The new manual on outreach in guidance for adult learners was created in the scope of the Erasmus+ KA3 GOAL (Guidance and Orientation for Adult Learners) project, which was successfully concluded in 2018. More information on the project and its results can be found at the project website.
We have decided to prepare the manual with our project associates (from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the SIAE and the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training) based on the in-depth evaluation of results that covered different domains of guidance for adult learners. The evaluation showed outreach as an important factor of guidance for adult learners to ensure a more efficient and more flexible connection with vulnerable groups of adults. This guidance activity allows us to reach the adults in their environment. At the same time, the main goal of outreach is to reach less educated adults and include them into lifelong learning, as this allows us to inform them of educational options and/or options for guidance with participation in educational programmes. One of the finding of our evaluation was that we need to strengthen the existing outreach activities and develop new, even more pro-active approaches.
As a result, a project associate Tanja Vilič Klenovšek, MSc, from the SIAE prepared the manual with short recommendation for implementation of outreach as a guidance activity. In addition to the definition of outreach, the manual includes concrete instructions and recommendations for its planning, implementation and monitoring. The last part also includes four tools – forms that may help the counsellor with outreach planning and implementation.
The manual was primarily written for counsellors and their partners in adult education, and for other educators who find themselves in the role of guidance counsellors. Using the professional recommendations in the manual, they will be able to improve their guidance activities with efficient outreach.
The manual is also available online (in Slovenian).
Andreja Dobrovoljc, MSc (andreja.dobrovoljc@SIAE.si), SIAE
