About This Course
Adult education has the most diverse learner population of any education sector and the greatest potential for social impact. But it also has the most persistent participation gap: the adults who would benefit most from learning are consistently the least likely to engage.
This course gives adult education professionals a thorough, empathetic and practically focused engagement with inclusion and diversity in adult education. Participants explore barriers to adult learning participation, develop outreach and engagement strategies for hard-to-reach groups, and design inclusive adult learning programmes.
The course is aligned with the European Agenda for Adult Learning Priority 5 on equity and inclusion, the EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion and the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity priority.
Who Should Attend
- Adult educators working with disadvantaged or hard-to-reach adult learner groups
- Community learning professionals and outreach workers
- Migration and integration workers and refugee support professionals
- Literacy and basic skills tutors
- Adult education managers developing inclusion strategies
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
Explain the barriers to adult learning participation and design outreach strategies that address them.
Barriers to adult learning are not primarily about motivation. They are structural, practical and psychological. You will map the specific barriers faced by the groups you work with and design outreach approaches that address the actual reasons people do not participate.
Apply trauma-informed and trust-building approaches with vulnerable adult learner groups.
Many excluded adults carry histories of educational failure, discrimination, displacement or trauma. Trauma-informed adult education is about creating learning environments where safety and genuine respect make learning possible for people who have been hurt by previous educational experiences.
Design inclusive adult learning programmes that respond to the specific needs of diverse adult learner groups.
Inclusive programme design starts from the learner's reality. You will use a structured design process that begins with genuine understanding of who your learners are, what barriers they face and what would make learning meaningful for them.
Build partnerships with community organisations and social services to extend adult learning reach.
Adult education organisations that reach the most excluded learners are those with the deepest community roots and the strongest partnerships with organisations that already have relationships with the people they want to reach.
A 7-Day Professional Development Experience
Five days of intensive training with a structured arrival day and cultural excursion. We tailor every programme to your organisation's needs.
Welcome dinner and orientation walk.
Guided cultural excursion. Departure at convenience.
This outline is a starting point. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor this programme for your organisation.
EU Policy Alignment
EU Priority Alignment
EU Competence Frameworks
EU Policy Initiatives
Available Locations and Dates
Check the dates page for current availability.
Check Dates and Availability