Challenges: The pandemic as a wake up call
COVID-19 was a wake-up call for many adult education providers as it made them realise that the tools in formal education are limited when social distancing is necessary. Organisations experimented using digital tools. Some experiments were successful, especially when they were offered free of charge and were accessible to everyone.
CEIPES calls on the government to use this occasion to establish a Digital Learning Platform, with a strategic plan for digitalisation, including distance learning and tools that enable adults to combine work with lifelong learning. Competence development and the upskilling and reskilling of low skilled adults will be crucial in the upcoming months, especially for those who lost their jobs.
Focus areas for 2020/2021
For 2020/2021 CEIPES has a range of priorities. They mainly seek to promote inclusion and social innovation, using sport, STEAM tools and non-formal education. Their activities are targeted to all types of learners and above all, aim to contribute to the development of the local community by running an innovative socio-cultural centre. The target groups are young people, youth workers, adults, teachers, etc, mainly those with fewer opportunities or who come from disadvantaged situations.
The focus for the next year of FORMA will be capacity building for adult education networks and the upskilling and reskilling of low skilled adults. Furthermore, they want to focus on Media Literacy and Digital Education, while implementing new approaches and methodologies to teach the Sustainable Development Goals to adults. FORMA recommends that the government works on the implementation of the Territorial Network for Adult Learning and invests more in adult education.