The paper will present the overall aims and ambition of the project, and will provide insight into its key concepts discussing relevant theoretical considerations, contexts and discourses. The paper will provide insight into the project WPs, and will discuss its methodological and theoretical approach. The complexity surrounding the conceptual understanding of both adult education, lifelong learning and vocationally related learning, will be considered, and approaches towards achieving a shared understanding of the nature of adult education and lifelong learning will be addressed within this paper. The concept of active citizenship is used as a conceptual means to analyze the role of adult education in including young people into active social, political and economic participation and engagement. The paper will highlight country-specific notions of active citizenship, and subsequently will reflect on the role of Lifelong Learning discourses on shaping approaches for the social inclusion and active citizenship of vulnerable young adults. The project’s approach is based on the contention that in order to prevent social exclusion among vulnerable groups, empowering adults and ensuring their inclusion in the education system, society and the employment market is of critical importance. The paper will discuss the way, the Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS) could be be employed to provide policy-makers and other stakeholders with easy access to the information that would enable them to address the needs of vulnerable groups and equip these with the competences required to actively participate in society and the labour market. The paper will reflect on the development of an Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS) and its role in producing a scientifically sound and innovative framework for obtaining the information required to enable the European adult education to meet the needs of vulnerable young adults and the extent to which these policies facilitate and promote the social inclusion of young adults, who are at risk of social exclusion.

Aspin, D, Chapman J, Evans, K and Bagnall, R (eds) (2012) The Second International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. Dordrecht: Springer. Holford et al. (2008) Patterns of Lifelong Learning: Policies and Practice in an Expanding, Europe, Vienna: Lit Verlag. Jarvis P. (2012) Adult Learning in the Social Context. Routledge Holford J and Mleczko A. (2013) Lifelong learning: national policies from the European Levitas R. (2005) Three discourses of social exclusion. In: The Inclusive Society?. Palgrave Macmillan, London. Schuller T. (2009) Learning Through Life: Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning.