Peer Learning Activities relevant to this Peer Learning Cluster or group:
Working group on adult learning
Aims and Objectives
The main objectives of the Action Plan on Adult Learning are:
1. To increase participation in adult learning as a mean of improving economic growth, social cohesion, active citizenship and personal fulfilment, by removing barriers to participation, and increasing the overall quality and efficiency of the sector;
2. To contribute to raising the skills of the European labour force and in particular of those who are low skilled or who have left school early.
1. To increase participation in adult learning as a mean of improving economic growth, social cohesion, active citizenship and personal fulfilment, by removing barriers to participation, and increasing the overall quality and efficiency of the sector;
2. To contribute to raising the skills of the European labour force and in particular of those who are low skilled or who have left school early.
Issues tackled include:
The Action Plan on Adult Learning defines five concrete actions which Member States should seek to implement in to order to achieve two main goals. Firstly, to increase the participation in, and the quality of adult learning. Secondly, to develop efficient systems that reach all adults and which involve all relevant stakeholders.
The five priority actions are to:
1. Analyse the impact on adult learning of national level reforms in education and training in order to facilitate access for adults to education and training for lifelong learning;
2. Improve the quality of provision in the adult learning sector;
1. Analyse the impact on adult learning of national level reforms in education and training in order to facilitate access for adults to education and training for lifelong learning;
2. Improve the quality of provision in the adult learning sector;
3. Increase the possibilities for adults to go one step up and achieve at least one level higher qualification ;
4. Accelerate the process of assessing, validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning, in particular for those with low or no level of qualification;
5. Improve the monitoring of the adult learning sector.
Background
The Adult Learning Action Plan 'It is always a good time to learn' was adopted by the European Commission on 27 September 2007. Building on the 2006 Communication 'It is never too late to learn', the Action Plan was reinforced by the Conclusions of the Council in May 2008.
This Working Group was formally created to support the implementation of the above-mentioned Action Plan.
Action Plan on Adult Learning-related activities:
In the 2008-2010 period the Adult Learning Working Group collaborated with the European Commission in relation to a range of activities to move forward the Action Plan process. These activities have consisted of:
1. Peer Learning Activities (PLAs): these activities follow a thematic approach based on three priority actions of the Action Plan on Adult Learning:
- Priority action 3: 'Increase the possibilities for adults to achieve a qualification at least one level higher than before ('go one step-up')'. For further details, see PLAs held in January 2008 and April 2009 in the 'Peer Learning Activities' section of this website.
- Priority action 4: 'Speed up the process of assessment of skills and social competences and them validated and recognised in terms of learring outcomes'.
- Priority action 5: 'Improve the monitoring of the adult learning sector'.
For further details on the outputs of these activities, please refer to the 'Peer Learning Activities' section of this website.
2. Regional meetings: four regional meetings were held in 2009. Their purpose was to strengthen the implementation of the Action Plan on Adult Learning at national level; to share good practice and to disseminate mid-term results of the Action Plan.
2. Regional meetings: four regional meetings were held in 2009. Their purpose was to strengthen the implementation of the Action Plan on Adult Learning at national level; to share good practice and to disseminate mid-term results of the Action Plan.
For further details, see:
(Regional Meeting_Slovenia_November 2009 to be added)
Final report of Regional Meetings Oct_Nov 2009.pdf.
Final report of Regional Meetings Oct_Nov 2009.pdf.
3. Workshops:
- A workshop on priority action 3 of the Action Plan took place in May 2010.
- A workshop on priority action 2 of the Action Plan took place in June 2010. It addressed the issue of quality in adult learning and explored the potential for cooperation with existing quality initiatives in VET and higher education (see Background_Report_Final.pdf and Final report quality.pdf).
- A workshop on basic skills in adult learning took place in June 2010 (see ALWG_Basic skills guidelines_final report.pdf).
- A workshop on adult learning in higher education took place in September 2010 (see ALWG_Workshop HE_September 2010.pdf).
- A workshop on financing adult learning took place in October 2010 (see ALWG_Workshop Financing Adult Learning_background report.pdf).
Participants
30 countries:
Austria, Belgium (BEfr and BEnl), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Croatia.
Others:
- CEDEFOP
- European training Foundation (ETF)
- Eurydice
- European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
- European Association of craft, small and medium-sized enterprises (UEAPME)
- Business Europe
- European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA)
- European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN).
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