A person entering an adult education programme brings more than their previous school certificates. They also bring years of experience: solving problems at work, managing responsibilities at home, supporting others, and adapting to changing circumstances.
Much of this learning happens outside a classroom. It may never appear on a diploma or a CV, yet it can provide a strong foundation for further education.
Recognising that foundation helps educators understand where learners are starting from. It also helps adults see themselves as people who already have valuable knowledge and skills.
For the XXI Adults project, which focuses on adapting adult education to the twenty-first century, this offers a useful starting point: building new learning on the experience adults bring with them.
Learning Happens in Different Places
Formal education provides structured learning through schools, colleges, and recognised programmes. Adults also learn through organised activities outside these settings, such as workplace training or community workshops.
Other learning develops through everyday experience. Someone may learn to organise tasks by coordinating a busy household, improve communication skills through volunteering, or develop practical technical knowledge while repairing equipment.
These experiences differ, and they do not automatically demonstrate the same level of competence. However, they can reveal knowledge worth exploring.
An educator’s role is to help learners identify what they have learned, explain how they use it, and connect it to the goals of a course.
Making Skills Visible
Adults do not always recognise their own abilities as skills. They may describe something as “just helping out” or “something I have always done.”
Consider a volunteer who helps organise local events. Their responsibilities might include contacting participants, preparing schedules, tracking expenses, and responding to unexpected changes. Behind the description “I help with events” are examples of communication, planning, teamwork, and problem-solving.
A useful conversation begins with concrete questions:
- What responsibilities did you have?
- What decisions did you make?
- What difficulties did you encounter?
- How did you respond?
- What was the result?
These questions help move from a general description to a clearer account of what the person can do.
The process should remain supportive. Learners need time to reflect, especially when they are unfamiliar with describing their experience in educational or professional terms.
Experience as a Starting Point for Teaching
Recognising prior learning can improve how a course is designed and delivered.
Before beginning a topic, educators can invite participants to describe relevant situations they have encountered. A lesson on budgeting could start with how learners plan household spending. A session on communication could draw on experiences of working with customers, colleagues, or community members.
These examples give new concepts a practical context. They also help educators identify where learners already feel confident and where further explanation or practice is needed.
Prior experience can include habits or approaches that need updating. Someone may have used a particular process successfully for years but now need to learn a different tool or meet new requirements. Acknowledging their experience makes it easier to connect that familiar foundation with the next stage of learning.
From Personal Experience to Evidence
When learners need to demonstrate a skill, experience becomes more useful when it is supported by evidence.
Depending on the learning goal, evidence might include a work sample, a practical demonstration, a written reflection, or a description of a completed task. A learner could also explain the steps they followed and the reasons for their decisions.
For example, someone who has managed stock in a small business might demonstrate how they record supplies, identify shortages, and plan an order. This gives the educator a clearer view of their abilities than a statement that they have “business experience.”
Evidence should match the skill being assessed. A confident explanation alone may not show that someone can complete a practical task. Equally, a written exercise may fail to capture an ability that is better demonstrated through action.
Providing suitable ways to show competence helps make the process more accurate and accessible.
Recognition and Formal Qualifications
Recognising experience within a course can be as straightforward as adapting activities to a learner’s existing knowledge or helping them identify their next learning goals.
Formal recognition involves a more structured process. Where such arrangements exist, learners may be able to have previously acquired knowledge and skills assessed against defined requirements.
This does not mean that years of experience automatically lead to a qualification. The relevant learning must be demonstrated, and the outcome depends on the rules of the institution or qualification system.
Educators should clearly explain what a recognition process can offer, what evidence is required, and which organisation makes the decision. Clear expectations help learners understand the value of the process without assuming an outcome.
Building Confidence Without Overlooking Learning Needs
Recognising prior learning can change how adults talk about themselves.
A person who initially says, “I have no skills,” may begin to identify specific abilities developed through years of responsibility. That recognition can make returning to education feel more achievable.
At the same time, learners benefit from an honest understanding of the areas they need to develop. Someone may be highly skilled at organising people but need support using a digital planning tool. Another person may have practical experience with finances but want to improve their understanding of spreadsheets.
A useful approach acknowledges both strengths and learning needs. Existing competence becomes the foundation for a realistic plan.
Learning from One Another
An adult learning group can contain a wide range of experience. Participants may have worked in different sectors, lived in different communities, or taken on different responsibilities.
Educators can create opportunities for learners to share examples, compare approaches, and work together on practical tasks. This allows participants to contribute as well as receive support.
Sharing should remain voluntary. Learners should not feel pressured to discuss personal circumstances or provide sensitive documents to demonstrate their experience. Examples can be anonymised, and alternative activities can be offered.
Respect for privacy helps create an environment where people feel comfortable contributing what they know.
Connecting Experience with the XXI Adults Vision
Adapting adult education to contemporary needs requires an understanding of the people taking part in it. Their previous learning,
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