"A new skills agenda for Europe" [COM(2016) 381] pointed out that “people need a minimum level of basic skills, including numeracy, literacy and basic digital skills, to access good jobs and participate fully in society” and also “learners at all ages need excellent educators to develop the broad set of skills and attitudes they need both for life and future work”. The project addresses both, the learners and the educators. It focuses on adult education and well-being of people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The proposal is based on data review of statistical information and results of research done at national and EU levels and own partners research. It is a response to the problem of a gap in financial knowledge coming from basic skills shortcomings. Although over 90% of citizens of EU countries are literate, which means that the majority of the population can read and perform arithmetic operations on numbers [indexmundi.com], the level of using of basic skills is different. According to PIAAC survey [Skills Matters 2017] and PISA [2016, for non-OECD countries where PIAAC panel wasn`t conducted], proficiency in reading & counting varies between countries and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents (which influenced choice of project’s target group). These most important factors are: sex, education level, age, income and nationality [PIAAC data; GFLS, Mitchell&Lusardi, 2016]. Literacy proficiency is usually higher among women, better educated people, younger and in higher-income countries. As GFLS survey shows, in high-income countries (OECD and non-OECD) the % of adults who are financially literate is: IT:37, PL:42, ES:49]. In upper-middle income countries the amount decreases – this is the case of RO: 22. Financially literate are only 26% of people living in poor households (35% in rich). Also the foreigners & migrants need a support in basic skills and in financial literacy as their households are statistically poorer (30,3% is being at risk of poverty) than native households-16% (Eurostat). The project has 2 aims: 1) to extend competences of adult educators in effective teaching finance and digital skills by preparing Open Educational Resource (OER) containing innovative, customised learning course "Finances in everyday life” 2) to improve the financial potential of people from disadvantaged backgrounds by increasing their digital and financial literacy defined as: “a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being.” Target group: 1) adult educators (incl. not professionals, working in non-formal education settings, adult education centres, schools for adults, 3rd age universities, social centres, voluntary organisations, adult educators-freelancers) working with people from disadvantaged backgrounds; 3) adult learners from disadvantaged backgrounds incl.: people living in remote areas; unemployed (incl. people living in low-income households, women); senior citizens, low-skilled or low-educated people, immigrants. The project is centred among development of two main Intellectual Outputs: the course for adult educators “Finances in everyday life” as Open Educational Resource (OER) and Guide for Adult Educators "Have a nice journey! On the way to improve basic skills". Activities leading to the production of these outputs are common effort of all partners. The outputs will be tested and evaluated externally in order to achieve high quality of final results. It is expected that the impact of the project will be significant at all levels. Local, regional and national levels will be impacted by the dissemination activities performed by partners in their regions and countries. As the result, the adult educators will rise their digital and social competencies and disadvantaged learners will start using digital and financial knowledge and skills in various areas of their lives.
Within the FIL project, partners wanted to achieve the fulfilment of its two aims which were: 1) to extend competences of adult educators in effective teaching finance and digital skills by preparing Open Educational Resource (OER) containing innovative, customised learning course "Finances in everyday life” 2) to improve the financial potential of people from disadvantaged backgrounds by increasing their digital and financial literacy defined as: “a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being.”
The partners applied for this project because as they are working in the field of adult education they wanted to improve the adult education and wellbeing of people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They wanted to answer the need pointed out in "A new skills agenda for Europe" [COM(2016) 381] which states that “people need a minimum level of basic skills, including numeracy, literacy and basic digital skills, to access good jobs and participate fully in society” and also “learners at all ages need excellent educators to develop the broad set of skills and attitudes they need both for life and future work”. Therefore the needs that FIL project answered were the following: - Development of basic and specific competences of adult educators working with disadvantaged learners, with focus on innovative methods and tools - Provision of necessary knowledge and skills for disadvantaged learners in the area of finances and digital competences needed to increase the quality of their lives and well-being. An additional reason why partners applied for FIL project is that they were also interested in having new didactic tools in the form of course and the guide, in which development they could participate.
"A new skills agenda for Europe" [COM(2016) 381] pointed out that “people need a minimum level of basic skills, including numeracy, literacy and basic digital skills, to access good jobs and participate fully in society” and also “learners at all ages need excellent educators to develop the broad set of skills and attitudes they need both for life and future work”. The project addresses both, the learners and the educators. It focuses on adult education and well-being of people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The proposal is based on data review of statistical information and results of research done at national and EU levels and own partners research. It is a response to the problem of a gap in financial knowledge coming from basic skills shortcomings. Although over 90% of citizens of EU countries are literate, which means that the majority of the population can read and perform arithmetic operations on numbers [indexmundi.com], the level of using of basic skills is different. According to PIAAC survey [Skills Matters 2017] and PISA [2016, for non-OECD countries where PIAAC panel wasn`t conducted], proficiency in reading & counting varies between countries and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents (which influenced choice of project’s target group). These most important factors are: sex, education level, age, income and nationality [PIAAC data; GFLS, Mitchell&Lusardi, 2016]. Literacy proficiency is usually higher among women, better educated people, younger and in higher-income countries. As GFLS survey shows, in high-income countries (OECD and non-OECD) the % of adults who are financially literate is: IT:37, PL:42, ES:49]. In upper-middle income countries the amount decreases – this is the case of RO: 22. Financially literate are only 26% of people living in poor households (35% in rich). Also the foreigners & migrants need a support in basic skills and in financial literacy as their households are statistically poorer (30,3% is being at risk of poverty) than native households-16% (Eurostat). The project has 2 aims: 1) to extend competences of adult educators in effective teaching finance and digital skills by preparing Open Educational Resource (OER) containing innovative, customised learning course "Finances in everyday life” 2) to improve the financial potential of people from disadvantaged backgrounds by increasing their digital and financial literacy defined as: “a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being.” Target group: 1) adult educators (incl. not professionals, working in non-formal education settings, adult education centres, schools for adults, 3rd age universities, social centres, voluntary organisations, adult educators-freelancers) working with people from disadvantaged backgrounds; 3) adult learners from disadvantaged backgrounds incl.: people living in remote areas; unemployed (incl. people living in low-income households, women); senior citizens, low-skilled or low-educated people, immigrants. The project is centred among development of two main Intellectual Outputs: the course for adult educators “Finances in everyday life” as Open Educational Resource (OER) and Guide for Adult Educators "Have a nice journey! On the way to improve basic skills". Activities leading to the production of these outputs are common effort of all partners. The outputs will be tested and evaluated externally in order to achieve high quality of final results. It is expected that the impact of the project will be significant at all levels. Local, regional and national levels will be impacted by the dissemination activities performed by partners in their regions and countries. As the result, the adult educators will rise their digital and social competencies and disadvantaged learners will start using digital and financial knowledge and skills in various areas of their lives.