VOX works to establish national and international networks for adult education, and to spread knowledge about important developments in the field both at national and international level.

The Institute has an extensive experience in the field of reading and writing difficulties in adults, both at theoretical and practical level. VOX conducts research in this field, produces materials, organizes each year a national conference for researchers and practitioners, and is also responsible for the Norwegian portal Dysnett.

VOX is the coordinator of the Forward network and Forward Trainer project.

Cyprus Adult Education Association (CAEA) is a non-governmental, national association, member of  EAEA and the International Council for Adult Education(ICAE). It aims to develop further Adult Education in Cyprus in cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organisations.

CAEA is responsible for the Adult Learners Week in Cyprus. CAEA promotes on a wide range links and cooperation with many European countries. It promotes exchanges, study visits, seminars and training courses. Parents education, trade union education, older adults education are main activities of CAEA.

CAEA participates in Grundtvig projects and cooperate closely with about 40 countries on the above. It has a leading role in Mediterranean adult education and in the efforts to establish a Mediterranean Association for Adult Education.

CAEA is intensifying, efforts to assist  many immigrant workers who are recently settle in Cyprus with courses on Greek Language and Intercultural Education.

CAEA with its international contacts promotes dissemination of information on adult education.

CAEA is advocating for structures and legislation on Adult Education. Through out the activities of the Adult Learners Week, CAEA enhances motivation to learning. 

Preparatory Adult Education (FVU), the aim is:

• to give adults the opportunity of improving and supplementing their basic skills according to reading, spelling and communicating in writing (plus numeracy)
• to provide prerequisites for further education and participation in the society and exerting an influence on one’s own situation.

Formal Adult Education (AVU), equivalent to lover secondary level, is a single-subject education for adults in general subjects. Formal means aiming at professional skills as well as personal development.

Higher Prepatory Examination (HF), equivalent to general upper secondary education, preparing students for further and higher education

VUC Nordjylland has about 10,000 students per year and 275 teachers.

Adult Education in Denmark is based on adult students’ perception and experience, and each subject, each class, each course is adjusted to the students’ background, their needs and requirements.

The curriculum is centrally designed, but the students play an active part in their own classes. Planning and organization, including the choice of teaching methods and learning materials, must as far as possible take place as a collaboration between teacher and students.

The single-subject structure makes the provision of a comprehensive approach to each subject, offering specialized knowledge and skills as well as cohesion, vital.

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is a membership organisation with voluntary status, concerned with national co-ordination, training and policy development in adult literacy work in Ireland. The Agency was established in 1980 and from that time has campaigned for recognition and response to the adult literacy problem in Ireland. The Agency works to ensure that all adults with reading and writing difficulties have access to high quality literacy provision, for the benefit of the individual and of society.

Our recent achievements include:

• A major basic education distance-learning project on TV and radio
• The piloting of an interactive basic education project using the internet
• The launch of a major initiative on health and literacy

The main activities of the National Adult Literacy agency include:

• public relations,
• research,
• developing innovative literacy projects,
• training,
• supporting local literacy schemes,
• advising Government,
• developing national policy,
• developing tools and guidelines for the enhancement of quality literacy provision in Ireland,
• European projects,
• resource room, and
• a national referral service (freephone helpline).

NALA have also played an instrumental role in influencing policy on innovative methods and literacy so much so that many of the proposals in the recent White Paper on Education ( Learning for Life, 2000) are NALA inspired.

