The project “Promotion of Lifelong Learning Phase II,” with a total value of HRK 11,840,800.00 (EUR 1,571,544.23), was funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) under the Operational Program Effective Human Resources 2014-2020 (OP EHR 2014-2020). The project was led by the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (ASOO) and was implemented from 2020 to 2023.

Purpose and Objectives of the Project

The purpose of the project was to address the issue of insufficient participation of Croatian citizens in lifelong learning by raising awareness of the importance of lifelong learning, promoting various opportunities for lifelong learning, and increasing participation/involvement of adults in lifelong learning processes through the expansion of existing and the introduction of new activities. This aimed to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market and strengthen the personal capacities of individuals for active participation in society.

Furthermore, through a series of activities organized within the project, the competencies of educational staff from adult education institutions were also strengthened.

Project Activities were Organized into Four Elements:

1. National Campaign for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning
2. Strengthening the Competencies of Educational Staff in Adult Education Institutions
3. Promotion and Visibility
4. Project Management and Administration

Overview of Achieved Project Activities:

• A redesign of the visual-communication solution for the project was created.
• A Working Group was formed to monitor the implementation of the Strategic Framework for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning in Croatia 2017-2021, and a publication was created on the results of monitoring the implementation of the Strategic Framework and improving the promotion of lifelong learning.
• Two study visits to France and Slovakia were held to review best practices in the EU in the field of lifelong learning, with a special focus on activities and measures promoting lifelong learning in relevant institutions.
• Three professional-scientific conferences were held with a total of about 250 participants, and three publications were produced after the conferences for further dissemination among educational staff from adult education institutions.
• Communication materials for media campaigns promoting lifelong learning were developed.
• Three media campaigns promoting lifelong learning were conducted.

Since one of the goals of the project was to promote the importance and various opportunities for lifelong learning in Croatia, the entire project focused on promoting lifelong learning. Consequently, intensive campaigns and advertising were carried out during the project in various media types such as print media, electronic media, television, radio, internet (advertising via online ads and web portals, social networks, and advertising on public surfaces).

In all project years, eight regional coordinators were engaged to assist in the preparation, organization, and implementation of the Lifelong Learning Promotion campaign with the aim of decentralizing activities related to learning and education, thus involving all regions and counties of Croatia in the project’s activities.

Overview of Activities Conducted within the Three National Campaigns for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning:

• Three Opening Ceremonies of the Lifelong Learning Week (15th, 16th, and 17th Lifelong Learning Weeks) were held with a total of 336 participants.
• Three Lifelong Learning Fairs were organized, for which the exact number of participants cannot be specified since these are open and exhibition-type events where it is not possible to count and register every individual visitor.
• A total of 9 Knowledge Dandelion Awards for achievements in adult learning and 9 Acknowledgments for contributions to the development of adult education in Croatia were awarded. The Knowledge Dandelion Award has become one of the most important and recognizable components of the Lifelong Learning Promotion project because by highlighting the personal examples of individuals who overcome life’s difficulties through education in not always encouraging environments, we motivate citizens to engage in some form of learning and education. The Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education started the practice of awarding Acknowledgments for contributions to the development of adult education in 2017 to highlight, promote, and recognize individuals who, through their long-term active involvement in this field, have significantly contributed to adult education in Croatia on a professional and scientific level.
• 41 adult education institutions were engaged for the promotion of lifelong learning at the regional level, organizing a total of 62 workshops with 853 participants.
• Several thousand citizens participated in these events within the campaigns. Informing citizens about how they themselves can become part of the lifelong learning process and motivating them to take that step is the cornerstone of each Lifelong Learning Week. The campaign was strongly covered by the media, with promotional materials and brochures on the campaign results also accompanying the campaign activities.

International Andragogical Symposia:

• Three International Andragogical Symposia (IAS) were conducted, with a total of 497 participants, focusing on current topics related to adult education. Prominent experts in adult education at the international and national levels informed symposium participants about new developments in adult education, shared their practical experiences, and thus enabled them to acquire new andragogical knowledge and skills aimed at further improving the adult education system. Additionally, to improve quality in adult education, each Symposium included lectures and workshops to strengthen the capacities of target groups and decision-makers for the implementation of quality assurance and monitoring procedures in adult education.
• Three summaries of the International Andragogical Symposia were produced and printed.
• A total of 24 one-day events on andragogical topics were organized, with a total of 482 participants.

To enhance professionalization and encourage knowledge exchange among teachers working in adult education, four cycles of andragogical workshops were conducted, completed by a total of 100 participants/andragogical workers (25 andragogical workers per cycle). Through four cycles of training workshops held from March 2021 to January 2023, participants had access to free but very serious and demanding training organized into five modules. The training was conducted through the Curriculum globALE program, which includes five basic thematic modules lasting eighteen working days, or 336 hours, covering the following topics: Access to Adult Education, Planning, Organization, and Evaluation in Adult Education, Adult Learning and Teaching, Communication and Group Dynamics in Adult Education, and Methods of Adult Education.

After the four cycles of andragogical workshops, participants conducted final projects/workshops. They conducted a total of 42 workshops involving additional participants from adult education institutions and vocational schools, resulting in excellent dissemination, adding significant value to the adult education system. Over 600 andragogical workers attended the final workshops.

Three ceremonies were held to present certificates to participants of the andragogical workshops. Additionally, three three-day workshops for ASOO/MZO employees were conducted to enhance cooperation with other education institutions, ensuring inclusion and knowledge/resource sharing to maximize the project results. A final conference was held to present the project results over the three years of implementation, further raising awareness among all Croatian citizens and decision-makers/stakeholders in education about the importance of lifelong learning. The last activity marked the end of the project, and a final report was produced.