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Regional capacity for Adult Learning and Education

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Discover a roadmap towards local and regional partnerships in ALE

In the realm of adult education, the focus is often on developing skills and knowledge to enhance employability. However, there is a growing recognition that adult learning goes beyond professional growth. It encompasses personal development, social engagement, and lifelong learning. This understanding forms the foundation of the Regale project, which aims to highlight the importance of learner-centered education. During the event in December 2023, we explored the key aspects of the Regale project, discussed the policy recommendations that have emerged from it, and shed light on successful initiatives in the field of adult learning.

The importance of learner-centered education

Gina Ebner, secretary general of EAEA, emphasized the significance of putting the learner at the center of educational endeavors. By recognizing learners as individuals with diverse roles and interests, such as employees, parents, and citizens, we can unlock their full potential. Adult learning should not be limited to basic skills but should also encompass life skills that have a broader impact on various aspects of one’s life. For instance, learning English for work can also enable parents to support their children’s education. The goal is to view learning as a holistic experience that empowers individuals in different roles and contexts.

The RegALE project

The Regale project, implemented under Key Action 3, focused on regional and local partnerships for developing and networking adult learning initiatives. The project began by identifying existing challenges and collecting best practices through surveys and study visits. A repository was created to showcase these practices, allowing easy access through a user-friendly map and keyword search. Additionally, webinars and online resources were developed to support knowledge exchange and capacity building.

Policy recommendations for adult learning

Drawing from the insights gained through the Regale project, a set of policy recommendations aimed at policymakers and stakeholders has been formulated. These recommendations encompass various crucial areas:

– Governance: Collaboration and the establishment of cooperation structures are vital for effective adult learning provision. Policymakers are encouraged to appreciate the diversity of adult learning offerings while working together towards a common vision.

– Financing: Viewing investment in adult learning as more than just costs is crucial. Incentives for participation, individual learning accounts, and mobility opportunities can encourage lifelong learning and skill development.

– Inclusion: Acknowledging the importance of capacity building for adult learning organizations and local authorities is essential for enabling inclusion. Disadvantaged groups should not be overlooked, and civil society organizations play a significant role in providing innovative solutions.

– Quality: Ensuring public provisions are of high quality requires adequate funding and continuous training for educators. Policymakers need to develop and implement quality measures and mechanisms for adult learning.

Conclusion

The Regale project and its associated initiatives underscore the importance of learner-centered education in adult learning. By prioritizing the individual and considering their varied roles and interests, lifelong learning becomes a transformative experience that goes beyond professional growth. The policy recommendations generated through the Regale project provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance adult learning provision. With a focus on governance, financing, inclusion, and quality, these recommendations pave the way for a more inclusive and effective adult education system.

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The two main Civic Education challenges for Cities and Regions: Inspirational Insights from the 2023 NECE Festival

Written by Davide Muraro, EAEA.

The challenges that our society faces are big. In comparison, the resources of Local and Regional Authorities are scarce. Can Civic Education show a path to master the problems of today and tomorrow? This is only one of the many questions that were discussed in the 2023 edition of the Networking European Civic Education (NECE) Festival in Madrid, organised by The Civics Innovation Hub and funded by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education.

 

The event brought together experts, practitioners and researchers working on several dimensions and forms of Civic Education in Europe and beyond – ranging from young sustainability activists and musicians to teachers and renowned policy voices. Throughout interactive sessions, debates, keynote speeches but also music-based activities, participants shared best practices, explored innovative solutions and joined forces to imagine the future of Civic Education. The results could not be more relevant for the RegALE project: community-based, local actors, cooperating together, have an untapped potential to become the protagonists of Civic Education. But for that to happen, cities and regions need to address two key challenges:

1) Know the future (yes, it’s possible!)

