Spain

Adult education in Spain comprises all formal, non formal and informal learning opportunities aimed at people over 18 who wish to acquire, update, complete or expand their knowledge and competences for personal, social or professional development. The sector is shaped by Spain's decentralised governance model: while the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports sets the general framework, the autonomous communities hold the main competences over planning, funding and delivery, which results in significant regional diversity in provision and regulation.

The public network is led by Centros de Educación de Personas Adultas (CEPAs), which offer pathways to obtain compulsory secondary education qualifications, prepare adult learners for university and vocational training entrance examinations, and deliver basic skills programmes including literacy and digital competences. Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas (EOIs) provide officially certified foreign language learning, while other organisations, such as universities for senior citizens, offer programmes aimed at improving the active citizenship of the older population. This public provision is complemented by a wide ecosystem of non formal learning offered by municipalities, civil society organisations, foundations, trade unions, employers' associations and private providers, often supported by European and national funds. 

Provision covers four main areas:

• basic skills (literacy, numeracy, digital competences, Spanish for migrants),
• pathways to qualifications (lower secondary, upper secondary, university and access to VET),
• languages and key competences (certified at EOIs and through other providers),
• civic, cultural and personal development education.

A distinctive feature of the Spanish system is its strong emphasis on second chance education and on the social inclusion of vulnerable groups, including migrants, people at risk of poverty and adults with low qualification levels. Spanish adult education policy is currently guided by the strategic objectives of the European Education Area and the European Skills Agenda, with a national participation target aligned with the EU goal of 60% of adults engaged in learning each year by 2030. Key priorities include strengthening guidance services, expanding digital learning, validating non formal and informal learning, and improving cooperation between the educational, employment and social sectors. The Erasmus+ Programme plays a strategic role in supporting innovation, transnational cooperation and professionalisation across the sector.