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Regional capacity for Adult Learning and Education

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"Travel to learn": GO!'s experience in Lucca

Written by GO! colleagues. This article includes only an excerpt of the original text. The original text is available in Dutch.

Anyone who wants to help determine policy in their industry must know what is going on and what is needed. If that sector is education, you cannot do without listening to the voice from the schools. Initially in Flanders itself. But learning more about things abroad and seeing how they do things can also be useful. Some colleagues therefore moved to Europe at the end of last school year. Gerd De Roeck (central services GO!, HR policy) went on a study trip to Aalborg in Denmark, Daisy Denolf and Davy Vandenberk (central services GO!, adult education) and some CVO colleagues ended up in Lucca, Italy. And Peter Goyvaerts (central services GO!, Network-wide support and Development) went to Bilbao in Spain together with the management council and general managers of the school groups. We asked them about their experiences.

Where did you go for the study trip and why exactly did you choose this destination?

The study trip to Lucca was a joint initiative, a joint venture between the Adult Education team at the central services and the directors of the 10 GO! Centers for Adult Education. The study trip was part of our Erasmus+ accreditation for adult education. With this collaboration they had two major objectives: on the one hand, they wanted to promote cross-class and subject-breaking work in various degrees of contact and distance education. This also included realizing 100% distance learning with the option for students to put together a package. On the other hand, they aimed to close the digital divide and stimulate online learning for disadvantaged groups. In other words: promoting inclusion in adult education. And of course, this collaboration also served to strengthen the ties between the directors of the (remaining) GO! CVOs , after the heavy restructuring wave that took place between September 2017 and September 2020.

The study trip to Lucca was a second study trip with this group. A year ago they went to Dublin together. This time the trip was prepared by Davy Vandenberk and Marleen Mast. Marleen is director of GO! CVO Crescendo (Mechelen). Marleen has had a network in Lucca for some time and contacts with the Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Toscana. For this study visit, Marleen, together with Davy, continued to build on the contacts she has already established with a view to sharing knowledge and expertise regarding adult education and lifelong learning in Tuscany and Italy in general and the two objectives mentioned in particular.

What were the educational themes discussed during the study trip?

One of the issues discussed during our study visit was quality control of education and how you can introduce a different method. The financing of education in Italy and more specifically adult education was also discussed. What role does higher government play, which role is reserved for private initiatives and regional actors? Finally, we also talked about inclusion in lifelong learning.

How can the approach to the educational themes discussed during the study trip

in the country or region of your destination be reconciled with the direction we are taking with the GO!?

They focused on inclusion, among other things, by visiting initiatives and projects such as Club Job in Lucca, where – a form of – second chance education was set up for young people who are at risk of ending up in a NEET situation. The structured approach with a view to avoiding unqualified outflow is a learning point for the Belgian delegation.

In the Polo scientifico Tecnico Professionale ‘E. Fermi – G. Giorgi’ they visited, among other things, the Chef Lab, there was a fully equipped kitchen that was built with the aim of making students self-reliant in the kitchen with the ultimate goal of living independently. The design of the kitchen was that the students use and maintain the space independently, whereby the students are guided in the cooking or baking process by a presentation and supported with a written and visually supported recipe book. The technical institute is very committed to inclusion, where in addition to the Chef Lab, 1-on-1 guidance was also provided for students with specific needs.

How would you like to see the knowledge or inspiration gained flow through to GO!?

The composition of the delegation, especially the broad group of GO! stakeholders in adult education, is in itself a guarantee of the flow of the knowledge acquired.

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NEW PUBLICATION: RegALE at the ESREA Conference on “New seeds for a world to come. Policies, practices and lives in adult education and learning”

10th ESREA Triennial Conference University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Human Sciences for Education

29 September - 1 October 2022

The ESREA community celebrated 30 years of ESREA. The 10th Triennial conference New seeds for a world to come was a great opportunity to gather together, look back with satisfaction, look forward with hope, and enhance a sense of belonging to this community.

In the conference call, they mentioned the “dramatic changes” that were (and are) going on in individual and collective lives, bringing unexpected revisions of common educational and cultural practices, and compelling everyone to deal with the experience of the pandemic, and its consequences. However, they also stated our desire to make the Conference “a positive reflexive moment to look at the future, to mobilize the best energies of adult education research and intervention, and interrogate the controversial, nonlinear effects of the ongoing ecological, economic, and social changes”.

RegALE contribution

The RegALE consortium presented an article titled Survey on Adult Learning and Education Policies and Practices. Opinions of European Regional and Local Stakeholders and can be found on page 107 of the publication. 

