Back to learning – developing key competence of adults for high quality learning opportunities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Back to learning – developing key competence of adults for high quality learning opportunities

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

The two-year project entitled ’BACK to LEARNING – Developing Key Competence of Adults for High Quality Learning Opportunities’ has been implemented by an 8-member international partnership representing 6 countries (Hungary, Estonia, Ireland, Germany, Malta, Spain) with the coordination of the Government Office of Békés County funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
The project focused on the further development of the professional activities of organisations involved in the partnership and mutually becoming acquainted with the best practices applied in the topics of cooperation system of organisations, the organisation of trainings aimed for competence development, curriculum development, the sensitising of professionals engaged in development and those in a position to improve the situation low-skilled adults, and in further professional trainings.
The meeting in Hungary in September 2020 was implemented in an online form due to the world pandemic while at all the other venues project staff was at present.
The exchange of experiences was realised in the form of holding 2-day transnational partnership meetings in each 6 partner country. During the meetings, apart from carrying out project management related tasks, the hosting organisations presented the best practices, methods and the experiences of implementation applied by them or with organisations cooperating with them in the field of adult education that are in accordance with the project aims. Besides receiving theoretical pieces of information, the participants could meet people implementing as well as participating in the programme in the form of on-site visits. The meeting in Hungary held in September 2020 was implemented in an online form due to the world pandemic while at all the other venues project staff was at present.
The project primarily intended to provide further development for professionals responsible for career counselling and guidance, the basic competence development of adults, the education of teachers/experts dealing with basic skills development, adult education and forming employment policies at the particular organisations, however the ultimate aim was to integrate the best practices seen and considered to be adaptable into the operation of the implementing organisations, and to further improve the level of their professional work with amending the methods, if needed.
One of the major results of the project is the Brochure of Best Practices presenting the methods and approaches applied by the partner organisations and the results and experiences of their operation in practice. In the document 2 best practices per partner country, in case of Hungary 3 programmes due to the 3 partners, are described to the reader. They can directly or – via the further education and sensitisation of professionals – indirectly contribute to develop adults’ basic skills, to reach motivation towards entering adult education/VET thus their labour market integration.
During the implementation, measuring impact received special attention. Each partner selected at least one or some elements of the best practices seen, the testing and later adaptation and application of which they considered to significantly improve their own professional work and the network of stakeholders. The project partners measured the impacts according to a pre-defined system of criteria, in which they described which methods they had chosen to test and in what ways they had integrated them into the operation of their organisation, what the experiences of ‘piloting’ were and what amendments they would suggest in order to improve the method.
Another very important outcome of the project is the framework system on the further education of professionals facilitating adults’ basic competence development. In the document a proposal using a ‘learning outcome-based’ approach has been made for the profile and competences to be possessed by professionals of three properly distinguished fields (educators/teachers/trainers, counsellor, support workers).
Furthermore, a complex pack of proposals was prepared by each country for policy makers, adult education providers and other organisations in relation to measures and actions necessary to be taken to improve adults’ basic skills development.
Besides the Brochure of Best Practices, the study summarising the experiences of integrating the acquired methods into the operation of the organisations, the framework system of training for professionals facilitating basic skills development as well as the country-specific proposals are also available at the http://bekes.munka.hu/Engine.aspx website under the menu item ’International projects’ and the partner organisations’ websites.
The results published are recommended for any organisation and professional responsible for the project topics because they offer beneficial guidelines related to acquiring basic skills and thus motivation towards participating in lifelong learning.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 102490 Eur

Project Coordinator

Békés Megyei Kormányhivatal & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Ballymun Adult Read and Write Scheme CLG
• Kodolanyi Janos Egyetem
• MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
• Volkshochschule im Bildungsforum Potsdam
• UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID
• Gál Ferenc Foiskola Békési Szakképzo Iskola, Gimnázium és Kollégium
• EESTI TAISKASVANUTE KOOLITAJATE ASSOTSIATSIOON ANDRAS