Brussels, 23/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Grundtvig programme, which helps adults fine-tune their skills by providing financial support for training and mobility linked to learning, is now celebrating its 10th birthday. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, took part in the events celebrating the 10th year of the programme's existence in Copenhagen on 22 and 23 of September. The Commission believes the Grundtvig programme is needed more than ever to overcome the crisis and to free up all of Europe's growth potential, by ensuring that those who missed opportunities in the past are able to flourish in the future. The commissioner said that “Grundtvig gives adults of all ages a second chance to gain skills and qualifications which will improve their job prospects and personal development”, said Commissioner Vassiliou. “The programme supports a wide range of organisations, with a strong focus on disadvantaged adults. It is a vital part of the European Commission's strategy for lifelong learning and will contribute to our Youth on the Move initiative and the EUROPE 2020 goals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The Grundtvig programme helps adults who left school with basic or no qualifications, as well as providing support for teachers, trainers and other staff in adult education centres and associations, counselling organisations, information services, NGOs, enterprises, voluntary groups and research, etc. The specific programme objectives are to: 1) improve the quality of training courses and increase the mobility of learners and adult education teachers and staff; 2) ensure that people on the margins of society have access to adult education, especially older people and those without basic qualifications; 3) improve co-operation between adult education organisations; 4) develop innovative adult education and management practices, and encourage widespread implementation; 5) support ICT-based educational content, services and practices. Over the past decade, the programme has invested €370 million in the adult education sector and provided 17,000 grants for organisations involving an estimated 500,000 participants. The total budget for the Grundtvig programme in 2007-13 is €415 million. A public consultation on the future Commission programme on education and lifelong training, which includes the Grundtvig programme, began on 15 September. (I.L./transl.fl)