Later-life learning news
The ForAge Network uses its news pages to publicise upcoming events, activities, publications, policy statements and research that have a connection with later life learning and ForAge's work. Dissemination of the work of organisations outside the ForAge Network is an objective of the partnership. News pages enable partners to promote practice and theory as it happens at national level.
Information and news about the ForAge network and project development can be found on the Forage Network News page and in the regular newsletters published by the partnership and accessible from this website.
Please see below for latest News and Events relevant to later life learning.
News
Posted 3 November 2014
European Parliament elected new European Commission on 22 October 2014 - AGE welcomes new Commission and highlights need for internal cooperation on ageing and demographic issues
Following the approval of the new European Commission by the European Parliament on 22 October 2014, AGE Platform Europe welcomes several positive changes and calls for the new Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs to take a leading role in coordinating the Commission’s action related to demographic change. AGE welcomes that life-long learning is given serious attention, but stresses that it should benefit all persons, not only those of working age. The full AGE press release can be downloaded here
Posted 17 October 2014
Re-establishment of the Intergroup on Ageing and Solidarity between Generations
On 15 October 2014, 10 MEPs joined an event hosted by MEPs Heinz K. Becker (EPP, AT), Josef Weidenholzer (S&D, AT) and Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, SI) to call on political groups to re-establish the long standing Intergroup on Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. Founded in 1982, the Intergroup has been a key factor of progress in the past decades to improve Europeans’ quality of life. During the last term, it gathered some 40 MEPs coming from all political groups and committed to find positive solutions to the challenges of demographic change. It organised more than a dozen of events and has been active on a large range of policy areas.
The press release is available on the AGE website: http://www.age-platform.eu/age-communication-to-the-media-press-releases-en-gb-6/2380-10-meps-call-to-re-establish-the-intergroup-on-ageing-and-solidarity-between-generations
Posted 17 October 2014
Erasmus+ 2015 Call for proposals
The 2015 general call for proposals for the Erasmus+ Programme was announced in the Official Journal of the EU on October 2nd 2014.
The announcement, and deadlines for submission of applications, can be viewed here http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1412531505674&uri=OJ:JOC_2014_344_R_0010
Posted 17 July 2014
ForAge survey on 'Later Life Learning in the 21st Century'
The ForAge network is asking for your views on the key issues facing older people who wish to participate in learning in later life, and how ForAge can help, by completing this short survey: www.surveymonkey.com/s/VQNRJV5
Posted 19 May 2014
SensAge questionnaire
Posted 23 December 2013
The new EU Programme Call and Guide on Erasmus+ is out
The European Commission has released key Erasmus+ documents, including the general Erasmus+ call for proposals and programme guide, on the following new website: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm
Posted 8 October 2013
OECD’s PIAAC survey published
The Survey of Adult Skills is an international survey conducted in as part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). It measures the key cognitive and workplace skills needed for individuals to participate in society and for economies to prosper. It includes statistics relating to the links between age and skills, and skills, learning and health. Results from this survey show that adults’ literacy, numeracy and digital problem-solving skills are below par in many countries including Italy, Spain and France. England and Northern Ireland are below OECD average for literacy and numeracy.
The full survey and key findings are available to download from the ForAge database
Five European adult education experts describe the reactions prompted by the publication of PIAAC results in their countries for Issue 3 of LLine journal
Events
5 November 2014, Brussels, Belgium
'Europe’s Ageing Demography'. An ILC-UK Population Patterns Seminar Series event
This will be the final event in the Population Patterns Seminar Series, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee. The event will will explore Europe’s ageing demography. It will seek to inform further the debate by launching the first ‘European Factpack’ of demographic statistics. This Factpack will provide statistics on a range of topics from life expectancy to housing supply, and pensions to the use of new technologies amongst today’s older generations. The ‘European Factpack’ builds on the UK Factpack initiative, by providing the public, private and third sectors with the most up-to-date information on Europe’s changing demography.
Register to attend this event at: http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/events/europes_ageing_demography._an_ilc_uk_population_patterns_seminar_series_eve
7-8 November 2014, Oporto, Portugal
'New Directions and New Learning in Later Life: Taking the Learning to the Learner; Active and Healthy Ageing; Learning Communities'
The 3rd annual ForAge conference and consultation is taking place in Oporto, Portugal on 7th – 8th November 2014, working in partnership with AidLearn and RUTIS. The theme this year is New Directions and New Learning in Later Life.
Active and healthy ageing are strong themes and campaigns across Europe. They do not always - but should - include access for older people to education and learning as a key element. We need to consider the potential of later life learning opportunities, based in the community as well as in classroom, for the well-being and empowerment of older people as well as the enrichment of society.
The Conference is over two days with each day pursuing a different theme and way of working.
Day One will focus on European and Portuguese policy, research and practice dimensions;
Day Two will use the needs, achievements and testimonies of older learners themselves to better contextualise the issues raised, the ways forward and in particular ForAge’s Vision for the Future.
The format of the event will include a mix of plenary panels and keynote speeches and in-depth discussions within parallel workshops to address concrete facets of the learning dimension of active ageing policy.
Full details about the event are available on the conference website: http://aidlearn.wix.com/forageconference14
7-8 November 2014, Manchester, UK
2014 Aging and Society: Fourth Interdisciplinary conference
A special focus of this year's conference will be "Diversity and Aging." This focus seeks to explore the social and cultural diversity in later life in the topic areas of sexuality, ethnicity, culture, gender and health. There are two main questions that also arise in relation to diversity and aging. The first is what are the experiences of aging that tend to be marginalized in research and practice? The second is how do we challenge the ideas and concepts about the aging process and seek out new ways of understanding aging? Exploring these issues and questions will shed light on the complex and dynamic nature of experiences of aging and address gaps in existing research and knowledge.
For more information visit: http://agingandsociety.com/2014-conference
18-23 February 2015, Cyprus
The new ERASMUS+ training courses for teachers, staff and adult learners (5 day course) H1: 'Learning in later life-intergenerational learning. Working towards the professionalization of professional and volunteer staff working with older and young learners'
The course fits in with the EU priorities: “Professionalization of professional and volunteer staff”. The seminar will stimulate and motivate educational staff to organize, moderate and facilitate later-life learning. It will make them familiar working with senior citizens and older people and in creating intergenerational and intercultural learning settings. It will offer knowledge and methodological skills for learning in later life. The course is geared for those with considerable experience in later-life learning in diverse settings as well to those relatively new in the discipline. For those who have attended any of the Cyprus seminars the last 5-6 years, this training programme will be particularly invaluable in allowing further reflection, evaluation and sharing on how those participants utilized and benefited from the training. The breath of the experienced and interests represented in the seminars are a key strength which all participants-trainees and trainers can learn from and utilize.
For further information, including the course programme, please visit http://www.euroculture.com.cy/Erasmus.html or contact klitossy@cytanet.com.cy
6–17 April 2015, Brussels, Belgium
Deadline for submission of abstracts (max. 800 words): 15 September 2014
For further details see: http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/display/AAI/International+Seminar