In a state of permacrisis, it is difficult to ascertain priorities, the magnitude of some trends or their impact. But it’s not impossible. Foresight methodologies can help us understand which phenomena are here to stay, and which instead will wear off, as the “Superforecaster” Regina Joseph explained. While such techniques were originally deployed only in a military context, they can add much value to education policies and practices. This is especially true for Civic Education, which must equip learners with the tools to deal with pressing social issues of today and tomorrow. To reap the benefits of Civic Education, continuous investments in capacity-building activities for institutional actors, including at the local and regional level, education providers and teachers should be pursued, as the RegALE project recommends. Providing these enablers of Civic Education with cutting-edge methodologies, like strategic foresight, will make them capable of designing and implementing a relevant learning offer.

2) Talk to everyone

Looking at the bigger picture is important, but is certainly not enough. Also due to the impact of social media, societies across the globe are increasingly polarising. Such tensions present a real threat for the stability of our democracies, and may (and, unfortunately, have already) result(ed) in wars, discrimination, exclusion and loneliness. To rebuild our social fabric, Civic Education can help foster dialogue and mutual understanding. Human rights expert and facilitator Maja Nenadović offered a vision for this difficult task, along with useful practical tools. Dialogue starts in a community, with a neighbour, a co-worker or a fellow learner. This is why cities and regions are uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge. Moreover, networks of local and regional authorities can provide a fora for a diversity of perspectives and experiences, which can positively spill over education – and Civic Education in particular. As the RegALE project testifies, partnerships and cooperation are not only valuable to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of adult education, but can also bring forward approaches that reflect a rich variety of views and practices.

 

The NECE Forum has offered inspirational insights on Civic Education. Paired with the results of RegALe project, it demonstrated that Local and Regional Authorities are fundamental agents to build a better tomorrow through Civic Education – even more so when working in partnership with each other and with other stakeholders.

More pictures from the event are available here: https://nece.eu/nece-festival/#

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Capacity-Building in Adult Learning and Education: What regional strategies and tools for success? RegALE project final conference brings room for reflections

Written by EARLALL colleagues. The original text is available here. 

The RegALE project comes to a close

On November 28, EARLALL and EAEA co-organised the final conference for the Erasmus+ REGALE – Regional Capacity for Adult Learning and Education – project. The event welcomed over 60 people and was focused on presenting the tools and strategies which make development in Adult Learning and Education (ALE) initiatives possible at the regional level. The event was hosted and opened by the Tuscany Offices in Brussels, a vice president of the EARLALL network, and also the region of two of the project partners, Lucca Municipality and the University of Florence. Tina Mavrič, Project Manager of the RegALE project at the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) welcomed participants to the event and moderated the rest of the conference.

Mentoring as a tool to promote lifelong learning at the regional level

Anne Rudisuhli, Committee of the Regions Rapporteur, Mentoring: a powerful and meaningful tool for the Europe of Tomorrow and Member of the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council, presented a keynote speech on mentoring as a powerful tool of lifelong learning. MsRudisuhli’s discourse underscored the transformative power of learning in confronting societal challenges while highlighting the importance of ongoing growth and adaptation. Central to the discussion was the recognition of mentoring as a potent instrument in combating inequalities, fostering individual and professional development, and nurturing social inclusion, solidarity, and tolerance. Ms Rudishli shared the French national experience through Le Collectif Mentorat, an organisation formed in 2019 comprising 73 organisations which develop mentoring programs.

As rapporteur for the Committee of the Regions Opinion on Mentoring, Ms Rudisuhli shared some of its key proposals: defining a common European quality level, regional and local authorities should allocate further funds to mentoring and inclusion programs, including the increase of the ESF+ budget. Finally, she concluded that mentoring is a powerful tool for lifelong learning as it goes beyond formal education and fills in gaps of guidance that other tools cannot.

Following this speech, Elisabeth Verniers, Advocacy Manager at Duo for a Job, a mentoring organisation based in Brussels, shared her practical experience of working with mentoring. Duo for a job began following two observations: that young people of foreign origin had more difficulties in accessing the labour market, and that the experience of those over 50 was not sufficiently valued. With this, the organisation was developed and has matched 6786 Duo pairs. Adaptability is a key advantage of their mentoring program, in addition to the added skills acquired by both the mentors and the mentees.

