong Learning” (December, 2016).

Finally, Organic Law  3/2022 on the organisation and integration of Vocational Training, places individuals and their need to be qualified and kept up to date throughout their lives at the centre of political action. The regulatory development of this law is aimed at making dual training a reality in all vocational training in the 2024-2025 academic year, so that vocational training students will be trained both in the educational institution and in the workplace from the first year of their studies, with longer and higher quality placements in companies.

Strategic and training actions of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports

Following the European guidelines set by the Lisbon Strategy (2000), the concept of lifelong learning acquires a more global and inclusive approach with Organic Law 2/2006 on Education LOE, an approach that is still maintained with Organic Law 3/2000 which amends it (LOMLOE).

"Everyone must have the right to lifelong learning, within and outside the education system, in order to acquire, update, complete or expand their abilities, knowledge, skills and competences for their personal and professional development" (article 5.1 of the LOE, as amended by the LOMLOE).

That is why the basic principle of the education system is to promote lifelong learning. (article 1 of the LOE as amended by the LOMLOE). 

In order to develop lifelong learning policies, the MEFD boosted in 2014 the Strategic Lifelong Learning Plan. The design of this Plan resulted from cooperation between the education authorities of the autonomous communities and the MEFD. The main objective of this plan is to strengthen lifelong education and training for Spanish citizens, as well as to contribute to the achievement of the objectives established in the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in the field of Education and Training (ET 2020)Among them, the need for an average of at least 15 % of adults participating in lifelong learning by 2020 was particularly worth mentioning. In order to achieve these goals, the following was considered necessary:

• modernise the education and training systems;
• use a methodology that responds to adults’ capabilities, needs and interests;
• allow greater flexibility and adapt formal and non-formal and classroom-based and distance provision, and establish links between both;
• the accreditation of learning and the recognition of the skills acquired.

The Strategic lifelong learning plan provides the common framework on which the education authorities have been based to develop their specific territorial plans, which can be annual or biennial and are developed each October.

This plan was the national realisation of the 2007 Action Plan of the European Commission on Adult Learning “It's Never Too Late to Learn”. Its basic objective was to improve training opportunities and quality, without any time limit and without being age-specific. It is aimed at encouraging lifelong learning in line with a modern, democratic and changing society, by strengthening quality training and promoting the attainment of the highest levels of education and training amongst citizens.

The strategic lines of this Plan for the 2014-2020 period are the following:

• provide widespread access to information, guidance and counselling, so that all citizens can participate in lifelong learning;
• improve the quality of lifelong learning;
• promote innovation in lifelong learning;
• adapt the training provision to citizens’ personal, social and labour needs;
• allow greater flexibility and link up training systems and pathways;
• increase the percentage of citizens who participate in lifelong learning activities, as well as their qualification levels;
• stimulate the permanence of citizens in the different types of training provision.

Other strategic actions of the MEFD to promote lifelong learning are:

• FP a distancia portal, a portal that brings together all the distance vocational training (FP) offer of the MEFD and the different autonomous communities;
• an integrated system of vocational information and guidance, whose main actions are the following:
  • ACREDITA, information and guidance platform for the accreditation of professional competences acquired through work experience or through non formal training. It includes general information on the procedure and the State open calls, a self-evaluation tool for citizens to identify the competences they can accredit and the options related to them, a tool for advisors, evaluators and candidates to manage the procedure;
  • Todo FP, a portal on vocational information and guidance aiming at improving the access to information and vocational training for all the citizens;
  • Euroguidance España, career guidance web portal which compiles all relevant and up-to-date information on resources and programmes beneficial to guidance work, both for professionals in education and employment. The portal includes details on vocational guidance in the different autonomous communities, resources, publications, organisations and networks, as well as a calendar listing relevant events for professionals in the sector;
  • Lifelong learning aimed at guidance professionals through the National Institute for Educational Technology and Teacher Training (INTEF). 

In accordance with the Recommendation of the European Council on the establishment of a European Qualifications Framework, the MEFD has prepared the Spanish Qualifications Framework. (MECU).

