It is never too late to learn

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Addressing the learning challenge of an ageing
European workforce

• It is never too late to learn
• Communication on Adult Learning
• Martina Ní Cheallaigh, DG EAC

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Context

• Ageing European population means that workers
  will have to remain in the workforce longer
• Participation in LLL objective of 12.5 will not
  be reached by 2010
• Most education and training systems are still
  largely focused on young people and limited
  progress has been made in changing systems to
  mirror the need for learning throughout the
  lifespan.

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What is adult learning?

• all forms of learning undertaken by adults
  after having left initial education and training

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Why is the Communication on adult learning
important?

• Competitiveness - one third of the labour force
  (72 million) low-skilled workers in Europe
• Demographic change
• Social inclusion
• Raising the overall level of skills of the adult
  population by offering more and better learning
  opportunities throughout adult life is important
  for both efficiency and equity reasons

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Benefits of Adult Learning

• Public and private benefits include
• Greater employability, increased productivity and
  better-quality employment, reduced expenditure in
  areas such us unemployment benefits, welfare
  payments and early-retirement pensions,
• Increased social returns in terms of improved
  civic participation, better health, lower
  incidence of criminality, and greater individual
  well-being and fulfilment.

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The challenge is great

• 12.5 of adults in LLL by 2010 an additional
  4 million participants

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but Member States differ widely

• Participation in LLL varies from
• 1.1
• to
• 34.7

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What are the barriers to participation?

• Lack of good and timely information
• Costs
• Lack of Time
• Entry requirements
• Lack of supportive environment
• Lack of awareness and motivation
• Lack of incentives

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What can we do to increase equitable
participation?

• All stakeholders have to play a role and work
  together
• Public authorities must take the lead in removing
  barriers
• Focus on the low skilled
• Develop high quality guidance and information
  system
• Target financial incentives to individuals
• Establish local partnerships

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How can we improving the quality of adult learning

• Quality is multifaceted
• Information and guidance
• Relevant learning content
• Delivery
• Learning support
• Assessment
• Validation and recognition

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We need to foster a culture of quality

• Invest in teaching methods and materials adapted
  to the needs of the learner
• Take measures to qualify and up-skill staff in
  adult learning
• Improve initial and continuing training
• Introduce quality assurance mechanisms
• Improve delivery

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What do we need for a system of validation and
recognition?

• Participation and contribution of all relevant
  stakeholders
• Better assessment methods
• Reformulation of objectives of learning in terms
  of learning outcomes

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Recognition and validation of learning outcomes

• Link to National Qualification Frameworks and the
  European Qualification Framework
• Link to development of European Credit point
  system for Vocational Education and Training

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We must invest in our ageing population

• Throughout lifecycle, but middle age is crucial
• By government, professional bodies, sectors and
  individuals
• Expand learning provision

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We must also invest in migrants

• Improve the quality of education and training in
  migrants home countries
• Mechanisms for assessing their competences
• Expand their learning opportunities to
  linguistic, social and cultural integration
• Inter-cultural

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How do we measure progress?

• Improve the quality and comparability of data
• benefits of adult learning
• barriers to be removed
• providers, trainers and delivery
• Improve coverage, frequency and timeliness of
  data
• Reliable gender-disaggregated data is required

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Overall message

• Member States can no longer afford to be without
  an efficient adult learning system as part of
  their LLL strategies, if they are to
• Increase labour market access for all
• Improve social integration
• Be well prepared for active ageing

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What are the next steps?

• Adult learning on the political agenda
• Action plan on Adult learning