LLinE Lifelong Learning in Europe

Case Studies

Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities Järvenpää Training Centre:
House of Opportunities

Ms Minna Sandberg, Special Needs Teacher

The FPD Järvenpää Training Centre is a vocational education and training institute with special emphasis. Applicants with health problems and other special needs are given the priority in admission. The Centre concentrates on holistic rehabilitation and training of disabled and disadvantaged people, offering assorted vocational training. The holistic rehabilitation also includes physical, psychological and social rehabilitation according to the individual needs and plans of each student. The essential aim of the vocational rehabilitation and training is employability, further education or empowerment.

The Centre provides education and training to approximately 550 students every year. Vocational, degree-oriented training and education programmes of the Upper Secondary level are provided in the fields of Business and Administration, Natural Sciences, Culture, Technologies and Transport. In addition, adult further education and training as well as a wide range of preparatory training for vocational studies, work or independent living are available.

Järvenpää Training Centre is more than a vocational training centre. It also includes a Development Centre offering services and expertise in the fields of special teaching and learning to other educational institutes of the region.

The Centre is situated near Helsinki in the town of Järvenpää. The Centre is owned by the Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities (FPD) and was founded in 1948. The activities of the Centre are funded by the Finnish Government.

The Finnish Noste Programme for adults without post-compulsory qualifications

Dr Kirsti Hulkari, Researcher and trainer, Research Centre for Vocational Education, University of Tampere, Finland

NOSTE has been the most significant programme for equal opportunities in the Finnish adult education policy. This state-promoted programme aims at increasing the participation of low-skilled working adults in vocational education by activating them to apply for training, increasing their possibilities of gaining a degree and improving their learning and IT skills. Important forms of action are training outreach services, working life oriented education and regional networking between education and training providers, including guidance and support services.

Although the quantitative training goals that were set will not be reached, these measures have been successful in increasing interest and participation in adult education. For many students NOSTE training has built a pathway to future training in accordance with the principles of LLL. Raising the level of education of low-skilled adults has required support and resources from the employer and close cooperation between education providers and working life. The intervention of the state has been essential when equal participation opportunities have been created for low-skilled adults.

This study describes the outcomes and key findings of the NOSTE programme. The empirical study has been conducted during the evaluation research of the NOSTE programme in 2004-2008.

From Learning Hero to Learning Ambassador: a project about learners, their experiences and knowledge

Ms Ellen Stavlund, Norwegian Association for Adult Learning, Norway

Lifelong learning is about the citizens' opportunity and ability to realize their ambitions and to participate in building a better society. This project aimed to involve the adult learners in the planning of lifelong learning activities. The learners are experts of using the education system; they have experiences which should be utilized in the development of lifelong learning provision. They can promote the advantage of learning to others by acting as champion and role model and attract the attention of the media.

Learners are different persons with different backgrounds and different experiences. They are living in different conditions and have their own goals with their learning. For many of them The main challenge in adult learning is to meet the learners on their own premises and to use their experiences as a pedagogical advantage. So it is of importance that the learners in this project have different backgrounds and have met different learning challenges.

The project partners and the learners will together develop a training model where important issues will be communication skills, social skills, and team working skills. The aim is to learn to present a message in a personal, professional and reflective way. Learners can take part in activities at different levels and with different objectives, depending on their own circumstances and the context. The adult learners could function as enthusiasts; talking to groups of future adult learners about what learning has been like. They can act as mentors, as experienced and trusted advisers, as champions' telling their stories in the media, as advocates to promote the advantages of learning to different groups and to highlight important issues to professionals.