Agence Erasmus+ / Education Formation

Organisation

The French Agency: Erasmus+ Education Training

The Erasmus+ Agency has been designated by the French national authorities to ensure the implementation and running of EPALE France. In the same way, it manages several programmes and community plans in the areas of education and training.

It also implements: Europass, Euroguidance the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL), the European Language Label.

All these tools and plans are covered in the context of Europe 2020, which aims to create intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth. The education and training of adults helps to promote employability, and the acquisition of skills by everyone. Priority is given to the most poorly qualified adults, and those most remote from the jobs market.

The Agency's roles

Project management The Agency assigns and controls European funding a posteriori in the context of the Erasmus+ / Education & Training programme. It advises project leaders, and ensures the qualitative monitoring and financial administration of selected projects.

Supplier of information and impetus The Agency ensures the effective promotion of programmes, and their results, to the general public, professionals, the media and decision makers.

Throughout the year, it organises information days and workshops to raise awareness of European programmes and plans, the contexts in which they operate and the benefits they create.

It also participates in many of the activities initiated by organisations or institutions working in education and vocational training.

A rôle of strategic reflection The Agency participates actively in discussions on sectoral, national and international issues in the fields of education, higher education and vocational training. It therefore organises seminars and conferences, co-ordinates studies and working parties, and participates in raising the awareness of political decision-makers.

EPALE and EAAL

The EPALE plan is integrated into the general EAAL framework (European Agenda for Adult Learning).

This Agenda, adopted in 2011, fixes five strategic orientations for Member states:

improvement of the quality and efficiency of the educational offer and training for adults;
improvement of the participation of the most poorly qualified adults in training courses;
promotion of fair-mindedness, social cohesion and active citizenship;
development of adults' creativity and their learning environment;
improvement of knowledge in the sector of adult education and training.

To attain these goals, it seemed essential to imagine concrete tools which could be deployed throughout Europe. The EPALE platform, created in 2014, was the appropriate answer. It was officially launched in April 2015 in Brussels, then in several European countries (Member States and candidate countries).

In France, the national launch took place in November 2015 in the course of a conference entitled 'European collaboration in adult education and training' (Focus Centre Inffo de l'évènement).

Aims and activities of EPALE France

EPALE objective is to promote exchanges between the different stakeholders in adult education and training, whether they be institutional, political, training or academic players, journalists, project sponsors ...

EPALE users can look for the way in which their own professional challenge was dealt with in other countries, or can discuss the problem within a blog or forum. Common activities can arise from these exchanges, in particular through European projects.

To meet this objective, EPALE France's national help service leads several activities:

publishing current and documented texts
promoting multilingualism by translating numerous texts into English, German, Italian and French
working in depth on the platform's five themes
benefitting from the experts' network to guarantee quality publications
promoting the platform to increase its number of active users of the platform and diversify their profiles
encouraging exchanges between professionals: comments, on-line discussions, practising communities …
enhancing the platform's features for the display of European projects
ensuring regular exchanges with Erasmus+ and EAAL
suggesting tools and training to users, to optimise their browsing on EPALE
working in conjunction with other European teams

EPALE: a place for virtual exchanges, and much more

Themed meetings

Since the start of the 2016 academic year, EPALE France has organised themed meetings where players involved in the training of adults can come together for discussion and debate. These events follow a participative format (barcamps, workshops for small groups). Practice communities, created on the platform, allow these exchanges to be followed.

Past meetings:

September 2016 in Paris - "Good practice in the CléA service: support for learners and key competences”

October 2016 in Strasbourg - Workshop “Social and educational integration of refugees in Europe” as part of the Erasmus + France/Education Training annual conference

November 2016 in Bordeaux - "Training quality and pedagogical innovation"

April 2017 in Paris: Impact of digital technology on lifelong learning

September 2017 in Paris: Quality of training

November 2017 in Paris: Territories and training

April 2018 in Paris: Cultural action: which pedagogical approaches for adult education?

