Learners as leaders -workshop showcased that adult learning is not only a tool for personal growth, but it can be used to develop our communities and societies for the better.

In the framework of the BLUESS project, coordinated by the State Vocational Education Institute in Slovakia, EAEA has drafted a report that looks at basic skills policy and practice in Europe, focusing on non-formal adult learning and education. The report is now available!

EAEA welcomes the European Commission’s interest in the demographic change and its effect on Europe. EAEA advocates for a resourceful utilisation of adult education and learning to support the recovery from the pandemic. However, a more inclusive and comprehensive view on ageing and the needs and the potential of the elderly people is needed.

The deadline for the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) is coming up. It’s necessary that all member states include an appropriate percentage for adult learning and education (ALE). The money should also be foreseen for systemic and methodological reforms and initiatives rather than hardware and existing programmes. EAEA therefore calls on the member states to include ALE in their plans and the European Commission to insist on its proper inclusion.

Over the last year, we have seen the severe effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on all aspects of society. The life of millions of people has changed drastically. Adult education in Europe experienced an especially hard cut-back with providers being forced to either move their activities online or close them down. This resulted in a big loss of opportunities for people to exchange, learn and socialise. It is of utmost importance to counter the negative consequences adult learning experienced in 2020 and provide the political and financial support needed.

The EAEA Grundtvig Award 2021 aims to raise awareness on the digital transformation of our society and how it impacts adult education. In particular we want to highlight initiatives that promote democracy with the help of digital media and internet.

EAEA welcomes the Council’s conclusions on improving the well-being of older persons in the era of digitalisation during the covid-19 pandemic and highlighting the opportunities and potential risks for older persons in a digitalised world. EAEA believes that it is essential to support the elderly during these challenging times as well as moving forward in the aftermath of the pandemic. EAEA agrees that the aspect of ageing will need to be considered in all policy fields and older persons will need to be involved in decision-making processes in order to foster inclusion.

Five years after the adoption of the EU Council Recommendation on ‘upskilling pathways’, the European Commission started an evaluation process on progress made in its implementation in the EU Member States. The recently published UP-AEPRO toolkit will come in handy in preparing your response to the public consultation on the Recommendation.

EAEA had an active year in 2020. Find out more about our work in our infographic.

EARALL, EfVET and EAEA organised a workshop on the topic of green competences during the Lifelong Learning Week 2020. The discussion focused on how to provide an effective green competences framework that has an impact across education sectors and helps build more sustainable societies. This article is originally published by EARALL.