Abstract

The opinions European local and regional stakeholders have about the actual situation and the future perspectives of adult learning and education is the object of the international survey herein reported. The goal of the RegALE survey (Regional capacity for adult learning and education) was to get a multilayered view on the challenges and opportunities of the adult education sector at the regional and local level, and gaps and needs of the adult education and learning staff. Using the Delphi method technique, a questionnaire was structured for adult learning policies assessment, drawing on a study by the European Commission (2015), to assess the basic factors influencing the participation in adult education and learning, and staff’s capability to deliver an adequate skills supply both for individuals (equity) and for society (sustainability), at this time (pandemic and Next generation Europe’ implementation). RegALE survey was primarily addressed to public and private experts and stakeholders from 12 European countries. 241 professionals took part remotely, being: 67 politicians and professionals involved in adult education and learning governance at a regional and local level (28%), and 174 professionals responsible for leading, managing and coordinating adult education organizations (AEOs) (72%). Data analysis and interpretation indicated six success factors of the European framework related to five domains: i) Policies, systems, investments, organizations. ii) Adult learning supply, demand and workforce. iii) Disadvantaged groups. iv) Vertical and horizontal governance. v) Internationalization of adult learning organizations. These might have an impact on the development of European cities and regions, as well as on the provision of an adequate adult learning supply, as long as they are accompanied by networks and cooperation of stakeholders on a local level, enabling individual and community growth.

KEYWORDS: learning exclusion equilibrium, governance in adult learning and education, clusters

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RegALE in the Lifelong, Lifewide Learning (LLL) magasine [IT]

Article titled “Il capacity building tra politici e professionisti per l’evoluzione delle politiche regionali e locali del lifelong e del lifewide learning” was co-written by our Italian colleague Dr. Francesca Torlone.

 

This article was published on the EDAforum website and addresses the significant role of adult education institutions in promoting social inclusion and lifelong learning. The article discusses the role of universities in providing inclusive opportunities for diverse groups of learners and shares insights on the effective implementation of programs and policies that foster learning and social equity.

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"Innovation in Adult Learning and Education in the Region of Baden- Württemberg"

Written by Aslan Liivak, ENAEA

We came from Estonia, Tallinn by combining adult non-formal educational organisations like NGO Meie Kalamaja and NGO Estonian Non-formal Adult Education Association in our delegation and we had a great opportunity to go and learn about the adult education system in Germany for the period of 23 – 25 March 2022. For that purpose, we travelled to Stuttgart. Stuttgart is a beautiful city in southern Germany, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is the sixth-largest city in Germany. Stuttgart is actually mostly known for its automotive industry, as it is the headquarters of both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Additionally, Stuttgart is surrounded by picturesque vineyards and hills.

But hiking and wine tasting and visiting museums were not on our list since our attention was on the Stuttgarter Volkshochschule, it is a public institution in Stuttgart, Germany that provides adult education courses, seminars, and workshops. It was founded in 1919 and is one of the largest adult education centers in Germany, offering a wide range of courses in areas such as language learning, cultural studies, arts, health, and technology. The Stuttgarter Volkshochschule aims to provide affordable and accessible education to all adults, regardless of their social or educational background.

Mostly we were interested in the finance of adult education, how is formal and informal adult education combined and also about hybrid teaching in the context of COVID-19.

In this regard, we learned that the Stuttgarter Volkshochschule is primarily financed by public funds from the city of Stuttgart and the state of Baden-
Württemberg. However, it also generates revenue through participant fees, donations, and subsidies from public and private institutions. The exact
breakdown of funding sources may vary from year to year depending on the institution ́s budget and financial needs.

Hybrid teaching, in the context of COVID-19, is a mode of teaching that combines both in-person and online instruction. With the ongoing pandemic, many educational institutions around the world have adopted hybrid teaching models as a way to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission while still providing students with opportunities for face-to-face interaction and hands-on learning experiences. In hybrid teaching, students may attend some classes in person while attending others virtually, either through live video conferencing or pre-recorded lectures. This approach allows for flexibility and can accommodate students who may not be able to attend in-person classes due to health concerns or travel restrictions.

Hybrid teaching also requires teachers to adapt their instructional strategies and materials to suit both in-person and online learning environments. This can include incorporating technology tools and resources, designing activities that can be completed both in person and remotely, and providing support and feedback to students in both settings. It was fascinating to see how all this was incorporated in their teaching style.

We learned that in Stuttgart Volkshochschule and with them overall in Germany, there is a growing recognition of the value of combining formal
and informal adult education in order to provide a more comprehensive and flexible approach to adult learning. While formal education typically takes place in structured settings such as schools, universities, or vocational training centers, informal education refers to learning that takes place
outside of these traditional settings, such as through community organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or self-directed learning.


