NIACE event at AoC annual conference Tuesday, November 16, 2010 - 10:20

The event drew upon the findings of Learning Through Life - the final report of the two year independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning - which called for FE colleges to be viewed as the institutional backbone for local lifelong learning.

The event also examined how colleges meet the wider learning aspirations of the people and communities they serve, taking into account key factors like the:

• recent and upcoming changes in the policy landscape;
• changing nature of public services;
• rising needs of an older workforce; and
• pressures of the economic downturn.

Mark Ravenhall, Director of Operations at NIACE and one of the speakers at the event, said:

"In the five years since Sir Andrew Foster's report into the role of further education colleges, there has been a focus on labour market preparation for young people and supporting employers in workplace learning. But alongside these, NIACE feels there needs to be a third focus: meeting the wider learning aspirations of the communities colleges serve. The time is now right for a fresh look at how colleges work with a range of local partners, including Councils, in delivering the best possible learning opportunities for adults."

"We are delighted to be working with the AOC and the 157 Group in setting up an independent commission of inquiry into this area of work. With all the proposed policy changes that are currently affecting the further education system, we feel the time is now right."

Geoff Hall, Chair of NIACE's FE Advisory Group and Principal of New College Nottingham, said:

"We all understand the enduring concerns for our younger people, but we must not lose sight of the needs of adults, particularly in light of the demographic challenges we face."