Acquiring Communication Skills In Adult Education

Acquiring communication skills in a part-time study is a challenge. The reason is the adapted range of lectures. Many participants have reservations when the obligations of the subject involve presentations. Nevertheless, they recognize the value of excellent communication skills. Based on the research conducted at Ball State University, which assesses the impact of business communication education, the strategy for obtaining the long-term performances of learning (business) communication is needed. This is not possible through optional and/or compulsory subjects, but only with continuous training. The analysis of employers implies that a large proportion of missing skills are in the range of communication. On the basis of working with adults at the B & B Higher Vocational College, some of the already established solutions are presented: the case of work in the subject Organisational culture, discussions of topic at the lecture councils, increasing the number of events that complement education at school with the possibility of acquiring communication skills, in-depth conversations with employers regarding the communication skills of graduates and on the basis of the later adoption of measures in the annual work plan of the school. Even more intensive work is proposed. On the basis of the project International Assessment of Transversal Skills, guidelines for the development of cooperation and communication skills for the elementary and secondary school were developed. For adult learning purposes, guidelines should be adapted and actively enforced at school and added examples of good practices for adults. At the level of the lecturer, it is recommended to use the self-evaluation tool: working with the example, using questionnaires for participants: self-evaluation of cooperation and communication, and incorporating the necessary skills into the course's obligations. However, the first step is the empowerment of participants for the latter since they are too often burdened or stressed by them.