Support and counselling service directed at adults is currently one of the main development areas in Finland. Adult education supports citizens’ participation in society and the workforce by helping to create skilled workers. The quality, effectiveness and focus of adult education all need to be improved as well as updating the knowledge and skills taught. In practice, this means developing customer-oriented information, counselling and support services.

At the moment these services are disjointed; counselling is divided among many professional groups and centralised coordination is non-existent. Therefore, adults are required to consult multiple information resources in order to receive the support they require. The need for counselling is constantly increasing and therefore skilled counselling personnel are required. In addition to this, feedback and assessment systems need to be developed.

The aim  is to create new and innovative ways to cooperate in adult counselling at regional level. The partners in this cooperation are education institutes, job centres and businesses. In addition, the project develops proactive customer-oriented guidance and counselling practices which also supports the demands from businesses.

The development of information, counselling and support services for adult education consists of three main elements:

0. Development of online services particularly in terms of improving the planning and targeting of adult education.
0. Development of knowledge in guidance and counselling skills for teachers and counsellors; improving the recognition and accreditation of prior learning for adult students in such a way that these practices improve the demand for adult education thus supporting the aim of cooperation with businesses.
0. Development of assessment methods and research practices in accordance with national educational strategies as well as strengthening the European innovation activities with the Finnish cooperation network system.

The project is financed and regulated jointly by the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Education.

Aikuisopiskelun tietopalvelujen, neuvonnan ja ohjauksen kehittäminen. 2006. Opetusministeriön ja työministeriön asettaman valmisteluryhmän ehdotukset toimenpideohjelmaksi. Työhallinnon julkaisu 365. Helsinki: Työministeriö. Nykänen, S., Karjalainen, M., Vuorinen, R. & Pöyliö, L. 2007. The development of a regional guidance network – cross-sectoral and multiprofessional cooperation as a resource. University of Jyväskylä. Institute for Educational Research.