On the HuffPost blog, Alfonso Molina comments on the data from *Education at a Glance 2026*
How much is knowledge worth in a country? The answer is not limited to the number of qualifications obtained or their economic return. It also concerns the ability to transform education and skills into opportunities, innovation, participation and social cohesion. This is the angle taken by Alfonso Molina, co-founder and scientific director of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, in his latest article published on the HuffPost blog, drawing on data from the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2026.
The picture in Italy shows encouraging signs: over the last ten years, the proportion of young people aged between 18 and 24 who are neither in employment nor in education has fallen from 30 per cent to 16 per cent, whilst among those aged 25 to 34, the proportion without an upper secondary qualification has dropped from 26 per cent to 19 per cent. However, there remain significant gaps compared with the OECD average in terms of tertiary education attainment, the pay premium associated with a degree, and adult participation in continuing education.
On the subject of lifelong learning, Molina highlights a particularly significant principle: “learning begets learning” – learning fuels further learning. Those who already possess solid skills and enjoy more stable employment conditions find it easier to access new training opportunities, whilst those who would benefit most from updating their skills often face greater obstacles. Lifelong learning thus also takes on a dimension of equity.
The article also explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and work. The OECD urges caution when interpreting the initial signs regarding the employment of young graduates: evidence of a structural shift in the demand for skills driven by AI is still limited. Understanding the transformations underway therefore requires the ability to distinguish between short-term fluctuations and long-term trends.
This reflection ties in with the concept of Education for Life, which has guided the work of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale for years: a continuous process in which knowledge, experiences, relationships and the ability to find one’s way are reshaped over time.
“It is within this broader perspective that we can gauge the value of knowledge: in its ability to transform education into tangible opportunities for individuals and into a collective capacity to navigate change,” concludes Molina.
Read Alfonso Molina’s full article on HuffPost:
How much is knowledge worth in Italy?
