Removing financial barriers to Continuing Education for disadvantaged groups

Abstract

The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) offers continuing education courses that help already qualified and experienced professionals maintain their competitiveness in the changing labour market to avoid the risk of exclusion. However, the self-funding system for continuing education limits accessibility for disadvantaged groups because courses are offered at market price, and not everyone can afford the cost. An initiative was outlined to seek alternative funding sources to make SUPSI’s CE courses more inclusive by covering the needs of specific disadvantaged groups. Raising awareness and interacting with active employees in continuing education is crucial to ensuring the initiative’s success. We therefore decided to launch an internal communication campaign to promote a more inclusive continuing education culture and proactivity towards finding potential alternative sources of funding. A dedicated newsletter combined with meetings and individual counselling were the main tools identified to implement the campaign. This initiative aims to create a culture that encourages the identification of specific needs and promotes a participatory and inclusive vision.