A new milestone has been reached in the project Life Skills for Europe (LSE). A general framework for life skills was published on the EAEA website in collaboration with the leading partner for this activity, the Learning and Work Institute from the United Kingdom. It is based on the Report on Life Skills Approach in Europe with the SIAE as the leading partner of this activity.
The aim of the framework is to provide a better understanding of the life skills concept in Europe. It defined 8 basic capabilities which are necessary for active participation in the job market and a good quality of life. Each basic capability is defined by two aspects: the difficulty level of the skill or capability and the level of familiarity of circumstances in which the skill is developed. This definition of capabilities allows adult educators to adapt the learning to the needs of the adult learner and to track the progress. The adult learner can thus gradually progress from the basic to the advanced level of difficulty and develops capabilities for different purposes and in different circumstances. This promotes development of capabilities in relation to others, family, friends and local community, which encourages the individual’s empowerments and active citizenship.
For adult educators who work on development of programmes for vulnerable groups of adults in Slovenia, the concept of this framework and the fields it provides will probably be very interesting and useful. The framework can be used in its entirety or by parts for learning of individual fields or capabilities.
So far, the framework is available only in English, but will be translated into the languages of all project partners.
Estera Možina, Msc (ester.mozina@SIAE.si), SIAE