July 2018 in Paris: Guidance in adult education and training

May 2019 in Paris: Learning and training on the job

October 2019 in Paris: Adult learning in third places

September 2020, online : Cooperation at territorial level

June 2021, online : Media Education for citizenship

October 2021, online : Training to reconcile the digital and ecological transitions

Network of Ambassadors

The students of several Master’s degrees in engineering of adult training were invited to become the platform’s ambassadors. Publishing content and hosting events are just some of the ways of promoting their experience of the sector via EPALE. The Master’s degrees concerned are the following:

- SIFA Master’s (Strategy in Adult Training Engineering), University of Tours

- IPFA Master’s (Pedagogical Engineering in Adult Training), University of Paris X Nanterre

- Master’s Executive Master’s in Training ManagementUniversity of Paris-Dauphine

Other Master’s degrees established in other countries but offering similar contents and pedagogical objectives have joined the network: in Germany and soon in Italy (more information to follow).

Work programme

Aims and activities of EPALE France

EPALE’s objective is to promote exchanges between the various stakeholders in adult education and training, whether they be institutional, political, training or academic players, journalists, project leaders, etc.

EPALE users can investigate how their own professional challenges have been met in other countries or discuss their issues in a blog or forum. Common activities may arise from these exchanges, in particular through European projects.

To meet this objective, EPALE France's national help service performs several activities:

Publishing current and documented content
Promoting multilingualism by translating a large amount of content into English and French
Working in depth on the platform’s five themes
Benefiting from a network of experts to ensure high quality publications
Promoting the platform to increase the number of active users of the platform and the diversity of their profiles
Encouraging exchanges between professionals: comments, on-line discussions, practice communities, etc.
Enhancing the platform's features for the development of European projects
Ensuring regular exchanges with the Erasmus+ Agency and EAAL
Suggesting tools and training to users, to optimise their browsing on EPALE
Working with other European teams

A team of experts:

EPALE closely works with a team of experts, who contribute to the quality of the platform's content. They also participate in promoting EPALE and organising events.

SURNAME	First name	Role	Institution	Themes
LE SQUERE	Roseline	Administrative and financial manager	Dupuy de Lôme Research Institute	European project policies and funding
ARDOUIN	Thierry	Senior Lecturer	University of Rouen	Quality of training - Professional development of staff
AMICHAUD	Damien	Consultant	The Shift Project	Sustainibility
LOPEZ	David	Retired	Ligue de l'enseignement	Education Populaire
CHAUVET	André	Consultant	André Chauvet Conseil	Career Transitions
FRAU-MEIGS	Divina	Lecturer	University of Paris	Media Education

Publication : Booklet « Adult inclusion and upskilling in Europe »

The Team

Sylvie Billot, financial officer

She performs regular monitoring of the overall NSS budget, in conjunction with the Agency's Finance and Accounting Department. This work brings the French and European accounting systems closer together. She prepares the accounting documents for the General Assemblies, final reports, etc.

Johanna Despouys, Communication officer

Johanna is in charge of promoting EPALE France through numerous communication media (newsletters, flyers, postcards, videos, etc.). She contributes to social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, using the Agency's overall communication strategy on adult learning.

Susana Major, Project manager

She is responsible for identifying and collecting high quality materials. She directly works with adult learning professionals and stakeholders in order to understand their needs and identify relevant content to promote on EPALE. She manages the team of thematic experts.

Camille Poiraud, Project manager

Sheis responsible for the day to day management and coordination of the work of the EPALE France NSS. She also ensures synergies with the work of Erasmus+, the National Coordinator for the Agenda for Adult Learning and other key stakeholders and multipliers.

Magali Verhaeghe, administrative officer

She carries out administrative and financial monitoring for EPALE and prepares the financial reports for Europe. She also manages follow-up of missions and trips, contracts with the team of experts and event logistics.

You can contact any member of the team using our helpline :

Phone: +33 5 56 00 94 28

Email: epale@agence-erasmus.fr

Stakeholders

This list is in not exhaustive and needs to be continued. Nevertheless it may give you a broad overview of the adult learning sector in France.

This ressource will help you to know more about the French Continuing Vocational training system: « Continuing Vocational Training in France »

Key adult education organisations & networks

Policy makers: