Strategic Plan
Our Strategic Plan 2023–2026, Leading Collective Action for Social Change, outlines our commitment to advocating for adult learning as a powerful tool for promoting equality, inclusion, and community development across the island of Ireland. Guided by our core values of social justice, partnership, diversity, and feminism, we aim to connect and engage the adult learning sector, influence policy through strong advocacy, and empower transformative change within our organisation and the wider education landscape.
Impact of our Strategic Plan
A world where the pursuit of learning for all adults is valued, equal, and strengthens communitiesA world where the pursuit of learning for all adults is valued, equal, and strengthens communities
To advocate for empowering adult learning that drives social equality, justice, and collective action across the island of Ireland
What are our goals?
01.
Connect and Engage the Sector to Enable Change
AONTAS have been working to support adult education for over fifty years. We are highly experienced in bringing people and organisations from across the adult and community education sector together. This goal is all about improving social equality by creating a space for collective action. We will provide a structured platform for voices and input to be heard from across the sector; inform national research on the importance of social equality; and build capacity within the sector
02.
Advocate for Change
As an established advocacy-based organisation, this objective allows us to redefine our advocacy goals to challenge and address social inequality in the context of adult learning, particularly in a time of sectoral change with the new Unified Tertiary Education system. We will strengthen and develop AONTAS’ organisational voice; evidence and highlight how adult learning is impacted by social inequality; and inform and influence to enable change.
03.
Empower the Change
We recognise that to achieve our mission, we must be a supportive environment that champions professional development and encourages innovation and new ideas. We will develop a socially inclusive framework for AONTAS as an employer; Integrate a problem-solving culture; enhance organisational infrastructure, and plan for funding diversification
How will we achive our goals?
Capactiy Building
We will facilitate collaboration among different stakeholders in the sector, including government bodies, adult and community education providers, and non-profit organisations. We will deliver training initiatives, workshops, and information sessions on relevant topics for learners. We will design and deliver professional development programs for members, educators, trainers, and administrators within the sector (for example to enhance teaching methods and learner-centred approaches, incorporating technology in adult learning). We will develop educational resources, toolkits, and guidelines to support educators in their professional growth. We will identify and collaborate with key stakeholders to develop socially-inclusive policies and frameworks.
Research
We conduct evidence-based research to develop and share new insights and findings into adult and community education. This is the basis of our calls for policy change. We prioritise learners and Learner Voice, facilitating and supporting learners to represent themselves and their communities directly with policymakers.
Advocacy
Our advocacy and campaigning will focus on the need for increased financial supports for adult learners, and on the need for stable and sustainable funding for community education. We will launch national campaigns on these issues throughout the course of this strategic plan.
Communications
We will publicly showcase examples of how adult and community education can and does address social inequalities. We will use our campaigns to advocate for diverse models of learning and the social inclusion of underrepresented communities in the new Unified Tertiary Education system. Our communications campaigns and activities – including events, articles and publications, public relations, interviews and speaking engagements, and social media among others – reach millions of people every year. We will make our public campaigns more effective through creating impact frameworks and measuring the success of our work over time. We will continue to bring people together through large-scale events such as the adult education summit and the annual Adult Learners’ Festival. Our priority is to build collective action for social change – and for AONTAS to be the catalyst for that change.