Academy of Continuing Education (wba)
About us
The Academy of Continuing Education is a system for the qualification and recognition/accreditation of adult educators.
Founded in 2007 the Academy of Continuing Education has a new approach to recognising acquired competences of adult educators in that it acknowledges previously acquired qualifications and offers guidance as far as the acquisition of missing skills is regarded. While adult education in Austria is still a heterogeneous field and difficult to compare, the Academy of Continuing Education sets standards and strengthens the professionalization of Austrian adult education.
The Academy of Continuing Education does not offer further education programmes itself but accredits suitable further education programmes offered by various adult education institutes throughout Austria.
Practical experience in the field of adult education is a prerequisite for a certification by the Academy of Continuing Education.
The Academy of Continuing Education is a system for the qualification and recognition/accreditation of adult educators.
Founded in 2007 the Academy of Continuing Education has a new approach to recognising acquired competences of adult educators in that it acknowledges previously acquired qualifications and offers guidance as far as the acquisition of missing skills is regarded. While adult education in Austria is still a heterogeneous field and difficult to compare, the Academy of Continuing Education sets standards and strengthens the professionalization of Austrian adult education.
The Academy of Continuing Education does not offer further education programmes itself but accredits suitable further education programmes offered by various adult education institutes throughout Austria.
Practical experience in the field of adult education is a prerequisite for a certification by the Academy of Continuing Education.
Target Groups
The Academy of Continuing Education is directed towards individuals from one of the four main professions in adult education who are actively involved in adult education in Austria and beyond and want to take part in a certification process.
Suitable work fields would be managerial positions in institutes of vocational and non-vocational adult education, responsibility for educational matters, the planning, organising and accompanying of learning processes, teaching, counselling or librarianship.
Furthermore it is also directed towards adult education institutions that want to have their offers of further education accredited by the Academy of Continuing Education.
The Academy of Continuing Education is directed towards individuals from one of the four main professions in adult education who are actively involved in adult education in Austria and beyond and want to take part in a certification process.
Suitable work fields would be managerial positions in institutes of vocational and non-vocational adult education, responsibility for educational matters, the planning, organising and accompanying of learning processes, teaching, counselling or librarianship.
Furthermore it is also directed towards adult education institutions that want to have their offers of further education accredited by the Academy of Continuing Education.
Two-level-certification-system with two degrees
The Academy of Continuing Education awards two degrees: a certificate and based on the certificate a diploma.
In a two-level modular curriculum the relevant competences are described.
While the certificate attests a person´s basic competences in all four fields of adult education, the diploma stresses the specific field of adult education the graduate is working in. That could be either Teaching, Guidance/Counselling, Educational Management or Librarianship and Information Management.
In order to be awarded a wba-certificate students have to:
The Academy of Continuing Education awards two degrees: a certificate and based on the certificate a diploma.
In a two-level modular curriculum the relevant competences are described.
While the certificate attests a person´s basic competences in all four fields of adult education, the diploma stresses the specific field of adult education the graduate is working in. That could be either Teaching, Guidance/Counselling, Educational Management or Librarianship and Information Management.
In order to be awarded a wba-certificate students have to:
- bring along the required practical experience
- prove all the required competences (including Educational Theories, Social and Personal Skills and basic skills in all of the four competences related to the Academy´s four target groups).
- take part and pass a certification workshop, a three-day-assessment center including a multiple-choice-test on educational theories.
- prove all the required competences (including Educational Theories, Social and Personal Skills and a special focus on one of the four competences related to the Academy´s four target groups)
- write a theory-guided, work-related thesis on a subject from the field they specialise in
- take part and pass the final oral overall exam
Benefits
The Academy of Continuing Education develops and ensures quality standards.
It constitutes an important step toward the professionalization of Austrian adult education because it enables those taking part in its certification process to obtain a degree widely recognised within the profession.
At the end of their studies, adult educators in Austria are for the first time able to obtain a widely recognised diploma within the profession.
The Academy is not only an innovative project but a novelty within Austria´s field of adult education in regard to the following two aspects:
The Academy of Continuing Education develops and ensures quality standards.
It constitutes an important step toward the professionalization of Austrian adult education because it enables those taking part in its certification process to obtain a degree widely recognised within the profession.
At the end of their studies, adult educators in Austria are for the first time able to obtain a widely recognised diploma within the profession.
The Academy is not only an innovative project but a novelty within Austria´s field of adult education in regard to the following two aspects:
- it is supported by all ten major adult education umbrella organisations (the so-called KEBÖ-institutions)
- it recognises formally acquired competences as well as competences that have been obtained in non-formal or informal ways.
