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MIROSŁAW MARCZEWSKI COOPERATION BETWEEN THE WORLD OF EDUCATION, TRAINING AND WORK IN THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
• Council Conclusions of 11 May 2010 on social dimension of education and training; • Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions – A new impetus for European cooperation in Vocational Education and Training to support the Europe 2020 strategy. June 2010; • Especially valuable document concerning those issues is the Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European cooperation in Vocational Education and Training for the period 2011-2020, which postulates the development of a modern and attractive continuing education system, promoting an approach based on lifelong learning and supporting the development of flexible learning paths. The Bruges Communiqué also encourages Member States to enhance comparability between recognition systems, i.e. the ECTS system, which for many years has operated in higher education; and an analogous ECVET system in vocational education and training. It should be mentioned that issues relating to the development and implementation of ECVET form one of the top priorities of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme (Transfer of Innovation action), and several projects are being implemented in Poland with a view to this topic being analysed. Being a National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme, we participate in an inter-agency project coordinated by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education (BIBB) in Germany. To conclude, I would like to share with you reflections on another sub-programme of the Lifelong Learning Programme, i.e. Grundtvig, which focuses on adult education. The Grundtvig Programme is not very significant in terms of the budget earmarked for it, but it is highly rewarding and should be considered one of the most important tools promoting lifelong learning among adults, and senior citizens in particular. As part of the Grundtvig Programme, we have cooperated with 14 Universities of the Third Age, including four operating at HEIs; and with many different organisations such as public libraries, culture centres, and scientific institutes for the general public whose target groups are senior citizens. In view of the current demographic changes and the ageing of societies, Universities of the Third Age both pose a challenge and form an opportunity for HEIs, which can open up to non-standard students. The elderly, who no longer work and often are not encumbered by family tasks, prove to be highly-motivated learners. However, what we admire them for most is their extraordinary enthusiasm for implementing EU-funded projects. Working with European partners, senior citizens willingly apply peer learning, which is highly recommended as part of the Copenhagen Process.