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The Netherlands are founding member of the RIA-AE Network
Adult education in the Dutch system is primarily focused on improving language, numeracy, and digital skills, and is facilitated by the WEB (Adult and Vocational Education Act). It is aimed at securing a better position in society and the labour market. The offering is determined by the municipalities in the 35 labour market regions. Each labour market region has a different composition of providers offering formal and non-formal education. The providers of learning pathways in these 35 regions are very diverse. These can be regional training centres (ROCs), but also commercial language providers, libraries, (digital) language centres, welfare institutions, social partners and folk universities (Volksuniversiteit).
In the context of Erasmus+ the definition of adult education is broader and also consists of civic integration, corporate training, and learning pathways focused on leisure activities. These learning paths and trainings are gathered under the name Life long learning and can be formal, non-formal and informal learning and are provided also (but not exclusively) by the same institutions as for adult education.
For more information on the adult education system in the Netherlands see: "De staat van de volwasseneneducatie 2024", by Prof. Dr. Maurice de Greef & MSc. Mieke de Haan MLD
„I have much more self-confidence now and I came back with a lot of energy. I found it nerve-wracking beforehand. I was the only client who came along, with only social workers: would they listen to me, am I important enough?“