Farkas Éva
The practice of adult education and vocational training in Hungary
CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Appreciation of Learning
1.2. Appreciation of Adult Education
2. STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION
2.1. BASIC NOTIONS, SYSTEM AND INSTITUTIONS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION
2.1.1. Adult education - the training of adults
2.1.1.1. Lifelong learning
2.1.1.2. General education and training
2.1.1.3. Vocational training
2.1.1.4. Language courses
2.1.2. The system of vocational training
2.1.3. Institutions of vocational training and adult education
2.2. Legal background to vocational training and adult education
2.3. Financial background to vocational training and adult education
3. THE CONTENT OF ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING
3.1. The National Training Register
3.2. Professional and examination requirements
3.2.1. The structure and the content of examination requirements
3.3. The content and methodology of examinations
3.3.1. The organization of the professional examination
3.3.1.1. Registration
3.3.1.2. Dealing with the examination
3.3.1.3. The professional examination board
4. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF PROGRAMS IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION
4.1. The organization of education
4.2. The professional preparation of the training
4.2.1. How to start activities in the area of adult education?
4.2.1.1. The introduction of training programs
4.3. The implementation and closure of the training program. Binding documents
4.3.1. Closing the training
5. CONCLUSION
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Introduction
Education and training are our society's most important public concerns today, with a special emphasis on vocational training and adult education. The attention of the general public is increasingly focused on educational questions in general and the conditions of education in particular. The topic of education has become a hot socio-political issue. All members of society are interested in the future of their own children; they want to know what educational institutions the young ones can enroll, what learning environments they will work in and, also, what teaching methods will be used by their teachers. The most decisive period of the learning process by now has shifted from childhood education to adult learning. Today the function of formal vocational schools is only to provide initial training and the first qualification. Adults, at different stages of their lives are to face the outdatedness of their formerly acquired knowledge and skills. As time passes the usefulness of formerly acquired knowledge in society has been rapidly diminishing. This is why the question of lifelong learning, continuing education and training and retraining programs has become of vital importance. It is worth being prepared for these changes, especially as it is a well known fact that education has become the most remunerative investment.
The operation of various economic and social subsystems is closely interrelated, thus changes in one policy necessarily generate changes in another area. The renewed appreciation of learning was also generated by changes outside the educational sector. Mobility, the free movement of workforce is one of the basic human rights in the countries of the European Union, and this feature necessitated the implementation of mutually accepted qualifications, degrees and certificates by regulating and harmonizing the entire area of education. This dimension is described by GÁBORHALÁSZ, as a a factor of significance from the point of view of the creation of the European educational area. (HALÁSZ, 2012). Human resources development - a priority area within the European Union - had a considerable impact on the content of the programs offered by various training institutions and it triggered their renewal from legal and financial points of view as well.
Education and training also play a role in the fight against poverty within social policy, since economic inactivity and poverty are closely related. (HALÁSZ, 2004). (Vocational) training is an active tool in employment policy because it makes inactive work force employable in the job market.
It is more and more evident that within the school system the young generation cannot be taught everything they would need during their working lives. Consequently, teaching - at all schools, including the highest level - can only serve as basis for further education and training. Thus, the most decisive stage within the learning process has been shifted to adulthood. Today an outstanding majority of young people acquire their knowledge and improve their skills outside the formal educational system, i.e. within the framework of adult education. This trend is likely to continue in the future, too. This is why it is of utmost importance to implement an educational system, which is based on the idea of lifelong learning and which represents a coherent system of public education, vocational training, higher education and adult education. The operation of training programs is part of this system. These programs develop people's skills in order to enable them to adjust to the rapidly changing social, economic, employment and demographic conditions and they enable them to respond to the changing conditions in a creative way. In addition, this system needs to be operated in such a way that it should meet the claims of those people in the job market who want to be part of lifelong learning programs. Although this need is present in Hungary, the current educational (vocational) programs are too varied and difficult to match the formerly described needs. The quality assessment of these programs varies, too, and both experts and outsiders express diverse statements on this issue.