Mani novērojumi ir, ka šķēršļi mācībām bieži ir mūsu pašu radīti - jau sākotnēji uzstādot nepamatoti augstas prasības neatkarīgi no grupu zināšanu un pramsju līmeņa, pārāk "gudru", teoretizētu apmācību īstenošana tā atbaidot ikdienas cilvēkus, īpaši cilvēkus no attālākām apdzīvotām vietām. Bez tam ir stereotipiska domāšana un attieksme saistībā ar vecumu grupām. Par nopietniem jautājumiem jārunā jau vismaz no primajām klasēm, vienkārši izvēloties vienkāršākus apmācību modeļus, paņēmienus. Skaidrojot jēxzienus. Piemēram, mēs esam izspēlējuši lomu spēles iepazīstot jēdziena Tolerance nozīmi. Un esam ļoti priecīgi, ka bija situācijas, kad dalībnieki bija mazāki bērni. Un tad ir vieglāk runāt arī ar pieaugušajiem. Jo bērni mājās ar vecākiem pārrunā. Kuri pēc tam uz nodarbībām nāk ar lielāku interesi un vēlmi izprast un saprast.

Paldies par vērtīgo diskusiju!

Thanks for the valuable discussion! My experience shows that various organizations are involved in the development of low basic skills, but there is a lack of cooperation between them, which would allow a comprehensive solution to the problems of this target group of adults. Skills development does not start from the first lesson. In order for a person to reach that point, it is necessary to increase his confidence in the possibilities of a better life and in his ability to use them. It is often associated with obstacles created by social conditions, health problems or a lack of psychological readiness. And only the cooperation of stakeholders allows to achieve good results. The Pact for Skills can therefore be a very useful tool. I would also like to focus on aspects of cooperation in future discussions in order to gain new ideas on improving cooperation and examples of good practice.

Great example how a company is implementing training. And it is good to acknowledge that if company will understand what kind of problem can be solved by training and even save some expenses, then money for training is not an issue. 

As a grant developer for the adult education sector (yes, i very stubbornly hold a sectorial approach even if my part of the sector takes place in prisons with prison staff), part of my daily responsibility is to read. And the best advice i ever got, was read you classics, pieces of policy or innitiatives, that have stayed relevant for at least 10 years. 

In adult education sector we have one of the longest-running initiatives, the Grundtvig program, which was part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Program (2007-2013, with finalised implementation up to 2015). While the Lifelong Learning Program, including Grundtvig, ended in 2013, its legacy continues through the current Erasmus+ program. Erasmus+ includes Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships, which support adult education projects. These projects often focus on innovative practices, improving the quality of adult education, and addressing the diverse needs of adult learners. 

In terms of basic skills, the European Commission has been dedicated to supporting initiatives focused on improving basic skills among adults. While there isn’t a single initiative solely dedicated to basic skills in adult education that has spanned multiple decades, the Commission has integrated the promotion of basic skills into various programs and strategies. The European Agenda for Adult Learning, launched in 2011, emphasizes the importance of improving basic skills among adults. It aims to encourage countries to develop policies and initiatives that address low literacy, numeracy, and digital skills among adults. Additionally, within the Erasmus+ program, there are opportunities for adult education initiatives that target basic skills. Projects under Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships or Adult Education projects often address foundational skills, including literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy, albeit as part of broader learning objectives. The European Skills Agenda, introduced in 2020, also prioritizes the improvement of basic skills, recognizing their significance for employability, social inclusion, and personal development.

The Council of the European Union has issued several recommendations related to adult learning and basic skills. These recommendations serve as guidance for EU member states in developing their policies and strategies in these areas. 

Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: In 2016, the Council adopted a recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults. This recommendation focuses on enhancing the skills and employability of adults with low qualifications or lacking basic skills. It encourages member states to establish pathways for adults to acquire and certify basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy, and digital skills.

Council Resolution on a Renewed European Agenda for Adult Learning: In 2011, the Council adopted a resolution on a Renewed European Agenda for Adult Learning. This resolution emphasizes the importance of adult learning in addressing societal challenges and promoting lifelong learning. It highlights the need to address basic skills deficiencies among adults and improve their access to quality learning opportunities.

Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning: The Council issued a recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning in 2006, identifying eight key competences, including literacy, numeracy, and digital competence. This recommendation stresses the importance of these skills for personal fulfillment, social inclusion, and employability.

So, for today's topic, these are our "clasics" and would be essential for all of us to read them.

Hello

It was very interesting.

What seems to me quite challenging when talking about basic skills, is the fact that the borders between basic skills (or general or survival skills as some pointed out below - whatever you call it) and sectoral or proffesional skills are constantly changing. The dynamics of this change is higher and higher in time. Some 20 years ago - yes, when I was young - digital skills were not considered as basic or survival but now they are. The speed with which we are moving the borders is amazing - and in the future, we will probably have to find an instrument how to constantly evaluate and reavalute these borders in order to catch up with the technological advances in various economical sectors as well as in ordinary life and education....

Thank you for the Pact for Skills initiative and the presentation of the various projects.

Basic skills are essential for democratic participation and should be considered everywhere. But the recognition of other skills developed outside the EU is also very important for the further development of Europe.

In our EU-funded project FITskilling we not only present the exemplary project of the ÖJAB, which integrates people from third countries into the Austrian labour market in a shortened process.

