Improving Participation in Adult Education Web 2.0 tools for strengthening competencies of adult education providers

Education and Training 2020: European benchmarks Adult participation in lifelong learning By 2020, an average of at least 15% of adults (25-64 years old) should participate in lifelong learning. In 2012 there were only 5,2% of the adult population aged 25 to 64 participating in education and training.

Solutions and initiatives There is wide range of top-down initiatives for achieving these benchmarks. Adult education providers are invited to show more initiative to increase participation of adult education. Many training offers became more digital, thus allowing people to take advantage of distant and blended learning.

Among structural barriers hindering participation in adult education there are some that can be addressed by adult educators

STRUCTURAL BARRIERS I Restricted funding / financial means Lack of access to information about AE Lack of transparency Lack of training providers No technical support (esp. E-learning) Quality of offers mismatches the expectations Social benefits depend on mandatory learning

STRUCTURAL BARRIERS II Lack of availability of appropriate offers Themes Course duration Qualification level Mandatory 2 languages cause problems Bureaucratization in orientation Employers don´t give recognition to AE "Overeducated" applicants Lack of marketing for AE Lack of personalized approach to AE

Among reasons and deficiencies that prevent adults from participating in adult education there are some that can be solved by adult educators

Real situation Government and other institutions responsible for providing information on adult education and its benefits, do not motivate learners. Adult education providers should become more active in promoting not only their services, but rather adult learning in general. They should initiate communication with potential learners especially those from disadvantage backgrounds, so that to expand circle of their clients. Level of computer usage today is over 60% average, which means that most of potential learners may be easily found online. Web 2.0 tools allow contacting potential learners with very low or no costs – only competent staff is needed. Managerial staff of adult education providers should update their knowledge and especially practical skills on marketing and PR within these changed settings.

Traditional marketing versus WEB2.0 Traditional marketing tools like publications (flyers, brochures, course catalogues, posters, etc.), television and radio advertising are expensive and at the same time ineffective. Traditional marketing tools do not provide feedback from target groups. Web 2.0 tools allow users to interact and collaborate. Examples: social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, ect.

Web 2.0 tools for strengthening competencies of adult education providers Grundtvig Multilateral project CAMP2.0: Challenging Attractiveness of lifelong learning: web 2.0 tools for strengthening Marketing and Public relations competencies of adult education providers NO LLP TR-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

Survey of adult education institutions Objective: to identify educational needs, both stated and latent, and any problems and deficiencies related to marketing and PR faced by adult education providers. Interviews of at least five organizations/institutions per eight partners (a minimum total of 40 respondents) comparing the marketing and PR measures applied concerning adult education across seven countries (Turkey, Lithuania, Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK).

Many institutions use a wide range of social media. Survey has shown great importance is given to the use of media tools. Adult education providers are aware that the use of different social media tools is continuously evolving.

The presence of strategic guidelines for the implementation of marketing is missing. The internal implementation of strategies for social media does not appear to be common. It is necessary to give careful consideration about the qualitative and professional aspects of Marketing and PR.

There are often specific personnel to manage social media tools. The common approach is to learn by experience, through “trial and error”. The great majority of respondents expressed their interest in further training and in developing their use of web-based marketing and PR tools.

Further activities Development of course for strengthening WEB2.0 competencies of adult education providers: Legal Tips Good social media behavior Social media strategy Creation of social media content Social media tools Quality assurance The idea of web 2.0 SEO Piloting of the course will take place in Turkey. In 2015 the course will be presented in Lithuania.

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