The proposed paper focuses on the role of communication and communicative patterns and  practices of in the context of adult education and VET programmes, particularly focusing on UK-based cases. Our specific focus is on experiences of young adults in situations of vulnerability, who engage in adult and vocationally related programmes to develop skills that would enable them to improve their situations (e.g by developing both employability skills and social competences). Vocational education and training as a means to integrate young people into society and especially into the labour market, has been an important element of lifelong learning and inclusion approaches (e.g. Evans and Niemeyer, 2004; Holford et al, 2008).  The research was undertaken as part of a multinational  EU Horizon 2020 project, which aimed to explore the role of adult learning for fostering social inclusion of vulnerable young adults, and to consider the complex ways in which  young adults develop their social netwoks and communication practices (e.g both formal and informal). The central question we are posing in this paper is – to what extent do engaging in adult and VET-related  learning and developing communication practices help young adults to improve their life chances  and inclusion as well as to promote social capital and what factors may facilitate or undermine this process?  The notion of social capital, used in this study,  has been conceptualized in terms of various dimensions,  such interrelations between people and  networks, (Bourdier & Wacquant, 1992); sharing support and resources (Boxman, De Graaf, & Flap, 1991; Goddart, 2003)  and developing  social relationships within communities.  To identify special communication patterns, the study further employs the Communicative Ecologies and Assemblages (CEA) framework (Tacchi et al. 2019) which enables us analyse specific communication practices of young adults in the context of their learning  environments.  The  notion of ‘ecology’ implies a complex and interrelated combination of processes, practices and resources (Evans, 2019). The communicative ecology approach also highlights a shifting rather than fixed structure of communicative opportunities, barriers and practices, which may either limit or facilitate various communication processes. Mapping communicative ecologies from the perspectives of individuals  provides valuable insights into actors’ ways of developing relationships and  communications patterns, as well as into  the ways they are drawing on to media and communication technologies and platforms,  to develop and sustain their social networks. The context of their specific  programmes shapes communicative practices, with networks among both young people and professionals (e.g. their tutors or employers) being instrumental for access to opportunities for communication  and access to information to increase  and foster their ‘social capital. 

The paper draws on both theoretical perspectives and empirical data from a Horizon 2020 project. In the course of the project, particular focus was on adult learning and VET programme that aim to foster social inclusion among young people facing different types of vulnerabilities. Overall, empirical fieldwork involved researching some 40 adult education programmes across 20 countries. In this paper, we will draw on our sample drawn from UK-based cases, based on qualitative interviews and focus groups with some 107 respondents (including 72 young adults and 35 professionals) . We have carried out research across 4 programmes in Scotland and England, through interviews (individual and focus groups) with learners, educational practitioners and policy informants. Programmes ranged from: mentoring for care experienced young people (Case 1); vocational programme in a small community college (Case 2); ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages programme (Case 3) and ‘gateway’ programme for unemployed young adults (Case 4). In this paper we will specifically discuss and provide illustrations from Case 2 and Case 4, however our conclusions and discussion will draw on our overall findings supported by all case studies undertaken within this international project. Our data analysis involved undertaking thematic analysis using NVivo.

The project findings have highlighted the importance of communication practices in activating the potential of adult and vocational related learning to promote social inclusion and developing social capital of young adults in situations of vulnerability (e.g. refugees, migrants, early school leavers).The data suggest that the use of communication skills is a continuously developing process, through which young adults tend to expand their communication practices from their immediate contexts (e.g. family or learning contexts) to more ‘remote’ contexts, which may involve communication with different officials and stakeholders (e.g. job centres, city council, their children’s schools). The change from being a passive participant of communication – to becoming a more active ‘communicator’ has been highlighted as an important step for developing social interaction and social capital.

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