Lessons learnt from the REGALE project

Following the introduction to the conference’s theme, Francesca Torlone, professor at the University of Florence, summarised the key lessons from the RegALE project, taken from the publication of the project, ‘Adult Learning Policies in Europe. An Insight of Regional and Local Stakeholders’. One of the key points underlined included that the target of adult learning needs to be widened to include low-skilled adults, reducing the ‘learning-exclusion equilibrium’. Moreover, Ms Torlone pointed to the variety of best practices in ALE that the project identified, which can also be found on the map of best practices.

Roundtable on what tools and strategies for cooperation and success in ALE?

The final section of the conference proposed a roundtable answering the question ‘How do policy/strategies impact the implementation of cooperation between public authorities, CSOs and Education providers on learning territories at the regional level?’ The panel was moderated by Ms Naomi Philips (Deputy Chief Executive Learning and Work Institute, UK) and invited the following speakers: Ms Andrea Bernert-Bürkle, Head of EU Projects, VHS Baden Wurttemberg; Mr Sulev Lääne, ENAEA; Ms Margit Düüna, Chairman of the Board of Estonian Non-Formal Adult Education Association; Dr Kate Smyth – Strategic Communications Officer, AONTAS; Dr. George A. Koulaouzides, Assistant Professor of Adult Education at the Hellenic Open University and Mr. Miguel Fernandez Diaz, Adult Skills Policies, European Commission. The discussion included best practice examples from each panellist on how they foster conditions, tools and strategies for adult learning and education in their territories.

 

For example, in the case of Baden Württemberg (an EARLALL member), Andrea Bernert-Bürkle presented how in the context of RegALE, vhs Baden Württemberg (the Adult Education Association in the region) proposed work-based learning as well as a mentoring program related to this. The result was that the ALE system was able to better reply to demographic challenges and changes. As for the European context, Mr Miguel Fernandez Diaz, Adult Skills Policies, European Commission, presented how the European Commission is giving support to actors involved in upskilling initiatives, notably through the Pact for Skills initiative as part of the Skills Agenda. The Pact for Skills has reached over 1,500 members and 20 large-scale skills partnerships (sectoral partnerships of EU dimension) have been established in all industrial ecosystems. An info sheet is available on the basic elements of the Pact, in addition to a search tool for Pact members, including a search tool on funding opportunities.

 

Ms Naomi Philips (Deputy Chief Executive Learning and Work Institute, UK) shared her conclusions and insights from the panellists. She stated that it is clear there is an important role for policy and legal frameworks to adapt at the regional level to facilitate ALE, in addition to the fact that providers need to be open-minded and flexible. She also highlighted the potential of ALE to provide resilience in communities, through encouraging a lifelong learning perspective and adaptable solutions.

Cooperation is key

Finally, Charlotte Ede, Communications and Projects Officer at EARLALL, concluded that “cooperation, particularly among stakeholders at the local and regional level, is essential for lifelong learning to grow and continue”. The event was closed by Raffaela Kihrer at EAEA, who thanked the project partners and the external participants.

Access the conference documents

  1. Conference Presentation
  2. Presentation on the Pact For Skills

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Annual conference of the regional guidance network Baden-Württemberg

Written by Andrea Bernert-Bürkle, vhs BW.

vhs BW, REGALE partner from Baden-Württemberg/Germany, has explored future skills and an adapted version of the so-called „VUKA concept“ (engl. VUCA)  as a cross-sectional element in Adult Education and Learning (ALE) and guidance. During the annual conference of the regional guidance network Baden-Württemberg (Landesnetzwerk Weiterbildungsberatung – LN WBB), Dr. Arndt Pechstein presented the VUKA concept, originally designed by the US Army. About 65 participants discussed the relevance of the concept with a view to regional ALE offers as well as educational and career guidance practices. Vhs BW is coordinating the LN WBB guidance network Baden-Württemberg and will consider VUKA as an impulse that is relevant for the upgrading of the network’s services.

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RegALE Study Visit to London, May 2022: "Campaigning and Advocacy"

Co-written by Aslan Liivak, ENAEA, Estonia and L&W, the UK.

Campaigning and advocacy play crucial roles in promoting change, raising awareness, and advancing various social, political, and environmental causes. They are essential tools for individuals, organizations, and communities seeking to address important issues and influence decision-makers. Our study trip to London was focused on those very important issues from a practical point of view, starting from planning to actual hands-on tips when trying to engage with media. Our guides through these topics were Alex Stevenson and Sarah Perry, our hosts from RegALE’s UK partner Learning and Work Institute (L&W).  The event took place at City Lit, a nationally leading provider of adult education based in London’s Covent Garden.


We started our first day with a seminar about campaigning, using L&W’s Festival of Learning and Adult Learners’ Week campaigns as case studies.  Campaigning means to get the message out. To get the message out about lifelong learning, it is of utmost important to raise awareness. A good campaign on lifelong learning is also about making people to see their own potential. So, it is about the need for education that benefits learners and all of society.


Then we covered the advocacy part.  This session was led by L&W’s Deputy Chief Executive, Naomi Phillips. Comparing advocacy and campaigning, advocacy is a long-term strategy and campaigning is a tactical step to fulfill that strategy. As with advocacy, campaigning is successful if it also has an impact on policymaking – changes in laws, regulations, and government policies.


The second day of the visit was about practical tips and ways to engage and work with the media. We had an interactive session with Shane Chowen, the editor of FE Week, a specialist newspaper which reports on adult education and the learning and skills sector. Also, we learned about the history and future of City Lit, including a tour around the City Lit building and facilities, guided by Mark Malcolmson, City Lit’s principal.


I have to give a shout out to London’s City Lit for providing an excellent venue, and the opportunity to see the ‘behind the scenes’ side of how City Lit operates. Also thanks to Alex and Sarah for this wonderful opportunity to learn from L&W’s experience. By the end of the visit, we got a lot of useful tips, spent time with a lot of great people and got to enjoy a bit of warm spring in London along the way.

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"Through REGALE to knowledge about community learning in Ireland"

Written by Iva Janežić, Varaždin county.  The original text is available in Croatian.

As part of the RegALE project, which  aims to increase the effects of adult education organizations by establishing or strengthening networks among them and with regional/local authorities, a study visit to Ireland was held where participants had the opportunity to learn
about community education.

It is student-centred adult learning that takes place in local communities across Ireland. The participants were introduced to successful examples of such education, i.e. the engagement of adults who want to return to education, but may not have the confidence or opportunity to do so in a formal environment. Therefore, such “communities” offer them numerous opportunities for developing skills, building self-confidence, ensuring greater community participation and progress towards further education or employment.

Moreover, participants also got to know in detail the educational network of the AONTAS community, founded in 2007. It is a network of over 100 independently managed community education providers who collaborate, share information and resources, participate in professional development, and ensure that community education is valued and resourced through advocacy activities.

On the first day, a meeting and workshop on the preparation of the Erasmus+ projects was held as part of the meeting of AONTAS, so that those present from different European countries could better understand community education in Ireland and the functioning of this educational network.

On the second day, two community education centers in Dublin (DALC and SOILSE) were visited so that representatives of different educational institutions from abroad got to know from the first-hand how these organizations work. DALC annually educates around 650 adults who have left school early and are given a second chance for education. For some, this is an opportunity to improve their own literacy skills, while for others, it is an opportunity to gain accreditation and improve employment prospects. SOILSE, on the other hand, provides a holistic rehabilitation service for people in various stages of recovery from drug addiction, which includes addiction education, group recovery sessions, individual care planning, career guidance and continuing educational support for those going on to further education.

On behalf of the Varaždin County, advisor for development programs Iva Janežić, from the Administrative Department for Education, Culture and Sports, and English teacher Tihana Dvorski Kralj from high school “Arboretum Opeka Marčan” participated in the study visit.