Getting to know the challenges

The adult learners who most need to increase the level of their basic skills are the ones that least engage in learning. Well-designed outreach strategies are essential to raise the learners’ interest, get them to seek guidance, and commit to a learning path. 

Read  Graciela Sbertoli’s blogpost as an introduction to efficient outreach strategies!

What stands in the way of learning?

Adults may have many reasons to keep away from lifelong learning initiatives:

  • Disadvantaged groups are under-represented in learning participation in all European countries. They are often unaware of existing learning opportunities and do not know how to participate. 

  • European studies have also shown that learning providers often lack specifically designed approaches to reach that target group. They do not know how to develop and implement tailored learning offers that will attract disadvantaged groups. Developing innovative educational approaches and structures as well as carefully designed information is a key element of efficient outreach. Outreach strategies can be considered as  the sum of the initiatives taken to get hold of the potential learner’s attention, enable the person to grasp both the need for further learning and see a learning path ahead, get the needed guidance and be referred to adequate learning provision, and take the necessary steps to access that provision.

  • Adults with low levels of basic skills often have low confidence in their ability to learn and are therefore less likely to take up training offers. On the other hand, research has found that if they do engage in learning and experience progress, they become confident learners who will continue in a lifelong learning path. 

Who takes part in adult education and why
Read the sections: Motivations for adults to learn on page 2 and Obstacles for adult learning on page 3.

Watch the video testimony on the "Taking the first step" campaign of the Irish National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), as an example of promoting basic skills programs in the media: Eamon is a student who shares his positive story about returning to education to improve his literacy and numeracy.

 Source: NALA.


Further reading (optional)

Impact of education and skills on life chances
Read this factsheet by the EU Commission to see some details on how skills development can enhance life chances of people in general. 

Skills challenges and strategies
Read the 2nd section (Helping people to develop basic skills) on the top of page 2.