Characteristics
To sum up here are the top-characteristics of the Academy of Continuing Education:
To sum up here are the top-characteristics of the Academy of Continuing Education:
- the four target groups of the Academy of Continuing Education correlate with the four main professions in the field of Austrian adult education: teachers/trainers, educational managers, counsellors and librarians/information managers
- the Academy of Continuing Education recognises existing formal qualifications as well as non-formally or informally acquired skills
- the Academy of Continuing Education acknowledges a broad range of documents as evidence of competence (certificates, confirmations, equivalents, assessments etc.)
- compulsory three-day-assessment at the wba-certificate-level
- the Academy of Continuing Education offers individual educational counselling and career counselling by trained counsellors
- the Academy of Continuing Education´s two-level modular curriculum is based on competence profiles
- the Academy of Continuing Education awards two different types of degrees:
- the wba-certificate for certified adult educators (rated at 30 ECTS)
- the wba-diploma for graduated adult educators (rated at 60 ECTS )
- the Academy of Continuing Education in accrediting educational offers, sets a standard for quality and assures the quality of the offers accredited
Network
The Academy of Continuing Education was developed by well-known representatives from Austrian adult education organisations (KEBÖ) and research institutions. This initiative led to the existence of the “cooperative system of professionalising and quality development in adult education” at the Austrian Federal Institute for Adult Education St. Wolfgang. The Academy of Continuing Education is part of this cooperative system that aims at the professionalising and quality assurance of Austrian adult education.
The Academy is closely related to practical experience and embedded into a trans-institutional network of adult education centres.
Under the general management of the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres the Academy of Continuing Education has developed into a European exemplary model within only three years´ time.
Institutions within the “cooperative system” are:
The Academy of Continuing Education was developed by well-known representatives from Austrian adult education organisations (KEBÖ) and research institutions. This initiative led to the existence of the “cooperative system of professionalising and quality development in adult education” at the Austrian Federal Institute for Adult Education St. Wolfgang. The Academy of Continuing Education is part of this cooperative system that aims at the professionalising and quality assurance of Austrian adult education.
The Academy is closely related to practical experience and embedded into a trans-institutional network of adult education centres.
Under the general management of the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres the Academy of Continuing Education has developed into a European exemplary model within only three years´ time.
Institutions within the “cooperative system” are:
- Association of Austrian Residential Educational Centres (ARGE Bildungshäuser)
- Vocational Training Institute (Berufsförderungsinstitut)
- Austrian Library Association (Büchereiverband Österreich)
- Catholic Adult Education Institutions (Forum Katholischer Erwachsenenbildung)
- Austrian National Economy Society (Österreichische Volkswirtschaftliche Gesellschaft)
- Federation of Austrian Educational Associations (Ring Österreichischer Bildungswerke)
- Association of Austrian Trade Union Education (Verband Österreichischer Gewerkschaftlicher Bildung)
- Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres (Verband Österreichischer Volkshochschulen)
- Institute for Economy Promotion of the Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut)
- Insitute for Further Education in Rural Areas (Landwirtschaftliches Förderungsinstitut )
Contact
Adress:
Weiterbildungsakademie Österreich
Westbahnstraße 30/1
1070 Wien
Karin Reisinger
Tel: +43(0)1/5242000-12
E-Mail: karin.reisinger@wba.or.at
Irmgard Stieglmayer
Tel: +43(0)1/5242000-11
E-Mail: irmgard.stieglmayer@wba.or.at
Gudrun Breyer
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-14
E-Mail: gudrun.breyer@wba.or.at
Giselheid Wagner
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-13
E-Mail: giselheid.wagner@wba.or.at
Petra Steiner
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-15
E-Mail: petra.steiner@wba.or.at
Adress:
Weiterbildungsakademie Österreich
Westbahnstraße 30/1
1070 Wien
Karin Reisinger
Tel: +43(0)1/5242000-12
E-Mail: karin.reisinger@wba.or.at
Irmgard Stieglmayer
Tel: +43(0)1/5242000-11
E-Mail: irmgard.stieglmayer@wba.or.at
Gudrun Breyer
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-14
E-Mail: gudrun.breyer@wba.or.at
Giselheid Wagner
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-13
E-Mail: giselheid.wagner@wba.or.at
Petra Steiner
Tel. +43(0)1/5242000-15
E-Mail: petra.steiner@wba.or.at
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