Earlier this summer, AONTAS’s Capacity Building Officer Conor Thompson travelled to Trento in Italy to take part in a European project that looks at the “digital divide” and seeks to improve the experiences of later-life learners in relation to employment and job skills.
"Learners As Leaders" is a learner-centred flexible programme that brings adult learners together from across Ireland, empowering them to share their stories, build their skills, and become advocates for adult and community education, and for their communities. This July and August, AONTAS EU Projects Officer Ecem Akarca, Project Officer for Capacity Building Conor Thompson, and Communications Officer Kate Smyth are running the programme with the theme of "Creativity Takes Courage", which includes a painting class!
“This was such a good experience as it brought together adult learning colleagues from across Europe for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.” Earlier this summer, Dearbháil Lawless, then Head of Advocacy and recently appointed AONTAS CEO, visited Mechelen in Belgium for the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) General Assembly.
“Banking and finance systems are all based on the history and culture of a country and they are different all across Europe. It’s important for us to remember this as we work with our European partners in adult learning.” Finance and Administration Lead at AONTAS Marta Feragalli travelled for study visit to Norway to learn more about different approaches to finance in the charity sector across Europe.
“Even though we are from different countries, we share the same values, missions and have very similar challenges. These KA1 mobility study visits help us all to expand our knowledge in our adult learning fields, to find new solutions to common problems, get inspired from each other’s work, make new connections and get a chance to taste amazing food!” AONTAS EU Projects Officer Ecem Akarca goes on a study visit to Portugal to learn more about adult learning and get some ideas to take home!
"Over the three days of this job-shadowing experience, conversations we share suggest that Finnish people have a real sense of collective social responsibility and shared values" - Dr Kate Smyth, AONTAS Communications Officer visits KVS Finland in Helsinki to learn more about adult learning from our Finnish colleagues.
Members of the AONTAS team accompanied our colleagues in adult learning from across Europe on a visit to community education centres during their recent trip to Dublin. AONTAS Project Officer Giuliana Peña describes a visit to Soilse, the HSE Education and Rehabilitation Service for Recovering Drug Users. This service helps people through education and forming relationships that support positive wellbeing.
Members of the AONTAS team visited community education centres in Dublin with EU adult learning partners, including meeting tutors and learners at DALC. Our Project Officer Giuliana Peña writes about how this adult education centre provides a chance for connection and independence for people.
How can we help adults to have better levels of literacy, numeracy and digital skills? How can we help people gain a broader set of skills through an upper secondary qualification or equivalent, like the Leaving Certificate or level 3 or 4 in the European Qualifications Framework? Conor Thompson, our Project Officer for Capacity Building, writes about an EU project working on ways to improve core skills across Europe.
