- Program Goals
The department of Lifelong Learning and Community Development will work to produce competent and committed adult educators who can serve as development agent in the country’s endeavor for development and transformation. Thus, the major goals of the undergraduate programme in Lifelong Learning and Community Development are:
- To develop basic and practical skills in lifelong learning and community development practices
- To establish in students an appreciation of the importance of Andragogy and community development philosophies and principles
- To develop the ability to apply the learned skills for solving practical community problems;
2. Program Objectives
Thus, the objectives of the undergraduate programme in lifelong learning and community development are to:
- Produce skilled and well-trained human power in lifelong learning and community development professionals capable of taking up positions in the growing demand of several socio- economic sectors.
- Produce in lifelong learning and community development planners and managers who can initiate changes, innovations and developments by addressing local and regional needs and realities.
- Produce in lifelong learning and community development planners and mangers that can generate, manage and utilize community resources effectively and efficiently
- Develop capabilities for the provision of consultancy and technical services as well as short-term specialized training to both public and private sectors;
- Produce professionals who are responsive and effective in working with others as well as capable of making and implementing decisions.
- Produce professionals capable of searching and developing opportunities as well as solving community problems.
- Produce professionals who are able to face the challenges of today's and tomorrows’ highly complex and competitive world.
- Produce change agents that can mobilize and involve the local communities and thereby strengthen development endeavor and community relationship.
- Train students who can design and apply the principles of lifelong learning and community development to identify and solve societal problems related to environment, agriculture, health, and teaching.
3. Professionals Profile
The BA in Lifelong learning and community development program should enable the graduate to acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical know-how pertinent to the profession so that they will be competent locally, nationally and internationally. It should transfer employability skill in an ethical manner that can be mirrored through the cognitive ability, interpersonal skill, organizational skill and research working skill of the graduate.
The BA degree graduates of lifelong learning and community development, therefore, can work as:
- Community Development workers/agents
- Adult and Non-Formal Education curriculum experts
- Adult and Non-Formal Education Assessment and Evaluation experts
- Adult and Non-Formal Education experts, coordinators, and managers
- Continuous professional development coordinators
- Workplace Learning Planners and Facilitators
- Community mobilizing agents
- Alternative Basic Education (ABE) organizers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Pastoral education organizers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Distance and e-learning programme coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Continuing education organizers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Education in Emergencies coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Prison education organizers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme coordinators and supervisors
- Gender experts
- Volunteerism advocators and facilitators
- Early childhood care and education programme coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Social welfare experts and advocators
- Vocational guidance and career counselors
- Trainers and Capacity building experts
- Community and social change agents
- Community health protection facilitators
- Micro and Small-scale enterprise coordinators
- Project and programme designers, coordinators managers and evaluators
- Research experts
- Supervisors
- Lifelong learning experts
- Policy development advisors and advocators
- Cooperatives experts
- Community Learning Center designers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
- Integrated Functional Adult Education designers, coordinators, managers and supervisors
Thus, the graduates of BA degree in lifelong learning and community development will have the opportunities to secure employment in a wide range of education and community development organizations and institutions both locally and internationally. For instance they can work in the following sectors and organizations:
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level Education bureaus
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level women and children affairs
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level youth and sport affairs
- Regional, Zonal and Sub-city level Labor and Social affairs
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level Micro, Small and Medium enterprises
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level Cooperatives coordinating agencies
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level TVET agencies
- Community based organizations/Community resource mobilization and Development Organizations
- National and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
- Institutions of higher learning (Colleges and Universities)
- Schools
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level Agricultural and Rural development bureaus
- Pastoral Community education and development sectors
- Prisons (correctional education sectors)
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level health bureaus
- Regional, Zonal, Woreda and Sub-city level administrative offices
- Rehabilitation centers
- Disaster and risk management organizations
- Research institutes and consultancy firms
- Career counseling centers
- Leadership Training Institutes/Management institutes
- Community Learning Centers
- Community Skills Training Centers
- HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Offices
- Distance and Continuing Education Institutions
4. Graduate Profile
Students who have completed an undergraduate degree in lifelong learning and community development are expected to have comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding on advanced level, including:
- Knowledge of lifelong learning as well as community development
- Demonstrate life skills in lifelong learning and community development and,
- Values that equip them for employment, citizenship and lays the foundations for a lifetime continuous learning and personal development.
The graduates of LLCD will be able to:
- Conduct and identify the training and development needs of a target community.
- Facilitate various kinds of lifelong learning and community development training programmes
- Prepare training manuals/materials for different kinds of lifelong learning and community development projects and programmes.
- Advise and consult decision makers and organizations in the area of adult and non-formal education and continuous professional development (CPD) as well as workplace Learning.
- Design, develop and plan lifelong learning and community development projects and programmes
- Supervise, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of lifelong learning and community development projects and programmes.
- Lead (manage) different kinds of lifelong learning and community development programmes and projects.
- Consult in the design, management and evaluation of lifelong learning and community development programmes,
- Initiate and propose adult and non-formal education, lifelong learning and community development/service/ policy alternatives to policy makers
- Create partnership and network among different organizations working in the field of lifelong learning as well as community development to mobilize resources.
- Create awareness about lifelong learning and community development/service/ policies, strategies and guidelines for different parties
- Promote the idea of continuous professional development (workplace learning) and lifelong learning and thereby inculcate learning culture in various organizations and the community.
- Apply conflict management skills in the context of education, workplaces and community development activities.
- Conduct research to solve problems in the area of lifelong learning as well as community development and initiate ideas for social change.
- Integrate lifelong Learning and community development in different sectors.
- Coordinate natural resource management and environmental protection activities
- Plan, execute and monitor community health prevention and protection projects and programmes
- Facilitate Early Childhood Care and Education programmes and projects
- Promote, advocate and mainstream gender issues in lifelong learning and community development policies, strategies, projects and programmes
- Organize and manage groups for lifelong learning and community development activities
- Initiate and Coordinate various volunteering and community services activities to bring about and strengthen non-formal education and community development
- Identify, prioritize and plan intervention for various social problems
- Plan, supervise and facilitate projects and programmes working on various social problems
- Design, implement and evaluate lifelong learning and community development curriculum
- Facilitate, organize and supervise agricultural and rural extension activities and programmes
- Facilitate, organize and supervise voluntary organizations and volunteerism activities
- Provide various trainings and Training of trainers (ToTs) on various lifelong learning topics, methods and skills (skills trainings)
- Mobilize community to undertake lifelong learning and community development
- Design, coordinate and manage distance and e-learning programmes
- Deliver lifelong learning and community development courses in institutes of higher learning
- Design and administer learning assessment tools in lifelong learning and community development programmes
5. Program Admission
Students with the following background will be admitted to the programme based on the requirements set by MoE and the University.
- Diploma holders in various fields (Teachers, Development Agents, Health Extension Workers and from related areas) who want to pursue their education in the field; and
- Students who completed preparatory programmes and scored grades required for joining degree programmes based on the rules and regulations of MOE.