UIL and IIEP launch an online course on ‘Strengthening Alternative and Non-Formal Education for Youth and Adults in Education Sector Plans’

From 23 November 2020 to 12 February 2021, 46 participants from nine countries will learn how to strengthen alternative and non-formal education for youth and adults in education sector plans. They will take part in an online course offered by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP).

The skills and competencies required by today’s knowledge societies and economies are rapidly evolving to match the pace of economic, technological and social change. The need to provide learning opportunities to individuals throughout life is growing. Responding to this trend demands flexible learning pathways, strong links between formal, non-formal and informal learning, including frameworks for the recognition, validation, and accreditation of learning outcomes, and new funding mechanisms.

However, many countries worldwide, do not provide sufficient learning opportunities to young people and adults who are out of the formal education system. Alternative and non-formal education for youth and adults (ANFE) is often missing in education sector plans and as a result suffers from a lack of policy attention and funding.

The objective of this course is to equip participants with the technical knowledge and skills to ensure that the learning needs of marginalized youth and adult learning are reflected in sector-wide education plans and strategies within a lifelong learning perspective. In the long term, a stronger focus on ANFE in education sector plans, will guide the development of holistic lifelong learning systems, ensuring that all young people and adults can learn and continue learning throughout life in a changing world.