• Regarding the integration of literacy and ICT learning, local literacy schemes in Ireland currently use introduction to basic computer skills as a means of recruiting adults experiencing literacy difficulties.
• NALA is currently working on the development of a national strategy and guidelines for the integration of literacy and workplace training. A workplace basic education programme includes literacy, numeracy, communication skills, computer skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving and report writing. Low levels of literacy clearly affect the individual worker’s performance as well as undermining the economic productivity of an organisation.
• The integration of literacy and family learning is also a key priority for NALA. Family literacy programmes in general are making great strides in helping families break the cycle of low literacy and poverty. Due to lack of resources, however, NALA has to date only been in a position to support the development of family literacy in Ireland in an ad hoc manner. Family literacy and numeracy programmes help parents to improve their basic skills. Such programmes would help break the serious generation to generation effect of poor basic skills.
• To date, NALA’s distance education programme has been mainly conducted via a Radio literacy series on RTE Radio 1 (available on cassette) and a television literacy series on RTE 1 (available on video). The TV series represented a leap of faith in educational broadcasting. The (insert stats from Helen) people who watched the programme and rang the free phone helpline to receive their pack are a testimony to its success. It was expected that this be repeated for the Read, Write Now radio literacy series. Both of these initiatives have been heralded as international best practice.

The Specific Learning Difficulties Service aims at creating awareness of the difficulties encountered by a dyslexic individual. Individuals suspecting that they may be dyslexic are referred to the Service for an assessment. Multisensory teaching is given when possible and consultations are held with schools and Colleges of Further Education., should this be necessary.

Courses for parents of dyslexic children are held to develop understanding of the implications of dyslexia and to identify their role in helping children overcome or circumvent problems.

Over the years the SpLD Service has also been involved in In-Service teacher training to familiarize teachers with the condition and to put forward suggestions for intervention and remediation.

AOF Norway is an approved study association, as stipulated in the Norwegian Act on Adult Education. It is based on national organisations with individual members such as trade unions, political, social and cultural organisations within the Norwegian labour movement and society at large.

AOF Norway aims to be the leading provider of adult education programmes for the world of work and to develop its affiliates’ strengths and values. It is the labour movement’s culture organisation.

AOF bases its actitivites on the fundamental values freedom, equality and solidarity. The best guarantee for the realisation of these values in society is through broad educational measures. Our aim is that alle individuals shall have the same opportunities and the same freedom to realise their goals and form their lives. Access to learning programmes and gained learning achievements are prerequisites for reaching this objective.

AOF’s educational approach focuses on experience-based learning, learning-by-doing and the needs and background of the individual. The interaction between trainer and participant shall encourage active participation in the learning process.

AOF Norway covers most course needs through a wide range of products adapted to fit each target group: Computer skills, Health and safety, Vocational training, Languages, Union representative training, Skills development, Leisure and hobby, Reading- and writing difficulties, etc.

AOF is nationwide with 48 local offices throughout the country.

FIATEST is a Romanian consultancy, vocational training and human resources development company.

FIATEST has been involved and is currently involved as a partner in several European projects:

• Socrates projects: EDAD - European Educational Advisor; COMTRAIN - Computer training for less educated people; LET’S BUILD IN EUROPE - Methodologies of distance learning applied to education for building technicians; SWITCHED ON ADULTS;

• Leonardo da Vinci projects: European BIQ (Blind people in qualification); DISTRANET (Distance Training Dissemination Network), NEWTASK (New managerial tasks: the concept of “Shop-floor supervisors as intrapreneurs”: a strategic game); INNOMAN - Development of non-formal vocational training accreditation system for innovation managers certification; LAB-SEL - Thematic virtual laboratories: innovative methodology to support training inside a Local Economic System; E-TUTORS TransNet.

During its 11 years of activity, FIATEST developed continuously its fields of activity and its personnel skills by develping and integrating new pedagogical methods and methodologies. Our team is now consists of Language Teachers, Engineers (specialized in IT, Quality Management, Mechanics), Economists, Psychologists, all having the same main aim: improve the training services by integrating new information, methods and techniques in the standard offer and by developing e-training support for our customers.

SLOVENIAN THIRD AGE UNIVERSITY

The Slovenian Third Age University is a non-governmental organisation founded back in 1984 upon the initiative of a group of experts in andragogy and adult education from the Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities within the University of Ljubljana. The Slovenian Third Age University undertook the developing of its theoretical concept, organisational model and contributed to the setting up of its activities. Since 1984 the Third Age University has developed into a vast network of 27 universities mostly set into bigger and smaller towns all over the country, thus improving the equality of access to adult education not only for the elderly but also other generations of adults.