The Adult Learning Continuum, Skills and the Big Society

This event has been postponed

[Background] [What the research tells us] [The local authority role] [Reinvigorating adult and community learning] [Aims] [Audience] [Programme] [Event Information] [Application Conditions] [Application Form]

'I do hope you agree that adult learning is a continuum...'
John Hayes, July 2010

Background

The Coalition Government has put on record its commitment to lifelong learning. “Adult learning has a really important role to play in encouraging active citizenship. … We know that adult learning doesn’t just help people find work – it can also have benefits for people’s health and even for reducing crime.” David Cameron, May 2010. “Adult education – make no mistake – brings hope and the promise of a better society founded on social mobility, social justice and social cohesion. It both enriches the lives of individuals and the communities of which they are a part.” John Hayes, May 2010. “There is growing demand for adult and community learning. This is not only valuable in its own right, but also as an activity that can stimulate people to learn for vocational reasons as well as for enjoyment” John Hayes, July 2010. “Education for education’s sake – learning how to learn – benefits the economy in the long term. Philistinism is bad economics. It is also fundamentally unacceptable.” Vince Cable, June 2010.

In the October Comprehensive Spending Review Government demonstrated its commitment to lifelong learning by retaining funding for Adult and Community Learning and stating its intention to review policy and reform funding for this provision. What the research tells us

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What the research tells us

The transformative power of lifelong learning and its ability to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities is well established. There is a significant body of evidence which demonstrates that:

• Adult learning is part of the apparatus of a civilised society, sustaining people in their current economic and social responsibilities and also offering a route to personal and social fulfilment, transformation, development and prosperity
• People with more education and who continue to learn are more likely to be healthy
• Education has a direct effect on individual well-being
• Many adults use community learning provision to boost their job-related skills
• Investment in learning for older people can reduce the costs of medical and social care and improve the quality of life for older people, their families and communities
• A ‘learning family’ where adults and children are enthused and involved in their own and each others’ learning has positive effects for both children and adults and is often a gateway to other forms of civic engagement
• Participation in adult learning contributes to positive changes in social and political attitudes and contributes to increases in civic and political participation.

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The local authority role

Recent Transformation Fund projects have demonstrated that modest sums of public spending, particularly when public sector organisations and community groups work together, can unlock the kinds of innovative and creative changes that make a difference to the lives of individuals and the communities of which they are a part. In this way lifelong learning can be more than a public service but can become a powerful instrument of cultural change – providing a bridge between public, private and voluntary sector whether at regional, sub-regional or local levels. Local authorities are uniquely placed to unlock the learning potential of many local services.

Local authorities can ensure that lifelong learning plays a strong role in local strategies for raising workforce skills, community cohesion, active citizenship, health and well-being. This could include:

• developing a culture of learning in families
• bringing Colleges and learning providers together to identify the progression pathways that exist in local areas and promote the whole spectrum of learning opportunities available to adults and families
• responding to demographic changes in the community by helping older people to keep mentally and physically active and fit
• supporting communities through the after-effects of the recession
• targeting activities to engage people in local democratic processes
• engaging people in digital technologies
• learning for a green future. The key to success will be that individuals are able to identify and access the learning they need and that provision supports a range of social and economic priorities of elected bodies. 

The key to success will be that individuals are able to identify and access the learning they need and that provision supports a range of social and economic priorities of elected bodies.

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Reinvigorating adult and community learning

In July 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published Skills for Sustainable Growth: Consultation on the future direction of skills policy. This document:

• confirms the ways in which adult and community learning is seen to contribute to the aims of the Big Society programme
• applauds the existing wide variety of adult and community learning activities which enrich their local communities and are often delivered by learning providers in partnership with private and third sector organisations
• makes a commitment to reinvigorate adult and community learning to help individuals, families and communities to create the local services they want
• seeks to strengthen the relationships between colleges, local authorities, charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises by encouraging local leadership
• welcomes ideas for how businesses and others could be encouraged to engage in supporting local community learning to help create local ownership and momentum.

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Aims

This event will:

• explore the Learning Continuum idea: how the mix of vocational, adult and community learning and other informal learning can be used by individuals to meet their needs – especially skills for employment – at various stages in life’s journey
• consider the role for adult learning in realising the Big Society, the wider benefits of adult learning in relation to health, well-being, social cohesion, civic engagement, and other areas of social policy
• identify how adult and community learning acts as a ‘golden thread’ linking across local authority priorities and how adult and community learning can play a strong role in local strategies including those for community cohesion, active citizenship and health and well-being
• celebrate developments in adult and community learning in the South East of England and showcase innovative practice.

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Audience

• Lead members in local authorities and portfolio holders
• Leaders in local authority adult learning services, Colleges of Further Education, third sector organisations, and museums, libraries and archives
• Public sector organisations working in health, care, community cohesion, services for older people, and children’s services
• Workplace learning providers and support agencies, trade unions and employers.

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Provisional Programme

09:30 Arrival and registration
10:00 Morning session

• Welcome and Introduction
• BIS Policy
• LGA perspective
• Employer view
• Adult Learning Continuum
• Witnesses - 2 learners describe their journey
• Panel Q&A

12:35 Lunch and stalls / networking
13:30 Afternoon session

• Learning and The Big Society
• Partnerships in practice
• Table tasks - discussion groups
• Key points feedback & plenary discussion
• Summary & Close

15:30 Close of event

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Event Information

• Arrival and registration is at 9:30am for a 10:00am start. The event will end at 15:30pm
• Attendance is free to delegates from the South East
• Places will be allocated in order of receipt of completed application forms (one form per person)
• Places can be reserved online via: www niace.org.uk/events Alternatively completed and signed application forms can be faxed or posted to NIACE by the closing date. 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
• 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:
  NIACE Events Team
  Tel: 0116 204 2833
  Fax: 0116 285 9670
  Minicom: 0116 255 6049
  E-mail: events@niace.org.uk

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Application Conditions

Tuesday 7 December 2010
Closing Date: Thursday 25 November 2010

• Substitutions are to be advised 5 working days prior to the event
• A 10 working days notice period is required for provision of electronic note-takers, sign language interpreters and transcription to Braille
• Places will be normally limited to 2 representatives from each organisation except in the case of local authorities
• NIACE reserves the right to reject applicants who are not from the target audience list
• Attendance will be restricted to delegates from the South East region.

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Application Form

(For people not using the online reservation system above)