Partner since 2023
Austria joined the RIA-AE Network during the first survey round
A wide variety of educational organisations with different objectives and programmes characterises adult education in Austria. The educational spectrum ranges from general education offerings, such as basic education and obtaining educational qualifications through the second-chance education system, to vocational training, university courses, and higher education. Essential for participation and success in continuing education are the development and implementation of adult-appropriate and target-group-specific programmes, as well as high-quality educational and career guidance.
At the federal level, general adult education is located within the Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research, though other ministries also oversee specific adult education agendas. At the association level, adult education is organised by the Austrian Conference on Adult Education (KEBÖ), which consists of the ten largest continuing education associations. University and non-university research institutions are further key actors in adult education. Finally, a wide range of NGOs, associations, and companies are active in both non-profit and commercial adult education in Austria.
„Austrian adult education organisations engage with Erasmus+ in remarkably diverse ways - from small rural providers to large urban institutions, across all federal states and thematic areas. The RIA-AE Network enables us to capture this diversity systematically and identify both strengths and gaps. Our coordinated approach generates the evidence needed to make Erasmus+ more inclusive, effective and responsive to the needs of the adult education landscape.“