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Listening to older learners
Securing educational opportunities for older people
| Date: | Thursday 2 February 2006 |
| Venue: | The Resource Centre, London |
| Ref: | C12-80/02/06 |
| Fee: | £95.00 (includes lunch, tea/coffee) |
[Background & Aims] [Audience] [Programme]
Background & Aims
Older people have been the focus of the Government’s attention as it strives to create coherent and joined-up policies and actions to improve their quality of life.
Opportunity Age – meeting the challenges of ageing in 21st Century (March 2005) spelt out the Government’s intentions.
Among them is education! Education to enable older people to contribute to the economy for longer and education in retirement as part of an encouragement towards active, healthy and positive ageing.
This positive assertion of the value of education in later life and its inclusion in policy papers from central Government – DWP & DfES is to be applauded.
However many of the educational opportunities from which older people have benefited appear under threat.
It is important therefore that we look closely, critically and creatively at how we can secure the educational opportunities for older people envisaged by the Government, and those advocated by NIACE to give people confidence, competence and choice, and ensure that they are supported by a broad range of providers and funders.
The voices of older people are key. Finding the voices of non participants is always problematic but it is hoped that this event will allow us all to know more about why older people want to learn, what started them, what sort of success they are looking for and what obstacles are being placed in their way.
The contribution from older learners will include research evidence collected and analysed by older people themselves.
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Audience
This event is relevant to all education and training funders, providers and policy-makers, people from all the age movements and age representative organisations as well as older learners and older people wishing to engage in learning. It will be relevant for staff from the following organisations:
 | Business Support Organisations |
| Businesses and Employers |
| CBI Offices |
| Chambers of Commerce |
| Community Groups |
| Education Business Links |
| Employment Service |
| FE Colleges |
| Government Departments with responsibilities for education, skills and economic development |
| Higher Education Funding Council |
| Jobcentre Plus |
| Learning and Skills Councils |
| Learning Partnerships |
| Local Educational Authorities |
| Organisations supporting equality of opportunity and social inclusion |
| Probation Service |
| Regional Development Agencies |
| Sector Skills Councils |
| Small Business Service |
| Trade Unions |
| Training Organisations |
| Training Providers |
| Ufi/Learndirect |
| Universities |
| Voluntary Groups |
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Programme
| 09:30 | Arrival and Registration (Tea/Coffee available) |
| 10:00 | Welcome and Introduction to the
Day Jim Soulsby, Development Officer, NIACE |
| 10:15 | Keynote Address Mervyn Eastman, Director, Better Government for Older People |
| 11:00 | Tea/Coffee Break |
| 11:15 | Listening to Learners: Older learners from Lewisham Older learners from Bath & N.E. Somerset |
| 11:45 | Testimonies from Learners |
| 12:15 | Questions to the Learners |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:20 | Presentations and Discussion
Groups In Discussion Groups 1 and 2, participants will have the opportunity to hear how older learners initiated and undertook the research, and then used it to influence provision. The session will give participants an opportunity to reflect on and evaluate their own practice. 1) Lifelong Learning and Older People in Lewisham 2) Bath & N.E. Somerset Learning Partnership Project with the Older Learners Forum Discussion Group 3 will discuss and explore the learning needs of older learners, the ways and means of developing the voices of older learners and how they learn in later life. It will also discuss how older learners may be used as mentors to reach older "non-learners". 3) Developing the Voice of the Older Learner |
| 14:20 | Presentations and Discussion Groups (repeated) |
| 15:20 | Plenary Session including questions to a Panel of the Presenters |
| 15:45 | Close of Conference (Tea/Coffee available) |
This programme is correct at the time of going to press. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the published programme in the event of one or more of the advertised speakers being unable to attend. Delegates will have no claim against NIACE in respect of such changes.
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