Association of Estonian Adult Educators ANDRAS:
– was established as a non-governmental institution in 1991;
– unites the representatives of different adult education providers in Estonia ( 65 juridical and physical entities);
– represents Estonian adult education in Europe and in the world. AEAE ANDRAS shares membership in the European Association for the Education of Adults since 1991 and in the
European Basic Skills network since 2017;
– aims at increasing the competence of adult educators.
Activities:
– participating in the development of education policy;
– taking active part in promoting adult education and the concept of lifelong learning in Estonia building up education-friendly environment;
– organizing campaigns and events highlighting the value of education such as the Adult Learners Week and Adult Education Forum;
– participating in national and international projects focused upon adult learning;
– recognizing the profession of an adult educator and attributing professional qualifications;
– consulting member organizations and engaging them in the projects advancing the development of adult education.
The development of the occupational standard of an adult educator began in the early 2000s and the first qualification certificates were issued to andragogues in 2004. The right to award the qualification of adult educator was given to AEAE ANDRAS, who established a professional committee, involving the leading experts in the field. First occupational standard was knowledge-based. For the implementation of a competence-based occupational standard, a new version was developed in 2007 and the already existing three levels were supplemented. In 2011 four new occupational standards of adult educator were approved which are now fully compatible with the eight-level comprehensive qualification framework valid in Estonia. Since 2012 AEAE ANDRAS awards occupational qualifications of adult educator at levels five, six, seven and eight. So far 45151 professional certificates of adult
educators have been issued.
In terms of the present project the long-term experience of AEAE ANDRAS in organising promotional activities and campaigns of adult learning and adult educators’ training is especially valuable. The organisation has gained experience of participating in and coordinating transnational adult education projects, incl Erasmus+KA2. AEAE ANDRAS is also the national coordinator of Erasmus + AGENDA project “National Coordinators for the Implementation of the European Agenda for Adult Learning”. AEAE ANDRAS is the awarding body
of adult educator’s occupational qualifications in Estonia and has experience in involving experts in the development process of the concept of adult educator’s occupational qualification. AEAE ANDRAS also offers qualified adult educators a range of various activities supporting their professional development – seminars, information days, master classes, conferences, regional workshops. The organisation also provides training courses of different volumes that support adult educators who aim at applying for occupational qualification.
