Learning for a better world

Date:	25 Apr 2013 - 26 Apr 2013
Venue:	Cardiff: Holiday Inn Cardiff City, Castle Street, Cardiff CF10 1XD
Ref:	AIP009E1/0413
Fee:	Event fee per person £60 Non member delegate fee for both days (excluding dinner) £85 Non member delegate fee for both days including Thursday night (25 April) dinner £50 NIACE member delegate fee for both days (excluding dinner) £75 NIACE member delegate fee for both days including Thursday night (25 April) dinner Cancellations are non-refundable Own arrangements for Bed and breakfast: Please see the Event Information section below. NOTE: NIACE does not charge VAT on conference and course fees
Contact:	NIACE Events (events@niace.org.uk) Tel: 0116 204 2833
Apply:	Apply Online is now closed for this event

[Background] [Aims] [Audience] [Outcomes] [Programme] [Event Information] [Application Conditions]

Background

The role of adult learning and skills to enhance Europe's economy and society is central to the work of the European Union, its member states and other participants in the Lifelong Learning Programme. The European Agenda for Adult Learning, adopted by Council Resolution in November 2011, stresses the need for adult educators to make a case for investment, better analyse learner participation and motivation, and develop robust strategies to engage adults who have benefited least from initial education systems.

NIACE as UK National Co-ordinator for the Agenda is running a number of innovation projects and peer learning activities in 2013 and 2014. This conference provides a platform for activity over the coming eighteen months. It will bring together adult learning practitioners, policy makers, learners and researchers from a variety of levels-- transnational, UK wide, national, regional and local.

The aim is to contribute to the EU Agenda and think about the UK's contribution in three main areas:

Linking adult learning to wider social and economic policy in the UK
Raising awareness of the value of adult learning to UK citizens
Increasing participation of low skilled or less well qualified adults

The programme will run over 24 hours hosted by NIACE Dysgu Cymru with workshops, seminars, keynote speeches, exhibitions and cultural visits.

Participants will receive a full conference report.

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Aims

To showcase some of the good practice happening across the UK and the rest of Europe;
To hear the latest policy interpretations from a variety of speakers from government, academia and support agencies;
To establish a strong platform for ongoing development and research projects;
To initiate a UK wide discussion on the value and contribution of adult learning to wider social and economic policy;
To report back to the European Commission on progress.

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Outcomes

By the end of the conference participants will have been able to:

hear the latest analysis and opinion from expert speakers and contributors
debate key matters that affect adult learning policy makers and practitioners
contribute to NIACE-led projects as part of the European Agenda for Adult Learning.

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Audience

Further and Higher education adult learning practitioners
Community learning staff
Union Learning Representatives
Careers staff
Policy makers: national and local
Learners
Researchers from a variety of levels-- transnational, UK-wide, national, regional and local.

