Dr. Maike KoopsDr. Maike KoopsDG EAC-B3 – DG EAC-B3 – AdultAdult Education; « Grundtvig » Education; « Grundtvig »

maike.koops@ec.europa.eumaike.koops@ec.europa.eu

European CommissionEuropean Commission

Adult Learning Policies: Adult Learning Policies: challenges and next steps challenges and next steps

on European levelon European level

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OUTLINE

1. Why do we need adult learning policy?2. Example: New skills for jobs3. EU policy initiatives on adult learning4. National developments in quality in adult learning5. Future EU-Policy Context: EU 2020 / E&T 20206. A few conclusions: last outcomes and next steps on

European level

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1. Why do we need adult learning policy?

357.5 mil. or 71.8% are over 25 yrs 80 mil. low-skilled more than 23 million Europeans unemployed 2 million retire every year (20 million over next decade) All need LLL but only 9.5% participate (4.3% over 50 yrs,

<2% in parts of south) Nonetheless, 90% of the LLP budget is spent on people

under 25 and 75% on people with higher skills levels

The curent Share of LLP Budget

Erasmus ≥ 40% Leonardo de Vinci ≥ 25% Comenius ≥ 13% Grundtvig ≥ 4%

Is it whise to keep the same share fir E&T EU transnational cooperation Programme 2014-2020?

1. Why do we need adult learning policy?

Skilled Workforce: learning to facilitate patchwork careers with numerous transitions, comprising everyday learning in rich working environments and intermittent periods of intensive formal learning

Changing demographic and social structures: changing demography: learning for greying Europeans and migrants

Exploiting life-wide settings to create a learning society & serve all adults:daily file and work, prison, army, libraries, museums, arts and religious centres, hospitals, radio, TV, Internet, and much more….

1. Why do we need adult learning policy ? (2)

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1. Why do we need adult learning policy? (3)

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EU 2020 / E&T 2020: increasing participation in LLL and better employment rates

Benchmark raised from 12.5 (2010) to 15% EU employment rate target of 75 % for the 20-64 years age group. reduce the early school leaving rate to under 10% and increase the

number of young people in higher education or equivalent vocational education to at least 40%.

Focus on: disadvantaged literacy levels, adequate work skills, successful integration into society

1. Why do we need adult learning policy? (4)

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2. Example for EU-Policy: « New skills for jobs »

Background Unemployment in Europe is far too high – almost 10%.

This is partly, but not solely, due to the economic crisis. Europe's population is ageing, so to sustain our social

model the percentage of the population in employment needs to increase.

People need to have the right skills for the jobs of the future.

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Making labour markets function better through further reform

Equipping people with the right skills for employment Improving job quality and working conditions Creating jobs - we will improve the conditions for

setting up and running a business

2. Example for EU-Policy: « New skills for jobs »

Actions:

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3. EU policy initiatives on adult learning

First Communication specifically on adult learning « It’s never too late to learn » (2006)

Action Plan on Adult Learning « It’s always a good time to learn » (2007)

European Parliament resolution of 16 January 2008 on adult learning

Council Conclusions 22 May 2008

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Activities dedicated to adult learning

Working group (MS representatives, social-partners and NGOs)

Studies (2008-2010)– National reforms (methodology, case studies)– Terminology and core data– Good practice on enhancing qualification levels (« one step up ») – Adult learning professions, Key competences of staff– Updated European Inventory

Workshops and “peer-learning activities” (2008-2010)– 4 “regional” (= multi-country) events October-November 2009– PLAs on Literacy (IRL) 2008, monitoring (SK), progression (UK),

validation (CZ) 2009, basic skills (N) 2010– Workshops in 2010 – basic skills, quality, financing, HE and AL

– Final Conference, Budapest, 7-9 March 2011

3. EU policy initiatives on adult learning (2)

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EU - Policy context – VET Copenhagen process / Brueges: strong quality focus Instruments ECVET; EQF Recommendation on the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (2009) EQAVET 2010 – network/community of practice to support the implementation of EQAVET-

Network

EU policy context – Guidance Work Package 4 of ELGPN (European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network) focuses on the

thematic action Quality Assurance & Evidence in Guidance to implement the recommendations of the Council Resolutions on Lifelong Guidance (2004; 2008)

EU policy context – HE 2005 - European Standards & Guidelines on QA in HE adopted by HE Ministers in Bergen 2006 - Recommendation from the E. Parliament & Council: European Register of QA

Agencies (EQAR -2008) 2009 - first Triennial Report from the Commission on QA systems in HEIs identified a need

for: more efficient QA systems

3. EU policy initiatives on adult learning (3)- on quality

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4. National developments in quality in adult learning

Professional development of AL staff: regulations; qualifications requirements; profiles

Approaches to QA: systems level approaches – at least 15 countries - Nordic

countries, AT, DE, IE & UK most advanced accreditation of providers – at least 15 countries linking QA to monitoring & evaluation – many challenges in many

countries

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5. Future EU-Policy Context: EU 2020 – E&T 2020

Strategic challenges/priority themes

= more focused OMC

Improved working methods

= more effective implementation of policies

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5. Future EU-Policy context (2)Quality in adult learning:

EU policy context – ET2020:The second of strategic:

Improving the quality & efficiency of education &

training in the interests of ensuring the acquisition of key

competences by everyone

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6. A few conclusions: last outcomes and next steps on European level

Action Plan on Adult Learning 2007: Priority Action 2: to improve the quality of provision – Adult learning staff identified as “the key determinants” of quality

– Studies on "Adult Learning Professions in Europe (ALPINE) and "Key competences for adult learning professionals"

Workshop on “Improving quality in the adult learning sector” Budapest Conference on the finalisation of the Action Plan (03/11)

– Future priority should be given to: “Improving professional development in

order to ensure and maintain the high quality of teaching staff in the adult learning sector”

Planned: – Expert group on Quality in Adult Learning

– Study: Quality at provider level

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Thank you all for your attention!