NIACE Party Conference fringe events Monday, September 14, 2009 - 14:24

For this year's Party Conference Season, NIACE will be hosting four fringe events, with a strong focus on Learning Through Life, a report which will be published by Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning (IfLL) on 17 September 2009. Three of the events will be OUTSIDE the conference secure areas (exact locations listed below) and the event held at the Conservative Party Conference will be held INSIDE the conference secure area.

Learning Through Life - New Thinking on Lifelong Education will be held at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth (The Whitehall Hotel, Exeter Park Road, BH2 5AX), on Monday 21 September 2009. Speakers will include:

• Stephen Williams MP
• Baroness Margaret Sharp (tbc)
• Tom Schuller, Director of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning.

Open Discussion on Adult Learning and Skills for a Stronger and Fairer Society and Economy will be held at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton (Lancing Room, Holiday Inn, King's Rd, BN1 2JF), on Sunday 27 September 2009. Discussions will be led by:

• Kevin Brennan MP Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs
• Kelvin Hopkins MP Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education and Lifelong Learning
• Meg Munn MP Former minister for Women and Equality
• Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive, National Institution of Adult Continuing Education

Learning for all ages: Ensuring a fair balance of spending - a joint event with the Social Market Foundation (SMF) - will take place in Brighton (Holiday Inn, King's Rd, BN1), on Tuesday 29 September 2009. Speakers will include:

• Rt Hon. Alan Milburn MP
• Kevin Brennan MP Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs
• Oona King (tbc)
• Prof. Tom Schuller, Director, Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning

Second time lucky: how adult learning can address Britain's social mobility crisis - a joint event with REFORM and London Southbank University -will be held at theConservative Party Conference in Manchester, on Monday 5 October 2009. Speakers will include:

• Dale Bassett, Senior Researcher, Reform Britain
• David Willetts MP, Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills
• Prof. Tom Schuller, Director, Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning
•  Dr Phil Cardew, Pro Vice Chancellor, LSBU

NIACE will also be contributing to the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning's (www.callcampaign.org.uk) fringe meeting at the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) in Liverpool, on Wednesday 16 September 2009.