Towards Understanding the Role of Adult Education and VET in Promoting Active Citizenship and Inclusion

• Booking Name: Tuesday Morning WS 2
• Time: 9:00 - 10:30
• Organisers: Natasha Kersh, Karen Evans

This interactive workshop is open to all who are interested in the issues relating to education, training and the social inclusion of young adults in vulnerable situations. The workshop will aim to instigate and support cross-national research collaborations in the field of VET and adult education. Specific strategies for future  research projects will be considered and an agenda for future cooperation will be discussed.

The workshop builds on the H2020 Project ‘Adult Education as a Means to Active Participatory Citizenship’ (EduMap).  The EduMAP Horizon 2020 project (2016-2019) has been about advancing the understanding of the role of adult education in promoting the social inclusion and active participation of young adults across Europe, considering its current and future impact on learning, development and life chances in an era of risk.  The recent debate on active citizenship and adult education has been strongly underpinned by the discussion on how active citizenship could be exercised in a way that would promote inclusion and participation. The workshop will focus on the role played by adult education and VET in contributing to motivating young adults in vulnerable life situations to become active citizens. Engaging adults through different forms of VET contributes strongly to addressing their specific needs and requirements and facilitating their participation in social, economic and civic/political life in their relevant contexts and spaces.

During the workshop, the organisers will provide insight into the findings of the EduMap project. Those attending will then be invited to reflect on their experience, relating to research on vulnerable groups and the role of VET and adult education. This workshop will provide an opportunity for both the discussion of findings from the EduMap project and for reflecting on wider issues, and perspectives of those attending the event. Specifically, the following questions will be addressed thorough discussion:

• How can vulnerable learners’ inclusion, participation and lifelong learning be better supported through adult education/VET?
• What communication patterns between different stakeholders are seen as most effective, specifically for cultivating active citizenship for vulnerable young adults?
• How can stakeholders develop a more clear approach to vulnerability and vulnerable youth (what is meant by ‘vulnerable’)?
• How can we define the concept of active citizenship in adult education settings?
• How can access and collection of data through cross-national research provide insights to improve the quality and efficiency of adult education provisions to vulnerable groups?
• What can we learn from cross-national comparisons?

The event  will  provide a range of opportunities to develop networks and dialogue between researchers, thus contributing to enhanced communication, cross-national collaboration and mutual understanding across EU countries in the area of adult education and VET.

Requirements - IMPORTANT:

• You are only eligible to attend this workshop if you are registered as participant of ECER.
• Should you not be able to attend, please cancel your reservation, as there might be a waiting list.