We also discuss the extent to which the rather backward-looking skills discourse might need to be reconfigured in view of the urgent need for future skills initiatives.

Not only should migrants adapt to "our" needs, but perhaps we can also learn from "them" in terms of a more digitally open attitude. After all, they naturally bring with them many of the future skills that are needed today (such as openness to new things, creativity, adaptability, self-confidence, etc.) that we in Europe need to acquire as a collective.

So, for those interested in our project:

1. we have a wonderful EPALE project page with further links:
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/fafo-projektseite

2. we have published a longer blog post on the Future Skills discourse here:
https://frolleinflow.com/en/future-proof-learning-the-multi-layered-world-of-future-skills-and-agile-education/

3. finally, you can find all our project content here, which is of course available free of charge:
https://www.fitskilling.eu/
 

Sadly, in the post-pandemic environment, already vulnerable persons are being most adversely affected when it comes to budget cuts and training needs. There should be more awareness of the physical, learning and neuro diversity needs within the training and employment environment, especially in relation to health and safety.

I am a fully qualified, experienced and state registered English, literacy, special education, vocational and safety teacher with more than 20 years of experience; I also run a small organisation (www.oshliteracy.org) dedicated to raising awareness of this issue and to train trainers and teachers etc. When planning any training program, health and safety must be the first thing on your list - everything else follows.

I continue to work full-time in the classroom. I would like to be able to work collaboratively on different projects, however, time is a valuable and scarce resource. Nevertheless, if I can be of any help and assistance to anyone, please contact me - davidmagee@oshliteracy.org My time and services are completely free. 

Moreover, the European Network for Education and Training of Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH) has national safety organisations from all EU countries as well as other experienced professionals. Please contact them, link-up and work collaboratively (www.enetosh.net). Click on members and you will see your country's flag, click on that to find a possible partner to ensure your program is as safe as possible. In these financially restricted times, we should all try to collaborate as much as possible to achieve the best and safest outcomes.

Thanks aagain for the informative discussion. 

Hope to hear from all again soon,

Thanks,

Dave 

I completely agree with the idea expressed in the live presentation,that professionalism of trainers is of great importance in implementing of work based approach,but there are can be some problems concerning this approach.The trainer can  be very skill full in his/her field but he/she is lacking skills of teaching , communicating and supporting, encouraging ,because of that we have to be very careful in choosing trainers in the work place.It is also important how does the company support trainers.Do we analyze the achieved results in this common learning process.  

Good morning,

The Pact for Skills seems to be almost always associated with sectoral skills (at least in Portugal) but in fact today it is not easy to find a sector that can do without digital and technological skills. Therefore, it seems to me that in fact sectoral skills that are specific to economic sectors end up also integrating basic skills. In this sense, any sector needs to consider basic skills and perhaps we need to have a more comprehensive concept of basic skills. Do you agree?

A question: sometimes basic skills are also called key skills, general skills, and often also mixed up with transversal skills. What is the most appropriate term, what is the difference and what can be done about this term confusion?

Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) literacy has been recognised as an essential (the 4th) life-skill literacy by all major national and international safety organisations as well as many global education bodies. The European Network for Education and Training of OSH (www.enetosh.net), with more than 100 member organisations has called for 'all members to make a concerted effort promote OSH literacy as a foundation for life-long learning' essential for long and short-term health and as well as socio-economic mobility prospects. The ISO, ISSA/ILO and many other UN linked organisations also recognise it. We use an internationally standardised system of shapes, colours, symbols and jargon (in English) to provide safety information. Examples can be found at home: on packaging and products, in public spaces: for traffic, emergencies and health and in workplaces. There are other hard and soft OSH skills. There are more than 27 official languages in the EU. English is the main language. Poor communications are the root-cause of most accidents and young and vulnerable persons (inexperienced) are most at risk. We encourage mobility within the EU, but we do not teach our most vulnerable persons and others how to find and use this simple and standardised safety information wherever they may be and whatever they are doing. Unlike other literacies, as the data shows, you seldom get a second chance, if you do not understand safety information. Any discourse or training for  young and vulnerable people must include OSH literacy. All organisations involved in this field have a duty-of-care to ensure all stakeholders are empowered to protect themselves and others and have the requisite OSH literacy skills. Like all literacies OSH literacy must be taught; we cannot continue to take for granted that people will learn this themselves.   Therefore, should we not start to discuss how we can begin to integrate OSH literacy into EU school syllabi and training programs to better prepare young people to safely and successfully transition into employment and independent living? OSH literacy must be treated similarly to English, ICT, Numeracy, financial and health literacies as all the major safety organisations and many educational NGOs are calling for. OSH literacy is an essential Basic Skill and this needs to be discussed at the highest levels.

Please google OSH literacy to find out more.

Thank you,

David Magee

No one is immune from the possibility that their services may prove useless. The opportunity to learn, to acquire new skills, gives the chance to adapt to different circumstances. It gives you the chance to make yourself marketable again. The ability to learn, to retrain, increases a person's well-being. 

Prasmju pilnveide vienmēr ir aktuāls temats un prieks, ka arī šī būs diskusija par un ap prasmēm ! Gaidu diskusiju!

Question for the discussion: How would "Pact for Skills" enhance the services provided by small NGO's? Any examples or best practices to better describe the opportunities this initiative presents? Thank you!