Dr. Maike Koops DG EAC-B3 – Adult Education; « Grundtvig » European Commission Adult Learning Policies: challenges and next steps on European level

2 OUTLINE 1.Why do we need adult learning policy? 2.Example: New skills for jobs 3.EU policy initiatives on adult learning 4.National developments in quality in adult learning 5.Future EU-Policy Context: EU 2020 / E&T A few conclusions: last outcomes and next steps on European level

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

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

7 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 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)

8 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.

9  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:

10 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

11 Activities dedicated to adult learning  Working group (MS representatives, social-partners and NGOs)  Studies ( ) –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” ( ) –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 EU policy initiatives on adult learning (2)

12 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  European Standards & Guidelines on QA in HE adopted by HE Ministers in Bergen  Recommendation from the E. Parliament & Council: European Register of QA Agencies (EQAR -2008)  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

13 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

14 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

15 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

16 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

17 Thank you all for your attention!