Embarking on this transformative project, our overarching goals were multifaceted: to map existing best practices in validating and recognizing 21st-century skills cultivated through adult education programs, to foster an exchange of diverse perspectives on intertwining 21st-century skills with established or newly crafted competence frameworks, to innovate by creating pathways for skills assessment, validation, and recognition within adult education programs, and lastly, to pioneer technical solutions seamlessly integrating 21st-century skills assessment and competence frameworks into the dynamic platform of Cities of Learning. Therefore our objectives were: 1. To map existing best practices of validating and recognising 21st century skills developed through adult education programmes. 2. To exchange perspectives on how 21st century skills can be connected with existing or newly developed competence frameworks. 3. To create skills assessment, validation and recognition pathways for adult education programmes focused on the 21st century skills development. 4. To develop technical solutions to embed 21st century skills assessment and competence frameworks within the platform of Cities of Learning.
We applied for this project in response to the profound societal changes driven by the digitalisation of our communities, accelerated by the challenges imposed by the pandemic. Recognising the crucial role of adult education in preparing individuals for the future, we identified a critical gap— the lack of tailored programs addressing 21st-century skills. We saw an opportunity to leverage the Cities of Learning framework and collaborate with European partners to develop innovative solutions. Our goal was to enhance the quality of adult education, particularly focusing on those with fewer opportunities. The needs we addressed were: -Widening skills gap due to technological advancements -Limited access to quality adult learning opportunities -Soft skills often overlooked in qualification frameworks -Disruption in traditional learning due to COVID-19 crisis -Lack of collaboration across sectors -Need for innovative solutions in adult education