At our most school boards in the Montreal and surrounding region, the student demographic in Adult Ed. has changed dramatically over the past decade. Our students:

• are younger;
• face myriad academic challenges;
• require more emotional support and motivation, and guidance in terms of self-regulation.

Therefore, we need to develop a systematic approach that addresses the whole student and diverse needs demand a flexible approach.

Some data to support our observations:

• A study completed by the MELS (now MEES) in 2009 discovered that 214,899 adults enrolled in adult education centres in Quebec during the 2007-2008 school year (Solar and Theriault, 2013, p. 55).
• The current population of adult learners "is a vulnerable clientele as far as social integration is concerned, and it is becoming more and more diversified” (Solar and Theriault, 2013, p. 55).
• “The fact that more and more youths [in Quebec] quit school before getting their secondary education diploma has prompted researchers to take interest in younger clienteles, sixteen to twenty-four year olds, who come to adult education in ever-growing numbers” (Solar and Theriault, 2013, p. 55).
• Canada “claim[s] one of the healthiest and most diverse adult education provisions in the industrialized world” (Nesbit, 2013, p. 2).