One way that formal and informal adult education can be combined is through the development of flexible learning pathways that recognize and
value prior learning and work experience. For example, in Germany, there are a number of vocational training programs that allow participants to earn credit for prior learning and work experience, enabling them to fast-track their education and training.


Another way that formal and informal adult education can be combined is through partnerships between educational institutions and community
organizations. These partnerships can help to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning by providing opportunities for adult learners to access education and training in community-based settings, as well as through online and distance learning programs.

 

Overall, the combination of formal and informal adult education in Germany can help to provide a more holistic and flexible approach to adult learning, one that recognizes the diverse learning needs and backgrounds of adult learners and helps to facilitate their ongoing educational and professional development.


So in conclusion after warm and welcoming stay in Stuttgart we learned a lot about the financing, hybrid teaching and combining formal and informal
adult education model in Germany on the example of Stuttgart Volkshochschule that we can use and already trying to promote and apply in Estonia.

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RegALE at the ESREA Conference on “New seeds for a world to come. Policies, practices and lives in adult education and learning”

Milan, 29th of September 2022 – 2nd of October 2022,

Written by Francesca Torlone, University of Siena

ESREA Conference is a European event that takes place regularly every year and collects a huge number of researchers and professionals in the field of adult learning and education.

RegALE has been presented during one of the parallel sessions of ESREA Conference where participants discussed and were confronted on some specific key topics in this field connected to policies and their effects, forecasting opinions, challenges in a short, medium and long term perspective. The presentation was about RegALE survey’ results on adult learning and education policies and practices and the connected opinions on the actual state of art of implementation and future development. 

Issues like local and regional networking development, adult learning and education professionals and their professional growth, necessity to widen adult learning to widest groups of adults, low skilled included, need to overcome the “siloed” system that is in place in all countries are just an example of the object of the discussion that took place and raised interest and questions in a comparative perspective.

Also discussion on the way opinions collected were analysed and interpreted was at the heart of the presentation by the University of Siena. 

Participants to the parallel session were researchers from different fields of work – adult education, political sciences, sociologists, representatives of local policy makers -, coming from all the European countries. 

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“Building local and regional ecosystems in Vestland” – Our experience

Written by Kleoniki Tsiougkou and Vicky Goutha, Municipality of Larissa

The training titled “Building local and regional ecosystems in Vestland” took place between 18. to 20. of May 2022. Kleoniki Tsiougou and Vicky Goutha, from the Municipality of Larissa, travelled to Bergen, Norway, as external collaborators of the Hellenic Adult Education Association and described their experiences and thoughts.

“Throughout the three-day training, local projects were presented on how local and regional ecosystems can be built for adult education. In addition, best practices were presented by the Vestland County with an emphasis on the smooth integration of migrants in collaboration with stakeholders in adult education.  Working groups were set up to explore new ideas in order to improve the programs provided. It was a really creative and constructive procedure, with lots of experience and knowledge sharing.

The host organized our visits to the Amalie Skram and Åsane  Upper Secondary Schools (USS) in the Vestland fylkeskommune, the Bergen Public Library, the KODE Art Museum and the Employment Directorate in the municipality of Alver where we saw up close their work and had the chance for a productive dialogue. Our participation in the educational activity fulfilled our expectations as it gave us the opportunity to meet interesting professionals in the field of integration, to see up close the methodical and excellent organization of services in the city as well as the excellent cooperation between the services. We exchanged very useful experiences and visited educational structures to observe how they work, which is a good practice for us that we will transfer to our city. 

Of course we would suggest to other colleagues to attend similar activities. The exchange of experiences and good practices, the broadening of the perspective regarding the targeting, the organization and implementation of actions as well as the operation of the corresponding structures, the networking and extroversion of the institutions, the contact with people of different cultures are all reasons to follow similar activities.

Collaboration between services and teamwork, in general, has the best results in the Vestland area. The culture of cooperation is always in demand in our work as well. The cultivation of extroversion, the willingness to recognize any shortcomings and not to hesitate to seek new ideas (as was done during the workshops in Bergen) are elements that will also be used in our work. Among the good practices, we highlighted the mode of operation of the schools we visited which was an excellent example of what in Greece we call “Open School”. 

The implementation of similar mobility programs is very important for all the above reasons. In addition, the participation of Municipalities as partners will further enhance the dynamics of these programs and will contribute to the planning and implementation of joint actions (municipalities, agencies, NGOs) for vulnerable groups, with even better results.”