Ecorys UK wins contract for EC adult learning platform

21 January 2015 Consultancy.uk

Research and advisory firm Ecorys has won a contract to manage the UK National Support Service for the EC's ePlatform for Adult Learning in Europe. The UK NSS will promote adult learning in the UK and provide promotion for the platform, engaging with learners and stakeholders and open the platform to ‘hard to access’ UK based content.

EPALE
Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE) is a by the European Commission funded multilingual* open membership community set up “in an on-going commitment of improving the quality of adult learning provision in Europe.” The platform forms a central location for information and resources on adult education and offers an events calendar, community blogs, teaching and learning materials, discussion forums, and directories of e-learning schemes. EPALE specifically targets teachers, trainers, researchers, academics, policy makers and anyone else with a professional role in adult learning across Europe.

Ecorys UK wins contract for EPALE

Information on EPALE will come from National Support Services (NSSs) set up by the EU, which are responsible for bringing EPALE to the adult learning community in their country.

From a UK perspective, consulting firm Ecorys has been hired to advise and manage the NSS of EPALE. The EPALE UK NSS will gather and publish relevant UK based information on the EPALE site, contributing to the pan European EPALE Resource Centre. As part of the agreement, which runs to December 2015, Ecorys will be tasked with promoting the platform to adult learning professionals in the UK, engaging with adult learning professionals and stakeholders digitally and directly through a series of national and regional events, sourcing and generating high quality ‘hard to access’ UK-based content which will be available only on the EPALE platform.

Ashfa Slater, Ecorys UK’s Associate Director, states that “the NSS in the UK will … raise awareness and interest amongst stakeholders to encourage them to get involved in the EPALE community, exchanging ideas and best practices by participating in the thematic forums.”

* EPALE will be available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.