Adult Learners' Week Policy Conference

Dear colleague,

I am writing to invite you to this year’s NIACE Annual Policy Conference for Adult Learners’ Week 2010 which will be on the theme Prospects for Lifelong Learning in Challenging Times.

This year’s conference focuses on re-framing the priorities for adult learning in the new Parliament at a time of acute financial constraint. We will discuss how best we might re-balance funding for adult learning to restore opportunities lost in further, higher and community education in recent years, to contribute effectively to the support for and re-engagement of individuals and communities affected by the recession. The event will be shaped by the recommendations of last autumn’s Learning Through Life report from the NIACE-sponsored Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning.

The morning will focus on a new model for the educational life course, with inputs around prospects for the four key stages (up to age 25, 26-50, 51-75 and 75+), whilst the afternoon will comprise sectoral approaches with respect to higher education, further education, local authority learning, the voluntary and community sector and the UK economy.

The conference will be chaired by Brenda Gourley, former Vice Chancellor of the Open University and Chair of NIACE’s Policy and Strategy Committee. Participatory in style, with questions, discussion from the floor and a knowledge café format for the afternoon, the event will include contributions from:

• Fiona Blacke, Chief Executive of the National Youth Agency
• Michael Davis, Director of Strategy and Performance, UK Commission for Employment and Skills
• Natasha Innocent, Senior Policy Adviser, Learning and Skills, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
• Pam Tatlow, Director, Million +
• Tom Wilson, Director of Unionlearn, TUC.

We hope to have a Government Minister joining us and await confirmation from other key speakers.

The event will be of interest to:

• Adult learning practitioners across all sectors
• Policy-makers and opinion-formers
• Strategists and managers.

The event will take place at the Mermaid Theatre. Arrival and registration is from 9:30am for a 10:00am start. The conference will finish at 4:00pm and lunch will be included. There is a fee of £50 for the event.

I do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a stimulating contribution to Adult Learners’ Week 2010. Places will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. To book, please return the completed application form.

We look forward to hearing from you and, if you have any queries about arrangements, please contact:
NIACE Events Team
Tel: 0116 204 2833
Fax: 0116 254 8368
E-mail: events@niace.org.uk

Yours sincerely, Alan Tuckett
Chief Executive