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Programme

Day 1	Thursday 25 April 2013
12:15	Registration, Lunch, networking and exhibitions
13:15	Welcome and introductions Jeff Greenidge, Chair of NIACE Dysgu Cymru (NDC) Management Committee Richard Spear, Director for Wales, NIACE Dysgu Cymru (NDC) - Chair of Day 1 [Richard-Spear] Session 1: Linking adult learning to wider social and economic policy in the UK (with audience participation via twitter feed and text wall)
13:30	Keynote address 1: Welsh Government perspective Jeff Cuthbert, AM, Deputy Minister for Skills, Welsh Government [Jeff-Cuthbert-AM]
13:45	Keynote address 2: Why we need a European vision for adult learning David Hughes, Chief Executive, NIACE
14:00	Keynote address 3: The European Commission’s Agenda for Adult Learning Martina Ní Cheallaigh, European Commission [Martina-Ni-Cheallaigh]
14:15	Questions to the panel - Session P1
14:30	Keynote address 4: The state of learning in the UK Professor John Field, Professor of Lifelong Learning, School of Education, University of Stirling [John-Field]
14:50 15:10	Questions to the panel - Session P2 An introduction to the development projects (Part One) Richard Spear, Director for Wales, NIACE Dysgu Cymru
15:15	Mid-afternoon tea break and exhibitions Session 2: Raising awareness of the value of adult learning to UK citizens (Ongoing participation via twitter feed and text wall)
16:00 - 17:30	Workshops – day 1 (please indicate your first choice on the online application form)
	T1. Measuring the social and economic value of adult learning (FULL) Workshop Leader: Penny Lamb, Head of Policy Development, NIACE Rapporteurs: Fiona Boucher, Director, Scotland’s Learning Partnership and a Community Learning Champion [T1-Penny-Lamb] [T1-Shaun-Hegarty]
	T2. Adult learning and local democracy Workshop Leader: Mark Ravenhall, Director of Policy and Impact, NIACE Rapporteurs: Pam Coare, Chair of NIACE Policy and Strategy Committee and a Community Learning Champion [T2-Colin-Neilands] [T2-Ingegerd-Akselsson]
	T3. What the NIACE inquiries say about the nature of basic skills Workshop Leader: Carol Taylor OBE, Director of Development and Research, NIACE Rapporteurs: Ann Osborne, Forum for Adult Learning Northern Ireland and a Community Learning Champion [T3-Carol-Taylor]
	T4. What participation surveys say about motivation to learn Workshop Leader: Dr. Fiona Aldridge, Head of Learning for Work, NIACE Rapporteurs: Professor John Field, Professor of Lifelong Learning, School of Education, University of Stirling and a Community Learning Champion [T4-Fiona-Aldridge]
18:00	Cultural visit in Cardiff
19:30	Drinks reception at the Holiday Inn
20:00	Dinner After dinner speaker: Professor Dai Smith, Chairman, Arts Council of Wales
Day 2	Friday 26 April 2013
08:45	Coffee, networking and exhibitions
09:00	Welcome back from the Chair (Day 2) David Hughes, Chief Executive, NIACE
09:10	Feedback from the Community Learning Champion rapporteurs [CLC-Feedback]
09:30	Keynote address 5: What’s good and what’s missing? A reflection on the feedback from day one Professor Tom Schuller, Director, Longview and Director of the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning
09:45	Session 3: Increasing participation of low skilled or less qualified adults (Ongoing participation via twitter feed and text wall)
	Keynote address 6: An introduction to the development projects (Part Two) David Hughes, Chief Executive, NIACE
10:00 - 11:30	Workshops – day 2 (please indicate your first choice on your online application form)
	F1. Inquiry into the Learning Family Workshop Leader: Bryn Davies, Principal, Ystrad Mynach College Rapporteur: Sue Waddington, President, European Association for the Education of Adults [F1-Jan-Novitzky]
	F2. Self-organised groups and Community Learning Trusts Workshop Leader: Dr. Cheryl Turner, Head of Learning in Communities, NIACE Rapporteur: Fiona Boucher, Director, Scotland’s Learning Partnership [F2-Cheryl-Turner]
	F3. Employability skills for young adults Workshop Leader: Dr. Fiona Aldridge, Head of Learning for Work, NIACE Rapporteur: Professor John Field, Professor of Lifelong Learning, School of Education, University of Stirling [F3-Fiona-Aldridge]
	F4. Supporting social inclusion in basic skills Workshop Leader: Joyce Black, Head of Skills for Life Rapporteur: Ann Osborne, Forum for Adult Learning Northern Ireland [F4-Joyce-Black] [F4-Maggie-Dawson] [Merthyr-Life-Support] [Strikers-at-Cardiff-City-FC] [Unit-10] [F4-Zoltan Varkonyi]
11:40	Keynote address 7: Kim Thorneywork, Chief Executive, Skills Funding Agency [Kim-Thorneywork]
12:00	Panel discussion - Session P3 How can we widen participation in the UK? Colin Neilands, Director, WEA, NI Pam Coare, Chair of NIACE Policy and Strategy Committee Professor John Field, Professor of Lifelong Learning, School of Education, University of Stirling Fiona Boucher, Director, Scotland’s Learning Partnership Kim Thorneywork, Chief Executive, Skills Funding Agency Jeff Greenidge, Chair of NIACE Dysgu Cymru (NDC) Management Committee
12:30	Going forward: what are the key messages for: The Commission The UK Government, agencies and administrations The projects David Hughes, Chief Executive, NIACE
12:45	Lunch
13:45	Depart

NIACE is grateful to the European Commission and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for supporting its work on the European Agenda for Adult Learning.

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Event Information

Arrival, registration and lunch are at 12.15pm on Thursday. The conference will end with lunch on Friday at 12:45pm

Event fee per person
£60 Non member delegate fee for both days (excluding dinner)
£85 Non member delegate fee for both days including Thursday night (25 April) dinner

£50 NIACE member delegate fee for both days (excluding dinner)
£75 NIACE member delegate fee for both days including Thursday night (25 April) dinner

NB: NIACE does not charge VAT on conference or course fees

Only online application forms with the payments section completed will be processed.
NB: If you wish us to invoice your employer we require a copy of the Purchase Order before the form is processed
Places will be allocated in order of receipt of completed online application forms (one online application form per person)
Video cameras may be in use at this event. If you do not wish to be photographed or appear on the video outputs please indicate this on the application form and make yourself known at registration
Participants should be prepared to take their own notes as there will not be handouts for all sessions
If you have not received an e-mail confirming your attendance and joining instructions 4 working days before the event please contact: events@niace.org.uk

Bed and breakfast:
NIACE has negotiated a special (government rate) @ £85 per person per night for a limited number of bedrooms. The rack rate is in excess of £109 per person per night. Please phone the hotel reception on 0871 942 9240 and request to book a B&B on the 'government rate' in order to attend the NIACE conference.

Travel:
The venue is located close to Cardiff Central railway station.
The nearest airport, for ease of travel, is Bristol.

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Application Conditions

Event dates: Thursday-Friday 25-26 April 2013
Closing date: Wednesday 17 April 2013
Cancellations are non-refundable
The full fee is payable prior to the event
Substitutions are to be advised 5 working days prior to the event
A 15 working days notice period is required for provision of electronic note-takers, sign language interpreters and transcription to Braille
Places are to be reserved online – scroll up and click on Apply Now
Reservations by telephone cannot be accepted
Application forms are individually acknowledged by e-mail. Joining instructions, including map and directions, will be e-mailed out one week before the event
NIACE reserves the right to reject applicants who are not from the target audience list.

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