What's Going on? An Overview of Adult Education Policies in Spain

Lucio-Villegas, Emílio

doi:10.7227/jace.18.1.7

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The pressing demands for a more educated workforce caused by the global economy in the United States (Kallison, 2017) exist also in the European Union (EU) (Lundvall & Rasmussen, 2016). At the same time, the literature observes that in the area of Adult Learning and Education there is a trend consisting in favoring educational initiatives related to VET, due to its incidence in economic growth and competitiveness (Boeren & Holford, 2016), a similar phenomenon also observed in Spain (Lucio-Villegas, 2012). As a response to these phenomena, the EU established four objectives for education and training systems within the lifelong learning perspective, that the Member States (including Catalonia as part of Spain) should implement by 2020 and one of them is 'enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training' (European Council, 2009, p. 3).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Innovation in the government-run Continuing Vocational Education and Training programme for unemployed in Catalonia (Spain): challenges and opportunities

Mara

2018

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Purpose: This paper offers relevant insights from the activity of the network of Centres d’Innovació i Formació Ocupacional (CIFO), analyzing the development of innovation in a continuing education and training (CVET) programme for unemployed, in Catalonia (Spain). (Required field)Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study, carried out using the communicative methodology approach and co-constructing knowledge with the heads of the centers. The data was collected through the realization of eight interviews with the heads of seven of the eight CIFO that compose the CIFO network in Catalonia plus the Coordinator of the network, who had been head of the other CIFO, and it consisted in identifying the barriers to innovation and the elements that help to overcome them within different dimensions of this programme, through the exclusionary and transfomative dimensions, specific to the communicative methodology. (Required field)Findings: Innovation at the CIFO has three main strands where we have identified many opportunities for the CIFO: methodological, pedagogical and technological. The methodological has to do with the actions derived from the ISO 9001 certification, which gives the centres the mission of continuous improvement and satisfying the needs of the people and enterprises in the territories they serve. Pedagogical innovation is related to the detection of the innovation and including it in the curriculum of the centre, organizing experimental training courses, using the project methodology, enhancing entrepreneurship, or introducing digital technologies in the classroom. Technological innovation is related to the use of the latest technologies and equipment in the market. (Required field)Social Implications: This study opens new venues for research in the area of VET, CVET and lifelong learning because of its implications in adjusting education and training to the requirements of the labor market and improving students’ employability and helping them develop or design their personal projects and professional trajectory. The processes described in this article could be transferred to other contexts and in all types of activiiesy or initiatives in lifelong learning.Originality/value: This study contributes to fill a gap in the scientific literature, because innovation in the area of continuing vocational and education training and even in lifelong learning is scarce. Another contribution of this article is the focus on innovation, which is one of the main priorities for the EU in the area of Education and Training, and aso in the US, because of its contribution to economic growth and competitivity. (Required field)

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Innovation in the government-run Continuing Vocational Education and Training programme for unemployed in Catalonia (Spain): challenges and opportunities

Mara

2018

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“…Although any statistical analysis cannot make direct reference to how formal, non-formal or informal education is approached by the respondents in order to identify themselves as belonging to any of the categories for which data is collected, the numbers reveal a highly uncomfortable situation for some of these member states. Most south European countries, do not show any favourable conditions for increasing participation of young adults in learning (see Carneiro 2011;Lucio-Villegas 2012;Mayo 2012;Papaioannou 2016;Zarifis 2008). Many of them face major barriers to implementing policies to increase the number of adults participating.…”

Section: Barriers To Participation and The Need For Targeted Outreachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Citizenship Programmes for Unemployed Young Adults with Low Skills in Southern Europe: Participation, Outreach, and Barriers

Zarifis

2021

Young Adults and Active Citizenship

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The development of policies and targeted initiatives that promote or support active participatory citizenship for vulnerable young adults with low skills has largely passed unnoticed in Southern Europe in the last decade. Despite the existing lifelong learning (LLL) strategies, most countries in the area do not place active citizenship for low-skilled young adults as a priority. This chapter is based on the results of the European research project EduMAP (Horizon 2020), and focuses on participation of unemployed young adults with low skills (hence early school-leavers) in educational activities that either focus or promote active citizenship in Southern Europe (Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain and Portugal). More specifically the chapter explains the reasons behind low participation rates among vulnerable young adults in the region. South European countries are not yet showing any favourable conditions for increasing participation of the low-skilled unemployed young adults in such programmes. Some of the countries that were hit by economic depression in particular, face –not necessarily for the same reasons– major barriers for implementing policies to increase the number of low-skilled young adults in active citizenship oriented courses. The chapter concludes that one of the problems in promoting active citizenship through adult education activities is that the programmes delivered in the region are still not competence-based. Adult education is not high in the value system, and therefore low skilled young adults do not appear motivated to obtain such skills and competences. A key challenge therefore is to deliver a service that simultaneously meets the needs of the learners, provides sufficient responses to the needs of the local societies, and stimulates further demand.

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“…The development of the EAL certificate program has been influenced not just by pedagogical concerns. Additionally, it has followed the worldwide trend towards meeting labour market requirements (Lucio-Villegas, 2012) and the universal discourse of the knowledge economy, global competition and employability (Andersson & Warvik, 2012). Students are classified against predetermined criteria to help ensure a level of accountability to funding authorities and a responsiveness to identified employment needs.…”

Section: The Study Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating dialogue in the adult EAL classroom: Acknowledging learners, teachers and the curriculum

Atkinson

2017

Journal of Adult and Continuing Education

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Ostensibly, the orientation towards learning outcomes in adult English language and literacy delivery ensures that the focus is on standardised skill development and knowledge acquisition of students. Such measureable development is seen as foundational to broader employability skills and job readiness. It is an agenda however which ignores the socio-cultural differences of learners and their aspirations of integration with mainstream society. It also ignores the transformational potential of the classroom and the dialogical interactions between all class members to act as catalysing agents for change. Based on a case study design and a conceptual framework anchored in dialogical theory, this paper explores the social space of the contemporary adult learning classroom and its potential to act on the socio-cultural confidence of learners. It shows that the classroom is a space of multiple stakeholders and diverse tensions. Through generating a shared ethos, teachers can enhance both dialogue and mutual learning. Opportunities for student transformation are hindered however by a standardised curriculum which fails to hear the aspirations of learners and management models which prioritise their own needs.

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What's Going on? An Overview of Adult Education Policies in Spain

Cited by 8 publications

References 4 publications

Innovation in the government-run Continuing Vocational Education and Training programme for unemployed in Catalonia (Spain): challenges and opportunities

Innovation in the government-run Continuing Vocational Education and Training programme for unemployed in Catalonia (Spain): challenges and opportunities

Active Citizenship Programmes for Unemployed Young Adults with Low Skills in Southern Europe: Participation, Outreach, and Barriers

Facilitating dialogue in the adult EAL classroom: Acknowledging learners, teachers and the curriculum

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