The Lifelong Learning Platform, in collaboration with EPALE, invited Mika Saarinen (Director of the Finnish National Agency for Erasmus+) and Katerina Sir (from the cultural association ASTO), to discuss adult learning mobility, between opportunities and sought-after improvements. 

The discussion kicked off with a focus on the opportunities that the current Erasmus+ programme offers to adult learners to go on a mobility. Particular attention is dedicated to the evolution of learning mobility for adults and the way in which the current Erasmus+ programmes makes it easier for adults to go on a mobility. The benefits of a learning mobility for adults were also underscored: while the acquisition of new skills and competences was hinted at as a major gain, the main benefits relate to transversal competences and to the idea that going on a learning mobility makes better, more active citizens. 

Another point of discussion was the fact that adult participation in mobility is increasing. This is good news and it is partly due to an increased amount of funding that the Erasmus+ makes available for adult learners and adult associations. If the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan set the target for 60% of adults to engage in training every year by 2030, experts agreed that we need to stay ambitious with targets. 

Experts also discussed the newly adopted Council recommendation “Europe on the Move”, which seeks to boost learning mobility with new targets; while adult mobility is left out of rigid targets, its importance remains capital and it is acknowledged in the text. 

The conversation developed spontaneously, all the while recognising that being given the opportunity to go on a mobility is an invaluable experience on which to build our future-proof education. 

Read the full transcript of the podcast here!