EPALE - Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

Short biography

I am a Level 6 adult educator, career coach, author and co-author of educational tools, and participant in international Erasmus+ projects.

My Story

Back in 2015, if someone had told me that, in ten years' time, I would be teaching AI to adults, creating and running coaching games, and participating in European projects, I would probably have laughed. But life is amazing in its twists and turns, especially in the world of adult learning. It was in the trading field that I first realised how diverse people can be. Every day, I interacted with hundreds of customers of different ages and life stories. It was there that I learned how to listen to people, adapt to different types, and find an approach for everyone. By that time, I had already learned how to pass on my experience to beginners and my software skills to experienced sellers. I didn't realise at the time that this would one day form the basis of my future career.

The turning point came in 2015 when I saw an advert for an andragogy course in the local newspaper. The description appealed to me. Intuitively, I felt that I needed to go there. After all, I no longer just wanted to work; I wanted to help people discover new opportunities. Next came a career transition into the role of service manager at Prisma. By that time, I already had a Level 6 Adult Educator qualification and over a hundred hours of service training under my belt. When I joined Fortaco Estonia OÜ in 2018, it marked my first step into the world of staff development. There, I experienced practical adult education for the first time, rather than theoretical. Every day, I witnessed adults, some with many years of experience, discovering new horizons.

I first came across the EPALE platform in 2017. Suddenly, the world of adult education seemed much bigger than Estonia.

At first, I was just an observer, reading comments, but I was still afraid to contribute to the platform. Then, I saw an article by my teacher, Jelena Lohmatova, about the Nordplus project 'Step Forward into Growth', in which I had also participated. I felt that I was part of a huge European community of people doing what I do: helping adults learn, grow and change. In 2019, I started working as a career development and digital tools trainer at NovuCenter OÜ and Vestifex OÜ.

The 2020 pandemic was a catalyst for all of us. Suddenly, online learning went from being an interesting opportunity to a necessity. 

My involvement in Erasmus+ projects such as 'Distance Learning for Vulnerable Adults', 'BeCreative', 'MediAware' and 'Remoking' showed me how technology can make education more accessible and inclusive. Launching my own YouTube channel and Facebook group was the next logical step. Digital tools have opened up new opportunities for sharing knowledge, enabling me to create a community that transcends geographical boundaries.

The world has changed a lot in the last ten years, and so have we. However, the principles of adult education remain the same for me over time:

• Respect for learners' experience. Adults are not a blank slate. They come with experience and knowledge that should be valued and utilised.
• Practical orientation and applicability. Every piece of knowledge should have practical value. If participants cannot apply what they learn in real life, the learning is meaningless.
• • Creating a safe environment. Adults are often afraid of looking stupid or asking the 'wrong' questions. My job is to create an environment where they feel comfortable making mistakes as part of the learning process.

What will the next decade bring? Perhaps new technologies and new ways of learning that we can't even imagine yet. But I do know this: the need for adults to learn and grow will only increase.

I dream of a Europe where every adult knows that age is no barrier to discovery and experience is a springboard for growth. The EPALE platform plays a key role in bringing us all together as one big family of people who believe in the power of learning.