More support for non-formal adult education, asks the European Parliament

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution in its February Plenary on the Erasmus+ programme for education and training. The resolution highlights the importance of non-formal adult education and learning for integrating adults in the labour market and to promote their social inclusion. The Parliament calls for increasing the significance and visibility of non-formal education in Erasmus+ and the development of adult learning institutions.

Erasmus+: opportunities for adult learning

Erasmus+ is an EU programme that supports learning mobility of students, trainees and apprentices, but also of education staff. The programme is often considered as being targeted only towards higher education. However, through the merge of many mobility programme, among which the former Grundtvig programme, into Erasmus+, adult education can be supported as well. The ‘Key Action on learning mobility for individuals’, for example, provides opportunities for adult education staff, NGOs can form ‘strategic partnerships’ or ‘small collaborative partnerships’ to exchange good practices in the field of adult education or sports. Erasmus+ is one of the largest programmes in the budget of the European Union, accounting for 16 billion euros in the Financial Framework 2014-2020.

Erasmus+ projects of AGE

Some AGE Platform Europe’s member organisations have already successfully implemented Erasmus+ projects, such as the ‘Active 80+’ project exchanging practices on activating very old persons with reduced mobility which was presented at AGE last annual conference, or the project ‘Social Inclusion and dignity in old age’, which analysed the use of reference budgets in financial counselling of older people. AGE Platform Europe itself is currently involved in the CARESS project which seeks to develop curricula in the vocational training and education of home care professionals.

Further links:

• European Parliament Resolution of 02 February 2017 on the implementation of […] ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport […]’ (2015/2327(INI))
• Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2017 (see p. 71 – Mobility project for Adult Education Staff; p.124 – Activities in a strategic partnership; p.236 – small collaborative partnerships)
• Erasmus+ project ‘Active 80+’: https://www.act-80plus.eu/
• Project Social Inclusion and dignity in old age’
• CARESS project on Home Care Professionals