In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires and former National Secretary for Innovation and Educational Quality, Mercedes reflects on the "Secondary Learns" reform for Buenos Aires, and its mission to improve literacy, numeracy, and student well-being, with a view to transitioning students from passive participants to active learners through reorganized teacher roles and classroom cell phone bans. Mercedes reflects on the critical challenges of transforming an obsolete system, the value of global cooperation, the implications of AI, and the necessity of prioritizing social-emotional skills to foster a lifelong love for learning.

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, UK Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities. Minister Smith reflects on the importance of addressing persistent skills gaps in the economy and the priority of tackling youth unemployment, highlighting the opportunities for widening access to education and training opened-up by the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. She reflects on the critical challenges posed by the financial sustainability of the higher education sector and initiatives are being put in place to support the sector, as well as the historical low status associated with vocational routes which the development of technical excellence colleges aim to address. Minister Smith also outlines the main ambitions behind the newly launched International Education Strategy and emphasise the value of EWF as a platform for sharing information and ideas with international colleagues. She concludes by advocating for a lifelong approach to education that builds the structures and finance necessary to enable people to upskill and learn throughout their lives.

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education of South Africa. Minister Gwarube reflects on the importance to reorient the national education system toward the foundations of learning and the priorities of South Africa’s G20 presidency, highlighting early childhood care and teacher professional development, She reflects on the critical challenges posed by limited funding for education, the value of EWF as a platform for sharing experiences and solutions, and the necessity for culturally sensitive international benchmarking. Minister Gwarube concludes by advocating for a systemic approach that integrates skills development and views education as a vital economic investment supporting children from birth to adulthood