At the same time, and with the same goal of informing society, favoring international mobility and recognising training in all the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES) is established.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the MEFD has four bodies in charge of the management of lifelong learning: 

the Subdirectorate General for Centres and Programmes: reporting to the Directorate General for Educational Planning and Management, it undertakes the following functions, among others:

• the planning and management of the educational provision for adults, excluding university education, in collaboration with the General Secretariat for Vocational Training in the teaching of this educational stage;
• the planning of the distance studies provision, excluding university and vocational training courses, and coordination with the Centre for Innovation and Development in Distance Education (CIDEAD) for its development;
• the promotion of programmes aimed at non-university students in order to broaden their training and facilitate their interaction with students from other autonomous communities.

The Subdirectorate General for the Educational Inspection: reporting to the Directorate General for Educational Planning and Management, it undertakes the following functions, among others:

• the exercise of the educational inspection function within the scope of the Department's competences;
• the monitoring of the provisions and acts of the autonomous communities in matters related to non-university education, and the adoption or proposal of measures derived from the exercise of the State's high inspection functions in matters related to education.

The Vocational Guidance and Lifelong Learning Unit: reporting to the Subdirectorate General for the Organisation of Vocational Training, it undertakes the following functions, among others:

• the organisation of the procedures for the assessment and accreditation of basic and professional skills acquired through work experience and non-formal and informal training, the preparation of the instruments to support them, and the registration of accredited professionals, as well as their development for the areas specified in the applicable regulations;
• the coordination, collaboration and territorial cooperation relations with the autonomous communities, local corporations and other public administrations, in the field of vocational training and lifelong learning;
• the design and development of measures to promote technical and professional lifelong learning through vocational training;
• the design of the system's general career guidance strategy, in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities;
• the development of actions for the promotion and development of the career guidance guidance system within the Vocational Training System and the maintenance of portals, platforms and social networks to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences and resources in the field of vocational guidance and training, the latter in coordination with the Under-Secretariat.

Finally, the S.D.G. for Academic Organisation, which is part of the Directorate General for Evaluation and Territorial Cooperation, is in charge of the academic organisation of adult education not included in the categories of university education and vocational training.

Training actions of the Education Authorities and other Public Authorities

Lifelong learning feeds on the initiatives carried out by central and regional Education Authorities, education offices within municipal councils, Employment Authorities and non-profit-making entities of the civil society.

In order to guarantee universal and permanent access to learning, the different Public Authorities identify new skills and provide the training required in order to acquire them. They are also responsible for:

• promoting flexible learning opportunities for young people and adults who left the education system without any qualification to acquire basic skills and, where possible, achieve the relevant qualifications;
• facilitating and promoting the attainment of post-compulsory secondary education or equivalent for all people;
• facilitating access to information and guidance on lifelong learning opportunities and their accessibility.

Thus, the different Education Authorities offer mainly the following types of provision:

• basic education: initial education and secondary education for adults, aimed at obtaining the Lower Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate
• Post-compulsory education: Bachillerato and VT;
• preparation for entrance examinations for intermediate and advanced vocational training;
• preparation for entrance examinations to obtain the Lower Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate;
• preparation for university entrance examinations;
• basic vocational training;
• training in the use of ICT;
• foreign language learning;
• That’s English!, a distance education course recognised by the Official Language Schools in basic, intermediate and advanced levels;
• Spanish as a foreign language, courses for personal development, social and participatory, such as health education and healthy habits, disease prevention and occupational hazards, road safety education courses, or other courses within the autonomy of schools;
• operational workshops for employability, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+), which includes lifelong learning as one of its main principles.

Classroom-based provision is offered by adult education institutions and some secondary schools, while distance provision or e-learning is offered by the autonomous communities, the MEFD (cities of Ceuta and Melilla), theCIDEAD and Aulas Mentor, providing an alternative in the field of training for adults who do not have the opportunity to attend classroom-based sessions. The training provision comprises a set of courses organised into training areas, which have been specially designed or adapted for learners and which are constantly updated.