Participation in lifelong learning is determined by the relationship between conditions and characteristics at three levels: the individual, learning providers and countries. One of the difficulties with understanding the individual characteristics of (potential) adult learners in relation to the levels of providers and provisions is the lack of detailed information about the specific types of education and training in the leading international surveys. This report, undertaken under the auspices of work package 2 of the ENLIVEN (Encouraging Lifelong Learning for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe) project, focuses on learning providers and the provision available for adult learners, in particular those who are disadvantaged, in a country-level context.
Undertaking extra education and/or training might help people to climb the social and economic ladder, compensating for earlier incidences of drop-out, lack of qualifications or change in subject interests. However, evidence shows that participation in lifelong learning activities is dominated by highly educated adults and that those with lower educational attainment, the unemployed or those employed in elementary and semi-skilled blue colour jobs have significantly fewer chances to participate. Understanding what can be done to increase participation among the most disadvantaged in society is therefore one of the core aims of this report, paying specific attention to the role of education and training providers and provisions available to them.
This report is organised in three parts. Part 1 will start by outlining the benefits lifelong learning can generate and will discuss the determinants of lifelong learning (Chapter 1). Where possible, statements are backed up by recent available lifelong learning data. Having explored the general thinking behind why adults do or do not participate in lifelong learning activities, in Chapter 2, we will shift our attention to further exploring the role of learning provisions. The central focus of this chapter will be on a documentary review we have undertaken to develop a typology of adult learning provisions available for vulnerable adults, offering them education and training routes which are an alternative to going into higher general education. The seven types we will be discussing in Chapter 3 are (1) basic skills and basic education, (2) second chance and upper secondary education, (3) post-secondary VET, (4) apprenticeships, (5) training that forms part of Active Labour Market Policies, (6) workplace and job-related learning and (7) personal or social learning. In order to further understand the landscape of specific adult education and training providers across Europe, and Australia, Part 2 of this report will consist of separate country chapters, each of them highlighting how specific providers in a single country offer learning activities within each of these seven types. Part 3 will report on a comparative overview on the state-of-art of provision and providers in order to stimulate a learning process among countries.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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