Context: The paper focuses on an analysis of school-based vocational education and training (VET) of adults in Slovakia against the background of the concept of second-chance education (hereafter SCE). The concept of SCE involves different conditions of education to those that adults faced during their initial education and were unable to meet.…

In Pakistan, adult literacy programs are offered to enable learners to function effectively to attain individual, family, and social sustainability, but these programs are continuously reporting low participation. This study aimed to explore the reasons behind low participation, employing a descriptive phenomenological design to examine the…

This research aimed to examine the community stories of the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE) to understand and manage the de facto learning needs of adults in Europe and whether it has the functional capacity to be considered an innovative tool. The EPALE demands high-quality publication and provides users with six key…

Essential skills, including literacy and numeracy, are increasingly crucial for life and work, for business success, and for economic growth. However, the number of adults improving these skills in England has reduced by more than 60% over the past decade as Government investment in skills is set to be £1 billion less in 2025 compared to 2010. As…

Continuing to study mathematics is currently a requirement for low attaining 16- to 18-year olds in Further Education, as part of an ongoing drive to raise basic numeracy skills in England. However, these students, widely regarded as demotivated, often fail to make any progress in mathematics over the two years. This research explores how students…

Digital competence is a basic skill for citizens and should be systematically assessed, taking into account characteristics such as knowledge, skills and attitudes. However, measuring and identifying the digital competence of students is still a major challenge. To this end, the indicator model (INCODIES) has been developed and validated following…

Achievement tests are among the most widely used data collection tools to measure the knowledge and skill levels of individuals. For this reason, the existence of valid and reliable achievement tests that can perfectly reveal the competencies that a person should have in any discipline is of great importance. The purpose of this research is to…

For more than 25 years, the Adult Participation in Learning Survey has provided a unique insight into adult learning across the UK. It adopts a deliberately broad definition of learning, reflecting the fact that learning is about so much more than formal courses and qualifications. The good news is that, after a decade of declines during the…

It is 25 years since the first adult participation in learning survey, and this one is published during Learning and Work Institute's centenary year. This year's survey shows that 44% of adults have taken part in learning in the last three years. That's an increase on the record lows found in 2019 and marks the first rise in participation since…

Participation in adult essential skills learning has fallen significantly over the past decade across the UK. In our previous report with the Skills for Life Alliance "Getting the Basics Right: The Case for Action on Adult Basic Skills" (ED618568), we explored the social, economic and health benefits of having a solid foundation in…

There is a growing need for people to upskill and retrain throughout their working lives in response to technological and economic changes. Employees need to adapt and take on board new information and ways of working, but may lack confidence in their skills to be able to keep pace with their employer's business. Addressing literacy, numeracy and…

This report investigates adult education and training across Europe, with a special focus on policies and measures supporting adults with low levels of basic skills and those with low or no qualifications. Alongside qualitative data covering 42 education and training systems, the report also presents statistical data from international surveys. It…

Basic skills -- including literacy, numeracy, ESOL and digital skills -- are key to support adults' life chances and the need to invest in them is increasing. Investing in higher level and technical skills is important for economic recovery and future prosperity. But a sound base of basic skills are both essential in their own right and provide…

Adult education, learning and skills providers are familiar with the longstanding national challenge of poor adult basic skills, and many providers use their Adult Education Budget funding to offer English and math classes for adults. In recent years, there has been a focus on supporting unemployed adults to achieve the good literacy and numeracy…

Self-governance and responsibilisation are integral to Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB) assessments and Functional Skills qualifications. However, very little is known of its neoliberalist effects and the governance practices of tutors teaching disengaged youth taking Functional Skills as part of the overall employability certificate. Adopting a…